Half Day Trip to Pisa from Florence

Stop by Stop

You check in at Piazzale Montelungo at 1:15pm, 15 minutes before departure, at the end of the ramp connecting with the railway station. From Santa Maria Novella station square, take Via Valfonda straight on until you see the Fortezza da Basso, cross the street, keep left and Piazzale Montelungo opens on your right, the big square with car and bus parking. An assistant in blue with Caf Tour and Gray Line logos waits there.

The coach then drives to Pisa, and the listing does not state the drive time. In Pisa, the guided option walks the UNESCO-listed square for about 1 hour, taking in the Cathedral, Baptistery, Camposanto and the Leaning Tower, with the backstory of the tilt and the stabilisation work. Travellers with the tower ticket then take their slot. After that you get free time, and the listing does not state how long that free time lasts or the exact return time, only that the coach brings you back to Florence at the end of the day.

• Late arrival at the check in means you cannot join the tour, get a refund or reschedule, so arrive at 1:15pm sharp

What Is Always in the Price

Every option includes the comfortable G.T. coach transport from Florence in a modern, air-conditioned bus and the journey led by a licensed multilingual tour leader who speaks English and Spanish. Dedicated Caf Tour and Travel staff assistance waits at the meeting point. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller and specialized infant seats are available.

What is never in the price: hotel pickup and drop-off, any meals, and entrance to the Pisa Cathedral, which the listing lists as excluded. The round-trip-only option also drops the guided tour of the Piazza dei Miracoli with a professional guide, so on that option you visit the square on your own.

Check the Limits Before You Book

Children under 8 cannot climb the Leaning Tower at all, the official rule of the Opera della Primaziale Pisana. On this trip the tower is an optional ticket anyway, so a family with small children rides the coach and stays on the ground while others climb. Wheelchair users and people with motor disabilities are not suited to the tour or the transportation, and staff can decline participation on safety grounds with no compensation.

The dress code is strictly enforced: no shorts or sleeveless tops, knees and shoulders covered for men and women, or you risk refused entry. The day runs 6 hours on a coach with up to 50 people, so it is a long round trip for a short visit. The afternoon start rules out anyone who must be back early, and the tower climb is not in the base price. For about 2.5 hours on the square, the Half-Day Pisa Tour by Coach works better, and for the tower and Cathedral tickets in the listing price, Pisa by Train with Tower Tickets is the pick. Families wanting two towns can look at the Pisa and Lucca Day Trip by Coach, and anyone wanting door-to-door comfort can compare the Private Half-Day Trip to Pisa. Browse the full range of Pisa tours from Florence options before you decide.

• Children under 8: barred from the tower climb by the official rule, fine on the coach and the square
• Wheelchair users: not suitable, notify the organizer in advance and seek medical advice
• Shorts or sleeveless tops: refused entry to places of worship, dress with knees and shoulders covered
• Long coach day: 6 hours and up to 50 travellers, not the compact option
• No tower ticket in the base price: add the Guided tour and Tower option at booking

The Tower Ticket and Your Slot

The Leaning Tower ticket costs €20 with no reduced rate. Tickets are for fixed times, limited in number, and valid only on the date and time printed on them, so you pick a time when you buy. Late arrivals are refused entry and not refunded, and you should arrive 15 minutes before the time on your ticket.

You can change the time, not the date, or cancel the order up to 2 hours before the chosen time, and used tickets cannot be changed or cancelled. If your time is sold out online, try a later slot or the on-site ticket offices, which open 30 minutes before the monuments and close 30 minutes before they close. Entrance is allowed up to 30 minutes before closing time.

The Climb Itself

The tower climb is 251 steps on foot on an uneven and slippery floor, and the visit lasts about 30 minutes. The tower is about 56 metres tall and weighs 14,453 metric tons. It is not recommended for people with cardiovascular or muscular disorders. A 1-hour guided walk plus a 30-minute tower visit adds up to 1.5 hours, which answers the common question of whether 2 hours in Pisa is enough: for the Piazza dei Miracoli, yes, and that is where this trip goes.

Wear comfortable walking shoes, cover shoulders and knees for the Cathedral and other places of worship, and carry your original photo ID, which the listing requires for the whole tour. The Piazza del Duomo was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987, and the tower foundations were laid in 1173, so the guided walk adds real history to the photos. If you lose an audio guide handed out before the guided tour, a fee of €80 is charged. For more on slots, ages and bags, see the tower ticket section and what to see on the Piazza dei Miracoli.