Two to Seven Nights Around Pisa
Planning two to seven nights around Pisa
Pisa’s own sights fill roughly a day and a half, so a longer stay is really a rail-based trip with Pisa as the bed. Trains to Lucca, Livorno, Viareggio and Florence all leave from Pisa Centrale, which keeps luggage handling simple. Prices below are in euros for 2026, and train fares are rough figures from booking sites, so check Trenitalia before buying.
How many nights suit which plan
- One night: the cathedral square, the ramparts and an evening on the Arno embankments, then fly or move on.
- Two nights: add the Navi Antiche museum, the Botanical Garden and either San Rossore or the coast.
- Three nights: add a full day in Lucca.
- Four to five nights: add Livorno and a Florence day with two or three chosen sights.
- Six to seven nights: add a Cinque Terre outing or a beach day on the Versilia coast.
Arriving by air
The airport lies about 1.5 km from the centre. The PisaMover shuttle covers the distance to Pisa Centrale in about 5 minutes, running from 6:00 to midnight, and until 1:00 between 1 June and 30 September. A single ticket is €6.50 and a return €13, though one 2026 guide lists €6. From 26 October to 13 December 2026 and from 11 January to 28 February 2027 maintenance means one train about every 12 minutes. Drivers should note the historic centre is a camera-controlled restricted zone. Fines come weeks later, so leave the car outside the walls.
The Pisa days
Give the first morning to the Piazza dei Miracoli, where the Leaning Tower is a 30 minute timed visit of 251 steps. The Tower climb is closed to any child who is still 7 on 31 December of the visit year. Book on the official site, since summer and weekend slots sell out. The afternoon suits the 3.1 km Mura di Pisa walkway and the streets around Piazza dei Cavalieri, ending at Keith Haring’s Tuttomondo mural by Sant’Antonio Abate. The second day can go to the Museo delle Navi Antiche and the Botanical Garden, then San Rossore by bike on a weekend, when Linea 26 runs, or Marina di Pisa on Linea 10.
The outings
Lucca takes 25 to 31 minutes, and its 4.2 km ramparts are the draw. Livorno is a 12 to 15 minute ride to a canal quarter and fortress. Florence is 50 to 60 minutes on the faster trains, and the Uffizi and Accademia entries are worth reserving. Cinque Terre involves 45 to 75 minutes to La Spezia and local trains onwards. The 2026 one-day cards are €10 for the Trekking card (€15 on peak days) and €22, €29.50 or €35 for the Train card by crowding band, and some paths are closed or restricted.
Where to sleep
For a stay of several nights, a hotel near Pisa Centrale keeps every train within a short walk, while a room near the cathedral square suits those who want quiet evenings after the coaches leave. The Pisa Card, about €24 for seven days, covers the walls, Navi Antiche, Palazzo Reale, San Matteo, Palazzo Blu, the Botanical Garden and the Certosa di Calci, though not the Tower.
Read more: Pisa day trips , the Pisa 5 day itinerary and the Pisa 7 day itinerary .
Airport timings are on the PisaMover site , and the card is described at Pisa Card . Rooms can be compared with a Booking.com search for Pisa .