Pisa itinerary: 1 to 3 days
Plans for one to three days in Pisa, day by day: the Leaning Tower, Piazza dei Miracoli, the Camposanto and the Baptistery first, then the Arno churches of San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno and Santa Maria della Spina and the Knights' Square, and the Botanical Garden and Santa Chiara as you add days. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 3 days
Pisa in 1 day
Day 1
Leaning Tower of Pisa
The cathedral's free-standing bell tower, begun in 1173 and leaning since its construction; timed climbs to the top.
Pisa Cathedral
The Romanesque cathedral on the Piazza dei Miracoli, beside the Leaning Tower, with a marble facade and a carved pulpit by Giovanni Pisano.
Pisa Baptistery
Italy's largest baptistery, with a pulpit by Nicola Pisano and an echo that staff demonstrate by singing.
Camposanto Monumentale
Monumental cemetery around a long cloister, with frescoes such as the Triumph of Death restored after wartime damage in 1944.
Piazza dei Miracoli
Walled lawn holding the cathedral, baptistery, tower and Camposanto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Knights' Square
Square remodelled by Giorgio Vasari for the Knights of St Stephen, once the political centre of medieval Pisa.
Borgo Stretto
Pisa's long arcaded street of old shops, cafés and pasticcerie, running from Piazza Garibaldi towards the market square.
Palazzo Blu
A former aristocratic palace on the Arno, now hosting temporary art exhibitions and cultural events.
Pisa in 2 days
Day 1
Leaning Tower of Pisa
The cathedral's free-standing bell tower, begun in 1173 and leaning since its construction; timed climbs to the top.
Pisa Cathedral
The Romanesque cathedral on the Piazza dei Miracoli, beside the Leaning Tower, with a marble facade and a carved pulpit by Giovanni Pisano.
Pisa Baptistery
Italy's largest baptistery, with a pulpit by Nicola Pisano and an echo that staff demonstrate by singing.
Camposanto Monumentale
Monumental cemetery around a long cloister, with frescoes such as the Triumph of Death restored after wartime damage in 1944.
Piazza dei Miracoli
Walled lawn holding the cathedral, baptistery, tower and Camposanto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day 2
San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno
Romanesque church on the south bank with a striped facade similar to the cathedral's and the octagonal chapel of Sant'Agata behind.
Santa Maria della Spina
Small Gothic church on the Arno embankment, covered in spires and statues, once home to a thorn relic.
San Nicola, Pisa
Church near the Arno with a leaning bell tower and a spiral staircase attributed to Nicola Pisano.
San Sisto, Pisa
Romanesque church consecrated in 1133, with Islamic ceramic bowls once set into its facade.
Knights' Square
Square remodelled by Giorgio Vasari for the Knights of St Stephen, once the political centre of medieval Pisa.
Piazza delle Vettovaglie
A small arcaded square with a daily food market, surrounded by cafés and wine bars in Pisa's old centre.
Palazzo Blu
A former aristocratic palace on the Arno, now hosting temporary art exhibitions and cultural events.
Pisa in 3 days
Day 1
Leaning Tower of Pisa
The cathedral's free-standing bell tower, begun in 1173 and leaning since its construction; timed climbs to the top.
Pisa Cathedral
The Romanesque cathedral on the Piazza dei Miracoli, beside the Leaning Tower, with a marble facade and a carved pulpit by Giovanni Pisano.
Pisa Baptistery
Italy's largest baptistery, with a pulpit by Nicola Pisano and an echo that staff demonstrate by singing.
Camposanto Monumentale
Monumental cemetery around a long cloister, with frescoes such as the Triumph of Death restored after wartime damage in 1944.
Piazza dei Miracoli
Walled lawn holding the cathedral, baptistery, tower and Camposanto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day 2
San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno
Romanesque church on the south bank with a striped facade similar to the cathedral's and the octagonal chapel of Sant'Agata behind.
Santa Maria della Spina
Small Gothic church on the Arno embankment, covered in spires and statues, once home to a thorn relic.
San Nicola, Pisa
Church near the Arno with a leaning bell tower and a spiral staircase attributed to Nicola Pisano.
San Sisto, Pisa
Romanesque church consecrated in 1133, with Islamic ceramic bowls once set into its facade.
Knights' Square
Square remodelled by Giorgio Vasari for the Knights of St Stephen, once the political centre of medieval Pisa.
Piazza delle Vettovaglie
A small arcaded square with a daily food market, surrounded by cafés and wine bars in Pisa's old centre.
Day 3
Orto botanico di Pisa
University botanical garden founded in 1544, one of the oldest in Europe, with greenhouses and a shell-covered facade.
Santa Chiara
Small 13th-century church in the grounds of the Santa Chiara hospital, a few steps from Piazza dei Miracoli.
Palazzo Blu
A former aristocratic palace on the Arno, now hosting temporary art exhibitions and cultural events.
National Museum of San Matteo
A museum in a former convent with medieval and Renaissance art from Pisa's churches, including painted crosses and sculpture.
Borgo Stretto
Pisa's long arcaded street of old shops, cafés and pasticcerie, running from Piazza Garibaldi towards the market square.
Watch: Pisa
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Pisa
April to June and September to October are the best months for Pisa, with mild weather for the Piazza dei Miracoli and day trips around Tuscany. July and August are hot and crowded with day-trippers at the tower. Winter is mild and wetter but quiet. In June the Luminara lights the riverfront with thousands of candles on the evening of the 16th.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Pisa on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Pisa on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Pisa on GetYourGuide
- From the airport: a private transfer in Pisa with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Italy from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Pisa with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Pisa
- Climbs of the Leaning Tower are in timed groups; book online ahead, as same-day slots often sell out. Children under 8 are not allowed up.
- Bags must be left at the cloakroom before climbing the tower; entry to the cathedral needs a free timed ticket from the ticket office.
- Pisa San Rossore station is a few minutes' walk from Piazza dei Miracoli; Pisa Centrale is about 25 minutes away on foot.
- Lucca is about 30 minutes by train and Florence about an hour, so Pisa also works as a base for day trips.
- On 16 June the Luminara lights the Arno embankments with thousands of candles; the Gioco del Ponte is held on the last Saturday of June.
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
- Borgo Stretto: Nikolai Karaneschev, CC BY 3.0
- Camposanto Monumentale: Bernd Thaller from Graz, Austria, CC BY 2.0
- Knights' Square: Sailko, CC BY 3.0
- Leaning Tower of Pisa: Arne Müseler, CC BY-SA 3.0 de
- National Museum of San Matteo: sailko, CC BY 2.5
- Orto botanico di Pisa: Daderot., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Palazzo Blu: LoneWolf1976, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Piazza dei Miracoli: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Piazza delle Vettovaglie: sailko, CC BY 2.5
- Pisa Baptistery: Massimo Catarinella, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pisa Cathedral: PaestumPaestum, CC BY 4.0
- San Nicola, Pisa: Sailko, CC BY 2.5
- San Paolo a Ripa d'Arno: Sailko, CC BY 2.5
- San Sisto, Pisa: Sailko, CC BY 2.5
- Santa Chiara: Sailko, CC BY 2.5
- Santa Maria della Spina: Stephan M. Höhne, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
