Pisa Florence and Siena 4 Day Itinerary

When Tuscany is suggested as a destination, many travellers think of heading to Florence.  However, with a little planning, it’s possible to create a magical Pisa Florence and Siena 4 day itinerary. This way you can experience more of the beautiful towns that dot Italy’s rolling Tuscan hills.

We have personally visited all cities several times and so created this itinerary based on our own experiences. Follow it to explore the highlights of Pisa Florence and Siena over 4 Days using local trains. Don’t worry they are so easy to use and make Tuscan city to city travel very flexible. 

Fly to Pisa or Florence Airport?

However, with the city of Florence being the main draw, flights to this airport can be pricey even out of season.  A great alternative is to fly to the city of Pisa.

You can then combine the two cities using the efficient Italian rail service to link you between them. We did just that visiting Pisa, Florence and Sienna over 4 days.

Flying into Pisa is easy from the UK with frequent daily flights from both London and regional airports. Our tickets with Ryanair which included 10KG baggage, priority boarding and specific seat reservations cost less than £70 each. 

I booked them about 5 weeks in advance.  A comparison for the same dates, baggage etc to Florence would have cost £200 each – you do the maths! We arrived within 2 hours from London, Stansted.  

Pisa Airport to City Centre

Once in Pisa airport, you can buy a ticket for the PisaMover Shuttle Train to take you into the city centre. This train platform is just a few minutes walk from outside the airport – it’s very well signposted.  You can purchase the ticket on the shuttle platform for 5euros one way or double that for a return. 

It is then only a 5 minute journey into Pisa Centrale.  If you want to go straight to Florence,  you can buy your onward ticket via trainline. It will cost you less than 10 euros.  Trains generally run every hour and take around 1 hour.  It really is very easy and a huge saving. 

We however, decided to stay a night in Pisa.  It makes sense if you are flying into the city to at least look around and of course, you can’t go to Pisa and not visit the famous leaning tower!!

I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect of Pisa; I had read that it’s was a bit run down and that there wasn’t much to do.  However, we tend to feel it’s good to give a place a go and make up your own mind. 

Where to Stay in Pisa

We stayed in a great central hotel called Hotel Bologna – less than 10 minutes from the station.  Our room was really comfortable and breakfast the next morning was excellent with a fabulous choice of both hot and cold food, fruit,  cakes, pastries and of course Italian coffee. 

Staff were both friendly and helpful.  They also offered an airport taxi collection – an alternative if you don’t want to take the PisaMover.   There are lots of hotels around but this one was a perfect base to explore from and very reasonably priced.  

Best Things to See In Pisa

The best way to see Pisa is to walk.  Join a locally guided walking tour such as this one Pisa City Walking Tour.  

The river Arno, runs through Pisa. Ponte di Mezzo also known as ‘Middle Bridge’ links the north and south side and of course it is more or less in the centre of the city. 

If you stay in the North side, like we did, you will cross this bridge. Along this bank you will find Palazzo Blu (Clue Palace) which houses the Museum of Art and Culture in Pisa with over 300 works of art.

There are many palaces in Pisa. I really liked the Palazzo della Carovana palace which stands on Knight’s Square.  In fact, in this square there are many beautiful buildings.  The Palazzo del Consiglio dei Dodici (Council of the Twelve Palace) of renaissance style is also here. 

It’s really easy just to wander around here, admire the buildings and stop for a coffee, drink or a pizza – we did all three!.   Did you know that the great scientist Galileo’s hometown was Pisa? 

Does the Tower really Lean?

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is such an iconic landmark.  I’ve seen it in travel brochures, on children’s jigsaws; on travel shows, so I was really excited about going to the square it is situated on and finally seeing it myself. Its a must on any worthwhile Pisa Florence and Siena 4 Day Itinerary.

After St. Peter’s Square in Rome, it is the most visited square in Europe.  In addition to the tower are four key buildings said to represent the four stages of human life: the Pisa Baptistery (birth); the Duomo di Pisa (Cathedral -life); the Hospital of the Holy Spirit (illness) and the Monumental Cemetery(death).  

Book your Ticket For Pisa in Advance

There are cafes around and tourist shops to potter in.  Closer to that time – around 20 minutes before – you could start queueing to get in.  Last time we only queued for 15 minutes.  

You are not allowed to take rucksacks in – only cameras or phones seem to be allowed. Ticket prices vary depending upon which buildings you want to explore.   Check the link for prices. 

Facts About the Tower of Pisa

It really does lean!  A few facts curtesy of Wikipedia :  the height of the tower is 55.86 metres on the low side and 56.67 on the high side creating a tilt of 3.97 degrees.  It underwent a lot of stabilization  work in the 1990s as the tilt was increasing over 5 degrees.

There are 297 steps to climb to get to the top and it really does feel weird when you first stand inside.  Believe it or not, you do feel the lean! 

The climb doesn’t take long but of course the marble steps are winding and steep.  From the top there are wonderful views of the city and the tower bell is most impressive.

Unfortunately, rain arrived as we entered the tower but it didn’t deter us. The tower climb/entry slot time is around 45 minutes in total. 

Overall, we spent a couple of hours here in the square so it’s perfectly doable if you are here for a day.  You definitely need good walking shoes though as the marble on the steps have no grip on them. 

After a busy day exploring, enjoying a bottle of chianti and fresh bruschetta with pasta was well deserved.   I really enjoyed Pisa and would certainly recommend you spend a day here. 

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Florence, Tuscany

The following morning, we continued on our Pisa Florence and Siena 4 Day Itinerary by catching the train to Florence; the destination station is Firenze Santa Maria Novella.  Within the hour, we arrived.

The station was undergoing some construction work so signposting wasn’t great in terms of knowing which exit to take but to be honest, it doesn’t matter if you take a wrong turn.  

 

We recommend the Rapello Hotel in Florence.  This is a small boutique style hotel with 26 rooms. Location wise it is excellent; also clean and breakfasts are delicious.

Florence is an incredible city.  In fact, some call it the jewel of the Renaissance.  Dominating the skyline is the iconic Duomo cathedral which really is breath-taking no matter how many times you see it.

Its gothic appearance is memorizing; its scale and attention to detail, just incredible. You can climb to the top for panoramic views of the city and surrounding countryside but do be prepared to for crowds at peak times. 

Best Things to Do in Florence, Italy

There are so many museums and art galleries to visit, roof top terraces and numerous squares to sit and watch the world go by.  We came here just wanting to soak up all the atmosphere and that is what we did. 

It is very easy to walk around; cobbled streets lead onto more incredible buildings, bustling cafes, pizzerias and markets selling leather goods especially bags!  

•         Florence Cathedral (Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore)
•         Giotto’s Bell Tower (Campanile di Giotto)
•         Dante House-Museum (Casa di Dante)
•         Bargello National Museum / Palazzo del Popolo
•         Piazza della Signoria (Signoria Square)
•         Palazzo Vecchio (Old Palace)
•         Uffizi Gallery
•         Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge)
•         Palazzo Pitti
•         Fort Belvedere (Forte di Belvedere)
•         Piazzale Michelangelo
•         San Miniato al Monte

Best Bridge Views in Florence

If you like shopping, there are plenty of big-name fashion stores as well as smaller independent shops tucked away in the narrow maze around the Duomo and surrounding squares.   

Quaint jewellery shops lie on either side of the beautiful Ponte Vecchio bridge.  It’s a great photo spot especially at the sun sets with the bridges of the city all in the background. 

Another great place for both sunset and city view photos is Piazzzale Michelangelo. This is about a 15 minute walk uphill from the centre.  At each turn, the view gets better. 

At the top,  stalls selling your typical souvenirs sit on the square (very reasonable prices considering the location). We walked up one morning, had an excellent cup of coffee there and marvelled at the view before us. 

Pizza, Pasta, Prosseco

Let’s face it – you’re in Italy so there is no point in trying to count calories during your time in Pisa Florence and Siena!

Faced with so many restaurants on every Florence street corner to choose from, wine bars, cocktails, ice-creams… you are not going to go hungry.

We found prices reasonable – certainly cheaper than in the UK for a meal with starters, main course and wine.  The choice is yours so take a good look around and you will definitely find something to whet your appetite.   We really enjoyed the pizzas!

How to Visit Siena From Florence

Siena is only 90 minutes by train from Florence so it’s a great choice for a side trip. Although it might seem like you are squeezing in another ‘tick off the list city’ it’s small enough to really explore as part of any well planned Pisa Florence and Siena 4 Day Itinerary

We booked tickets online (20 euros return). 

Siena’s historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and as soon as I saw it, I could see why.  It is a medieval city  with these incredible passage ways and walls right around it. 

It’s appearance is very gothic and quite a contrast to the renaissance splendor of Florence.  The day we went, it absolutely poured – I mean torrential!  The rain only added to the gothic atmosphere. 

We along with many others sought refuge at one of the many cafes and restaurants in the main square and we whiled away the hours with a prefect glass of Chianti!

Why Not See More of Italy

From our many trips to Italy, we feel that if you are limited for time, consolidate your trip in one region.

However, if you have more time here is our Tour of Italy by Train Itinerary for a 2 week trip from Venice to Capri for you to consider.

An alternative is to combine Tuscany with the sparkling island of Sicily at the south of Italy. Plan a trip here with our 6 days in Sicily Guide covering the 2 main cities of Taormina and Palermo.

Buon viaggio!