How to go on a Day Trip to Pisa from Florence, Italy

Last updated on April 7th, 2021 at 11:37 am

It is a fact that Italy boasts of some of the magnificent works of architecture in the world. Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of them albeit it’s a faulty one. And that’s what makes it unique! If you are staying in Florence, then a day trip to Pisa is a must.

After all, the 4-degree tilt of the tower is something that has baffled mankind for years!

1) Leaning Tower Of Pisa – A Brief Background

The Leaning Tower is a Bell Tower situated within a huge cathedral complex in Pisa. It began to lean during its construction period itself in the 12th century. It took nearly 200 years to finish the construction.  

The saying goes that the tower began to sink as a result of loose subsoil which was not taken into consideration properly during the design and construction stage.

Leaning Tower of Pisa is located at Piazza Dei Miracoli formerly known as Piazza Del Duomo and consists of four monumental structures – Pisa Cathedral, Pisa Baptistery, The Leaning Tower of Pisa, and the Camposanto Monumentale, or the Monumental Cemetery.

The cathedral complex is a UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE site.

2) How To Reach Pisa on a Day Trip from Florence

Pisa is a city in the Tuscany district of Italy and is easily accessible from Florence by train. It is a 1-hour train journey from Santa Maria Novella Station in Florence to Pisa Centrale station.

You can buy your tickets online from the Trenitalia Website. For buying online tickets, you need to specify the date and time.

However, if you are buying tickets from the ticket counter, validate the tickets in one of the ticket machines inside the station. This is because Off-the-counter tickets have a date but do not have time mentioned. Remember to validate the ticket before you board the train. This step is not required if you have bought an online ticket with the date and time mentioned.

After getting down at Pisa Centrale station, take a bus to Piazza dei Miracoli. Bus tickets are available from the railway station itself. It is a 10 minutes bus ride from the station to the Cathedral complex. 

3) Book Your Tickets

Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world and attracts a lot of crowds. So, make it a point to book your tickets in advance.

The official website offers you various booking options.

ALSO READ : Rome, Venice, Milan

4) Things To Do On A Day trip To Pisa

Half a Day is an optimum time to explore the main attractions in Pisa on a day trip. Here is a list of things to do you can do on a day trip to Pisa

a) Climb the Leaning tower of Pisa – The Epic Experience

Surely you will be clicking those “Pushing-the-tower” photos, but did you know, you can ascend and go to the top of the Leaning Tower?

It is a lifetime experience and must not be missed.

Word of caution! As per the official site, the ascent is not recommended for people with cardiovascular and muscular disorders. There is also an age restriction where children below 8 years are not permitted to enter. Read the guidelines carefully while buying your tickets.

Here’s how you can experience it:

Book your tickets to climb the Tower beforehand from the official site. The tickets are timed and the authorities will allow only 15-20 people to enter the Tower during a time slot.

The moment you enter the Tower, you can feel the tilt! You will feel a slight dizzyness for the first couple of minutes, but it fades away slowly, and you get adjusted. The walls at the base have the engineering drawings & measurements of the tower.

Now it is time to climb the Tower. Take a deep breath and plunge in – you are in for a lifetime experience.

There are 297 steps to climb and the staircase gets narrow as you climb up. The good thing is the steps are not steep except for the last couple of flights. There are also landings in between where you can stand and pause for a moment.

Once you reach the top, you get a spectacular 360-degree view of PISA.

Right at the center, a portion of the floor is covered with glass. This enables you to see through the glass until the tower base from the top. You will also get to see the seven bells at the tower top. They haven’t rung for more than a century now but used to represent a musical note from a major scale.

Spend some time and cherish the moment! You are on the top of the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

b) Visit the Cathedral, Baptistry, and the Cemetery

While the Leaning Tower of Pisa is the most famous amongst all the four monuments within Piazza Dei Miracoli, the Pisa Cathedral, Baptistry and the Cemetery are also equally impressive.

You can either choose to visit all or select from the Cathedral, Baptistery, and the Cemetery and book your tickets accordingly.

The Cathedral is a well-preserved piece of history displaying diverse architectural influences like the Byzantine style. There are numerous works of art including the great mosaic San Giovanni the Baptist.

The dome-shaped  Baptistery of Saint Giovanni has stunning ornate exteriors and is an unusual building. The interiors are austere and plain comparatively. The baptistery is particularly famous for its fantastic acoustics. You can also admire some of the notable works of art here.

The Camposanto Monumentale, or the Monumental Cemetery is located on the northern side of Piazza dei Miracoli.  It was the primary burial ground for upper-class citizens. This rectangular area used to be surrounded by beautiful frescoes which got damaged during World War II. A massive restoration exercise has revived most of them to their pre-war state.

c) Get the epic Pisa photo shot

Of course, you have to have that typical photo with the tower! It is a must-do activity on a day trip to Pisa and not to be skipped even if seems touristy and stereotypical. Get as innovative with your PISA-pose as possible while taking that coveted shot with the Leaning Tower.

Take photos of people trying to take the typical photo. This is a lot of fun! Because people indeed need to do a little trial and error to figure out the exact position. If you are watching them from a distance, they seem hilarious. I am sure, others would have thought the same about me when I was trying to take the perfect shot!

d) Buy Souvenirs

There are numerous souvenir shops within the complex and they offer a reasonable price. The most popular item to buy from here is a replica of the Leaning Tower. There are other souvenir items too like small fridge magnets, key chains, wall plates to choose from.

We also found street artists getting innovative at their interpretations of the Leaning Tower!

You can also head on to the shopping street, Corso Italia – a pedestrian-free shopping street for the collectibles.

5) Where To Eat On A Day Trip To Pisa

There are numerous dining options close to the Leaning Tower that offer authentic Italian food. We settled down for lunch at a pizzeria that served us heavenly pizzas and Chianti wine. One of the good ones (among numerous) suggested by the locales is Osteria Isanti. We didn’t get a chance to explore though.

Eating out in Italy is usually not a problem at all with an abundance of good dining options.

6) Final Thought

Over to you. I am sure Pisa is on your bucket list.

Have you visited Pisa already? I would be keen to hear about your experience.