Is the Leaning Tower of Pisa Worth It?

While traveling through Italy, we spent 2 days in Florence. One of the most touristy experiences in Florence is to venture outside of the city to witness the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In fact, visiting Pisa is one of the most popular things to do in ALL of Italy…not just Florence!

I couldn’t help but wonder if the tower was going be an overrated tourist attraction or a worthwhile experience. I kept going back and forth on this while planning our trip to Italy. Throughout my travels, I’ve realized that attractions are usually considered popular or “touristy” for good reasons. The site is either historic, beautiful, iconic, or simply too good to miss. I did not really know the significance of the Leaning Tower, but decided that since I was so close to it, I might as well see what all the fuss is about.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa was a brief stop on our way to the colorful, cliffside villages of Cinque Terre. This was an amazing day trip from Florence!

From the moment I stepped off the train in the city of Pisa, I had about 2 hours total to visit the tower. Luckily, the iconic structure is only 8-10 minutes away from Pisa Centrale Station via taxi. This affordable option made the transportation side of things easy and stress-free. So, we were already off to a good start!

There are some takeaways that I learned on this excursion that can make your Pisa experience memorable and exciting:

Takeaway #1 – Explore the Field of Miracles

The Leaning Tower is located within the Field of Miracles (Piazza dei Miracoli). It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site near the center of Pisa. There are 4 magnificent monuments to explore: the Baptistery, the Cathedral, the Leaning Tower and the Monumental Cemetery (Camposanto). Also nearby are the Duomo Museum and the Sinopias Museum.

For some reason, I originally thought that the Leaning Tower was a site all by itself. Luckily, having multiple buildings to admire makes the Pisa adventure even better. Each piece of Italian architecture is stunning.

Address: Piazza del Duomo, 56126 Pisa PI, Italy
Climbing the tower: €17 to book your tickets in advance, or €15 at the box office (with no guarantee of tower entry). See further details here
Website: https://www.opapisa.it/en/

Takeaway #2 – Get there EARLY!

We arrived at the Field of Miracles right before the sunrise. I looked around the area, expecting huge amounts of tourists just like us. To our surprise, we were two of maybe 10 people total in the entire square. Why? Well, early bird gets the worm!

I was not really in the mood to gracefully fight off the crowds this early in the morning. I was fully expecting to have to wait awhile to capture Instagram-worthy photos. Tourists usually swarm sites like these, which makes the overall experience a bit less magical. However, we were pleasantly surprised with just how few people there were!

Of course, the crowds naturally started arriving after the sun was up. Visiting Pisa early was one of the many reasons why we had an incredible adventure. The colorful, morning sky…the lack of people…the calmness…and so much more. It was almost identical to my experience of seeing the Colosseum at sunrise. Seeing popular attractions early in the morning is a great decision – especially if you are traveling in the summer months.

Takeaway #3 – Capture those iconic photos

You’ve seen the photos where people are trying to hold up the tower up, or kicking it with their foot. We had a lot of fun capturing funny memories at the Leaning Tower. Again, having less crowds to deal with at first was definitely helpful.

I purchased a gelato cone from a cafe nearby for my Leaning-Tower-illusion-photo. It was only €1!

So, take the photos. You know you want to! After all, you will be thankful to have those memories to look back on.

Takeaway #4 – If you have time, spend a whole day in Pisa

We had about 2 hours total to explore Pisa once we stepped off the train. Our main goal was seeing/photographing the Leaning Tower. This was just enough time to do so and take in the beauty of the Field of Miracles. However, there is way more to Pisa than just the Leaning Tower.

One of the greatest things about Pisa (that I was not expecting) was how picturesque the city was. During our taxi ride to the tower, we were amazed at the beauty. At one point, I asked the taxi driver to slow down so I could take a photo out the window! The photo below was taken on my phone while in motion, so it is not the greatest. But the view of the Tuscan mountains was so gorgeous…how could I not take it?

Would you rather take a tour? Consider these options:

Overall

Is Pisa an overrated tourist attraction or worthwhile experience?
Our answer: worthwhile experience! If you follow our advice 🙂

I fell in love with Pisa very quickly. It seemed like everything fell into place once we arrived…a scenic taxi ride, colorful sunrise, no crowds, etc. Even though we did not have time to climb the tower, we had a great time. I bet our experience would have been a little bit different if we had visited at 1pm on a hot Saturday in July.

My one and only regret with Pisa was not spending more time there. Pisa was a quick stop on the way to Cinque Terre, so we had limited time. I would love to stay one night in Pisa if I get the chance to in the future. The city is much more laid back than Rome, Florence, and Venice. And of course, it is home to iconic sites!

Read Next:
Top 10 Things to do in Rome
8 Florence Activities You Cannot Miss
Iceland’s Blue Lagoon Experience
The Louvre Museum: Top Tips, Must-Sees, & More

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