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Pisa and Lucca Day Trip from Florence

Florence, Italy

From $71.11

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

9 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Explore the Italian gems of Pisa and Lucca on a day trip departing from Florence. Head to Pisa first, admiring the UNESCO-listed Piazza dei Miracoli as your local guide discusses the historic buildings around you. See the Baptistery, the Duomo, and the city’s most iconic attraction, the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Afterward, journey to Lucca for a walking tour of the Cathedral and Piazza dell 'Anfiteatro. Alternatively, choose a budget-friendly semi-independent tour, which does not include guides or a visit to the sights.

Visit two of Tuscany's most celebrated cities, all in one day
Get up close and personal with a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Round-trip coach transit from Florence makes exploring easy
Enjoy a semi-independent option, or upgrade to explore with a guide

What's Included

Journey by fully fitted GT Coach
Expert multilingual escort
Admission fee to Pisa Cathedral - not included in the semi independent option
Pisa tour with professional guide - not included in the semi independent option
Lucca tour with professional guide - not included in the semi independent option
Buccellato cake tasting

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Food and drinks
Gratuities
The semi independent option does not include the guided tour in Lucca and Pisa

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Piazzale Montelungo, Firenze FI, Italy
TOURS & NEWS KIOSK AT PIAZZALE MONTELUNGO BUS TERMINAL Located at 5-10 minutes walking distance from Santa Maria Novella Train Station. Look for our staff wearing a FUCHSIA CIAOFLORENCE JACKET and holding a CIAOFLORENCE CLIPBOARD!

Start time

09:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Your tour will begin in central Florence, where you’ll hop aboard your coach and journey west to Pisa (with your local guide, if option selected).

Arrive at the central square of Piazza dei Miracoli, and hop out to explore by foot. Your guide will lead you on a walking tour past the Baptistery, where you can admire its mixture of Gothic and Romanesque architecture. Afterward, head to the city’s iconic attraction: the UNESCO-listed Leaning Tower of Pisa. Originally intended as a bell tower to accompany the Duomo, hear how the monument began its famous tilt in the 12th century.

Head inside the stunning Duomo cathedral to study the carved pulpit, a masterwork of medieval sculpture, as well as other features of the ornate interior. Then soak up some free time to explore on your own.

After reuniting with your guide, continue to the city of Lucca, one of the lesser-known jewels of Tuscany and home to an impressive collection of Etruscan ruins and Renaissance architecture.

Take off on a walking tour of the city, following your guide to see the Piazza dell ‘Anfiteatro, Lucca Cathedral and Guinigi Tower as you hear tales of their history. Treat your taste buds with a sample of buccellato, Lucca’s ring-shaped cake, before exploring independently for a bit.

Your day trip will conclude with drop-off back in central Florence.

Florence

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Pisa

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Piazza dei Miracoli

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Duomo di Pisa

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Leaning Tower of Pisa

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Lucca

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Piazza Anfiteatro

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Lucca's Duomo (Cattedrale di San Martino)

5 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Florence

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Infant seats available
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions

Most travelers can participate
Kindly note that the Pisa and Lucca Semi independent option does not include the local guides in Pisa and in Lucca
Please note that the Cathedral of Pisa is now free and, on extremely crowded days, it will not be possible to visit its interior due to a long queue. In such cases, we will offer a tour of Piazza Cavalieri instead
From November to March (Low Season): The tour is always confirmed in English and Spanish. The minimum required to confirm the tour in Italian, French and Portuguese is 4 pax
From April to October (High Season): The tour is always confirmed in English and Spanish. Italian, French and Portuguese are confirmed as follows: PORTUGUESE: Tuesday - min 2 pax FRENCH: Thursday - min 2 pax ITALIAN: Saturday - min 2 pax
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 40 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Heather_S

Our visit to Pisa and Lucca was excellent and both my daughter and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a day trip from Florence. Our guide Antionelle and driver (name ?) were professional, knowledgeable and organized so the trip went without a hitch. A++

Reviews

4.0

222 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 222 reviews

Good, but parts too quick

Thomas_C, Apr 2024

Roberta was talented, speaking 3 different languages! Our driver was great too. In Pisa, our local tour guide was personable and knowledgeable. She made the tour even more enjoyable. Don’t bother getting lunch. Grab a sandwich for the bus. We didn’t have time to climb the wall or explore because it was cold and we grabbed a warm lunch. Also, in Luca, our tour guide was knowledgable but the tour seemed extremely rushed. She pointed out beautiful things to see but by the time we saw what she was talking about, she was talking about something else. It was hard to follow her. She walked extremely fast and lost 2 in the crowds. I’m Also, Luca was adorable and we would have liked a bit more time to explore. We didn’t even have time to make it back to the flower market because it was so crowded and our time was short.

It's all about your local tour guide! But worth it to taste these 2 very different towns.

Anne_M, Apr 2024

Lovely tour guide in Pisa who made this very touristy place more endearing. Sarah, our local guide was funny, responsive and very energetic. We enjoyed the first half of the day very much! In Lucca, it was also lovely, but so very different in energy and sites. Our guide, Emiliano was a bit cynical and we felt rushed through the lovely little town, with not very much time to absorb and enjoy the sites. I suppose we should have given ourselves an entire day in Lucca. The highlight was the lovely bakery we ended the tour on, wonderful treats and inviting owners.

Not very memorable

Nicolina_A, Apr 2024

I enjoyed Pisa but didn't think Lucca was worth the trip. There isn't anything much to see and not very touristy. I was disappointed

A fabulous day out

jyg2812btinternetcom, Mar 2024

The guides were very knowledgeable and interesting with a great sense of humour. They were excellent.

VIATOR does not care about customers satisfaction!!

James_R, Nov 2023

The day was a disaster. We were concerned about the weather before we left. It was indicated that if there was bad weather, we would be notified of the cancellation. We decided to put our trust in the company and go. Unfortunately, it poured rain, and we ended up soaked through and through. This was only one problem. When we got on the bus, we were told there was a cartoon and comic festival going on in Lucca. The tour was switched from starting in Pisa to Lucca. The tour guide kept saying it was going to be a mess. The bus could not even get close to the walled gates of Lucca and we walked for 40 minutes to get there in the rain and then another 40 back in the rain. Older people were left behind; group attendees went missing because of the crowds, and the tour guide wouldn’t wait for them. The tour guide was not accommodating to these needs. We ended up losing people, and the trip was delayed further. We didn’t even arrive in Lucca until noon, had a walking tour in the pouring rain, and then had no free time or lunch. To add to it all, there were three arguments with police officers during the day. We've never expereienced one. let alone three in a 4 hour period. We finally made it to PISA after 3 p.m. We were forced off the bus into the torrential rain, which turned umbrellas inside out. Our shoes were soaked because of the large puddles. A little girl was in tears after not eating and braving the rain. People were irate. Most everyone wanted to head back to Florence. The tour guide announced we had to go on because the walking tour guide needed their money. The walking tour was moved until 4:40, and the guide indicated we wouldn't get back to Florence until 7:30 or 8:30, not 6:00 as the tour stated. We knew it would probably be 8:30 or 9:00 until we got back to our hotel and indeed, the bus didn't make it back to Florence until 8:15. All of this added up to a ruined day for us. We understand weather cannot be controlled, but all indications pointed to hard rains. The tour should have been cancelled. The company also knew about the festival and should have known that it would create problems. Parking 40 minutes away is not acceptable, especially in the rain and crowds. We learned that other tours to PISA and LUCCA that day were cancelled. In addition, the tour guide was not cooperative and could not handle the group or obstacles. Most disappointing was the follow-up with Viator, saying there wasn't a problem and siding with the tour company, not their customers.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Dear James, We regret to learn that our tour fell short of your expectations, and we sincerely appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback with us. Annually, we conduct this tour, even during the Lucca Comics event, without encountering any issues. Given the alterations in the road system due to the event, we meticulously planned a new itinerary for our group and bus. Our goal is to provide you with a guided tour of Lucca, that will let you know the rich history of the walled city. Right after, we offer free time for independent exploration. During this period, you could have indulged in the vibrant array of disguises worn by world-famous cartoon characters, adding a unique and colourful dimension to Lucca. We firmly believe that this presents an opportunity for our customers to experience Lucca in a distinctive manner, deviating from the customary visit. We acknowledge that it may have been perplexing for some, prompting us to entrust the tour to one of our most seasoned tour leaders. Your guide demonstrated commendable skills in navigating the group through the crowd, emphasising the importance of adhering to meeting point instructions, especially in bustling locations. We are aware of the fact that a group of six individuals posed challenges for the tour leader in maintaining a seamless experience. Before forming an opinion solely based on one perspective, we kindly request considering the situation from all angles. Their actions, in our view, exhibited a notable lack of respect towards the rest of the group and our collaborator. However, they did eventually rejoin the group after getting lost, which brings us relief. All of our tours operate regularly, even in the event of rain. We only cancel excursions when a weather alert is issued by local authorities, and there was no such alert during your tour. In anticipation of heavy rain, clients have the option to cancel their reservation, adhering to our free cancellation policy. We regret that you found our tour leader lacking in attentiveness and care. Your comments will be shared with her to facilitate improvements in her services. We assigned the tour to a diligent and experienced leader, and we stand by her efforts in managing situations where external factors complicate the tour experience. Despite our best efforts to ensure a positive experience, we understand that challenges arise. Your feedback will be instrumental in enhancing our services. Thank you for sharing your suggestions and concerns. Wishing you a wonderful day, CiaoFlorence Staff

Stunningly irresponsible

Antoinette_B, Nov 2023

I would give this tour 0 stars if that were possible. They took us into the amazing yet small city (population 8,000) of Lucca knowing full well that the annual Comic Con Feastive which draws upwards of 50,000 people a day was going on! How many ways can you say irresponsible and money hungry - have you no shame! We had to stand outside the city walls for 15 minutes as our guide took on the event guards because they wouldn’t let us in! Once inside the walls you couldn’t take your eyes off the person in from of you for fear you’d get lost so appreciating the city was impossible. As it turned out 6 people did get separated from the group and were not missed until arriving back to the bus which was a long walk away because the usual bus parking area was overwhelmed with Comi Con attendees Then to top it off the bus and tour attendant was going to just the leave people behind they drove off. Thankfully they did eventually make it back to the bus due to the kindness of strangers, not tour company people! Second stop On to Pisa - the tour attendant was down the street and around the corner before everyone was even off the bus ( some older adults, some people with young children & some simply seated in the back) - just proving, yet again, she was thoughtless in caring for the group in general. With proper and responsible management this tour should never have been scheduled. My group and everyone else on that tour should at least receive a full refund. Even this would be only a slight compensation as we will never get that entire wasted day of our vacation back!

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Dear Customer, We are so sorry to read that something went wrong but thank you anyways for taking your time to leave us your feedback. We regularly run this tour every year despite the Lucca Comics event and we have never encountered any difficulties. We carefully organised a new itinerary for our group and the bus, as the road system had been altered due to the event. Our purpose is to let you all explore Lucca with a guide where you’ll get to know the long and full history of the walled city. Then we leave you some free time to explore it on your own. During your free time you could have enjoyed the variety of disguises as world-famous cartoon characters. This event brings to Lucca an incomparable colour and vitality and it involves tourists showing them a different, funny and colourful aspect. We strongly believe that this is an opportunity for all of our customers to visit Lucca under a new version, different from the usual one. We also understand that for some of you it could have been confusing, that’s why we assigned this tour to one of our best tour leaders. Your tour guide did a great job leading your group and managing to keep you all together despite the crowd. Paying attention to the meeting points instructions is crucial when travelling, especially when the visited places are full of people. We are fully aware that the group of six individuals you mentioned made it challenging for the tour leader to ensure a smooth experience. Before leaving a review based solely on someone else's perspective, we kindly ask you to consider the situation from all angles. We believe that their actions showed a significant lack of respect towards the rest of the group and our collaborator, who contacted us to express concerns about their behaviour. Nonetheless, they eventually reunited with the group after getting lost, and we are relieved about that. We are sorry to read that you find our tour leader thoughtless in caring and will for sure share with her your comment in order to let her improve her services. We assigned the tour to a careful and experienced tour leader and we feel the need to stand by her and her job. It can be challenging to navigate situations where external factors complicate the tour experience, and we appreciate her efforts in such circumstances. In the end, we are so sorry that you didn’t like your experience with us. We always try our best to offer clients their best experience ever but unfortunately, it is not always easy. We will use your comment to improve our services and we will try to find an alternative itinerary for the next year. Thank you for your suggestions and concerns. Have a lovely day, Ciao Florence Staff

Worst experience possible

Jeff_A, Nov 2023

Started off with terrible weather which I know we cannot fault the tour company. However, that was just the beginning of what turned out to be a wasted day of our vacation. The guide was inept at her job. Seems that her job was only to see that we got from point A to B and then hand us off to someone else. Once on the bus she counted the total number of passengers so she knew to keep track of everyone. When we arrived in Lucca she was the first off the bus and immediately began the walk leaving those that hadn't yet exited the bus to run to catch up. Once in Lucca we were handed off to an English speak guide. The walk was brisk through a sea of umbrellas. No way you could keep up and follow her! I walk with a cane so I had my wife run up to the front and ask that she hold up a bit so others can catch up. That request was denied for the reason that "she had to keep moving as there was a lot to cover and she only had one hour." When we left Lucca city center to get back on the bus for Pisa she led the group out without announcement OR COUNTING to make certain that everyone was there. Predictably, when we reached the bus after a 20 minute walk there were 6 people missing. The driver was instructed to leave and was heading down the road leaving the 6 behind to fend for themselves! Two passengers that did make it to the bus were traveling with the group of 6 missing. They argued with the driver and guide to stop and wait and eventually demanded that the doors open so they could exit and look for their missing friends. Utter chaos! Finally on the way to Pisa. Despite the earlier problems, the guide started all over once again with the same issues. People were still working their way off the bus when she was already leading the walk and now about a block ahead! Totally oblivious to the importance of keeping together, walking at a pace where everyone could keep up, and least of all waiting to make sure that everyone was behind her and keeping up. When we were done in Pisa - again no counting to make sure that everyone was there. Obviously, didn't learn anything from the earlier experience. The tour was scheduled to return to Florence at 6:00 PM. We finally made it back but not until 8:15!! The was an unbelievably terrible experience but one that we will always remember of our visit to Lucca and Pisa!

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Dear Jeff, We are so sorry to read that you believe that our tour was a waste of time in your vacation. We know, the bad weather can be frustrating while travelling and we are pretty sure that it made things worse than they could have been on a sunny day. Furthermore, the bus found a car accident during the ride and it caused a considerable delay in the whole tour. This is the main reason why the tour did not end at 6:00 but two hours later. We wanted to keep all the inclusions and, in order to do that, we had to posticipate the guided tour in Pisa in the afternoon so that it ended up later than the schedule. Before proceeding with this change, the tour leader asked everybody if you agreed, and all of you did, so we proceeded accordingly. This tour includes a guided tour in Lucca and Pisa led by local tour guides so that they know the true history of the cities and are able to give tips and suggestions only as a local can do.. We acknowledge that the group of six individuals you mentioned posed challenges for the tour leader in maintaining a smooth experience. Despite our efforts to contact them when they went missing, they did not respond, and after waiting for an extended period, we made the difficult decision to continue the tour to be respectful to the rest of the group. Fortunately, they eventually reunited with the group after getting lost, and we are relieved about that. Our tours adhere to strict schedules, and further delays could have disrupted the entire experience. Before forming an opinion solely based on one perspective, we kindly request you consider the situation from all angles. We believe their actions displayed a lack of respect for the rest of the group and caused concern for our collaborator. We are confident that our tour leader conducted headcounts both in Pisa and Lucca, though these efforts often go unnoticed. We entrusted the tour to a diligent and experienced tour leader, and we stand by her and her work. Navigating complex situations, especially when external factors come into play, is a challenge, and we appreciate her efforts in such circumstances. We regret that your experience with us fell short of your expectations. We always strive to offer our clients the best experience possible, but unfortunately, it is not always easy, especially in the face of unexpected challenges. Your feedback is invaluable, and we will use it to improve our services and consider alternative itineraries for the future. Thank you for your suggestions and concerns. Have a lovely day, Ciao Florence Staff

Our tour guide was very...

Kenneth_E, Oct 2023

Our tour guide was very good and fluent in multiple languages. The trip to Pisa was as expected. However the trip to Lucca was slightly disappointing. I think that there were plenty of sights that we missed which would have brought out more of the Charm in Lucca. Lucca is probably a full day trip by itself to really get the full experience of the city.

Rainy day in Pisa

Nena_H, Oct 2023

Tough day due to the heavy rain. Would be helpful to have a way to contact the tour director directly. We called the phone number and received a message that the office was closed. Pretty much what to expect for a large tour group. The tour director for Pisa was excellent!

Loved Pisa but so-so on Lucca guide

LaurelP, Oct 2023

We enjoyed the walking tour of Pisa. The guide was very informative. The guide on the Lucca walking tour was hard to understand and we got only about 25 percent of what she said, plus we didn’t actually enter any buildings but walked endlessly through many streets as she pointed out things of interest which we barely understood. The main guide on the bus was excellent and very nice.

Sorry, too crowded.

Randall_E, Oct 2023

Wonderful guide in Pisa but not as good in Lucca. The main disappointment was the too large size of the tour group and the very crowded experiences.

Good Tour

kml, Oct 2023

Good amount of time at each stop. The local guided tours were very useful and helped to organize the free time.

The trip to Pisa was...

Gary_S, Oct 2023

The trip to Pisa was absolutely worthwhile and memorable. The trip to Lucca less so. Our overall guide for the day, Gabriel, was great, informative, helpful and very friendly. Sarah who led the tour specifically of Pisa was terrific too, informative and very entertaining. The Lucca tour guide was a big disappointment. The City seemed interesting, but got little out of it because of the guide.

Beautiful places with a lot history

Luigi_V, Oct 2023

Nice nothing to change the tour leader was fantastic and good bus driver and good guides sorry I can't remember the tour leader name his from South America and he was terrific

Great tour in Pisa!

Kay_M, Oct 2023

Our tour guide, Sara, in Pisa was excellent!!! So informative, using great story-telling and humor. Could have listened to her for hours. Lucca was just ok, likely due to our tour guide. She didn’t have many stories, there was lots of silence, and we didn’t feel we learned much about the city. It was a shame since Pisa was so fantastic. Hopefully there will be better training for our guide from Lucca.

Great trip, would like less tour more free time in Lucca!

Renee_M, Sep 2023

Loved Pisa! Our guide was engaging and funny! Tour of the cathedral was wonderful. Lunch in Pisa was delicious. Would have liked to have time to do the wall surrounding. Lucca was a bit disappointing in that our tour guide was dry and just kind of had a us wonder around the streets. Would have rather explored and seen more of the fortress wall which was amazing. In all it was a good trip and worth it!

Great atmosphere!

Sorin_S, Sep 2023

Everything was perfect! From transportation to the whole explanation history of sites and cities visited, the whole tour was a great experience thanks to the tour guide!

Excellent tour

Dale_D, Sep 2023

Great tour better than expected. Great guides on both tours. Very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. Especially Lucca.

Fabulous day well worth doing with plenty of time to enjoy both places.

JenniferA_G, Jul 2023

Had a great day, our guide Roberto was very efficient & we loved Pisa & Lucca - thanks Roberto for heads up on natural gelato!

All but Lucca was ok

Jayadev_H, Jul 2023

This was not the best tour that we took during our Italy trip. The driver, main guide, and the guide at Pisa were good, but the guide in Lucca was horrible. The town itself may have good parts to it, however it was overshadowed by the incompetence of the guide!

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