If you’ve ever seen a friend post a photo ‘holding up’ a slightly wonky tower, chances are it was taken in Pisa. In fact, it’s famous worldwide for the very popular landmark that seems like it shouldn’t really be open to the public for visiting. But you might find yourself wondering what else is there to do in the city, and is Pisa worth visiting beyond the one gravity-defying tower.
The answer is…well, it depends. Pisa has charm, history, and food that’s certainly worth writing home about, but it’s also compact, very touristy, and not everyone’s cup of espresso. Here’s a balanced look, five reasons to go, and five reasons you might want to save your annual leave for somewhere else.
5 Reasons Pisa is Worth Visiting
The Leaning Tower
The Leaning Tower of Pisa probably the biggest reason for people to not only have heard about the city, but also the biggest reason to visit Pisa. It’s an absolute must see, and a unique architectural monument that is not only worth seeing to try and work out how it stays up, but also to take advantage of the opportunity to climb to the top. It can be quite disorientating to climb the stairs, but the views from the top are just unbeatable.
Top Tip: It’s worth booking your ticket in advance if you want to climb the tower as the slots can fill up quickly in peak seasons. If you can get the first time slot of the day you’ll get to climb the tower before most of the day trip tour buses arrive.
Compact and Walkable
Like all of the best day-trip cities, Pisa is nice and compact making it easy to see the highlights of the city in a short amount of time. If you’re really tight on time, you can easily see the main sights in a couple of hours, leaving you plenty of time to fit in other Tuscan highlights on your trip. Pisa is also fairly flat and has many pedestrian-only streets making it an easy city to explore by foot.
Piazza dei Miracoli
Many visit Pisa to see the famous leaning tower, but there’s a whole complex of amazing, historical sites to explore, not even a stone’s throw from the tower. It’s known as the ‘Square of Miracles’, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that alongside the Leaning Tower of Pisa is home to the Cathedral, Baptistery, and Camposanto Monumentale.
If you’re on a budget or tight on time then you can see these from outside and admire the stunning architecture, but it’s worth buying a combo ticket so you can visit and appreciate the inside too. Tickets are available for entry to the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Duomo (Cathedral) or for a little bit more you can also bundle on entry to the other sites too. The ticket bundles are valid for a day so you can explore at your own pace, the only time restraint you have is the time slot for the tower for your climb.
Easy Access from Florence and Overseas
With an airport and a centrally-located train station, Pisa makes an effortless day trip from Tuscany’s capital of Florence and from cities overseas. If you want to fit two cities in to a weekend trip, Florence and Pisa are a great choice as the train between them is just an hour! Easy Peasy!
Book your train tickets in advance or pick them up on the day at the station. Florence train station can get very busy so make sure you have enough time to queue and to find your platform. If you buy your ticket on the day, don’t forget to validate it on the platform!
Tuscan Vibes Without Overcrowding (Mostly)
Once you step away from the tower and Piazza Dei Miracoli, the side streets offer a quieter, more local feel. It’s the perfect town to have a balance of touristy sightseeing and quieter exploration in the rest of the city. If you want to really enjoy the calm vibes of Pisa, book to stay the night and enjoy the city once all of the day trippers have left. You’ll have the Piazza Dei Miracoli pretty much to yourself to explore in peace, and you’ll have easy access to the first climb slot for the tower in the morning.
Pisa is a city full of high quality accommodation, so you’ll be spoiled for choice of somewhere good to stay.
5 Reasons You Might Want to Skip Pisa
It’s Very Touristy
Pisa is a day tripper magnet. Many people arrive on tours from Florence or other nearby big cities and spend a couple of hours popping in and out of the sights before jumping back on the bus to go to the next stop. It can feel like people are there to tick off sights from their holiday checklist rather than visit and appreciate the area. The tower’s fame means peak season can feel like a festival of selfie sticks and a sea of people trying to hold up the tower for their photo.
Limited Attractions
Beyond the Piazza dei Miracoli, there aren’t as many ‘must-see’ sights compared to Florence or Siena. If you want to spend your trip cramming in as much as possible, you could spend a few hours in Pisa then move on to Florence or Siena, but you might find the travel time not worth it for how long you spend in Pisa.
Can Be Done in a Few Hours
To see the highlights of the city, you can easily be done in a couple of hours. If you’re short on time, you might prefer a richer cultural stop with more to see in the same area so you’re not spending time travelling between locations. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys the journey as much as the destination, then you might find that the train journey from Florence offers a great view of the Tuscan countryside as you speed through to Pisa and therefore the couple of hours spent in Pisa isn’t ‘wasted’.
Overpriced Dining Near the Tower
Hey, we all know that the areas around tourist hotspots charge an arm and a leg for food and drinks and it’s no different in Pisa. If you want to enjoy a meal or refreshment with a view of the tower, you’ll pay a premium for it. Stick to side streets if you want authentic, affordable Tuscan food.
Better Tuscany Bases Exist
Yes, the tower is cool to see, but Pisa is expensive to stay in and doesn’t have a huge amount to offer away from the Square of Miracles. If you’ve got limited time in Italy, there are other cities that will give you more experiences for your time and you might be better considering nearby Florence, Lucca or Siena for multi-day stays.
So, Is Pisa Worth Visiting? The Verdict!
If you’re in the region and have time to spare, Pisa makes a fun and photogenic detour, especially for that ‘I held up the tower’ shot. The Square of Miracles is cool to see and climbing the tower is a bit of a unique experience because of the tilt. But if you’re choosing just one or two stops in Tuscany, you might want to spend your time in and focus on cities with more to see and do to make the most of your time in the area.
I have visited Pisa, purely to see the tower. I chose to stay in the city for one night as I was flying out of Pisa airport, and I arrived from Florence in the afternoon, spending time at a nearby thermal spa and seeing a bit of Pisa. The few hours I had the next morning before heading to the airport were spent exploring the Square of Miracles. I had the first tower climb time slot of the day and it was amazing to experience the mind-boggling climb and the views of the square just as people were starting to arrive on their day trips. I wouldn’t go back to Pisa again purely because I’ve seen everything I wanted to, but I’m glad I went.
How Long To Spend In Pisa
If you decide that yes, Pisa is worth visiting, the next question will be: how long to spend in Pisa?
Pisa is a popular day trip from Florence, and it’s definitely possible to see most of Pisa in one day. In fact, if you’re tight on time then you could spend just a few hours in the city to see the top sights before moving on. For the slow travellers out there, a weekend in Pisa will be the epitome of a slow travel weekend. There’ll be plenty of time to visit the main sights in Piazza dei Miracoli before and after the crowds of day trippers are there, plus time to explore the quieter side of Pisa. If you find you’ve got extra time, I’d highly recommend a trip out to Bagni di Pisa, Italy’s answer to thermal hot baths.
Easy answers:
- Tight on time? Half a day is plenty of time to see the Pisa highlights
- Day trip to Pisa allows for time to explore, if you don’t go on an organised day trip then you can enjoy the city before/after the crowds
- A weekend is perfect slow travel, but may be too much time for people who want to cram in as much as possible to their time.
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