World-famous for its phenomenal Leaning Tower, Pisa is a beautiful city in the Tuscany region of Italy. Blessed with enchanting scenery, the charming River Arno, and a pleasant atmosphere, Pisa is indeed a fascinating destination to spend quality time with your family. It’s home to several beautiful ancient monuments and world-class museums that you can enjoy exploring during your sabbatical. Pay a visit to impressive cathedrals, as Pisa has more than 20 churches. The proximity of the Ligurian Sea blesses this Italian city with a pleasant climate that entices you to unwind. In addition to this, Pisa has many shopping centers and fantastic restaurants, where you can hang out. So, if you are looking forward to visiting Pisa during your upcoming holidays, the place offers plenty of attractions and activities to enjoy. Read on to learn about the best things to do in Pisa, Italy, for a memorable vacation.
1. Hop on a bicycle for a guided tour around the city (from USD 218.0)
What better way to explore Pisa than by joining a tour around? Organized by Tuscany At Heart, this trip brings tourists to some of the notable spots within the city. While riding a bike, you’ll pass by Corsa Italia, an alley where most retail shops are. Also, you’ll get the chance to come across historic streets like Borgo Stretto, where you can see the dwelling place of the late Galileo Galilei.
The tour lasts for three hours, with Pisa Centrale as the starting and end point. The rate only covers the tour fee, so you’ll need to pay an additional charge for the bike rental itself.
Guided Half-Day Bike Tour of Pisa
Duration: 3 hours
2. Rent a bike for a self-guided tour (from USD 24.0)
Smile & Ride offers a spontaneous trip around Pisa through its bike rentals. For three hours explore wonderful parts of the city such as Piazza Santa Caterina, a crucial reference point for Galileo Galilei, and Chiesa di San Frediano, a Romanic church.
Tag along with your friends or loved ones and pass by the Pisa Central Station where you can pick up your respective bicycles. This charge also includes access to a phone application to guide you on the routes to pass by around the area.
Pisa Bike Tour : Beyond the Leaning Tower
Duration: 2 hours
3. Taste local cuisines through a walking food tour (from USD 102.0)
A trip to Pisa won’t be complete without trying some of its local foods. This walking food tour by Do Eat Better Experience offers you a chance to get to know other tourists and locals while getting a taste of the city’s cuisine.
This tour, which starts from Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, features five food-tasting spots across the city. As you hop on from one food venue to another, you’ll learn about the Pisa’s food culture and culinary history of the establishments from the tour guide.
Pisa Food Tour - Do Eat Better Experience
Duration: 3 hours
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4. Experience preparing Tuscan cuisine (from USD 99.0)
If you can’t get over delectable Tuscan meals, why not go and prepare one yourself? This cooking class arranged by Curioseety connects you to gourmet hosts who will teach you how to cook dishes like gnocchi, bruschetta, and carbonara. For those without prior cooking skills, don’t worry since they offer zero-based culinary lessons for tourists.
Apart from cooking, you’ll also learn the skill of wine pairing, and you’ll get to taste some of the best red and white wines in the region.
Traditional Home Hands on Cooking Class in Pisa
Duration: 3 hours
Pisa Tour Guide
Joanna
Hello, my name is Joanna. I was born and raised in Poland but then I fell hopelessly in love with Tuscany and have been living in Florence for 20 years. Wisely enough, I decided to turn my passion into work and became a tour guide. Now I can share with you my immense love for the beauty, history and art of these enchanted places. I am particularly passionate about the Middle Ages, history, scu... Read more
Tours by Joanna
5. Offer your prayers at Cattedrale di Pisa (from USD 16.26)
Visit one of the most famous cathedrals in Pisa called Cattedrale di Pisa, which is an impressive masterpiece from the noteworthy Pisan Romanesque period. Today, this religious landmark is well-known as Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. This 11th-century structure has eye-catching artistic details that adorn its interiors. Several beautiful paintings with geometric-patterned encasing, the façade’s bronze doors, multi-colored marble mosaics, and many more features grace this church to impart a majestic look. Admire this beautiful masterpiece of Romanesque architecture while offering your prayers.
Tip from tour guide
Cattedrale di Pisa was built as a symbol of Pisa's power over Muslims and a token of thanks for the spoils brought from various conquests. Unfortunately, in 1595, the temple was largely destroyed by a fire. The ceiling, doors, and many interior decorations were then lost indefinitely.
Here you can find Giovanni Pisano's beautiful desk with scenes from the New Testament, allegories of virtues and liberal arts, lions, and many other details. You will also see the first naked woman in European art, the allegory of Moderation. In the cathedral's Baroque chapel rest the remains of the patron saint of Pisa, St. Pisa.
Entrance to the cathedral is free, but you have to get a ticket before an hour of entry at the counter at the Square of Miracles.
Pisa Cathedral Guided Tour and Optional Leaning Tower Ticket
Duration: 1.0 to 1.5 hour
6. Trace the rich history of Pisa at Sinopie Museum
Find the outstanding Sinopie Museum in the enchanting city of Pisa to see incredible art from a bygone era. The place is famous for featuring fresco preparatory drawings, which are a kind of mural paintings. Sinopia derives its name from the red pigment that artists mix with water and use to make drawings. Watch impressive artworks of talented artists that belong to the 14th and 15th centuries. Admire featured sketches of Italian painter Francesco di Traino depicting Stories of the Anchorites, Triumph of Death, and many more. Also, view the creations of Benozzo Gozzoli portraying various biblical stories.
Sinopie Museum
Address: Piazza dei Miracoli, 56126 Pisa
Website: Sinopie Museum
Opening hours: 8am - 7:30pm (daily)
Price: 6 USD
7. Admire impressive art at Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
If you are an art lover, you should not miss visiting Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, which is located next to the breathtaking Leaning Tower of Pisa. Tour through its 25 rooms and enrich your knowledge of the art from a bygone era by viewing the impressive masterpieces. Watch in awe original artwork on display of the sacred cathedral, the leaning tower, and the baptistery here. Also, admire a small yet beautiful collection of liturgical vessels, furnishings, vestments, books, and images.
Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
Address: Piazza del Duomo, 23, 56126 Pisa
Website: Museo dell'Opera del Duomo
Opening hours: 9am - 7pm (daily)
Price: 6 USD
8. Visit Pisa Baptistery
Pay a visit to the outstanding Pisa Baptistery, a noteworthy Roman Catholic structure, when holidaying in Pisa. The round-shaped building is the biggest baptistery in entire Italy and has a circumference of over 100 meters (320 feet) and stands 55 meters (180 feet) tall. People have constructed and dedicated it to Saint John the Baptist. This massive marble structure is almost as tall as the world-famous Leaning Tower of Pisa and may need a minimum of 50 individuals to embrace the whole building.
Pisa Baptistery
Address: Piazza del Duomo, 23, 56126 Pisa
Website: Pisa Baptistery
Opening hours: 8am - 8pm (daily)
Price: 6 USD
9. Tour through National Museum of the Royal Palace
Get an insight into the history and culture of the past by visiting National Museum of the Royal Palace. It features impressive portraits, praiseworthy sculptures, beautiful paintings, and ancient armor. Situated in the Royal Palace, this incredible museum showcases outstanding art from various palaces, such as Medici, Savoia, and Lorena, and a unique armor collection comprising 900 pieces that date back to the 15th to 17th centuries.
National Museum of the Royal Palace
Address: Lungarno Antonio Pacinotti, 46, 56126 Pisa
Website: National Museum of the Royal Palace
Opening hours: Mon: 9am - 2pm; Wed - Sat: 9am - 2pm (closed on Sun & Tue)
Price: 6 USD
10. Learn about Camposanto Monumentale di Pisa
In the north of Cathedral Square in Pisa, find a huge historical edifice called Camposanto Monumentale di Pisa. Marvel at this magnificent oblong structure, which is an elegant specimen of impressive Gothic architecture. It is also famous as Camposanto Vecchio, which stands for the old cemetery. View 43 blind arches adorning the outer wall of the edifice—indeed the artistic detailing of the structure makes it a sight to behold.
Camposanto Monumentale di Pisa
Address: Piazza del Duomo, 17, 56126 Pisa
Website: Camposanto Monumentale di Pisa
Opening hours: 9am - 7pm (daily)
Price: 6 USD
11. Peep into history at Museum of Ancient Ships of Pisa
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
If ancient ships, archaeological discoveries, and maritime history fascinate you, visit the outstanding Museum of Ancient Ships when vacationing in Pisa. When people here were excavating a railway station 20 years back, they came across this incredible archaeological find comprising ancient ships. Ages back, this area in Pisa had an ancient stream, where more than 30 ships sank. This museum showcases interesting age-old ships and shipwrecks that will tell you the tale of Pisa.
Museum of Ancient Ships of Pisa
Address: Lungarno Ranieri Simonelli, 16, 56126 Pisa
Website: Museum of Ancient Ships of Pisa
Opening hours: Wed: 2:30pm - 6:30pm; Fri - Sun: 10:30am - 6:30pm (closed on Mon - Tue & Thu)
Price: 7 USD
12. Stroll through Knights' Square
One of the prominent landmarks in Pisa is Knights’ Square, which you should explore during your excursion here. In the center of the square, find a sculpted statue of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Stroll along this historic square, and click photos of the impressive architecture. Learn about the interesting historical significance of this area too.
Knights' Square
Address: Piazza dei Cavalieri, 56126 Pisa
Website: Knights’ Square
13. Marvel at Fontana dei Putti
Do not miss viewing beautiful Fountain with Angels, which is famous as Fontana dei Putti, when touring through Pisa. This lovely marble fountain has been present since the 17th century and features a charming design. In earlier times, it used to be the source of water for the residents of the area. Today, people admire the artistic sculpture and click photos posing in front of it.
Fontana dei Putti
Address: Piazza Arcivescovado, 3, 56126 Pisa
Opening hours: 24 hours (daily)
14. Pose while balancing the Leaning Tower of Pisa (from USD 38.0)
One of the iconic landmarks in Pisa that every tourist longs to visit is the captivating Leaning Tower of Pisa. It is a free-standing, white marble bell tower that is known for its four-degree lean—also world-famous for being an impressive architectural wonder dating back to the medieval era. It is, actually, one of the four buildings that are part of Pisa’s cathedral complex, and its construction commenced in 1173 and took about 200 years to complete. Pose if you are balancing the leaning tower, and click a photo to treasure the memory of your visit.
Leaning Tower of Pisa Afternoon Admission Ticket
Duration: 30 minutes
Have a memorable sabbatical in Pisa
Pisa is an enchanting city in Italy—home to plenty of incredible attractions that draw tourists worldwide every year. If you plan a refreshing break in this mesmerizing Italian city, make sure that you enjoy all the best things to do, and collect lovely memories to cherish for a lifetime. Pisa awaits you.
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