Best tours of Pisa

The Leaning Tower, located in the Piazza dei Miracoli, is the universal emblem of Pisa, but it is only the best known of the many attractions of the city, which stands out for its Gothic and medieval buildings made of Carrara marble and for the beauty of its beaches, which you can discover in the excursions that you can discover when you arrive at the destination.

Some of the best things to see and do in Pisa on city tours include taking a guided tour of the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Leaning Tower, going on an excursion to discover the local mysteries and secrets, cycling along the Marina of Pisa to discover some of the paradisiacal seaside resorts of Tuscany and taking a gastronomic tour to delight yourself with the flavours of the city.

The main attractions of Pisa, starting with the Leaning Tower, are located in the Piazza dei Miracoli area, and on these tours with an expert local guide you can visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, which was built in the 11th century and is noted for its art collection and marble sculptures, the Baptistery, which is the largest baptismal building of Catholicism in the world, and finally you can see the famous tower of the city.

All the buildings in the Piazza dei Miracoli were declared World Heritage Sites by Unesco and you will be struck by their size and the quality of their materials, as they were mostly built with Carrara marble, which for a long time marked the economy of Tuscany as one of its main industries.

During these excursions, you will have free time to take pictures with the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the local guide will tell you the history of this Romanesque bell tower, the reasons for its particular inclination and the relationship it has had with the development of the most prominent personalities of the city, such as Galileo Galilei and the writer Antonio Tabucchi.

Please note that these excursions usually include the guided tour, but not the entrance to the Bell Tower, so you will have to buy your own ticket at an extra cost.

Interesting details

• Price: the guided tour has an initial cost of approximately 29 euros per person, which does not include the climb to the Leaning Tower.
• Duration: approximately 2 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: you will be able to see the main sights of the city in a quick tour.
• Disadvantages of these tours: they do not include tickets for the Tower, so if you don't buy them on your own you will have to see it from the outside.

If you are one of those who prefer an alternative excursion during the city tours, then you can opt for a tour of mysteries and legends in Pisa, which is a very particular and suitable place for this kind of activities, as it not only has a very rich and millenary history, but it has also been the birthplace of many legendary characters of Italy and Europe.

During these walking tours of the main sites of Pisa, you will learn about the many enigmas of the city: is it true that Galileo Galilei was inspired by the Leaning Tower to devote himself to science, is it true that macabre murders took place in Piazza Garibaldi, is it a true story that the Mezzo Bridge hides the secret of the city' s warrior spirit?

All these questions and many more will arise in these excursions that will also take you to the works of the urban artist Keith Haring, to the curiosities that made Leonardo Fibonacci famous and to some of the main sites of Pisa that are not usually included in the main circuit, such as the Piazza dei Cavalieri.

Note also that you can opt for these tours during the night version, so it can also be one of the best options to get to know Pisa by night.

Interesting details

• Price: the guided tour has an initial cost of approximately 30 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately 2 hours and a half.
• Advantages of these tours: it is a different alternative to get to know some of the main sites of Pisa.
• Disadvantages of these tours: it does not include entrance to the attractions you visit, such as the Leaning Tower or the Cathedral.

Pisa is much more than its famous Leaning Tower and, to discover one of the best sides of the city, the best option is to discover its surroundings, which are full of picturesque landscapes and also some of the best beaches in Tuscany, often overshadowed by those of Cinque Terre, but no less interesting for that.

The best alternative to get to know the Marina of Pisa, which is the main beach area of the city, is on a bike tour, which you can do with the assistance of an expert local guide or with a self-guided tour. On these tours you will get to ride along the Navicelli canal and along the Pisan Riviera to see the Tyrrhenian Sea from the coast.

This panoramic tour lasts about 4 hours, so it is also ideal for a different view of the city even if you are planning a short stay. If this is your case, here is a list of activities you can do to discover Pisa in 2 days.

Interesting details

• Price: the guided tour has an initial cost of approximately 35 euros per person, including the self-guided tour device.
• Duration: approximately 4 hours.
• Advantages of these excursions: it is the best alternative to get to know the main sector of the beaches of Pisa.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: although the paths are signposted and there are special lanes for bicycles, the route can be tiring.

One of the best options to get to know the idiosyncrasy of Italian cities is to do it from their flavours and Pisa is no exception in this case. In these gastronomic tours you will be able to visit the main points of the city and taste the best local and regional dishes during the stops.

On these excursions you can try the famous Pisan sausages accompanied by a local wine, some traditional peasant dishes such as Tuscan soup and ribollita, as well as other more sophisticated dishes such as race stew and beans with sausages. As sweets also feature prominently in Italian gastronomy, you will discover gourmet gelato, which is typical of the Italian Riviera.

These gastronomic tours are popular all year round, but if you plan to visit Pisa at Christmas time you can also visit the Christmas markets, which become the busiest places during the eve of Christmas.

Interesting details

• Price: the guided tour has an initial cost of approximately 88 euros per person, including tastings and the assistance of an expert local guide.
• Duration: approximately 4 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: you will get to know the flavours of Pisa in a delicious tour that will also take you to the main sites of the city.
• Disadvantages of these excursions: although they include tastings and the assistance of the guide, they may not be very economical experiences.

The great challenge of the city's tour guides is to show all that lies behind the Leaning Tower, and these excursions through the historic centre of the city give you a glimpse of the city's millenary richness. During these tours you will visit sites as diverse as the Mezzo Bridge and the medieval Borgo Stretto neighbourhood while learning about the Medici influence on Pisa and the Tuscan wars.

On these tours, you can also magnify the historical importance of Pisa in the development of modern Italy and the work of Giuseppe Garibaldi, who reunited the country in the 19th century. You can also visit the Church of San Michele, which played a leading role during the medieval papacies, and discover the sites that marked the life of Galileo Galilei, the prominent Pisan inventor of the telescope.

Finally, these tours usually end in the Piazza dei Miracoli, so if you want to combine these activities with a more traditional visit, you can visit the Leaning Tower and the Cathedral towards the end of the tour, which will be ideal if you are planning a short stay in the city. If that's your case, here are the best alternatives to get to know Pisa in 1 day.

Interesting details

• Price: the guided tour has an initial cost of approximately 35 euros per person, including the assistance of an expert local guide.
• Duration: approximately 2 hours.
• Advantages of these tours: you will get to know Pisa beyond the Leaning Tower and the attractions of the Piazza dei Miracoli.
• Disadvantages of these tours: entrance to the attractions is not included and you will not have much time to take pictures.

You can book tours in Pisa in advance online or book them once you are in the city. Generally, although it is one of the most visited places in Tuscany, you will find room on the tours, although if you plan to visit Pisa in the summer, I recommend that you book in advance to avoid last minute price increases.

Another advantage of booking tours in advance is that you will be able to organise an itinerary so that sightseeing in the city does not interfere with the rest of your activities, especially if you plan to take a tour from Pisa to nearby sites such as Cinque Terre, Siena, Livorno, Lucca or Massa Carrara.

Keep in mind that, depending on the tour providers, many times when you book in advance you can get discounts on the final price, which could be ideal if you plan to visit Pisa during the high season, which is usually an expensive time.

The answer will depend on the tour you choose, but in general you will get to see the main sites of Pisa, which are the famous buildings in the Piazza dei Miracoli, most notably the Leaning Tower, which is the bell tower of the Cathedral, but also includes the Baptistery, the Monumental Cemetery and the Museo Dell'Opera del Duomo.

You can also visit the historic centre of the city, the Marina di Pisa, which has some of the best beaches in Tuscany, take an excursion to discover the mysteries and legends of Pisa and discover the local and regional flavours in a gastronomic tour with tastings that will also take you to the most beautiful corners of the city on the banks of the Arno river.

Pisa is one of the most visited cities in Tuscany, so I recommend that if you are one of those who try to avoid the crowds of tourists, choose to visit the site during the winter or during the low season months, otherwise you will have to wait in long queues, wait to take pictures of the main sights and you may also have delays in hiring the excursions.

If you choose to travel during the high season, however, you can save time and money by booking excursions and entrance tickets in advance and organising an itinerary so that you don't miss any of the main attractions, which are often located in the outskirts of the city.

Bear in mind that Pisa also has many churches, so there are often many patron saint activities, which can alter visiting hours and visitor numbers. If you are planning to visit the Church of Santa Maria della Spina, which is one of the most picturesque in the city, you should consider that during Holy Week there is a lot of worship activity.

There are many of Pisa's main attractions that you can visit on your own, but others don't make much sense if you don't discover them on a guided tour, as you will come across houses that were the birthplaces of famous figures of the city, squares that housed historical events and other mysteries and legends that you can only discover during the tours.

This is why I recommend that you take tours in Pisa to get the most out of your visit and get to know the city's skyline beyond the Piazza dei Miracoli and the Leaning Tower, which is one of the most famous sites in the region of Tuscany.

If you take a guided tour you will be able to save time and also money on your visit to Pisa, as you will be able to optimise the tour and also get to know some of the sites that otherwise, without the assistance of an expert local guide, you would pass by on your own. In addition, you can also delegate to the tour service provider the task of organising your visit.

If you choose a guided tour, you can relax and enjoy the tour without the need to plan your itinerary, while learning about the history of a city as rich as Pisa, which was a protagonist during the Middle Ages and a fundamental pillar of Italian integration in the 19th century.