Pisa, Tuscany

Pisa Italy Private Tours

Explore the Cities and Towns of Tuscany

Overview

Believe it or no, describing what it's like to visit Pisa is a tough job.  No doubt, Pisa's Leaning Tower is an Icon and Millions of travelers come here each year.  For many, the fact that it is quite literally a "Mecca" for tourists is a good reason to stay away, however there is a very good reason why Pisa draws the crowds and it might just draw you too!  
 
Let's put it this way, if you go to Pisa from June to September, you will be rubbing shoulders with a lot of people, but the fact of the matter is that Pisa is BEAUTIFUL.  The architecture is a sight to behold and the truth be told, visiting Pisa is A LOT of fun for those that come! 
 
Believe it or not, Pisa began life in about 1000 BC as a seaport. In the 2nd Centure BC, the  Romans used it as a naval station and trading port.  By the 11th Century the city had evolved into a major maritime power, rivalling Genoa, Venice and Amalfi.  The Pisans raided and overwhelmed Amalfi in 1135, putting an end to Amalfi's maratime claims.
 
The Pisans were themselves defeated - by Genoa - in 1284, a defeat which started the City's  steady decline.  That decline was hastened when the River Arno, on whose banks the city stood, began to silt up.  The Florentines took control in 1406 and retained it until the unification of Italy in the 1860s.
 
During its long period of prosperity, much of its wealth went into building some of Italy's most important and monumental buildings.
 
The famously leaning tower is the bell tower of the Duomo whose construction took over 200 years, starting in 1173 AD.  The soil under the Tower started to subside on one side even during construction, and remedial efforts were ongoing up until 1999, when a solution was found.  (Don't ask us what it was.)
 
The tower, the baptistry and the huge Duomo (100 yards long, with a massive nave, flanked by two aisles and 68 monolithic columns, are in the Romanesque style.  The pulpit, considered by many as the most beautiful in Italy, was carved by Giovanni Pisano, who also did much of the carving in the baptistry.
 
They sit together around the Campo dei Miracoli - or "field of dreams", an expansive grassy area.  Most tourists venture no further.  They should.
 
The city boasts one of the oldest universities in the world, and was the birth place of Galileo Galilei.  There are many cafes, trattorie, boutiques and flea markets.  Quality - well, tourist grade.  (If you want a great dinner, save your appetite and travel 15 km north to Lucca).

Gallery

  • Baptistery of Pisa, the biggest in Italy. Pictures and relax for tourists in a beautiful summer day.
  • Church of the Holy Cross and medieval tower of Matilda in the ancient Tuscan village
  • Italy.Pisa. May 19, 2013. View of Pisa Cathedral (Duomo de Santa Maria Assunta)
  • Beautiful spring view of famous Leaning Tower in Pisa. Sunny morning scene with hundreds of tourists
  • Italy.Pisa. May 19, 2013. View of Pisa Cathedral
  • Piazza Dei Miracoli - Pisa
  • Pisa. Overhead view of city streets - Tuscany, Italy.
  • Pisa, Italy with Italy Vacation Specialists

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Client Testimonials

  • The trip was great we appreciate all the hard work you and your team invested to make our experience a once in a lifetime trip. We appreciate all the attention to the details in particular Giuseppe spending the time and the focus with us on the road and as we were exploring your great country. ... [Read More]

    - Leon and Michele

  • I went to high school with the owner of the company who organized my honeymoon for myself and my now wife from Tokyo. We spent three short weeks seeing Piedmont and experiencing wine paradise there, then heading to Nice in France with our private driver and flying to Rome where honestly 4 days is NOT enough. They keep saying to spend more time and we could not agree more! You need to spend more ti ... [Read More]

    - Robin and Kumi Bruun, Tokyo Japan

  • We're home now from the most amazing trip to Italy! I can't thank you enough for your efforts and coordination of what was without question the finest vacations I've been on to date. ... [Read More]

    - Carol Carson

  • In September of 2018 I brought a group of 12 from Venice to Sicily and organized all of my services with the Italy Vacation Specialists. Being a travel agent and in the business, I know how complicated organizing travel arrangements can be in Italy and the IVS team took a huge burden off of me! I would like to start of by saying "THANK YOU" both for the amazing job you did on our trip. There was n ... [Read More]

    - Ann Brownell, KHM Travel Group

  • I am a travel agent from Lebanon and have organized several group tours as well as individual tours of Italy with Italy Vacation Specialists. I highly recommend them as one of the very best tour operators in Italy to work with, given their professionalism and work ethic which I feel is second-to-none in the travel industry. All of the staff, the guides, the coaches and even the meals we enjoyed we ... [Read More]

    - Nicole Haddad, Lebanese Travel Agent

  • I am a travel agent with All About Honeymoons and I would highly recommend Italy Vacation Specialists. Jessica was wonderful in helping us plan in a last minute anniversary vacation during high season without any issues. She even checked on our clients while on vacation to make sure things were going well. I plan on using them again soon for all my future bookings! ... [Read More]

    - Tammy Joyce, All About Honeymoons

  • As a travel agent, but also a traveler to Italy, thee is no other company I would recommend than the Italy Vacation Specialists. Not only do they really care about what they are doing, they also really know Italy and try to educate many people about ways they can best see the country and not fall into tourist traps. I have been on 4 trips with the IVS team, firstly when they did my first 2 tri ... [Read More]

    - Laura Chomiak, Travel Agent

  • I have traveled to Italy 2x with the IVS for my own pleasure trips and 2x for business with IVS. These guys really pay attention and make your trip go like clockwork. Italy is nuts, just saying! There are so many rules and restrictions now, so we did not want to drive ourselves. Having traveled with them many times and done business on several occasions, most definitely USE this company. They k ... [Read More]

    - JoAnne Beaudoin, Retired Nurse

  • Jesse, There are no words to describe the fabulous time we had in Italy. Everything went as you promised. Absolutely no problems! The venues were fabulous. The guides were punctual and helpful. It couldn't have worked out better. You and your staff deserve high praise for the quality and efficiency of your work. BTW, Guiseppe was an absolute delight. We enjoyed his informative and effervescent per ... [Read More]

    - Jo Ann West

  • This company really knows their stuff and recommended our family to stay longer in each location. We didn't listen to them, but wished we had in every single place we went. They recommended Sestri Levante over the Cinque Terre which was our favourite destination on our entire trip. We visited Rome where we stayed in the outstanding Hotel Locorno where they know the owner there, like in every place ... [Read More]

    - Sean & Veet Chapman, CGA

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