The Leaning Tower of Pisa receives over 5 million visitors every year from all over the world. Although there’s more to see in the Piazza del Miracoli, it’s the tower that everyone knows and thinks of when they hear “Pisa”. The tower was completed in 1399 and started leaning way before it was even finished. Architects noticed the slant in 1173 after only 3 of the 8 stories were completed. Soft soil and a shallow foundation were the culprits. However, after the tower settled for some time, the project was continued and the slant was compensated with shorter upper floors. This created a curve as well as the infamous lean we all love. Architecturally, the tower is a bit of a disaster, but that’s what makes it so unique, interesting to see, and globally recognized. Even my toddler knew about the Tower of Pisa from Little Einsteins.
So chances are, Pisa may already be on your bucket list. The best way to do Pisa, in my opinion, is as a day trip. If you happen to have extensive time, go ahead and make a night of being in a new city. But honestly, I did not fall in love and wish we had stayed to explore more. So that tells me a day trip was perfect for us. We did the Square of Miracles, meandered down side streets, crossed the river, had lunch, found a carousel for our toddler, and jumped back on the train. It was a short and sweet day and I would probably do it again as a day trip rather than an overnight.
Pisa is near the west coast in Tuscany and super easy to add into any Tuscan itinerary. We stayed in Lucca and it really couldn’t have been any easier. I like to use the trainline app for all my tickets and definitely recommend it. We usually rely strictly on wifi while traveling, so I’ll buy tickets on my phone before leaving the airbnb or wherever we may be before heading out. It’s so nice strolling into the train station and not worrying about tracking down a ticket machine, hoping it’ll take your credit card, and anxiously doing it all before the train gets there.. especially when you have kids with you.
Opening Hours
The tower is open everyday from 9am - 8pm.
Summer hours are 830am - 10pm June17th - August 31st.
June 16th closes early 830am - 530pm.
Getting to Pisa From Lucca
If you’re staying in Lucca, Pisa is an absolute must. Whether it’s for a couple hours or a full day, it’s definitely something you should squeeze in and see. It’s only 30 minutes on the train and the train runs for the most part every 30 minutes or so, with an exception for a two hour lull between 10am-12pm. The train will run you $4.26 per person with children under 4 riding free. Most directions have you going all the way to Pisa Centrale, but we actually got off at Pisa San Rossore and much preferred it. It’s only an 18 minute walk to the tower and it’s much quieter and easier to maneuver and navigate. If you have a stroller you’ll appreciate this. If you continue onto the Pisa Centrale stop, it’s only a few minutes more of a walk, but it definitely felt longer to us. Instead of walking down the wide sidewalk, making a right turn and seeing the tower in the not so far distance, you’ll have to walk through the busier town, cross more streets, go over the river, and then continue on more narrow sidewalks. Of course, if you plan to get a meal or coffee beforehand, Pisa Centrale is your best bet.. much more going on.
Getting to Pisa From Florence
From Florence, the train takes about 50-60 minutes depending on the train and it runs on average, about every 20-30 minutes. One ticket will cost you $10.25 and again, kids ride free in Italy until the age of 4. From 4-11, tickets may be discounted though. If you decide to get off at the Pisa San Rossore stop, it’s the next stop after Pisa Centrale. The train ticket costs the same regardless what stop you get off at though.
Tickets
Tickets to the tower are done by reserving a specific time slot. You can do this at the ticket office in Pisa, but I recommend purchasing tickets online before you go. There’s nothing worse than arriving at your destination and realizing you have to wait around longer than you had hoped.. or worse, completely missed your opportunity. You can reserve tickets online up to 20 days ahead of time. If you decide to buy tickets in person, you can find one ticket office in the Sinopie Museum, and the other at the Palazzo dell’Opera del Duomo. A ticket solely to the tower will cost you 18 Euro, whereas a complete visit to the tower, Cathedral, Baptistry, Camposanto, Opera del Duomo Museum, and Sinopie Museum costs 27 Euro. This can be broken up and you can pick and choose what you would like to see though. Whether you’re purchasing tickets strictly for the tower, or adding the Baptistery or Camposanto, tickets to any of these will automatically get you into the Cathedral. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A TICKET TO ANYWHERE, YOU CAN VISIT THE CATHEDRAL FOR FREE. A break down of all the prices can be seen here. I’ve read that the official website can be a bit wonky and people have had trouble with payments and confirmations. For this reason, I would recommend booking through a third party site such as Viator to avoid any potential issues. Their prices are never outrageous and there are always different options.
Things to Note
Children under the age of 8 are not permitted to climb the tower.
It’s a total of 294 steps. They are slanted and can be slippery.
Arriving 20 minutes before your scheduled time slot is recommended.
Bags/belongings are not permitted up the tower. There is a free bag drop though.
Most write ups on visiting the tower suggest getting there right as it opens to beat the crowds that show up closer to 10am. However, we arrived at 9:20 and the entire piazza was already filled with people. Obviously it all depends on the day, but that was a Thursday morning in late May. Additionally, at that hour (and time of year), the sun is sitting riiiight behind the tower, which made not only photos difficult, but admiring the tower wasn’t so easy either. I kept thinking I was going to go blind, lol. Our two year old mostly hid in her stroller with her sun shade all the way down while I tried to wear her sunglasses and sunhat. Ben had mentioned that if we did it again, he would have us enjoy our day in Lucca and then head to Pisa in early evening. The sun wouldn’t be so harsh on our eyes, our kids wouldn’t be melting, we could get beautiful pictures in much better light, and then finish off our visit with dinner in Pisa. This is honestly a plan that excites me and I think we will try it out next time we’re in Tuscany. One thing to keep in mind with day trip destinations is that day trippers typically leave in the afternoon. So this plan would shave off plenty of tourists and slim down the crowds quite a bit too. Otherwise, if that’s too late for you, I would recommend getting to the tower much earlier than the 9am opening time to beat the crowds. You won’t be able to climb the tower yet, but you can wander the Piazza and snap photos before everyone floods in. Then just grab breakfast and head back for your scheduled time slot.