Tour Features

Itinerary

• 1st stop

  Piazza dei Miracoli

  We open the tour in Piazza dei Miracoli, the green expanse where the Torre, the Duomo, and the Battistero stand side by side. We look at them from the square, following the lean of the tower and the marble of the cathedral, and we take our time on a square that has been the wonder of Pisa for centuries.

• 2nd stop

  Via Santa Maria

  From the square we walk down Via Santa Maria, one of the historic streets of the center, lined with old palazzi. We go at an easy pace, and between the buildings we keep catching new glimpses of the Torre behind us. It is a street that rewards a slow look at facades, courtyards, and shop windows.

• 3rd stop

  Piazza dei Cavalieri

  We reach Piazza dei Cavalieri and stop in front of the Palazzo della Carovana and the Palazzo dell'Orologio. Their decorated facades face each other across the square, and the guide points out details most visitors walk past. It is one of the most elegant corners of the historic center.

• 4th stop

  Borgo Stretto

  We continue along Borgo Stretto, walking under the porticoes that shelter the street. We stop to look at the facade of the church of San Michele in Borgo, then follow the shop windows of this busy shopping street, where the walk between tastings feels like a stroll through everyday Pisa.

• 5th stop

  Piazza Garibaldi and Ponte di Mezzo

  At Piazza Garibaldi we reach the water, and from the Ponte di Mezzo we look over the Arno and the palazzi of the Lungarni. The row of facades along the banks and their reflection in the river make this one of the classic views of Pisa, and a natural place to pause before crossing.

• 6th stop

  Palazzo Blu

  On the south bank we stop in front of Palazzo Blu, on the Lungarno Gambacorti. Its blue facade stands out clearly against the neighboring buildings along the river, and the stop gives us a moment to take in the light on the water before we continue the walk.

• 7th stop

  Santa Maria della Spina

  Beside the river we find Santa Maria della Spina, a small Gothic church whose spires and marble are best admired up close from the outside. We stop next to it to look at the surface of the building and to listen to the story of this little church on the bank of the Arno.

• 8th stop

  Piazza delle Vettovaglie

  We cross back to the north bank over the Ponte Solferino and reach the arcaded Piazza delle Vettovaglie, the square of the old food market. Its porticoes and its market history make it one of the liveliest corners of the center, and a fitting stop near the end of our walk.

• 9th stop

  Piazza delle Gondole

  We close the tour at Piazza delle Gondole, at the edge of the historic center beside the city walls. It is a quiet corner to end the walk, with the walls in view and our route behind us, and a last chance to swap impressions of everything we have tasted along the way.

Tour Details