The Ultimate Pisa bucket list: Top 30 things to do in Pisa

Pisa has plenty to offer the discerning tourist beyond the obvious, but when you have a guide book stuffed full of ideas and inspiration you can sometimes feel like you can’t see the wood for the trees. So, we’ve compiled our own bucket list of things to do in Pisa when you visit:

1. 1. Climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa
   2. Admire the picturesque views from the top of Pisa’s other tower – the Gelph Tower in the the Cittadella Vecchia
   3. Take a quiet stroll around Pisa’s cemetery, the Campo Santo
   4. Shop for souvenirs on the Via Santa Maria
   5. Take a look at the artworks on display in the Museo Nazionale di San Matteo
   6. Shop for provisions in Pisa’s daily market – the Mercato delle Vettovaglie – held every day except Sunday.
   7. Marvel at the nature on display in the world’s first ever university botanical gardens
   8. Admire the largest baptistry in Pisa in the Piazza dei Miracoli
   9. Admire the works of Pisano and other artists in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (and take in the fantastic views of the Leaning Tower from its second floor windows)
   10. Head to the outskirts of the city to visit the Basilica Romanica di San Piero a Grado, supposedly the site of St Peter’s first mass.
   11. Hang out with the university students in the Piazza del Cavalieri, home to the beautiful Palazzo dei Cavalieri 
   12. Admire the interior of the grey and white marble Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
   13. Take a walk to the Gambacorti Palace
   14. Learn more about the history of Pisa in the Museo Nazionale
   15. Take a walk along Pisa’s riverside to one of the city’s smallest and prettiest churches, the Church of Santa Maria della Spina
   16. Criss cross the five bridges that span the River Arno in central Pisa including the beautiful Mezzo Bridge
   17. Watch the sun set at Porto di Pisa, just a 15 minute drive from the heart of Pisa
   18. Enjoy a bit of retail therapy along the Borgo Stretto 
   19. Watch a performance at Pisa’s Teatro Verdi
   20. Discover the colourful wall mural by renowned American artist, Keith Haring, which you’ll find just off the Piazza di Vittoria Emanuele II.
   21. Eat ice cream at the Gelateria De’ Coltelli
   22. Visit one of Pisa’s most beautiful palaces, the Palazzo Agostini (otherwise known as the Palazzo dell’ Ussero or the Palazzo Rosso thanks to its red colour)
   23. Drink cocktails and enjoy the nightlife in the Piazza delle Vettovaglie
   24. See Pisa lit up during the spectacular Luminara di San Ranieri on 16 June each year
   25. Learn about the history of paratroopers at the Museo Delle Aviotruppe
   26. Ogle at the artwork in Pisa’s most famous art gallery – the Palazzo Blu
   27. Enjoy drinks in the one of the many bars that line the River Arno
   28. Go shopping for vintage items and antiques in one of Pisa’s many markets including the flea market in Via San Martino, held every Wednesday and Saturday morning.
   29. Visit the Romanesque Church of San Michele degli Scalzi
   30. Learn more about the history of ship building in the Arsenali Medicei

Feeling inspired? Then take a look at our guide to spending 48 hours in Pisa. Or take a look at the Tuscany villas available from Tuscany villa rental specialists, Italy Villa Holidays, which could serve as the perfect base from which to tick off your Pisa bucket list!