4 Best Day Trips from La Spezia

Many of the best things to see and do in La Spezia will not take you long. This is due to the fact that the city is relatively small and it is actually the proximity it has to other important sites in this part of northern Italy that makes it a tourist destination. Therefore, you can't miss the best excursions from this city to the nearest communities. Read on to learn more.

Cinque Terre National Park is one of the main reasons why travelers come to La Spezia. Not only does this city boast a major cruise port, but it is also the ideal starting point for exploring the five picturesque villages along this rugged coastline. The best way to get to know them is with an organized excursion that allows you to enjoy the tour without worries.

With this excursion to Cinque Terre from La Spezia you will travel by train to discover the charming villages of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Accompanied by an expert guide, you will learn about their history, wander through their colorful streets and enjoy panoramic views of the cliffs overlooking the Ligurian Sea. In addition, you will have free time to explore each destination at your own pace and taste the local gastronomy, such as the traditional focaccia or the famous wines of the region.

The train is the most efficient means of transportation to move between the villages of Cinque Terre, allowing you to enjoy each stop without rushing. Unlike the boat excursions, this tour will allow you to go inside the villages and discover less accessible corners.

Interesting details

• Price: from 65 euros per person.
• Duration: between 7 and 8 hours.
• Means of transport: train, with the possibility of a boat trip, weather permitting.

The Cinque Terre National Park is one of the major attractions for visitors to La Spezia, as this port city offers a direct connection to the region's famous seaside towns. One of the best ways to explore this paradise of cliffs and colorful houses is aboard a boat, allowing you to enjoy a unique perspective of the landscape as you sail the Ligurian Sea.

With this Cinque Terre boat tour you'll cruise the Ligurian coast in a single day, enjoying spectacular views of towns like Vernazza, Manarola and Riomaggiore from the sea. During the tour, you will make strategic stops to explore each town at your own pace, stroll through its charming streets and sample the local cuisine. An expert guide will accompany you on the journey, sharing stories and curiosities about this iconic destination.

Depending on weather conditions, the tour can be combined with train rides to facilitate access to certain villages. The best thing about this tour is that it allows you to avoid the crowds and have a more relaxed experience, enjoying the charm of Cinque Terre from the sea.

Details of interest

• Price: from 65 euros per person.
• Duration: between 7 and 8 hours.
• Means of transport: boat, with the possibility of train journeys depending on the weather.

Florence is one of the most important destinations for tourism in Italy and, at the same time, it is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Pisa is also quite close to this other city within the Tuscany region, which is right next to Liguria, where La Spezia is located.

So an excursion to these two places with a departure from La Spezia is something you should not miss. Even more knowing that it is an opportunity to get to know wonders of western architecture such as the Florence Cathedral, the Ponte Vecchio, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the central market of Florence and the Cathedral of Pisa.

The transfers of the trip are usually included in the rate which also includes the payment of the guide specialist in the history of both sites. Depending on the time of the year, it is possible that the trip is given in a coach or bus and you have to know that the price of the service does not include the entrance to any monument beyond the Leaning Tower of Pisa. In addition, the most common is that inside the buses there is free Wi-Fi and also that the travel companion is only English-speaking.

Details of interest

• Price: this type of excursion usually costs about 90 euros per person approximately.
• Duration: a tour like this usually lasts at least nine hours, although it is possible to extend up to 10 hours depending on the traffic along the way.
• Means of transportation: it is usual to take place in a bus, but it is also possible to take a minibus if there is low demand by other participants.

You can also get to know the city of Pisa through a private excursion and, best of all, this type of experience also gives you the opportunity to get to know Lucca. This is its neighboring community and is known within the Tuscan region for its thriving wine industry.

These types of excursions are usually the same length as those that also go to Florence. The difference is that in this case you have the opportunity to explore a bit more of Pisa while also exploring the historic center of Lucca, which is a city known within Italy for its walls built during the Renaissance period.

Within the price of the excursion is usually included the entrance to the monuments that will be known both in Pisa and Lucca and the driver, who is also usually the tour guide, is another service that is included in the final price. The means of transport is usually a minivan, which is air-conditioned and has free Wi-Fi. In addition, the visit to the wine cellar that usually takes place in La Spezia is also included in the price of the activity.

The wine tasting is already an activity with a separate price and lunch, which sometimes is enjoyed in Lucca and sometimes in Pida, also has a separate fee. although the choice of restaurant is usually suggested by the guide because there are places with attentions and services much more convenient than others.

Details of interest

• Price: the price of a private excursion is usually around 350 euros per person.
• Duration: the duration of these excursions is also usually about eight or nine hours in total. And this has to do with the fact that Lucca is much closer to Pisa than Florence.
• Means of transport: it is almost always a modern and comfortable minivan, although it is also possible that it is a minibus depending on the number of participants in the same family group.

There are different ways to book an excursion from La Spezia, but the best of all is usually through an online purchase of the service. This has to do with the fact that through this modality you can compare the prices offered by different companies and, at the same time, you can find out the opinions of other people who have already lived this particular experience.

In fact, an online booking is recommended for other tourist activities such as the purchase of tickets for the Naval Technical Museum of La Spezia, which is one of the most visited sites in the city.

The average duration of most excursions from La Spezia to any of the interesting places in the vicinity is about seven to nine hours. The reason for this is the simple factor that people want to see as much as possible of the places to visit and, with that amount of hours, you can tour a good part of the historic center of Florence or the villages that make up the Cinque Terre region.

Likewise, you should know that this activity takes up one of the days of your visit to this city. So, if you feel like you are missing out, you can join one of the best tours of La Spezia the next day. Even more so knowing that it only lasts about two or three hours and by mid-afternoon you could leave the city to head to your next Italian destination.

Exactly what you will see on these excursions depends directly on which one you choose. In the case of Cinque Terre you will find different villages that are located on a rugged coastline full of cliffs where the houses are quite colorful and have an artisan style very characteristic of the Italian countryside.

If you decide to participate in excursions that go to Florence, then it will be something very different. For in this case the trip will be to one of the most important cities in the country that is characterized by a very peculiar architectural identity full of great wonders of what was the Renaissance period at an artistic and intellectual level.

In Pisa something similar will happen, as it is a city that surprises all visitors by the majesty of its buildings. These are a consequence of having been one of the most important ports for the Italian prosperity that began to take place after the Renaissance.

One of the first recommendations I can make if you are interested in participating in one of these excursions is to go with the willingness to enjoy the experience. And all the excursions are a unique opportunity, since you will visit very important places for the Italian society and for the tourism of this country.

Another recommendation I can make is that you should not focus too much on eating in the stops you have along these tours. Especially since that money could be invested in enjoying some of the best gastronomic tours in La Spezia when you return to the city. These will offer you a greater amount of food, as well as the accompaniment of a specialist in the culinary world who will explain the importance of each of the things you decide to try.

One of the first advantages of taking a guided tour is the fact that you will be accompanied by a specialist in the history of the places you will visit. This is an extremely convenient point for all the places you will visit, since it is not the same to appreciate the beauty as to be able to realize all the information that makes it a wonder of humanity.

Another aspect is that the logistical planning of the transfers is something you do not have to worry about. In addition, it saves you money. Especially knowing that buying bus or train tickets at the last minute can be much more expensive than if you do it well in advance through an online reservation of such services.