Visitors posing near the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Pisa Cathedral

Visitors walking through Porta Santa Maria toward the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Low-angle view of the Leaning Tower of Pisa against a clear blue sky

Pedestrians walking beneath the historic arcades of Borgo Stretto in Pisa

Illuminated Giuseppe Garibaldi monument in Piazza Garibaldi, Pisa, at night

San Michele in Borgo framed by an archway beside a shuttered ocher building in Pisa

Medieval stone tower framed by colorful historic buildings in central Pisa

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Short Description

A private walking tour of Pisa with a local guide: the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Leaning Tower on Piazza dei Miracoli, then the historic center and the Arno, with optional entries.

Tour Features

Local Guide

Certified Official Guide

Tour Languages

English, Italian, Spanish, French, German

Duration

2-4 hours

Experience Type

Private

Pickup from

Airport, Port, Hotel

Itinerary

We open the tour on Piazza dei Miracoli, the green square where the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Leaning Tower stand together. We take our time here, reading the marble of the monuments and following the lean of the tower from the angles that show it best, and we set the pace of the day together.
We stop at the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, the heart of the square, where the facade and the doors open onto a nave of marble and gold. Entrance is optional: guests who add the interior see the mosaic of Christ in majesty and the pulpit by Giovanni Pisano, while those who stay outside keep the visit shorter and continue with us toward the historic center.
Next to the cathedral stands the Baptistery of San Giovanni, the round building with the Gothic crown. Its acoustics, its pulpit, and the gallery above the font are part of the visit, which remains optional and can be added on the day. From the outside we follow the layers of a single building that runs from the Romanesque to the Gothic.
The Leaning Tower closes our time on the square. Climbing it is optional and depends on availability: the staircase winds up to the belfry, between the bells and the view over the city. From the lawn we follow its lean from the side that shows it best, and we talk about the works that keep it standing.
We leave the square along Via Santa Maria, one of the historic streets of the center, lined with old palazzi and shop windows. The walk is easy, and between the buildings the tower keeps appearing behind us, which makes the street a natural place to slow down and look back at the square we have just left.
We reach Piazza dei Cavalieri and stop in front of the Palazzo della Carovana and the Palazzo dell'Orologio, whose decorated facades face each other across the square. The guide points out the coats of arms and the details of the order that once ruled here, in a corner of the center that most visitors walk past without noticing.
We continue under the porticoes of Borgo Stretto, the shopping street of the historic center, and stop at the facade of the church of San Michele in Borgo. Walking under the arcades, with the shop windows on one side and the church on the other, is one of the most pleasant stretches of the whole route.
At Piazza Garibaldi we come out onto the water, and from the Ponte di Mezzo we look over the Arno toward the palazzi of the Lungarni. The row of facades along the banks, the reflections on the river, and the light of the hour make this the classic view of Pisa, and a natural place to pause.
On the south bank we stop in front of Palazzo Blu, on the Lungarno Gambacorti, whose deep blue facade stands out clearly against the neighboring buildings along the river. We look at it from the bank and take in the stretch of the Arno before continuing our walk along the water.
Beside the river we reach Santa Maria della Spina, a small Gothic church whose spires, tabernacles, and marble are best admired from the outside. We stop next to the building to follow the detail of its surface and the story of this small church on the bank of the Arno, a quiet stop before the end of the walk.
We close the tour at Piazza delle Gondole, in the quiet corner of the historic center beside the city walls. With the walls in view and our route behind us, it is an easy place to end the walk and to talk over the day at our own pace before we say goodbye.

Tour Details

Full Description

Pisa is a city we like to read in marble, and that is exactly how we explore it. Our private Pisa tour with a local guide follows the story of the old maritime republic through the squares and streets that made it great, from the monuments of Piazza dei Miracoli to the banks of the Arno.

We begin where Pisa is at its most famous, on Piazza dei Miracoli, with the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Leaning Tower standing together on one green lawn. Entrance to the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Tower is optional: guests who want to step inside add the visits to our time together, and those who prefer to stay outside keep the walk lighter. Either way, we take the square at an easy pace and read the details of the marble, the mosaics, and the lean of the tower.

From the square we walk down Via Santa Maria toward Piazza dei Cavalieri, where the Palazzo della Carovana and the Palazzo dell'Orologio face each other across one of the most elegant corners of the historic center. We continue under the porticoes of Borgo Stretto, with the facade of San Michele in Borgo, and reach Piazza Garibaldi and the Ponte di Mezzo for the classic view over the Arno and the palazzi of the Lungarni.

The second half of our walk follows the south bank of the Arno: Palazzo Blu and its blue facade on the Lungarno Gambacorti, then the small Gothic church of Santa Maria della Spina, admired up close from the outside. We close the route at Piazza delle Gondole, in the quiet corner of the center beside the city walls, with the whole walk behind us.

We run this tour privately, in the morning, afternoon, or evening, with availability in English, Italian, Spanish, French, and German. Hotel, airport, train station, and port pickup can be arranged on request, and the meeting point is confirmed after booking. Because the route and the pace are ours alone, we can give more time to the monuments guests care about and keep the rest of the walk relaxed.

What is Included

Included:

Included: Private tour format
Included: Expert local guide

Not included:

Not included: Food and drinks
Not included: Gratuities

Important Information

Optional entrances: entry to the Cathedral, the Baptistery, and the Leaning Tower is not included and can be added subject to availability.
Pickup: hotel, airport, train station, and port pickup can be arranged on request.