Pisa Travelers Recommend

Pisa is home to one of the most recognized landmarks in the world, as well as lesser known architectural masterpieces. With two days, here are a few ways you can experience the grandeur and grace of Pisa, as well as coastal or countryside destinations beyond the city limits.

Day 1: Pisa Opening Acts and Headliners

**Morning:**Begin not with Pisa’s blockbuster Square of Miracles (Piazza dei Miracoli) and Leaning Tower—crowded with visitors in the morning hours—but with its historic center. Join a walking, Segway, or bike tour that visits gems like the Knight’s Square (Piazza dei Cavalieri) and Church of Santa Maria della Spina.

**Afternoon:**No visit to Pisa is complete without a deep dive into its cathedral complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that includes the Duomo, Leaning Tower, baptistery, museum, and cemetery. Visit as part of a tour that includes time-saving, skip-the-line entry and a guide to put this work of Gothic architecture into historic context.

**Night:**Now that you’ve seen Pisa’s cultural treasures, sample its culinary ones. Taste Tuscan street food classics like cecina and porchetta with a food and wine tour of the historic center. Or, get hands-on by opting for a cooking class that includes a practical lesson and informal meal. 

Day 2: The Coast and Countryside

**Morning:**Pisa is well-positioned for striking out toward the coast or countryside. Popular day trips include excursions to the colorful Cinque Terre fishing villages on the coastline of neighboring Liguria, the medieval hill towns of Siena and San Gimignano, or even the bustling Tuscan capital city of Florence.

**Afternoon:**Those who want to have a leisurely morning can opt for an afternoon jaunt. Half-day tours from Pisa generally concentrate on the surrounding Tuscan hills, with tastings in the area’s wineries or visits to less far-flung towns, such as Lucca to the north or Volterra to the south.

**Night:**Enjoy your final evening in Pisa in the Piazza dei Miracoli. Settle in for dinner or a glass of wine at one of the al fresco restaurant tables around the perimeter of the square and savor the view by night when the Leaning Tower and Duomo are dramatically illuminated.

Check the Leaning Tower off your list of must-sees in Italy, and explore Pisa’s less famous but equally lovely historic center. Afterward, head farther afield to the postcard-ready coastal villages of the Cinque Terre and the captivating landscapes of Tuscany. Here are your options for three days in Pisa.

Day 1: Pisa great and small

An image that has become a touchstone of popular culture, the Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most iconic monuments in the world. Spend the first hours of the day enjoying the city’s historic center on a guided walking, Segway, or bike tour of sights such as the Renaissance Knights’ Square (Piazza dei Cavalieri) and pocket-size Santa Maria della Spina. Once the crowds have dispersed, take on the sprawling cathedral complex with a guided tour that includes skip-the-line access to ensure you have ample time to savor the Duomo, Leaning Tower, Baptistery, Opera del Duomo Museum, and Camposanto cemetery. End your day with a food tour, wine tasting, or private cooking class to sample Tuscan cuisine.

Day 2: Coastal beauty

Take a day trip to the nearby Cinque Terre, five tiny fishing villages clinging to the coastal cliffs of neighboring Liguria. Travel among the colorful hamlets on foot via the panoramic footpath, by train via the local route that hugs the coastline, by boat—or by motor vehicle on a full-day tour that includes transport. Most itineraries include time to linger over a lunch of Ligurian specialties, such as fresh seafood and pasta tossed with pesto genovese. Later, relax on the beach and soak up some Mediterranean sun.

Day 3: The Tuscan hills

It’s back to Tuscany for your final day, using Pisa as a base to explore the pastoral countryside and hill towns of the surrounding region. Popular Tuscan day trips from Pisa include jaunts to San Gimignano and medieval Siena, often with a wine-tasting stop in the Chianti hills. True oenophiles might opt for a day dedicated to touring Tuscan wineries and sampling the most prestigious regional labels. Or, combine wine tasting with art, choosing a tour that stops by Florence and the Uffizi Galleries. If you prefer a slower pace, spend a leisurely morning in Pisa, then join a half-day tour to a nearby city such as Lucca or Volterra.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the most iconic landmarks in Italy, but there is more to this Tuscan city than its famously listing bell tower. Here’s how to spend the day exploring Pisa’s cathedral and adjacent tower in Piazza dei Miracoli, as well as its historic center—with time left over for some foodie fun. 

Morning: First, The Town

You may think that hitting the headliners in Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles) is best done first thing in the morning, but most bus tours pull into town as Pisa’s Leaning Tower, Cathedral (Duomo), and baptistery are opening. It’s better to begin your day with a walking, Segway, or bike tour of the city’s historic center to bring to life the art and architecture of Knights’ Square (Piazza dei Cavalieri), the Romanesque Church of San Sisto, and the Gothic Church of Santa Maria della Spina. Then when crowds have thinned, move on to Pisa’s cathedral complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Afternoon: Second, The Show-Stoppers

Most visitors stop in Pisa exclusively for the bragging rights of having seen the Leaning Tower, but you’ll be glad you’ve put off the pleasure of visiting the star attractions in Piazza dei Miracoli until the less-crowded afternoon hours. Now’s the time to get to know the complex from top to bottom with a guided tour that includes skip-the-line tickets, so you have time to savor, in relative peace, the beauty and history of the Leaning Tower and its cathedral and baptistery, along with the complex’s Opera del Duomo Museum and Monumental Cemetery. 

Night: Finally, The Feast

Though the Leaning Tower is by far its biggest draw, Pisa is an important city in Tuscany and the perfect spot to sample the region’s traditional cuisine. Take a food tour through the historic center to taste street foods like porchetta and cecina, or dive into a cooking lesson to prepare—and then eat—classic local dishes. Alternatively, spend art of the day exploring other Tuscan locales. Popular side trips include the Cinque Terre on the coast; the hill towns of Pienza, San Gimignano, Siena, and Montepulciano; the villages and countryside of Chianti; or the lively walled city of Lucca.