Pisa’s Leaning Tower is an easy half day from Florence, and the question is whether to let a coach take you there or to go by train and join a guide in Pisa. On Viator, the half-day trip from Florence with the most reviews among those we compared costs about $45 and adds the tower climb only as an option. A highly rated tour in Pisa itself costs about $49, is capped at 15 people, and includes the Baptistery, the Cathedral, the monumental cemetery and two museums, with the tower as an option too. Below, we compare two ways to book a Pisa tour, side by side.
Italy2Love is a Viator affiliate. Bookings are completed on Viator, not on this site, and we earn a commission on bookings made through our links — at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability shown on Viator are the ones that apply.
The verdict
The half-day trip has the most reviews of the Pisa tours from Florence we compared on Viator: 4.6 across 1,410 reviews. It includes the coach from Florence with Wi-Fi, a multilingual tour leader and free time in Pisa; the guided tour of Pisa with headsets, skip-the-line entry to the Cathedral when accessible, and tickets to climb the Leaning Tower are included only in the options that list them. A semi-independent option includes the transport and free time only.
The guided tour in Pisa starts in the city and is capped at 15. It includes a licensed guide, tickets to the Cathedral and the Baptistery, the monumental cemetery, the Opera del Duomo museum and the Sinopie museum, and headsets, with the Leaning Tower as an option. It is rated 4.7 across 502 reviews, and it is wheelchair accessible. You make your own way to Pisa.
Our pick depends on how you travel. If you want the transport handled, take the half day from Florence, and choose an option with the guide and, if you want to climb, the tower tickets. If you are happy to take the train to Pisa, take the guided tour there: for about the same price you get a smaller group, the Baptistery and two museums.
Neither tour includes the climb of the Leaning Tower by default. A reviewer of the half-day trip wrote in September 2026 that “Ticket to go to top of leaning tower extra” and that there was not enough time to buy one on the spot. Choose the tower option at booking. On both tours, children under eight cannot climb the tower.
Which one is for you?
Take the half day from Florence if
- You are staying in Florence and want the transport included.
- You want the lowest price: about $45 for the base option.
- You want free time in Pisa after the visit.
- You are fine in a group of up to 50.
- You want an audio guide in Chinese, Korean or Japanese, offered via an app.
Take the guided tour in Pisa if
- You will reach Pisa on your own, by train or car.
- You want the Baptistery, the cemetery and two museums included.
- You want a group of 15 at most.
- You need wheelchair access: the listing states it is accessible.
- You want more time on the square itself, less on the road.
What each price covers
The half day from Florence, from about $45
Included: the coach from Florence with Wi-Fi, an expert multilingual tour leader and free time in Pisa. Depending on the option: a guided tour of Pisa with headsets, skip-the-line entry to the Cathedral when accessible, and skip-the-line tickets for the Leaning Tower.
Not included: food and drinks and gratuities; and, in the semi-independent option, the guide, the Cathedral and the tower tickets. The provider notes that entry to the Cathedral is free and that on the most crowded days it may not be possible to go in, in which case Piazza dei Cavalieri is visited instead. Reviewers mention a walk of about 15 minutes from the coach to the square.
The guided tour in Pisa, from about $49
Included: a licensed guide; tickets to the Cathedral and the Baptistery; the monumental cemetery, the Opera del Duomo museum and the Sinopie museum; the Leaning Tower if you choose that option; and headsets. The group is capped at 15.
Good to know: transportation is not included. The Baptistery is replaced by the cemetery during baptisms, and the Cathedral can be closed for ceremonies, for example on Sunday mornings. Tower times are 12:00 or 12:15 for English and Spanish groups and 2:30 pm for German. Cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded, including delays caused by trains, strikes, traffic or rain.
Where each one starts
- Half day from Florence: the Tours & News kiosk at the Piazzale Montelungo bus terminal, five to ten minutes on foot from Santa Maria Novella station. Look for staff in fuchsia CiaoFlorence jackets.
- Guided tour in Pisa: under the arch of Porta Santa Nuova, in Piazza Daniele Manin. Look for the DiscoveryPisa flag.
- Both have a dress code for the Cathedral, starting with covered shoulders.
- Both offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, local time.
Side by side
| Half day from Florence | Guided tour in Pisa | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6 from 1,410 | 4.7 from 502 |
| Recommended by | Not shown | 94% of travelers |
| Price | from about $45 | from about $49 |
| Length | 6 hours, with travel | 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours 45 minutes |
| Group cap | 50 | 15 |
| Transport | Coach from Florence | Not included |
| Cathedral | Skip-the-line when accessible, by option | Included |
| Baptistery and museums | Not listed | Included |
| Leaning Tower climb | Optional | Optional |
| Wheelchair | Not accessible | Accessible |
What travelers say
On the half day from Florence
There is a decent amount of walking as you walk from the bus to the square about 15 mins.
SarahW, September 2026, via Viator
Chk what you are purchasing carefully!
Lori_A, September 2026, via Viator
On the guided tour in Pisa
Although this was a relatively short tour in duration (90 minutes), Anastasia shared a lot of information about the Cathedral Square.
orthreenaks, May 2026, via Viator
it also includes lockers and a museum so is well worth the money
PAUL_C, May 2026, via Viator
The half-day trip’s lower ratings are about the coach and about options: a reviewer who had not chosen the tower ticket could not climb. The Pisa tour’s reviews are about the guides and the amount included. Whichever you book, read the option name before you pay.
How either fits a Florence trip
If you want Pisa as part of a longer day, the Tuscany day trip with Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa covers it with two hill towns. For the coast, compare the Cinque Terre day trips from Florence. Arriving by cruise ship? Our Livorno shore excursions comparison covers Pisa and Florence in one port day. The Florence travel guide and the Tuscany travel guide cover the rest.
Questions travelers ask
Which Pisa tour should I book?
If you want the transport from Florence handled, the half-day trip for about $45, with the guided and tower options if you want them. If you will take the train to Pisa, the guided tour there for about $49, with the Baptistery, the cemetery and two museums included.
Is climbing the Leaning Tower included?
On both tours it is an option you choose at booking. Children under eight cannot climb the tower.
How long do you spend in Pisa on a half day from Florence?
The half-day trip lasts six hours in total, with about two hours in Pisa and an hour at the Piazza dei Miracoli in its itinerary. Reviewers mention a walk of about 15 minutes from the coach to the square.
Can you go inside Pisa Cathedral?
Both tours include the Cathedral, but it can be closed for ceremonies or, on the busiest days, impossible to enter because of queues. The half-day trip then visits Piazza dei Cavalieri instead.
Is a Pisa tour wheelchair accessible?
The guided tour in Pisa states that it is wheelchair accessible. The half day from Florence is not.
Can I cancel a Pisa tour?
Both offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start. The Pisa tour does not refund later cancellations, including for train delays or rain.
Book the half day from Florence if you want the logistics done for you; book the guided tour in Pisa if you are happy on the train and want more of the square for the same money. Either way, pick the tower option at booking if you want to climb.
Editorial assessment by Italy2Love, September 2026. Options and inclusions, Cathedral and tower conditions, age limits, group caps, meeting points, accessibility, prices, ratings, review counts and cancellation terms read on both Viator product pages (product codes 6367P14 and 67254P9), September 2026. Reviews quoted with attribution to their authors and to Viator. Next review March 2027, or sooner on any change to either provider’s options.