Getting to the Leaning Tower of Pisa is easy from many other parts of Italy including Florence, Livorno, Siena, and Rome, by public transportation (train or bus) or on day trips. It is also easily seen en route to or from the airport.
The Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of the top sights to see in Italy. This iconic campanile is hugely popular with day-trippers and bus parties and well worth seeing when in Tuscany. The leaning tower together with other Field of Miracles sights such as the duomo, baptistery, Camposanto cemetery and museums are easily seen in half a day. The rest of Pisa is pleasant enough but not particularly interesting making it sensible to see the Leaning Tower and Field of Miracles en route to or from Pisa Airport, or on day trips from nearby destinations such as Florence, Siena, Lucca, Livorno, Cinque Terre, or even further way cities including Rome.
Transportation to the Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Leaning Tower and the Field of Miracles are in the northwestern corner of old town Pisa. The Duomo was originally built outside the medieval city walls, partly as symbol that Pisa considered itself too powerful to be attacked.
Tour buses stop nearby to the west of the Field of Miracles just past a collection of souvenir sites but most visitors on day trips have to walk around half an hour from the main station.
For drivers, the Parcheggio di Piazza dei Miracoli parking lot is very close to the sites but often full. An alternative is a large parking lot in Via Pietrasantina a few blocks to the north — a bus is available to Field of Miracles from here, or around a 15 minutes’ walk.
The tourist office next to the main ticket window in the Palazzo dell’ Opera del Duomo has some luggage storage facilities but opening hours are generally far shorter than those of the sights. Luggage is better left at the station, or at pre-booked private storage venues near the Field of Miracles or elsewhere in Pisa.
Getting to the Leaning Tower of Pisa from the Train Station
Pisa-Centrale, the main train station of Pisa is just less than 2 km to the south of the Field of Miracles. It is a pleasant enough walk of around 20 to 30 minutes. The most direct route goes from the station along via Francesco Crispi and then once across the Arno River on Via Roma directly to the Leaning Tower. A more interesting alternative, taking only minutes more, goes along Corso Italia and then through the old town center once over the Arno.
On either route, look out for the large Tuttomondo mural by Keith Haring on a small road linking the large Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II with Piazza Sant’ Antonio just a few blocks to the north of the station.
Regional trains also stop at Pisa-San Rossore — the first stop after Pisa Centrale when coming from the south or east (Florence). From here, it is around 5 minutes to the Field of Miracles. Not all trains stop here, if in doubt, best to get off at Pisa-Centrale.
LAM Rosso buses frequently run between Pisa-Centrale station (main / north exit) and the Torre 1 stop directly to the west of the Field of Miracles. Tickets on the bus are €2.50 or €1.50 if bought from a kiosk. A taxi from Pisa Station to the Leaning Tower should be around €10-15.
Getting to Pisa by train from many parts of Italy is easy. Frequent direct trains from Florence take just over an hour (at least two direct trains per hour), 15 minutes from Livorno (a few times per hour), and just more than 2 hours from Siena (usually change in Empoli). For Lucca, using the San Rossore station (rather than Centrale) is usually possible — two trains per hour taking less than half an hour.
Intercity trains from Milan, Bologna, Rome, and Venice vary widely in price and duration — direct trains may be slower (and cheaper) than faster high-speed trains that usually require a transfer in Florence. Seeing Pisa on a day trip on public transportation from many of these cities is ambitious but it is quite possible to visit Pisa when traveling between these top destinations in Italy. Omio is a good source to check timetables and book Italian train tickets online.Â
Transportation to the Leaning Tower of Pisa from the Airport
Pisa Galileo Galilei Airport (PSA) is very conveniently located only minutes from the city center. The cheapest way to travel from here to the Field of Miracles is to take the Pisa Mover Shuttle. It links the Pisa Airport and Pisa Centrale main train station in around 5 minutes (with a stop en route at the long-term parking) for only €5 one-way. From here walk or use the bus.
A taxi from the airport is also a very sensible choice and may even save money for small groups. A taxi should cost around €12-15 from Pisa Airport to the Leaning Tower and traveling time, traffic depending, may as quick as 10 minutes.
Seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa en route to or from the airport is a very good option.
Day Trips to See the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Pisa is a popular day-trip destination from Florence or a shore excursion for cruise boats calling at Livorno. The Field of Miracles is easily seen in an hour or two, making Pisa generally a half-day bus trip or more commonly as part of longer day-trip tours that may include further towns such as Lucca, San Gimignano, Chianti, Siena, and Cinque Terre. Day-trip tours are also available from Rome and often include a visit to Florence.Â
Before booking tours, double-check if admissions are included. Climbing the tower is often a pricy optional extra.
Tickets for Top Sights in Pisa
Admission to the Field of Miracles (Campo Dei Miracoli) in Pisa and the exterior of all buildings in the area is free and possible at all times.
Tickets are available for the following sights in Pisa:
Cathedral (Duomo) — admission is free but only per time slot ticket. Pick up a free pass in person only from any ticket office. On very busy days, there may be a delay in entering the church or occasionally, no more free tickets available on the day. However, any of the paid tickets below automatically acts as a skip-the-line entry ticket to the duomo on the same day.
Climbing the Leaning Tower (Torre) — €20 per time-slot reservation tickets only. A combination pass with all other sites is around €30.
Baptistery (Battistero) / Camposanto Cemetery / Museum of the Sinopias (Museo delle Sinopie) / Museo dell’ Opera del Duomo (cathedral museum) — €7 for any site or great value at €10 for all sights. (Note that the baptistery is being renovated and some sections may be closed off.)
Palazzo dell’ Opera del Duomo — admission depends on the exhibition, if any.
The two ticket offices at the Field of Miracles are inside the Sinopie Museum (near the Baptistery) and in the Palazzo dell’ Opera del Duomo (behind the church near the leaning tower).
Time-slot reservation tickets for the leaning tower of Pisa may be bought online at least a day in advance from Opapisa (tickets valid for a year so no refunds for any reason) or resellers such as Tiqets and Get Your Guide, which have much easier cancelation conditions. Opapisa sells tickets at most 20 days in advance while the resellers usually sell several months in advance. A variety of guided tours are available to see the sights on the Fields of Miracles of Pisa with many including climbing the leaning tower.
Opening Hours of Field of Miracles Sites in Pisa
The sights on the Field of Miracles in Pisa are open every day – exact times may be confirmed months in advance at the OpaPisa site.
All the sites are generally open as a minimum from 9:00 (10:00 for the Duomo) to 19:00. From April to September, the opening hours are usually 8:00 (10:00 for the Duomo) to 20:00 with the Camposanto and Tower open until 22:00 on some nights.
Last tickets are sold around half an hour before closing time (but expect an argument at the door if leaving it that late).
Combination tickets are valid for a year after the selected date so refunds are not given if a site is closed on a particular day(s).
More Information On Top Sights in Pisa
- See the Top Sights on Pisa’s Field of Miracles
- Tips on Buying Tickets and Tours for the Leaning Tower and Pisa Sights
- Visit the Duomo (Cathedral) of Pisa (Cattedrale)
- Visit the Baptistery of Pisa (Battistero)
- Visit the Cathedral Museum (Museo dell’ Opera del Duomo di Pisa)
- See Renaissance Frescoes in the Camposanto Cemetery
- Visit the Sinopie Museum in Pisa
- Transportation to the Leaning Tower of Pisa
- Book Guided Tours of Pisa and Day Trips at Get Your Guide
- Buy Tickets Online at Tiqets
- Book Italian Train and Intercity Bus Tickets at Omio
- More Photos of the Field of Miracles in Pisa on Flickr
