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 its proximity to other important sites in this part of northern Italy that makes it a tourist destination. Therefore, you can not miss the best excursions from this city to the nearest communities.

I invite you to continue reading this publication, because I have compiled several alternatives that stand out among the existing offer for the quality of the ride that they offer, as well as for the sites to which they would take you. Thanks to these data you will be able to make a much more appropriate decision on how you want to invest your time and money when it comes to leaving La Spezia to other corners of Liguria and Northern Italy.

The Cinque Terre National Park is one of the main reasons why tourists decide to come to La Spezia. The fact that this city has a cruise port as well as a train station makes it easy for people coming from different parts of Italy to explore the villages along this cliff-filled coastline at their leisure.

Also, considering that this is such a peculiar area from a historical and architectural point of view, it is easy to understand that a private excursion to this site is one of the best investments you can make. These types of tours are usually accompanied by a specialist in the history of the region who is characterized by his friendliness.

Sometimes the transfers between each village in Cinque Terre are by boat, while in other cases they are by train. Either way, the experience of getting to know Vernazza along with Riomaggiore and the other villages in this area is something that is reserved exclusively for a single family group. This means that throughout each stop the guide will be available only for you and your family

. Please note that meals and beverages are not included in the price of the activity, although when lunch is required a number of alternatives will be presented depending on the village you are in. All train or boat tickets are included in the cost of these excursions and most often there is no meeting point, but the pick up and drop off is directly at your accommodation.

Details of interest

• Price: adults usually pay about 340 euros per person, while children between 4 and 11 years old usually pay a rate of about 70 euros.
• Duration: the duration of the ride is usually about seven to eight hours in total.
• Means of transportation: throughout the tour, different means of transportation such as trains, cabs or boats will be used.
• Advantages of this option: being able to enjoy a guide who is exclusively for a single group of people is a good way not to miss any important detail of Cinque Terre.
• Disadvantages of this option: it is definitely an expensive alternative that may be a bit unaffordable for those who have financial limitations on their trip.

The Cinque Terre national park can also be explored from a completely different approach and, for this reason, another of the best excursions to do from La Spezia are those that involve a hiking route along this natural region. This type of experience usually starts at a meeting point inside the port of La Spezia and, from there, there is a short train ride to the station located in Manarola.

At this point of the excursion the hiking part begins, as all participants will hike through the mountain trails to reach Corniglia. All this in a descent that will always be accompanied by a guide who will relate important details about the historical importance of this region and about the fauna and flora that compose it.

The next step of this excursion is to walk through this village and then take a break just at lunch time. From there, the group heads back to another train station that will take all participants to Vernazza from where they can admire the wonderful scenery that characterizes the cliffs full of colorful houses and representative of the architecture of this area of Italy.

Riomaggiore is usually the last stop, after which the train will take you back to the city of La Spezia so that you can arrive in time for your cruise or go to your accommodation.

Details of interest

• Price: the usual rate for an experience like this is usually around €60 per person. This includes train tickets, but does not include the cost of lunch.
• Duration: the usual duration of this type of excursion is also usually seven to eight hours. However, the times are always timed so that people can return on time to the rest of their activities.
• Means of transportation: the train is usually the only means of transportation while hiking is the other main feature of the excursion.
• Advantages of this option: this is a much cheaper alternative and is especially favorable during the spring and summer season.
• Disadvantages of this option: the idea of walking for a couple of hours along mountain routes can be complicated for elderly people.

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 all of 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 see such wonders of western architecture 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.
• 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 transport: it is usual to take place in a bus, but it is also possible to take a minibus if there is low demand from other participants.
• Advantages of this option: this is a very convenient rate for a trip with these characteristics. Even more knowing that it includes the accompaniment of a guide.
• Disadvantages of this option: having to pay separately for the entrance fee to some of the monuments and attractions in Florence may be unattractive for some people.

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 transportation: 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 within the same family group.
• Advantages of this option: Lucca is a beautiful city that deserves to be toured and, the possibility of visiting an authentic Italian wine cellar is a must-see.
• Disadvantages of this option: the price is a bit unaffordable for some people and you have to take into account that lunch and wine tasting are priced separately.

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 be leaving 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 era 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.