Pisa, Italy

Is Pisa worth it?  Absolutely!  

Everyone told me that you can do Pisa in a day, but I gave us a day and a half to be on the safe side.  They were right!  You can definitely do Pisa in ONE day.  

The actual monument is small, which we were warned of.  So, I was not disappointed at all.  However, if you were expecting something as epic as the Colosseum in Rome you would have been disappointed.  Although small, it was gorgeous!  The entire area was great!  We loved it!

We squeezed in Pisa on our way to Cinque Terre and on the return trip.  So, we flew into Pisa (in route to Cinque Terre) and spent the late afternoon there.  When we arrived, the sun was starting to go down and the entire area was something out of Pinterest. 

 

The best part was there was barely no one there!  No peddlers, no crowds, and for us it was gorgeous weather.  It's a night I'll remember, as Pisa was on a bucket list for me.

On the return trip from Cinque Terre we had an entire day to spend in Pisa.  This was more than enough time to enjoy the surrounding area.  There are rows and rows of tent vendors all selling souvenirs.  Honestly though, during the day time, it was CROWDED and all the stores start looking the same.  Despite that, we had a great time picking out keepsakes and looking around.

The day we spent on the way back from cinque Terre was HOT.  We were so grateful for the shade of some of the buildings and the chance to sit on the lawn.  

Lots of people were doing the same thing and picnicking.  

Since it was so warm, AND it was Italy, there was plenty of areas to stop and have gelato.  

(We never went into the leaning tower, but don't regret it.  You had to wait in line, pay, and only certain ages could go.  The stairs are marble and worn down and slick and steep and we did not think it would've suited those in our group to go). 

We stayed at a super cute BnB, that served breakfast and had air conditioning and I cannot recommend it enough.  It was super clean and quiet and secure, which are my top 3 musts!

You can find the BnB Here.  It was only about a 15-minute walk from the BnB to Pisa.  

If you are debating whether to visit Pisa or not, I would definitely suggest YES!  But, honestly 1/2 day to one full day is more than enough time to feel like you got to see it all.

Tips:

-You don't need more than 1 day in Pisa to see the area

-You can get everywhere that is a site to see by foot

-The Pisa airport is only about a 20-minute drive to the leaning tower.  We paid 15 Euro for our taxi ride from the airport to our BnB.

-Beware of lots of peddlers

-There is plenty of gift shops and restaurants, but not a markets or grocery stores if you book an apartment and plan on saving money by cooking

-The busiest months to visit Pisa are July (when we went) and August

Opening Times:

November and February → the Tower of Pisa is open between 09,45 -17, 15
On November 1st, it is open 9,00-18,00

December and January: the Tower is open 10,00 – 17,00
From December 5-8, it is open 09,00 – 18,30
From December 21st to January 6th, it is open 10,00 – 19,00

In March → the Tower of Pisa has the following timetable:
Until March 23rd, open 09,00 -18, 00
From March 23rd-29th, open between 09,00-19,00
From March 30th, the tower is open 08:30-20:00

April to September → the Tower has the following timetable:
The Leaning Tower is open from 09,00 – 20,00
Between June 17th and August 31st, the Tower of Pisa is open 08,30 – 22,00.
On June 16th, the tower is open 08,30 – 17,30

October → the Tower of Pisa is open between 09,00 – 19,00 (with some variations at the start and end of the month that overlap with September/November hours)

IMPORTANT: For safety reasons, children under 8 years old CANNOT climb up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. All children between 8 and 18 can climb the Tower with an accompanying adult. Children pay full price to climb the tower, there are no reductions available.