Top Tips for Visiting the Leaning Tower of Pisa

It’s hard not to be moved by the beauty of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. This famous landmark has become one of the most iconic symbols of Tuscany and Italy, and it can be admired from both the outside and the inside. Here, you’ll find valuable information about the Leaning Tower of Pisa, including tips to help you plan your visit.

The Pisa Tower: A Must-See Attraction in Tuscany

From a distance, you’ll see the leaning tower behind a high wall that once protected the historic center of Pisa. Your heart will start to race as you approach it.

During my last visit with my kids in April 2023, they brought a card from one of their games that had all the essential information about the tower.

Some interesting facts about the Tower of Pisa: it’s 58.36 meters tall (approximately 191.47 feet), has an outer diameter of 15 meters (49.21 feet), and weighs 14,453 tons. The current angle of inclination is approximately 5.115 degrees.

After admiring the tower’s beauty, which appears to sink on one side into the ground, it’s almost irresistible to take those classic photos pushing the tower with your hands, feet, or even hugging it. Is it a tourist thing? Yes. But who says being a tourist is boring? Plus, it’s always nice to take photos for posterity, isn’t it?

Our visit was brief, lasting just over an hour, because one of my daughters had a tennis tournament at lunchtime. But for you, if it’s your first time visiting Pisa, you can spend the whole day there at Piazza dei Miracoli (Square of Miracles), visiting other attractions such as the cathedral, the Baptistery, or even climbing the walls of the historic center to explore the city from above.

Group tours to Pisa from cities like Florence usually dedicate half a day to Pisa (6 hours, including travel time).

Inside the Leaning Tower of Pisa

If you’re wondering if you can go inside the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the answer is yes, you can. However, you need to purchase a ticket with a scheduled time slot.

What’s it like inside the Tower of Pisa? When you enter the Tower, you’ll see a staircase with 273 steps.

My advice is to pay close attention to where you place your feet because the steps are irregular and crooked, and you might get hurt if you’re not careful, which could ruin the rest of your trip, right?

At the top, you’ll find the bells of the Tower, get a close look at the details of the columns, and admire the beautiful view of the city of Pisa and the adjacent cathedral.

Remember that it gets dark earlier in winter: December is the month with the shortest days, and it gets dark around 4:40 pm. June is the month with the longest days, and it gets dark around 9:00 pm.

Although it’s romantic to climb the Tower of Pisa at night, for a first-time visit, I personally recommend going during the day so that you can admire the beautiful view and take photos. At night, you can enjoy the city lights.

Attention, travelers with kids: children under 8 years old are not allowed to climb the Tower of Pisa!

If you’re planning to climb the famous Tower of Pisa in Italy, it’s important to know where to leave your backpack or other personal belongings before your ascent. Fortunately, the L’Opera della Primaziale Pisana offers a free baggage check service for Tower visitors.

Upon arrival, make sure you’re 15 minutes early for your printed ticket time, and leave your bags and luggage in the care of the baggage check staff. They will take care of your bulky items and provide you with a box and key. Remember the number of your box, as this will be useful when retrieving your belongings later.

At the end of your visit, remember to present your electronic key to retrieve your belongings from the baggage check. It’s important to note that the baggage check service follows

Opening Hours of the Tower of Pisa

What You Need to Know

The good news is that the Tower of Pisa is open daily (confirmed hours until October 8th, 2023).

The regular opening hours of the Tower of Pisa are from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

On June 16th, 2023, early closure at 5:00 PM is expected.

From June 17th to August 31st, 2023, the tower is expected to remain open until 10:00 PM.

The bad news is that climbing the Tower of Pisa is only possible with a timed-entry ticket. If you don’t reserve your ticket in advance, you’re unlikely to find availability for climbing the tower, especially during peak season.

My experience: On December 29th, 2019, I went to Pisa and it was such a beautiful day that I wanted to climb the Tower. But, of course, there was no availability at that time. I was only able to secure availability at the end of the day and caught the sunset from the top of the tower. I was lucky because it was winter and low season in Tuscany.”

Tickets for the Tower of Pisa

There are no discounted tickets available. For safety reasons, entry is not allowed for children under 8 years old (completed or to be completed in the current year). Visitors under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult. A proof of age may be required.

Type of ticket	Price	Online reservation
Tower + Cathedral	Euro 20.00	buy here on the official website
Tower + Cathedral + Baptistery + Camposanto + Opera and Sinopie Museums	Euro 27.00	buy here on the official website

It is also possible to book Tower of Pisa tickets online through Get Your Guide

The chosen time is indicated on the ticket. Delay results in loss of visit and is not refundable. Bags must be left in the locker and retrieved at the end of the visit. The visit lasts about 30 minutes. The climb is made on foot and has 273 steps. Visitors will be greeted by the staff with a brief history of the Tower.

Attention… the visit is not recommended for people with heart, circulation or mobility problems. The floor is uneven and slippery.

Free entry to the Tower of Pisa

Unlike other Italian attractions, the Tower of Pisa is not part of the Italian State Museums and does not offer free admission on the first Sunday of each month

Free visits are allowed only for people with disabilities and their companion. Due to the limited capacity and the large number of visitors, availability is limited to the hours before 10 am and after 6 pm. You must contact Opa Pisa by email at least 3 days in advance and instructions will be provided to take advantage of the free visit.

How to get to the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Pisa is one of the most important cities in the Tuscany region and offers many transportation options. The city has an airport (Pisa International Airport), several train stations, and is a destination for various group and private tours. Here are the main transportation options to visit the city:

Train

The main railway station in Pisa is called “Pisa Centrale“.

For example, if you’re traveling from Florence‘s Firenze S. M. Novella station, the journey to Pisa takes around 1 hour and the fare is typically €8.90 per person each way (€17.80 for a round trip).

Train tickets can be purchased through the Trenitalia app or website or at the ticket offices of any Italian railway station.

From Pisa Centrale railway station, you can take a LAM ROSSA bus (direction Park Pietrasantina, stop at Piazza dei Miracoli), N. 4 (stop at Largo del Parlascio), or N. 21 (night stop at Piazza dei Miracoli).

The cost of urban bus tickets in Pisa is Euro 1.50 when purchased online on the official Autolinee Toscane website, or Euro 2.50 when paying directly to the driver on the bus.

There is also another railway station in Pisa called “Pisa S. Rossore,” which is closer to the Leaning Tower and can be reached on foot in less than 10 minutes. The only thing is that for those leaving from Florence, for example, there are not always direct trains to Pisa S. Rossore, and sometimes it is necessary to change trains.

Pisa Airport

If you arrive at Pisa Airport and want to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa, you can take a taxi with a fixed fare of Euro 14.20 (see more details below) or use the Pisa Mover to get to Pisa Centrale railway station and take a bus to Piazza dei Miracoli.

With Pisa Mover, you take approximately 5 minutes to reach Pisa Centrale railway station and spend Euro 5.00 on the ticket, which can be purchased online on the official website or at an automatic ticket office at the airport.

The Pisa Mover provides a convenient transportation option to travel from Pisa Airport to Pisa Centrale railway station.

Taxi in Pisa

Those who prefer to go from Pisa railway station to the Tower by taxi will spend Euro 10.60 at the taxi stand. Those who choose to call a taxi (radiotaxi service) pay the meter fare with all supplements. The taxi cooperative in Pisa is called CoTaPi, and the telephone number is +39 050.541600.

Car

The area around the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Piazza dei Miracoli is exclusively for pedestrians and authorized vehicles.

In some areas of the city of Pisa, vehicle traffic is limited, the so-called ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone). If you come across a sign that says ZTL, pay close attention to the dates when the area is open or closed to avoid fines.

You can use navigation apps like Waze or Google Maps to find the best way to the Leaning Tower of Pisa. There are parking lots around the Leaning Tower of Pisa, just follow the blue signs with a “P.”

Tours to the Leaning Tower of Pisa

There are several group tours available to visit Pisa and the leaning tower from the main cities in Tuscany. Here’s a selection of some options:

Departs from:	To:	Duration	Rates (starting from):	Bookings
Florence	Pisa	6 hrs	Euro 85.00	Book here
Florence	Pisa e Lucca	9hrs	Euro 52.00	Book here
La Spezia	Pisa e Florença	8-9hrs	Euro 49.00	Book here
Livorno	Pisa e Florença	8-9 hrs	Euro 45.00	Book here
Montecatini	Pisa	4 hrs	Euro 55.00	Book here

The History of the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Typically in Italy, towers were built for the purpose of defending the city. But this was not the case for the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

The tower was constructed as part of the religious complex of the cathedral square and served as a bell tower. The idea was to create a column of columns, circular like the Baptistry and visible from all points of the Pisan plain.

The tower, which has seven bells, one for each musical note, was responsible for marking time, both human and divine.

The largest of the seven bells was cast in 1655 and weighs an impressive three and a half tons.

Why is the Leaning Tower of Pisa Leaning?

Did you know that the Leaning Tower of Pisa was born leaning? The reason for its lean goes back to the time of its construction when the tower had only three floors.

The reason is linked to geology and a layer of clay with plastic behavior just below the square.

Construction of the Leaning Tower of Pisa began on August 9, 1173, during the era of the maritime republics, when Pisa was a rich and powerful city.

The tower’s foundations were left to rest for an entire year, but as soon as work on the third floor began, the ground under the tower gave way, causing it to lean dangerously. Why? The reason is linked to the so-called “pancone” under the Piazza dei Miracoli, a layer of clay with plastic behavior that gave way under the weight of the tower. This type of clay, which is found in this case about 7 meters deep, is called “normally consolidated.”

Several architects attempted to correct the lean, but without success. The tower was completed by the work of Tommaso Pisano only at the end of the 14th century. The lean, however, continued to grow over the centuries, becoming increasingly dangerous.

Between 1990 and 2001, the Leaning Tower of Pisa underwent one of the most important consolidation works in the world.

A commission of scientists from around the world developed a project that consisted of two phases: the first involved the use of lead weights and steel cables to stabilize the tower, while the second involved the removal of clay and sand from the opposite side of the lean, allowing for a slight sinking of about half a meter. The result was a return of the tower’s lean to a level similar to what it was about three hundred years ago.