Leaning Tower of Pisa: how to buy, prices and discounts

Pisa is world famous for the bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, which has decorated the skyline of the city since 1173 and, due to the consistency of the terrain, is leaning to the side. This building, moreover, is the most photographed in the world and the main attraction of Tuscany, so it is also one of the most visited in the region.

Located in Piazza dei Miracoli, which is the tourist center of the city, the Leaning Tower, with its 58 meters high, stands next to the Cathedral, the Baptistery, which is the largest Catholic baptismal building in the world, and the monumental Cemetery and visiting it is one of the best things to see and do in Pisa.

The most complete option

Pisa Leaning Tower and Cathedral Tickets

A visit to the Leaning Tower and the Cathedral of Pisa with skip-the-line access

You will get to know the most famous bell tower in the world in a tour where you can quickly enter and access the top, as well as visit the Duomo and the surrounding area of Piazza dei Miracoli.

From $31 at Hellotickets

With this option without queues and at the best price, you can visit the Tower of Pisa with fast access and climb to the top. In addition, you will also visit the Cathedral, which is another of the highlights of the city with its Romanesque facade and interior that combines Byzantine, Islamic and European styles.

You can freely select the time of your visit and make the most of your visit saving time and money, in addition, you will also have the possibility of having free time to visit the Piazza dei Miracoli, which also houses the Baptistery, another building that is slightly inclined, and the monumental Cemetery.

Recommended if... You want to see Pisa's main attraction without queuing and at the best price.

Tickets to visit the Leaning Tower have an approximate initial cost of 25 euros per person and is a single rate for all visitors from the age of 8 years, so no discounts apply for children or for adults over 65 years, as is often the case in other attractions.

The entrance to the Leaning Tower is independent of the tickets for the rest of the buildings in Piazza dei Miracoli, although buying the ticket for the bell tower you can also enter the Cathedral. If you want to enter the Baptistery and the Monumental Cemetery, you must buy the tickets separately, which have an extra cost of approximately 7 euros.

You can also buy tickets to visit the Museo Dell'Opera del Duomo and the Museo delle Sinopie, although those tickets are also separate from the entrance to the Leaning Tower.

Details of interest

• Price: the entrance ticket to the Leaning Tower of Pisa has an initial cost of approximately 25 euros per person.
• Hours: daily from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.
• Location: Piazza del Duomo, Pisa.

The Leaning Tower is the main attraction of Pisa, one of the most visited buildings in Tuscany and also one of the emblems of Italy, so all year round it is packed with visitors and tourists waiting to visit it, even during the winter months or low season, making it virtually impossible to find tickets at the box office.

In order to promote the conservation of the Leaning Tower, which was closed to the public for almost 30 years for maintenance work, the building only receives a limited number of visitors each day, which is modified according to the condition of the bell tower. This number of visitors usually sells out quickly with advance online sales, so tickets are rarely available at the box office.

For this reason, I recommend that even if you plan to visit the city during the months with the lowest number of visitors, you buy your tickets in advance.

Pisa does not offer tourist passes, so the Leaning Tower is not included in any card, although you can purchase ticketsin advance online that have some benefits, such as queue-free entry to the bell tower or discounts on tickets that also include the visit of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta.

You should keep in mind that most of Pisa's attractions are located in the Piazza dei Miracoli, so you will be able to see most of the city during a day tour practically in one place, so a Pisan tourist pass would not make much sense.

However, if you want to see other important sites in the city or the best beaches in Pisa, you can opt for guided tours of the historic center, the medieval district of Borgo Stretto, the city's squares and the Mezzo Bridge, which is the oldest bridge in the city over the Arno River.

Tickets for the Leaning Tower have a single starting price of approximately 25 euros, so there are no special tickets for children or for adults over 65 years of age, as is commonly the case with other attractions.

You should also note that to ensure the safety of visitors, the organizers advise against children under 8 years of age and adults with reduced mobility to climb to the top of the bell tower if they are not accompanied by a companion.

Adults with reduced mobility and a certificate of disability can enter the Leaning Tower free of charge, provided they are accompanied by an assistant.

Tickets for the Leaning Tower do not include the guided tour, but only allow entry to the inside of the bell tower and the top, but you can choose to hire an expert local guide on your own or choose some tour service providers that offer the entrance with guided assistance.

Although the history of the Leaning Tower is very famous, its construction and preservation is surrounded by myths and legends, so with a local guide you can make the most of your visit knowing all the details of one of the most famous buildings in the world. From this point of view, therefore, it is worth taking a guided tour.

If you decide to make the visit on your own, you can also enjoy the attraction without major inconveniences, especially if you plan to visit Pisa at Christmas, when the Leaning Tower stands out with its lighting and decorations. During the eve you can also go to the Piazza dei Miracoli to watch the traditional fireworks display.

Please note that although the organizers do not prohibit the work of local expert guides, they do not promote these services, mainly because they focus on respecting the number of daily visitors to the building and also because the small spaces inside the bell tower prevent crowds of people.

Access to Piazza dei Miracoli, which is the tourist epicenter of Pisa, is quite easy from any point of the city, so you can reach the Leaning Tower by public transport on buses lines 10, 70, 80, 81 and 120 and express services on lines 4 and 5.

If you choose to make the journey by car, you can reach it from the Marina di Pisa along the SP224 road, although if you plan to move around the city center, I advise you to use the buses, as there is usually a lot of traffic and there are very few parking places nearby. Also, be aware that some city streets prevent or limit vehicular traffic, which could detract from your experience.

There are also many tour services that offer private shuttles to access the Piazza dei Miracoli, especially those arriving from other Tuscan cities and also offering some of the best tours from Pisa.

Details of interest

• How to get there by public transport: by bus on lines 10, 70, 80, 81 and 120 and by express services on lines 4 and 5.
• How to get there by car: on the SP224 road.

It is estimated that on average the visit to the Leaning Tower will take you approximately 35 minutes, including the entrance and the walk up the 273 marble steps to the top, as there are no elevators available.

To that time you must add the wait at the entrance, which is usually between 30 minutes and 1 hour, although you can also choose to hire tickets with fast pass and without queues to avoid wasting time before the entrance. In any case, when you buy your ticket, you must select a visiting hours, so the time slot should not extend too much of the assigned shifts.

Keep in mind that if you organize a suitable itinerary, buy the fast-track ticket and show up at the bell tower at the appointed time, you will be able to visit the Leaning Tower in a short time, which will be ideal if you are planning a short stay in the city. If that is your case, here are the best alternatives to visit Pisa in 1 day.

The Leaning Tower is open every day, although the opening hours depend on the season of the year. In the months of January, February and March the opening hours are from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, while in the months of April, May, June, July, August and September it is from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.

In October, November and December the schedule resumes from 9:00 to 18:00 hours, although you should keep in mind that these time slots may be modified on holidays, for ceremonies and events or for security reasons, as the bell tower is permanently supervised.

One of the best ways to know a different profile of the Leaning Tower is through its illumination at night, since the marble materials that were used in the construction generate a refractory effect when the lights are turned on, so walking through the Piazza dei Miracoli to see the bell tower is one of the best activities you can do in Pisa at night.

Interesting details

• Hours from April to September: daily from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.
• Hoursfrom October to March: daily from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

The Leaning Tower is the main attraction of Pisa and one of the most visited in Tuscany, so you should be aware that whatever the time of year you visit the city, you will come across many tourists and visitors. In that sense, I advise you to buy your ticket in advance and do not risk not finding tickets at the ticket office during the day of your visit.

Also take into consideration that the time you choose for your visit will be reflected in the ticket and that you must comply with that time slot, since once the time is up you will not be entitled to a refund, so I advise you to arrive a few minutes before the time of the visit to go through the security checkpoints and avoid last minute delays.

If you arrive at the bell tower with bags or suitcases, you will have to leave them at the entrance and you can pick them up at the end of the visit and it is a criterion that also applies to the Cathedral, the Baptistery and the Monumental Cemetery, so I advise you to try to arrive lightly loaded.

Finally, please note that entry is prohibited for children under 8 years old and also for people with reduced mobility or cardiovascular diseases, as the climb to the top is on foot and the bell tower has no elevators.

The Leaning Tower does not have a store, but at the entrance to the Piazza dei Miracoli you can find a small shop with some souvenirs and souvenirs commemorating the buildings of the complex and also an area with bars and restaurants.

In the store you can get miniatures of the buildings, magnets, photographs and postcards, mostly of the Leaning Tower and the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta. You can also buy T-shirts, hats, postcards and key chains with phrases and images alluding to the bell tower.

Piazza dei Miracoli is the tourist epicenter of the city, so it is also a place where you can find many places to eat before or after your visit. Among the best areas for lunch are around Piazza dei Cavalieri, where you can choose from some of the best restaurants in Pisa such as Branzo, Orzo Bruno and Osteria dei Cavalieri.

A few streets away from the Leaning Tower is also the medieval district of Borgo Stretto, which has a lot of bars, pubs and restaurants, as well as a lot of activity during the night and you can also visit the locals of Piazza Carrara and Piazza delle Vettovaglie.

If you visit the Leaning Tower in the morning, you will also have enough time for a gastronomic excursion and even a visit to a winery or vineyard in the surrounding areas of Cinque Terre, Volterra, Bolgheri and Castiglioncello.