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16 Fun Things to Do in Pisa, Italy

Big crowds of people posing in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa

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There’s so much more to Pisa than the Leaning Tower. There are so many cool things to do in Pisa — this is a big, bustling city with a mind and attitude of its own!

So many travelers swoop in on a day trip from Florence to take photos with the Leaning Tower of Pisa. And yes, I’ve been one of them. But on my most recent trip to Pisa, I decided to explore the city in more depth.

Like all other Italian cities, Pisa has elegant piazzas and buzzing local streets to explore. Incredible churches showcase Pisan Romanesque architecture and the two Lungarni areas along the riverfront are charming at sunset. 

The city of Pisa is extremely walkable — I did all of my Pisa exploration on foot — and my experience was all the better as nearly all neighborhoods are for locals rather than tourists. Plus, food and drink prices are shockingly low, especially compared to pricey Florence, once you tread beyond the vicinity of the Leaning Tower and Piazza dei Miracoli.

If you’re heading to Florence from within Europe, you may save money by flying into Pisa’s international airport. This is what I did from my home in Prague. You can fly into Galileo Galilei, store your luggage at the train station, explore Pisa for a few hours, and hop on one of the very frequent trains to Florence.

It’s easy — one might say Pisa-ey (oh God, I’m so sorry) — to visit this underrated Italian city.

This post was published in November 2024 and was co-written by Adventurous Kate and Hannah Cooper.

Big crowds of people posing in front of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Everyone needs their Leaning Tower shot!

Things to do in Pisa

See the Leaning Tower of Pisa (of course)

Come on, you’re in Pisa, are you really NOT going to get a photo of yourself holding up the Leaning Tower?! This is not a place to worry about looking cool. Give it your cheesiest pose!

Located in the Square of Miracles (Piazza dei Miracoli), the Torre di Pisa is the campanile of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. It reaches a little over 56 meters on the “high side” and just under that on the “low side.”

Fun fact: the tilt wasn’t intentional. It was caused by unstable foundations and efforts were made to straighten it out. Despite its crooked appearance, the bell tower is totally stable today and those 251 steps are safe to climb.

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