Pisa Day Trip from Florence: One Day Itinerary

Is there anything more quintessential Italy than the image of the leaning tower of Pisa? It’s funny how such a famous Italian landmark is from the most random of Italian cities! And if you’re in nearby Florence with an extra day (or even just afternoon) to spare, you can take a day trip to Pisa from Florence to see the famous leaning structure for yourself (and snap your pics!).

In this guide, I explain how to get to Pisa on a day trip from Florence via train. I also explain the main things to see in Pisa (besides the tower!), in case you want to spend more time in Pisa than just an hour or two.

How to Get to Pisa from Florence (and Back)

Take a regional train from Firenze S. M. Novella train station to Pisa Centrale train station. This is an hour ride and costs €10. You can purchase these tickets in person at a ticket machine, on the official TrenItalia website, or on the official app (iPhone and Android).

The walk* to the tower from the train is about 30 minutes each way. On top of that, I expect you’ll spend, at minimum, 30 minutes trying to get that perfect leaning picture. So, if you want to see nothing else in Pisa, then budget 1.5 – 2 hours for your day trip.

But there are actually some other sites to visit in Pisa. So if you want to make this a full day trip instead of a half day one, that’s definitely possible, too.

Pisa, Italy — In this guide, I use affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, I may receive a small commission at zero extra cost to you (because it’s already baked into the company’s marketing costs). This allows me to keep all the information on this site free for you!

* If you don’t want to walk, you can take a bus, like bus 1+ from right outside the station, which is about a 15 minute ride. You can also grab a cab.

To get back to Florence from Pisa at the end of this day trip, just take the exact reverse journey.

Combining a Day Trip to Pisa with Other Tuscan Towns

A day trip from Florence to Pisa can full up a whole day if you plan to enjoy some meals there and meander around. But it only really needs to take half a day, including the transport there and back. So a lot of people ask me if they can combine a half-day in Pisa with another Florence day trip. The thing is, that’s pretty impossible to DIY. However, it’s more than possible if you join an organized tour.

This tour takes you to Pisa, Siena, and San Gimignano and gives you a decent amount of time in each. And this tour takes you to those same Tuscan stops (Pisa, Siena, and San Gimignano), but also stops at a Chanti winery. So you have a little less time in each of the three cities/towns compared to the first tour in order to squeeze in the wine tasting. There are other tours available, but these two both depart from close to the main Florence train station, so they’re more convenient than some others.

Things to Do in Pisa

See the Leaning Tower of Pisa

It goes without saying that this is the top thing to do in Pisa. Take your pictures of the leaning tower falling on you, of course. But scroll through Instagram and see if there are any more creative poses that you would like to do as well! Also, take a few minutes to just look around at everyone posing. It’s honestly super funny!

Climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa

In addition to just looking at the tower, you can actually climb up it! It’ll cost you €20 and you’ll need to choose a time-slot. The line looked quite long as I passed by, and I highly recommend booking this ticket in advance from the official site.

Go Inside the Duomo (for Free!)

Like most bell towers in Italy, the leaning tower comes with a church nearby. Entry is free, but you still have to get a ticket, though. And time slots do book out. Do this at the building with all the signs, right by the leaning tower. Alternatively, if you book the ticket for the next item on this list, you can book your time slot in advance.

Visit the Baptistery

I didn’t enter, but pictures do look very pretty! This alone will set you back €8, or you can pay €11 or €27 for a five- or six-monument combo, respectively. See the official website to understand!

Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina

I actually know nothing interesting about this church. But I think it looks super cool, and it’s on the walk back from the tower to the train station. Try to walk by it by using Ponte Solferino bridge on your way back to the train.

What Do You Think of My Pisa One Day Itinerary?

It’s a pretty simple day trip, isn’t it? And it only requires half a day, unless you want to see more of Pisa than just the tower and nearby buildings. But Pisa is a very pretty Tuscan city, so there’s no harm in adding in lunch and an Aperitivo to this Pisa day trip, in order to fill up an entire day. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments section below.