Lucca day trip from Florence or Pisa
A day trip to Lucca from Florence or Pisa: the city walls, the Basilica of San Frediano, Piazza dell'Anfiteatro, the Guinigi Tower, San Michele in Foro, the cathedral, Via Fillungo and Palazzo Pfanner. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Lucca in 1 day
Day 1
Walls of Lucca
Complete Renaissance ramparts around the old town, topped by a tree-lined path for walking or cycling the whole circuit.
Basilica of San Frediano
Romanesque church with a large gilded mosaic on its facade, a carved font and the preserved body of Saint Zita.
Piazza dell'Anfiteatro
Oval square of houses built on the outline of the Roman amphitheatre, now lined with cafes and restaurants.
Guinigi Tower
Medieval tower of a merchant family, famous for the holm oak trees growing on its roof, with views over the red rooftops.
San Michele in Foro
Romanesque church on the site of the Roman forum, with a tall arcaded facade topped by a statue of the archangel Michael.
Piazza Napoleone
Lucca's large plane-tree square beside the Palazzo Ducale, a favourite meeting place for locals.
Lucca Cathedral
Cathedral of San Martino with a Romanesque arcaded front, the Volto Santo wooden crucifix and the tomb of Ilaria del Carretto.
Via Fillungo
Lucca's main shopping street, a narrow medieval lane with old shopfronts and cafes running through the heart of the old town.
Palazzo Pfanner
Seventeenth-century palace with a grand outdoor staircase and a formal garden of statues, seen in several films.
Watch: Lucca
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
Getting there
Regional trains run to Lucca from Florence in about 1 hour 20 minutes and from Pisa in about 30 minutes, and the station is a short walk south of the walls. By car, park outside the walls, as the old town is closed to most traffic.
Staying in Florence or Pisa? This day fits into those city plans, and in the Trip Builder it is one click under each of them.
When to go to Lucca
April to June and September to October are best for walking and cycling the walls, while July and August are hot and busy. The Luminara di Santa Croce candle procession is on 13 September, and Lucca Comics & Games fills the town around the start of November.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Lucca on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Lucca on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Lucca on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Italy from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Lucca
- Rent a bicycle near the walls or the station to ride the tree-lined circuit on top of the ramparts, about 4 km around.
- The Guinigi Tower has a garden of holm oaks at the top; the climb is by stairs only, so allow time and energy.
- The cathedral's main treasures, the Volto Santo crucifix and Jacopo della Quercia's tomb of Ilaria del Carretto, are worth the separate ticket for the sacristy.
- Arrive on an early train to see Piazza dell'Anfiteatro and Via Fillungo before the day-tripper crowds.
- Lucca is the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini, and evening concerts of his music are held in the old town through much of the year.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Basilica of San Frediano: Myrabella, edited by MenkinAlRire, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Guinigi Tower: H005, Public domain
- Lucca Cathedral: Mongolo1984, edited by MenkinAlRire, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Palazzo Pfanner: Sailko, CC BY 3.0
- Piazza Napoleone: Chabe01, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Piazza dell'Anfiteatro: Kasa Fue, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Michele in Foro: Spike, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Via Fillungo: Luca Aless, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Walls of Lucca: No machine-readable author provided. JoJan assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
