Collodi and Pescia day trip from Lucca or Florence or Pisa
A day trip to Collodi and Pescia from Lucca, Florence or Pisa: the Parco di Pinocchio, the hillside village of Collodi, the Baroque garden of Villa Garzoni and its Butterfly House, then Piazza Mazzini, San Francesco, the cathedral and the Madonna di Piè di Piazza in Pescia. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Collodi and Pescia in 1 day
Day 1
Villa Garzoni and its Baroque garden
One of Tuscany's great Baroque gardens, terraces, stairways, statues and water features climbing the hill below the villa.
Collodi Butterfly House
Glass hothouse beside the Garzoni garden where tropical butterflies fly freely among the plants.
Historic village of Collodi (Collodi Castello)
Steep stone village climbing the hill behind Villa Garzoni, with narrow stairways and views back over the garden and the valley.
Parco di Pinocchio
Park dedicated to Carlo Collodi's puppet, with modern sculptures and play areas telling the story along a woodland path; best with children.
San Francesco church (Pescia)
Gothic church holding Bonaventura Berlinghieri's 1235 panel of Saint Francis, one of the earliest images of the saint.
Piazza Mazzini (Pescia)
Long main square of Pescia, closed by the Palazzo dei Vicari at one end and the Madonna di Piè di Piazza at the other.
Madonna di Piè di Piazza (Pescia)
Small 15th-century Renaissance oratory at the end of the main square, with a carved and painted wooden ceiling.
Pescia Cathedral
Cathedral rebuilt in Baroque style in the late 1600s, with a later facade and a bell tower that began as a defensive tower.
Watch: Collodi and Pescia
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
Getting there
From Lucca it is about 25 minutes by car, or 30-40 minutes by bus towards Pescia and Montecatini (stop in Collodi). From Florence it is about 1 hour by car on the A11 motorway (Chiesina Uzzanese exit), and from Pisa about 45 minutes. Collodi and Pescia are about 3 km apart, a few minutes by car or local bus.
Staying in Lucca or 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 Collodi and Pescia
April to June and September are the best months, when the gardens are green and the park is fully open. Summer is warm and busy with families, and the Garzoni garden has little shade in the afternoon. Pescia is a flower-growing town, home to one of Italy's largest wholesale flower markets.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Collodi and Pescia on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Collodi and Pescia on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Collodi and Pescia 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 Collodi and Pescia
- Check opening days before going: the Parco di Pinocchio and the Garzoni garden keep shorter hours, often weekends only, outside the main season.
- The Garzoni garden and the Collodi village are steep; wear comfortable shoes for the stairways and lanes.
- Collodi is a good day out with children: the Pinocchio park has sculptures and play areas along the story, and the Butterfly House is close by.
- Pescia's churches may close for a few hours after lunch; the town is best visited from mid-afternoon.
- The hills above Pescia, the Svizzera Pesciatina, hide ten small fortified villages for a drive after the visit.
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
- Collodi Butterfly House: Sailko, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Historic village of Collodi (Collodi Castello): Hassk80, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Madonna di Piè di Piazza (Pescia): sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Parco di Pinocchio: sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pescia Cathedral: Miomiomio, CC BY 3.0
- Piazza Mazzini (Pescia): Sailko, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Francesco church (Pescia): sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Villa Garzoni and its Baroque garden: Pescia1977, CC BY-SA 4.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
