Pisa, Italy: travel guide
Far more than its famous leaning bell tower, Pisa boasts a magnificent Piazza dei Miracoli ensemble of white Carrara marble cathedral, baptistery, and camposanto, plus a lively medieval university city atmosphere on the Arno river.
- Country
- Italy
- Currency
- EUR
- Time zone
- Europe/Rome
- Nearest airport
- PSA
Top places to visit in Pisa
Leaning Tower of Pisa
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 1 h · entry EUR 18
The 56-metre Romanesque bell tower of Pisa Cathedral (begun 1173) began tilting during construction due to soft ground. After 800 years of gradual lean and stabilisation works (1990–2001), it now leans 3.97 degrees. Climbing 294 steps to…
Pisa Cathedral (Duomo di Pisa)
Church · 4.7 rating · about 1 h · entry EUR 5
The magnificent Romanesque cathedral (begun 1063) whose construction inspired similar Romanesque buildings across Tuscany and Sardinia. The bronze Bonanno Pisano doors, Cimabue's apse mosaic, and Giovanni Pisano's pulpit are highlights.
Pisa Baptistery
Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 0.8 h · entry EUR 5
The circular baptistery (1152–1363) is the largest in Italy, famous for its extraordinary acoustic properties — a single voice can produce a harmonic chord lasting 6 seconds. Nicola Pisano's pulpit (1260) is a landmark of early Italian…
Lucca Day Trip from Pisa
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 8 h
A day trip from Pisa to nearby Lucca — the beautifully preserved medieval Tuscan town surrounded by complete Renaissance walls, with the spectacular Piazza dell'Anfiteatro built on Roman amphitheatre, and the historic Guinigi Tower.
San Gimignano Towers Day Trip
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 8 h
A day trip from Pisa to San Gimignano — the medieval Tuscan town with 14 surviving tower-houses of the original 72, the UNESCO World Heritage Site nicknamed the Medieval Manhattan, and the world's best gelato (Gelateria Dondoli).
Pisa Lungarno River Walks
Viewpoint · 4.6 rating · about 2 h
The Lungarno river walks along the Arno River — the elegant 19th-century waterfront with the palazzi of the Pisan aristocracy, the Ponte di Mezzo central bridge, and the spectacular views of the Pisan medieval centre.
Pisa Tuttomondo Keith Haring Mural
Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 0.5 h
Keith Haring's Tuttomondo mural — the late American artist's 1989 masterpiece painted on the back wall of Sant'Antonio church, the largest Keith Haring outdoor work and the most colourful contemporary art in Tuscany.
Camposanto Monumentale
Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 1 h
The monumental medieval cemetery (1277) enclosing what was said to be soil brought from Calvary; damaged WWII frescoes (now restored) and remarkable Roman sarcophagi.
Borgo Stretto & Lungarno Walk
Cultural · 4.5 rating · about 1.3 h
Pisa's elegant medieval shopping street with arcaded medieval porticoes; leads to the Lungarno riverfront promenade flanking the Arno with its painted medieval towers and Brunelleschi bridge.
Knights of the Holy Order Pisa
Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 1 h
Piazza dei Cavalieri in the evening — the Renaissance square designed by Vasari, with the Palazzo della Carovana headquarters of the Knights of the Order of St. Stephen, the historic Scuola Normale Superiore, and the magical evening…
Piazza dei Cavalieri
Cultural · 4.5 rating · about 0.5 h
The second great square of Pisa (after the Field of Miracles); Giorgio Vasari's 16th-century Palazzo della Carovana (now Scuola Normale Superiore), the frescoed Palazzo dell'Orologio, and a Cosimo I statue.
Santa Maria della Spina
Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 0.5 h
A jewel-box Gothic oratory (1323) standing on the Arno riverbank; encrusted with pinnacles, niches, and statues — one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in Tuscany.
Things to do
- Leaning Tower Climb Sightseeing · 1 h · from EUR 23 per person
- Field of Miracles Combo Ticket Museum · 3 h · from EUR 20 per person
- Piazza dei Miracoli Full Visit Heritage · 3 h · from EUR 21 per person
- Cinque Terre Day Trip Day Trip · 9 h · from EUR 62 per person
- Pisa Piazza dei Miracoli Guided Tour & Leaning Tower Climb Cultural · 2.5 h · from EUR 29 per person
- Florence Day Trip Day Trip · 9 h · from EUR 53 per person
- Pisa Walking Tour Walking Tour · 2 h · from EUR 14 per person
- Lucca Bike Day Trip Day Trip · 5 h · from EUR 35 per person
Day trips and tours
- Piazza dei Miracoli Guided Tour: Tower, Baptistery & Duomo 2.5 h · from EUR 20
- Pisa to Lucca Half-Day Tour 5 h · from EUR 33
Where to stay in Pisa
- Piazza dei Miracoli Area about EUR 110 per night
Within walking distance of the Leaning Tower; quiet at night once tourists leave
Hotels
- Hotel Bagni di Pisa 5-star · INR 30,000 to INR 110,000 per night
- Hotel Relais dell'Orologio, Pisa 4-star · EUR 160 to EUR 380 per night
- Hotel Royal Victoria 4-star · INR 8,500 to INR 18,000 per night
- Hotel Bologna Pisa 4-star · INR 8,500 to INR 18,000 per night
- Hotel Plaza Lucchesi 4-star · INR 8,000 to INR 17,000 per night
- NH Pisa 4-star · INR 9,000 to INR 19,000 per night
Where to eat
- Pizzeria Il Montino italian, pizza · about EUR 14 per person
- Osteria dei Cavalieri Italian, Tuscan · about EUR 25 per person
- Bottega del Gelato italian, gelato · about EUR 6 per person
- De Coltelli italian, gelato · about EUR 5 per person
- Ristorante Galileo Italian, Tuscan, Seafood · about EUR 30 per person
- Il Campano italian, tuscan · about EUR 38 per person
- Numero Undici italian, tuscan · about EUR 12 per person
- Salza italian, cafe, bakery · about EUR 18 per person
Getting around
- Bus main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
Safety and scams to avoid
Overpriced Restaurants Opposite the Tower
Via Santa Maria facing Piazza dei Miracoli
Restaurants on the tourist strip charge 2× city prices with limited authentic menus
How to avoid it: Walk 10 minutes south to eat in the authentic city centre