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Home Travel

Explore the Piazza del Duomo and Climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy

Tip: book the Leaning Tower climb ahead of time!

by Flo
November 7, 2016 - Updated on December 26, 2020
in Travel
39
Tower of Pisa in Italy
Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy with text overlay Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy with text overlay

A step-by-step guide to making the most of your time exploring the monuments within Piazza del Duomo, AKA the Square of Miracles or Piazza dei Miracoli, in Pisa, Italy.

The star of the show at the Piazza del Duomo in Pisa is undoubtedly the Leaning Tower of Pisa, or simply the Tower of Pisa. Like Giotto’s Campanile in Florence, the Tower of Pisa is the freestanding Campanile, or bell tower, of the Cathedral of Pisa. While it is the most photographed monument within the square, there are actually many other monuments that are just as stunning and spectacular as the Tower of Pisa, even if they aren’t leaning at an angle.

The monuments housed within the complex include the Cathedral, the Tower, the Baptistery, the Camposanto, the Sinopie Museum and Opera del Duomo Museum – together, this group of monuments was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

Cathedral of Pisa in Italy

Travel from Florence to Pisa: Pisa is a popular day trip destination and can be easily reached by train from Florence in an hour. There are also plenty of trains throughout the day so you don’t have to book in advance or worry about missing a train and waiting around for hours before the next one. You can check the Florence to Pisa train times here. The Piazza del Duomo is a 20-25 minute walk away from the train station or you can take bus number 4 to get there.

Visiting Florence, Italy? Check out my travel guide to the Duomo in Florence and where to go for the best views!

Much like the Duomo Complex in Florence (read my guide here!), the visiting process is streamlined and efficient and you can easily visit all the monuments within a day if you know what you’re doing. If you want a hassle-free visit, read on for how to get the most out of your time at the Piazza del Duomo in Pisa!

Where to stay in Pisa

Leaning Tower and Cathedral of Pisa in Italy

If you stay overnight in Pisa instead of doing a day trip, I would recommend staying at B&B Relais Paradise, a short 10 minute walk away from the square. Our room was spacious and newly renovated, the wifi was great and the owners will gladly prepare a takeaway breakfast for you if you’re leaving early the next day. One thing to note is that the check-in time is relatively late at 3 PM. Click here to book your stay at B&B Relais Paradise!

Duomo in Florence Italy

If you are doing a day trip to Pisa from Florence, stay at Hotel Calzaiuoli , a 2 (yes, TWO!) minute walk away from the Duomo Complex. The staff were extremely friendly and accommodating, rooms were bright, comfortable and spacious, and the breakfast spread was amazing. Click here to book your stay at Hotel Calzaiuoli!

Ponte Vecchio in Florence Italy

Another option in Florence is La Tana Dei Leoni, an amazing guesthouse right in front of the Ponte Vecchio. It was an amazing room and great value for money – I would highly recommend this over Hotel Calzaiuoli for anyone with a slightly lower budget! Click here to book your stay at La Tana Dei Leoni!

Planning your perfect trip to Italy? Click here for even more Italy hotel booking tips and recommendations!

What you should know before you visit Pisa

City of Pisa in Italy

The key to a smooth Florence to Pisa day trip is to get organized. There are lots of options for a Pisa tour from Florence, but to be completely honest it just isn’t necessary to go on a group tour as the trip is fairly straightforward, and this way you can wander around the various monuments on your own schedule. Here is some essential information for visiting the Tower of Pisa and the other monuments within the Duomo complex.

Ticket Options for Pisa’s Duomo Complex

Want to visit the leaning Tower of Pisa? Tickets can be purchased online between a maximum of 20 days and a minimum of 1 day prior to your visit. There are a number of ticket options available – tower only (€18), 1 additional monument (choose between the Baptistry, Camposanto or Sinopie Museum – €5), 2 additional monuments (€7) or 3 monuments (€8). Entry to the Cathedral is free, but you will need to be dressed appropriately – covered shoulders and knees. Make sure you print out your ticket as it contains bar codes for each monument that will be scanned for entry.

Pisa Duomo Complex Opening Hours

Entrance to the monuments is allowed up to 30 minutes before closing time, and specific opening and closing times can be found here. The monuments tend to close earlier at 6/7 PM during the winter, and later at 8/9/10 PM during the summer months.

Pisa Duomo Complex Dress Code

No bare shoulders and short skirts/shorts are permitted in the Cathedral. Bring a shawl or scarf if you’re planning to wear a tank/spaghetti top so you can cover your shoulders as people do get turned away, especially from the Cathedral and Baptistry. Wear comfortable shoes or sandals (with good grip) if you plan to climb the Tower of Pisa.

Planning a trip to Italy? Click here for 14 things you should know before you go to Italy!

The Monuments of Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa

Annotated map of the Duomo domplex in Pisa Italy
Map Data © 2020 Google

1. Visiting the Leaning Tower: one of the 7 Wonders of the World

Leaning of Tower of Pisa in Italy

The lean on the Tower of Pisa is actually much more significant when you see it in person. The inclination is currently approximately 5.5 degrees and was caused by the soft ground below it – the structure wasn’t actually stabilized until the 20th/early 21st century and was reopened to the public in 2001.

It is called the Leaning Tower or the Tower of Pisa but actually it was never used for defending the city: its primary purpose is to acts as a bell tower for timekeeping in religious and daily life! The Tower of Pisa features a total of seven bells (one for each musical note), the largest of which weighs 3.5 tonnes.

Bell of Tower of Pisa in Italy

Can you climb the leaning Tower of Pisa? Yes! If you want to climb the leaning Tower of Pisa, then you will need to select a specific time slot as tickets for the Tower are at set times and limited in number; I would highly recommend that you do so earlier rather than trying to purchase a ticket on-site. Make sure you are on time, because if you are late you will not be allowed in and you will not be refunded! I would also recommend finding out when the sun is setting and timing your visit to coincide with the sunset so you can watch it from the top of the tower.

Cathedral of Pisa at sunset

Unlike visiting the Duomo in Florence, the Tower has strict security measures in place and any hand bags, backpacks and luggage must be left at the cloakroom before the visit (free of charge) and you will be wanded before entry (scanned with a handheld detector). You are pretty much only allowed to bring your phone, ticket and pamphlet/brochure with you.

Entrance to the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy

The visit takes about 35-45 minutes and you will need to climb 251 uneven and slippery steps up to the top, so wear appropriate footwear. Whilst it’s not a very physically strenuous climb, this was honestly one of the most vertigo-inducing experiences I have ever gone through because of the lean, and in some sections you will feel extremely off-balance.

Entrance to the leaning tower of Pisa in Italy

You can get a sense of the extreme lean on the Tower of Pisa from these photos of the main entrance.

Related post: Looking for other incredible day trips from Florence? Click here for a guide to exploring Siena on foot in 1 day!

2. Visiting the Pisa Cathedral

Cathedral of Pisa in Italy

I am ashamed to say that the dress code completely slipped my mind and I wasn’t allowed to enter the Cathedral! Nevertheless, it is an incredible stunning piece of architecture and I’d love to visit the interior next time. The Cathedral was founded in the 11th century and was built using many reused materials from Roman monuments. Today, it remains an important religious monument for the community and continues to host Holy Mass, festivals and events.

3. Visiting the Pisa Baptistery

Baptistery of Pisa in Italy

The Baptistery of Pisa (also known as the The Baptistery of San Giovanni) is the largest baptistery in Italy and was founded in August 1152 – it is absolutely humongous. Like the Cathedral, the Baptistery features “zebra work” of white marble and grey. Because it sits on the same unstable sand as the tower and cathedral, the Baptistery also leans slightly by 0.6 degrees. Once you are inside, you can walk up the second story and look up at the dome and out towards the rest of the square.

4. Visiting the Camposanto in Pisa

Camposanto of Pisa in Italy

The Camposanto of Pisa is actually a beautiful cemetery housing sarcophagi, graves, frescoes, statues and chapels. It is a peaceful space with a long, lush internal garden. Dating back to 1277, it was built to accommodate the graves that up until then were scattered all around the Cathedral. There is a legend that bodies buried in the ground here will rot in just 24 hours!

Camposanto of Pisa in Italy

Don’t skip the Camposanto if you’re visiting Pisa on a day trip from Florence: the detailed frescoes that adorn its walls portray stories of life and death, and have been lovingly restored and maintained over the centuries.

Camposanto of Pisa in Italy

5. Visiting the Pisa Sinopie Museum

The Sinopie Museum hosts the big preparatory drawings recovered beneath the frescoes decorating the Camposanto – some dating back to the Middle Ages! The Pisa collection is unique as it came to light as the result of a terrible fire that damaged the Camposanto during World War II, and the frescoes had to be detached in order to save and restore them. The hidden sinopias were revealed beneath the paint, and have been in the museum since 1979. It is worth a visit as they also play a fascinating short educational video on the history of the Tower and efforts to stabilize it.

6. Visiting the Pisa Opera del Duomo Museum

The Opera del Duomo Museum recently re-opened to the public in late 2019. It contains scale models of buildings in the Piazza, the archaeological collection, modern paintings, sculptures, portraits, textiles and goldwork – all the works that were once displayed in the Duomo and Baptistery.

Prego!

Holding up the leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy

If you follow this guide to climb the Tower of Pisa and explore the monuments that you will have made the most of your visit to the Square of Miracles! I hope this guide is able to help you to plan a stress-free and enjoyable visit! For those of you who have explored the monuments in Pisa, do you have any other tips that I missed? Share them below in the comments section!

Heading to other cities in Italy? You might also enjoy these reads:

  • Click here for more Italy destination guides and travel tips or check out all of my hotel recommendations and booking tips for Italy
  • For even more Florence travel inspiration check out this wanderlust-inducing photo gallery
  • Those planning to climb the Florence Duomo can’t skip this guide to the monuments
  • Read this guide for where to find the best viewpoints in Florence
  • Siena is another UNESCO-listed city in Tuscany with its very own Duomo and historic centre. Read this 1 day itinerary for Siena
  • Wine lovers should venture outside of Florence to visit Tuscany’s wineries. Here’s how to get a taste of Tuscany in a day

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Comments 39

  1. Ivy says:
    4 years ago

    Great tips and gorgeous pictures, Flo! Is the storage room safe? I don’t know how I feel about leaving my valuables in there 🙁

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      Yes I think it is! There’s an attendant who has to go in and unlock each locker 🙂

      Reply
      • Mērija says:
        2 years ago

        Hello and thank you for the article!
        I was wondering – can I enter the site (Tower, Baptistery, Cathedral) with a small suitcase? Is there a place where I can leave it? If there are lockers in the storage room, I guess it won’t fit in there.
        Thanks!

      • Flo says:
        2 years ago

        Hi Merija,

        No – I don’t believe you can bring large items into the site. You’re probably better off leaving it at your hotel.

        Best of luck!

  2. ada says:
    4 years ago

    Great post! I ve been in Piza once, but only for few hours and it was a night time, when I was driving to Rome from Berlin. I didnt get to chance explore it more but at least I took quick photo 🙂

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      You’ll have to go back one day to explore the Piazza, Ada! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Amlan Chakraborty says:
    4 years ago

    Great write up. It will be really a helpful guide if I go there. Thanks for the post.

    Reply
  4. Arnav @ Eat, Travel, Live and REPEAT says:
    4 years ago

    The leaning tower of Pisa always grew curiosity in mind but your post answered some of the questions.Would love to go to the top as well and am going to keep your valuable suggestions about the timing in mind.There’s so much more to visit apart from the Leaning tower as well which can be seen in the pictures as well.A climb to the top of the tower is definitely going to be a unique and once in a lifetime sort of a thing.

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      It’s an unique experience, that’s for sure Arnav! I felt like I was falling over the whole time and was very tempted to crawl around on all fours haha!

      Reply
  5. Kristina says:
    4 years ago

    After all the times I’ve been to Italy, I’ve never actually made it to The Leaning Tower of Pisa… kinda shameful! This is a really helpful guide though, when I eventually do make it there haha. Good tips on when to go though, I’ll keep that in mind!

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      Thanks for taking the time to read this, Kristina! Let me know if you make it to Pisa 🙂

      Reply
  6. Vyjay says:
    4 years ago

    We were om Pisa a couple of years ago and loved it. A walk around the town is also an amazing experience. OC course the Leaning tower and the Baptistry are spectacular.

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      I wish we had the time to explore the city beyond the Piazza – what did you think of the city itself?

      Reply
  7. Rashmi and Chalukya says:
    4 years ago

    We visited Pisa as part of Italy trip on the way back to Switzerland. The architecture around Leaning tower and the Baptistry are spectacular is amazing we did not visit interior of Camposanto but it sure does look beautiful

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      The Camposanto may have been my favorite! It’s such a peaceful space and completely devoid of the crowds.

      Reply
  8. Kristine says:
    4 years ago

    Great post! I have still not been to Italy, but once I go, I’ll definitely make a day trip to Pisa 🙂

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      Thanks for checking this article out, Kristine!

      Reply
  9. Marta Nightingale says:
    4 years ago

    That is one of the most pro travel blog posts, you sound like a shorter version of NYT travel section 🙂 I love all the significant info you included, like the footwear, appropriate dres and even the technical details about tickets. As you said, I was late for my tower trip 2 years ago, it was devastated and furious 😉 Sorry to hear you weren’t allowed to the cathedral happened to me quite a few times too! Now I have a special compartment in ma backpack where I keep a huge shawl for occasions for these ‘special occasions’ 😉

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, Marta! I should definitely carry a shawl with me next time – I normally do but it completely slipped my mind!

      Reply
  10. Sara White says:
    4 years ago

    After seeing so many photos, seeing the leaning tour in person was actually quite startling. Aside from the famous lean (which seemed so much more pronounced than I expected), the architecture of the whole area was beautiful. I didn’t get a chance to go inside anywhere (we were waiting for a connecting train out of Pisa), and from your pictures it looks like I missed out on something very much worth seeing!

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      I was shocked when I saw the lean in person, Sara! Like you said, it looks a lot more pronounced than in photos. I would definitely recommend seeing the rest of the monuments if you get a chance to go back to Pisa!

      Reply
  11. Jess Mizzi says:
    4 years ago

    I missed Pisa when I visited Italy the first time. It is definitely on the list for next time though and I’ll be sure to use your guide. I didn’t even realise you could climb the tower!

    Reply
  12. Melissa Douglas says:
    4 years ago

    Great tips! Being part Italian I have a ton of family there but I’ve never been to Pisa (the shame!). I’ve even flown from Pisa airport when I left Florence but I didn’t have chance to visit the City. Hopefully in the future!

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      Hope you make it to Pisa soon! I wish we had explored the city a bit more beyond the Piazza.

      Reply
  13. Cristina says:
    4 years ago

    I almost made it to Pisa two years ago when I did a road trip through Tuscany. I never understood the fascination with the leaning tower, though…If I do get to visit Pisa, I will definitely want to see more. Great info btw :).

    Reply
  14. Ro says:
    4 years ago

    wow, what a practical and useful guide to exploring the square in Pisa. I’m one of many who associated the city with just the leaning tower. Great photos by the way! 🙂

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      As was I, Ro! Didn’t realize there were other monuments until we started booking our entry tickets 🙂

      Reply
  15. Bonita says:
    4 years ago

    The Leaning Tower of Pisa is in my bucket list! I love sunsets and definitely catching one would be the highlight of my trip. Thanks for this detailed description.

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      I hope you make it soon! It’s such an easy day trip so you do’t have to stay in Pisa itself if you don’t want to.

      Reply
  16. Bonita says:
    4 years ago

    Italy is beautiful! The Leaning Tower of Pisa is in my bucket list! I love sunsets and definitely catching one would be the highlight of my trip. Thanks for this detailed description.

    Reply
  17. Natasha Welch says:
    4 years ago

    Ah wow Pisa looks like such a lovely place. I love how you’ve detailed how to get there precisely and with prices, really useful. I actually had no idea that you could climb the leaning tower, I’d be a little scared it would like… topple over haha.

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      The climb up and being at the top of the tower is one of the most unsettling experiences ever! It feels like you’re so off balance

      Reply
  18. Sara Fergie says:
    4 years ago

    My husband and I are planning to the Leaning Tower of Pisa next year! How nice to have your post about it before our trip. I have bookmarked your post for me to go back later for our final planning. It awesome that you added suggestions on where to stay and other important about visiting Piazza del doumo 🙂 Cheers!

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      I hope this helps, Sara! 🙂 Have a great trip!

      Reply
  19. Nam says:
    4 years ago

    The camposanto looks so good! I wish I knew about it on my visits. Haha I must admit the dress code slips my mind a lot in Italy and sometimes I am actually allowed in anyway!

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      They’re super strict in some places, not so strict in others! I find that the cathedrals always take the dress code super seriously!

      Reply
  20. Stacey says:
    4 years ago

    I tried to help someone in line once because she wasn’t dressed properly. She scoffed at me like I was bothering her. She wouldn’t look me in the eye when she was turned away. I remember climbing the Tower and feeling the “lean” around every turn. That’s something I will always remember.

    Reply
    • Flo says:
      4 years ago

      The lean is seriously trippy. Too bad she didn’t listen to you – likely that she didn’t get into the Cathedral without the proper attire!

      Reply
  21. Indrani says:
    4 years ago

    Great compositions, love the clarity of the pictures. Mine wasn’t planned properly.
    I stayed in Pisa for a night but couldn’t climb the tower… we had to book in advance we were told. There was so much rush that day. This one is a very organized list.

    Reply

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Hello!

Hi! My name is Flo. I'm a wanderlusting yogi who won’t say no to a good white sangria. I believe that travel and yoga are important avenues to experience new stories, lifestyles, culture and views - join me on Yoga, Wine & Travel as I share destination & travel guides, tips and hacks as well as stories from my Yoga journey! Read more about me and Yoga, Wine & Travel here.

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