When you really want to visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa, you’ll find almost any way to make it work. We did. In fact we visited Pisa in 3 hours and yes we felt satisfied.
We weren’t just going to see Pisa; we wanted to respect its rich historical tapestry and immerse ourselves in the authentic Italian culture that pulsates through its ancient streets
So you can do a limited-time visit to Pisa and make it work in our case we found that 3 hours in Pisa allowed plenty of time to get to the Leaning tower and back to the train station, walking! But it’s how you spend each minute that is really going to matter. Keep reading, I promise it’s not a long post, but it is helpful.
For us, the thing about visiting Italy is that while we have been there a few times before, we really wanted to work a lot into our visit without feeling like we were just maxing out on energy.
This translated into making the stop at the Leaning Tower and making Pisa in 3 hours happen, which we did.
Table of Contents
Our Pisa in 3 Hours Story
After leaving Lucca, we took the train to Pisa station. As soon as we got off the train, we walked directly to the locker storage because I was not hauling my luggage on my back (it was weighing me down!)
Then we walked out of the train station, crossed the street (here are our directions)
We walked out of the train station and here are the directions we followed. Yes, we walked the following path (You can simply Google Maps this)
- Head north toward Via Cesare Battisti
- Turn left onto Largo Padri della Costituzione/P.za V. Emanuele II
- Continue to follow Largo Padri della Costituzione
- At the roundabout, take the 1st exit onto Largo Padri della Costituzione/Piazza Sant’ Antonio
- Continue to follow Piazza Sant’ Antonio
- Continue onto Via Francesco Crispi
- Continue onto Ponte Solferino (Here we stopped and took photos for a total of 5 minutes (I looked at my camera to see how much time eclipsed while we shot photos, it was 5 minutes)
- Continue onto Piazza Solferino
- Continue onto Via Roma
- Turn Right And Start snapping your photos.
How we conquered the Leaning Tower & more during our Pisa in 3 Hours adventure.
- Walked from luggage storage to the above walking map
- Made ONE stop and that was at the Bridge. You can see my photo below.
- Then we continued until we reached the Leaning Tower Of Pisa and WOW!
- After we took that in for a minute or 2, we found great places to take photos
- We moved closer to the tower and took more photos
- We left the tower and shopped at a few street vendors
- Then we sat down and celebrated our conquered Pisa in 3 hours with Aperol Spritz
- Then we returned to the station, retrieved our luggage, and waited for our train!
Maximizing Your Pisa Visit in Just 3 Hours Here’s How
Plan out the timing before you start walking like this: (it’s how we successfully squeezed Pisa in 3 hours into our trip)
- The time it will take to walk to Pisa (25 minutes)
- A stop on the Ponte Solferino (5 minutes) ↓↓ — see photo
- Time You need to be at the train station when you return (pad this for 15 minutes)
- Factor in the time it takes to walk back to the train station from the Leaning Tower. (25 Minutes)
- The time you need to grab your luggage from storage (if you checked it in)(5 minutes to retrieve)
Give or take a bit here we were with just about 70 minutes already eaten out of our Pisa in 3 hours time allotment (after breaking down our timing) and, this was no cause for concern as we still had two more hours to enjoy our adventure.
Other Options To Get To The Tower To Stay On Track For Pisa in 3 Hours
For those that prefer not to walk to the tower, coming off the train, here are a few options for you
- Take a cab for 10-15$
- A bus departs every 15 minutes (it’s a LAM Red bus) it gets you there in 10 minutes)
How Do You Find A Great Spot To Take A Leaning Tower Fun Photo? 📷
You’ll have no time to waste once you arrive so jump right in. As soon as we saw the Leaning Tower of Pisa we found a great position to stand at and take pictures behind the small wooden fence that separates the grass from the sidewalk.
Hot Pisa Photo-Taking Tip 📷
Following these steps helped us stay on track with our Pisa in 3 Hours schedule.
You’ll want to look at the most popular spots and walk behind people taking photos.
Make a mental note if they are squatting while taking the photo, or standing far away or closer to the person. Really look at their images, people don’t mind. Some people will even help you it’s lots of fun! Everyone is as excited as you are.
This will help you move your process along vaster without playing the guessing game of where to take the photo from (You have to do Pisa in 3 hours remember to stay on track with your time).
Photos To Take At The Leaning Tower Of Pisa in 3 Hours Or Less
- Get a long-distance (behind that fence) shot of trying to hold the Leaning Tower of Pisa Up (this takes a few tries)
- Get a long-distance shot of trying to carry the Leaning Tower of Pisa on your back
But You are not done, now it’s time to venture up towards the Leaning Tower of Pisa (keep moving if you are going to master Pisa in 3 hours. )
- Move up to the Leaning Tower not by the rails that everyone stands in line at, but right in the middle of the road halfway between the side of the Duomo and the road of Leaning Tower.
Climbing The Tower Of Pisa in 3 Hours Or Even More Limited Time
The tickets to climb the Tower of Pisa are online, and the line moves about every 1/2 hour. You can buy these before you get there but you must appear for your chosen time spot.
I am not a height girl so for me climbing to the top would serve no purpose other than to instill more fear and paralyzation into my body. However, my husband and son wanted to go in but the next ticketed entry time was 5 and we would be long gone by then! Therefore no one in our crew did this activity, but, I do know from others we were talking to who just came out of the leaning tower that you could go in and out quickly without rushing in a half hour.
So do note, if you plan to climb the tower (296 Steps) and take photos and have to return to the station, plan on about 30 minutes for climbing (in the purchased time slot) as well as about 15 minutes to get those photos the way you want them to look and maybe even better. Can you still complete Pisa Pisa in 3 hours? After all, you just had 45 minutes more swiped from your visiting time card.
Other Optional Things To See By The Leaning Tower of Pisa in 3 Hours
- Piazza dei Miracoli
- Lupa Capitolina
- Camposanto
What’s Next For Your Pisa in 3 Hours Adventure?
In our journey, we left the tower, shopped at a few of the street vendors for small items, and then headed down Via Santa Maria.
We hadn’t eaten since 12 it was mid-afternoon and we decided to just stop and enjoy the ambiance with Aperols and snacks. This street should be renamed Via Aperol Spritz.
Every eatery offers a different special, some were 2/10 Euros, and others were 7 euros, it was crazy. Choose a place that feels right is all I can say because you are taking a Pisa in 3 hours adventure and there is no time to debate this!
Of course, you could get more creative and go shopping or spend more time at the Pisa Tower or Piazza dei Miracoli but we only came to see Pisa and we managed to do just that!
Plus, rather than rushing around, taking a moment to take in the vibe is always a great way to spend time on vacation!
Tick Tock Goes The Clock: Your Pisa in 3 Hours Adventure is Done!
After having our drinks and snacks we felt refreshed. We walked back to the station which was only 15 minutes from here and completed our Pisa in 3 hours mission! We retrieved our bags and had 15 minutes to validate our tickets and wait for our train.
Questions About Pisa In 3 Hours
Did we feel rushed from start to finish? No. Visiting Pisa in 3 hours was perfect to meet our expectations.
Is the walk hard to the leaning tower of Pisa? No. On average, we walked 10-12 miles a day, and this was the same kind of walk.
Was it hard to find the Leaning Tower of Pisa while walking from the train station? No. I shared the directions, it was easy.
Is there an entrance fee to see The Leaning Tower of Pisa? No. There is only a fee if you pay to go inside and climb the 296 steps.
So Can You Do Pisa in 3 Hours?
As we wrapped up our Pisa in 3 Hours journey, we felt fulfilled, having experienced the essence of this iconic city in a short span.
Yes, you sure can conquer Pisa in 3 hours and you can see more than we did or follow the same type of itinerary. Going was a bonus, as originally I just could not fit it in our itinerary, but when I saw that from Lucca we were so close, there was no way I was going to miss seeing it and my family was excited too!
Do you have any tips I missed? Make sure to share them, for our thriving travel community to read!
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