No trip to Tuscany would be complete without a visit to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Thanks to the proximity to Florence, it is very easy to visit Pisa on a day trip. This post summarizes everything you need to know to organize the perfect Florence to Pisa day trip.
Contents:
Florence to Pisa Day Trip – How to get to Pisa from Florence
– Florence to Pisa by train
– Florence to Pisa by bus
– Florence to Pisa by car
– The best Florence to Pisa tour
What to see in Pisa
Where to eat in Pisa
Other day trips from Florence
Florence to Pisa Day Trip – How to get to Pisa from Florence
Pisa is located around 90 km (55 miles) west of Florence. There are several ways to travel from Florence to Pisa and back in one day. If you want an absolute hassle free experience, you can book a convenient Pisa tour from Florence.
If you want to be in charge of your travel program, you can also organize the trip to Pisa from Florence yourself either by train or in a rental car. Taking a train between Florence and Pisa is the fastest option. There are also regular bus services between the two cities which can turn out to be the cheapest option.
Florence to Pisa by train
Traveling by train is the fastest way to get from Florence to Pisa. Depending on which type of train you chose, the travel time is between 48 minutes to 1:22 minutes. The price for the train is €8.60 per direction. The price remains the same, regardless if you chose an express train or a slower regional train.
Taking the train is also one of the most convenient ways to travel between Florence and Pisa. There are between two and four departures per hour so you can flexibly chose when you want to start your day trip from Florence in the morning and when you want to get back.
The train to Pisa starts at Santa Maria Novella Station in Florence and ends at Pisa Central Station.
The central station is located on the southern bank of the Arno River in Pisa and around 1.8 km (1.2 miles) from the Leaning Tower of Pisa. You can either chose to walk or take a taxi for around €20.
For your return journey, the Pisa to Florence train runs until the late evening at 10:30 pm – so you will have plenty of time to see the best sights of Pisa during the day.
Florence to Pisa by bus
Taking a bus is also a good option to travel between Pisa and Florence. Flixbus operates several services per day and prices start at €4.99 per direction. This makes the bus the cheapest option to travel between the two cities. Outside of sale periods, tickets for the bus start at €11.99.
The bus starts in Florence on Piazzale Montelungo or at Villa Costanza (Tram T1) and goes to Pietrasantina car park in Pisa in 1:15. The bus stop in Pisa is located 1.4 km (0.9 miles) from the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Florence to Pisa by car
Another option to travel between Florence and Pisa is a rental car. Renting a car in Tuscany make most sense if you want to visit more places than just Florence and Pisa in one day. On the way back, you could for example visit the amazing wineries of the Chianti Region south of Florence. Or you could make a quick stop in Pisa on a Cinque Terre day trip from Florence.
A car makes you more flexible to move around the beautiful countryside of Tuscany. If you just want to travel between Florence and Pisa, I would not recommend renting a car, since the train is cheaper, faster and more convenient.
The best Florence to Pisa tour
If you prefer a hassle free experience and want to leave the planning to the experts, you can pre-book a Pisa day tour from Florence.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa tour from Florence includes the transport between Florence and Pisa, an English-speaking guide, the admission fee to the Cathedral of Pisa as well as skip the line tickets to the Leaning Tower. Prices for full day tours from Florence to Pisa start at €75. Book the full day tour to Pisa here.
Another option is a half day tour from Florence to Pisa. The tour starts in Florence in the afternoon and includes the transport from Florence to Pisa as well as a guide and the entrance to the Pisa Cathedral. Prices for the Pisa half day trip from Florence start at €49.
Due to the small size of Pisa, you can also combine a trip there with a visit to other cities. One great option is the Pisa and Lucca tour from Florence. The tour leaves Florence in the morning to Pisa and then continues on the Lucca before returning to Florence in the evening. Prices start at €60.
What to see in Pisa
Obviously, there is one main reason why most people (us included) want to visit Pisa: the Leaning Tower of Pisa. An absolute must on every Italy travel itinerary. If you plan to spend a full day in Pisa, you will have plenty of time to explore the other sights of the city. Here is a short overview of the best things to see in Pisa (including the Leaning Tower).
The Leaning Tower of Pisa
Yes, that is what we are all here for. Thanks to the miscalculations about the stability of the ground under the tower, we can now admire this landmark that would not be famous if it wasn’t for the fact that it is leaning.
Take your time to wander around the tower and take some amazing photos. Since 2001, it is again possible to climb up the narrow marble stairs to the top of the tower. It is best to book your Leaning Tower of Pisa tickets in advance, so you won’t need to wait in the long lines in front of the ticket office.
Pisa Cathedral
The Pisa Cathedral is standing just meters from the Leaning Tower on Piazza dei Miracoli. Actually, the Leaning Tower was built as the cathedral’s bell tower in 1173. Entrance to the cathedral is free but you will have to get a timed ticket at the ticket office before entering.
Piazza dei Cavalieri
Around ten minutes’ walk southeast of the Leaning Tower is another landmark of Pisa: Piazza dei Cavalieri, Knights Square. In the middle ages, the square was the political center of Pisa where decisions were taken and victories celebrated.
Today, several Renaissance style buildings such as the Palazzo della Carovana and the Church of Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri surround the beautiful square.
Museo di San Matteo
The Museo di San Matteo sits right at the northern waterfront boulevard of the River Arno. This is the place for you if you want to see and experience more of the Tuscan Renaissance art.
Where to eat in Pisa – Ristorante Galileo
This small restaurant is located south of the river Arno, not far from the train station of Pisa. We enjoyed some late lunch there on our way into the city and it was amazing! I had some homemade pasta with duck and my girlfriend tried the pasta with mushrooms. Both dishes were incredible. The restaurant is off from the main tourist track. Therefore, it is less expensive and more authentic than most restaurants closer to the Leaning Tower.
Other day trips from Florence
Cinque Terre tour from Florence
Cinque Terre are five beautiful small towns on the Ligurian Coast that are best visited in two days. The most famous village in Cinque Terre is Manarola, which can be reached from Florence by train in just under 3 hours or by car in a bit more than two hours.
Florence to Siena day trip
Siena is a historic city about 1.5 hours south of Florence. Its main square, the Piazza del Campo, is a shell-shaped square that doubles as a horse track twice a year when the Palio horse race is held.
Florence wine tours
The famous Chiant wine region is makes one of the best day trips out of Florence. You can either explore the small villages and wineries on your own with a rental car or join one of the Tuscany tours from Florence. Make sure to put Greve in Chianti and Castellina in Chianti on your itinerary to see some of the most amazing villages in Tuscany.
Got extra time in Florence and you want to get out into nature? Take a walk through the beautiful Tuscan forests along the Renaissance Ring around Florence. The panoramic views of Florence along the way are amazing!
A short visit to Pisa is one of the best day trips from Florence. You can see the Leaning Tower and most other sights of the city within a couple of hours and make it back to Florence in the evening. Due to the short travel times, you can also combine a visit to Pisa with other Tuscany day tours from Florence or do a roadtrip through Tuscany.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most photographed landmarks in the world. Can you identify other famous landmarks in our fun quiz? Try it now and see if you can score 10 correct answers.
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This is what I love about Italy, in a few hours you’re somewhere amazing. Every part in Italy is a spot you want to visit. Not often you have a country where almost all its cities are famous destinations. And love that the cuisine changes along the way to suit the region. Very cool.
Thank you for sharing such a comprehensive guide about day trips. I would love to do all the trips especially Cinque Terre. How many days do you think will be sufficient to cover everything that you have mentioned in your post? Ans if someone wants to stay the night do you think accommodation will be easily available?
Thanks for your comment! I would plan at least one day for each destination. So you could drive from Florence to Pisa, stay there overnight and then move on to Cinque Terre the next day. You can also start from Florence, drive on to the Chiant wine region and then from there to Siena. You could do the whole trip in a day or stay in Siena overnight.
Finding accomodation in any of the places will not be a problem. There are plenty of affordable and good hotels in every city. I hope you will enjoy your trip!
Oh I want to do a trip like that too!! Actually I’m planning to visit the tuscany, florence and pisa in one trip and your post gave me some inspiration of what to see and do in Pisa. Thanks also for the details about getting from Florence to Pisa! Very helpful 🙂
LOve how informative all your posts are! Lots of useful info!
Piza looks and sounds pretty awesome. It’s a must-do stop on my intended Italy itinerary and based on your post I think its definitely worth it 🙂 I especially love the view of the cathedral from the top of the tower!