Best tours of La Spezia

Many of the best things to see and do in La Spezia have to do with its proximity to the Cinque Terre national park, as well as its location midway between the famous cities of Pisa and Genoa. However, touring La Spezia is also a good idea for those who will be staying here for more than one or two nights.

The best thing to do if you are planning a short or long visit to this town is to continue reading this post that I have prepared for you. I have researched all the logistical details about the best tours in La Spezia so that by the time you arrive you know exactly what these sightseeing experiences have to offer.

La Spezia tours are generally an activity that lasts a couple of hours, but will not take up the whole of your day. This has to do with the fact that the city is not significantly large. In fact, it can be considered a small city when compared to other Italian metropolises.

In any case, these tours are usually pedestrianised in most versions. However, some of them are much more extensive as a cycling tour that not only passes through the best of the city, but also takes participants directly to some of the towns in Cinque Terre.

The streets around the Giardini Publicci, the promenade, the shipyards of the military maritime arsenal of La Spezia, the modernist cathedral of the city and the famous castle San Giorgio are just some of the places that are usually part of this tourist itinerary. It offers participants the chance to see the most interesting side of this city, which over the years has become a transit point for people arriving at its cruise port to visit the rest of the Ligurian coast.

In general, you should know that this is a significantly inexpensive experience and the number of participants is usually limited by the simple fact that the walk is short and the attractions are quite close to each other. For this reason, people tend to prefer bike tours that shorten the tour of the city and then take a much more interesting and peculiar route to the national park that is located to the west of the city.

Booking a sightseeing tour in La Spezia is much easier than you think. And this has to do with the fact that there are several alternatives and all of them can be convenient according to your own interests. The most recommended of all for most people is the online booking of the service. This has to do with the fact that you can get the dates and times for the tour you are most interested in, as well as find out what other people think of the activity after they have done it.

Actually, an online booking of a sightseeing experience is something that works for other activities such as the best day trips from La Spezia. These are often preferred by visitors knowing that this place offers cheap accommodation while still being able to explore the Cinque Terre region at leisure, as well as visiting Pisa and Genoa without having to sleep in those places.

If you wish, you also have the option of buying these types of city tours directly from some of the few tourist agencies that are located in the city. The problem with this decision is that there is no guarantee that you will pay a competitive or convenient price and there is no guarantee that these sites will be open at the time of your visit.

So an online booking allows you to see available times months in advance, whereas a face-to-face purchase allows you to adjust to the schedule of these establishments.

The duration of the tours in La Spezia varies according to the time of year and the number of participants in the group. It is not the same to give explanations about monuments and buildings to five people as it is to be charismatic and answer all their questions in front of a group of 25 participants. The time of year is also important, because walking in the rain on an autumn afternoon is not the same experience as walking in the rain on a hot summer afternoon.

The sites to be visited on the tour is also decisive, because sometimes the sightseeing experience also includes entrance tickets to the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia or the Castle of San Giorgio. Other times it only includes the possibility of seeing these sites from the outside and learning about their importance thanks to the information shared by the guide.

Likewise, you should know that the average duration is always about two or three hours at the most, although if these tours include a stop for lunch, then it is possible that they may be extended a little longer. In addition, if you plan to visit some of the smaller towns within the bay of La Spezia such as Puertovenere, then the duration will increase even more.

On this type of tour in La Spezia you will have the opportunity to get to know the city from the perspective of an expert in its history and also in the cultural identity that defines it today. This is quite convenient, because when you get to tour a place on your own, you don't get to know many of the facts that really define the importance of that place as well as other similar locations. This is quite common, knowing that several Italian cities tend to have the same aesthetics in this region of the country.

In fact, on city tours of La Spezia you will notice that you will be touring a relatively new city, as most of its buildings are built from 1920 onwards. This is not a common thing in Italy, as it is a country where classic and really old architecture is one of its distinguishing features.

The area you will walk in total is relatively short, as these tours do not usually get close to the residential neighbourhoods found in the western end of the city, as the area around the Castel San Giorgio is the one with most of the commercial establishments as well as monuments of importance. So these types of tours are an excellent way to get to know this city that is strongly linked to cruise tourism on the Ligurian coast, as well as the historical importance of its naval shipyard.

If you are interested in getting to know the city by adding another element to these tours, then it is recommended that you take part in the best gastronomic tours of La Spezia, as these usually go through the same important areas of the city, but in this case you also visit the most representative restaurants so that you can get to know the distinctive flavours of the local culinary world.

There are some recommendations that I can give you to make a city tour in La Spezia an even more pleasant experience for you and your companions. Although it is a short and entertaining activity, there are still some decisions you can make to make the whole event memorable and fun for all participants.

Enjoy the experience

The first thing I can advise you to do if you wish to participate in a tour in La Spezia, is to enjoy the experience for what it is and not to focus too much on how long it lasts. This has to do with the fact that many people come to La Spezia with the intention of spending only a few hours in La Spezia and devote all the time of their trip to the nearby communities in Cinque Terre.

However, investing your time and money in this activity is also advisable, especially since the city is quite beautiful and stands out as an important urban centre for this section of the Ligurian coast. So if you decide to dedicate two or three hours to this activity, you should focus on living it to the fullest. Especially knowing that the success of a guided tour also depends on how participative people are.

Consult everything you want to know

In fact, that's the next recommendation I can give you, as you are lucky enough that sightseeing tours within the city of La Spezia are usually given in Italian, English and even Spanish. This means that you will be able to speak freely with the guide.

So the best way to get your money's worth is not to be left in any doubt about the importance of any particular street, statue or landmark.

Don't forget the sunscreen

Italy is a place that during the late spring and throughout the summer is characterised by high temperatures due to strong sunlight. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you don't forget to apply sunscreen before participating in this tour. Even more so knowing that you will be walking through streets that will not have any shade for a couple of hours.

It is important that you manage to avoid sunstroke on your city tour in La Spezia also for the sake of comfort. Especially for when you decide to continue exploring this Italian region or when you have to start your journey to other more distant corners of the country.

The price of a La Spezia excursion varies according to the duration of the excursion, as well as the number of participants. Most often it is a sightseeing tour organised for a group of no more than 20 people and this means that prices can be kept reasonable.

In any case, the usual rate for this experience is around 70 or 80 euros at the most, while it is possible to get some with special prices that are around 40 or 50 euros per person.

You have to take into account that this variation in prices is due to different factors, since in some cases it is an exclusive tour for a single family group, while in other cases it is a shared experience. The fact that entrance fees to the city's main attractions such as the San Giorgio castle or the technical naval museum are included may also imply a price adjustment.

Either way, paying these rates is an excellent investment if you are interested in the idea of getting to know this city in depth while you are staying here, which is convenient to take advantage of its proximity to another of the great attractions of this part of northern Italy.

Sightseeing tours in La Spezia tend to focus on the most interesting streets of the city centre. At the same time, there are places that are a must on this itinerary, and the ones listed below are part of this group as they are the main attractions of the urban area of this town.

San Giorgio Castle

This castle is undoubtedly one of the most representative sites of the town and, since its construction in the 13th century, has represented one of the best examples of defensive architecture in the Liguria region. Inside the castle is a museum with a permanent exhibition of artefacts dating back to the Roman era as well as the European Copper Age.

Giardini Pubblici Park

This park located just off the city's seafront is the most important centre when it comes to public spaces for the social life of La Spezia's inhabitants. Moreover, the site is often a must-see place on any sightseeing tour of the city because of the scenic beauty that characterises it.

Portovenere

Portovenere is a small seaside community located within a natural park that is located a couple of kilometres from the centre of La Spezia. For many sightseeing tours, this site can be considered part of the town because it is located within the same bay that gives its name to the community. The place is distinguished by the excellent opportunity to experience an authentic Italian fishing village.

The Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia

This museum is the most important cultural institution of the whole city and it is usually the most visited place by all the tourists who come to this place. It is also an excellent opportunity to understand the strong relationship between La Spezia and the world of the Italian Navy.

The main advantage of taking a guided tour of La Spezia compared to the decision to visit these places on your own is that with a guide you learn all the historical details that give importance to the places you will visit. In addition, you save yourself from having to decide which are the places you will visit in this city before you focus on the idea of exploring its surroundings.

In this way, in a short itinerary of three or four hours you get to know everything that this city has to offer and you can dedicate the rest of your time in this part of Liguria to Cinque Terre or other similar areas.

Moreover, as it is a shared experience, you have the possibility of making friends with both the guide and some of the participants, which means that you could make a good group of acquaintances to make your time in this region of Liguria much more fun and interesting.