Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Pisa Tower, otherwise known as the Leaning Tower of Pisa, really was a labor of love, taking well over a hundred and fifty years to build. This tower is the campanile of Italy's cathedral, which means that it is a freestanding bell tower. The tower is located in what is known as the Field of Miracles (Campo dei Miracles), which is behind the actual cathedral's main building. The tower's most distinctive feature is that although it was designed to stand vertically, its poorly laid foundation causes it to lean significantly toward the southeast. The lean angle is about 5.5 degrees, meaning that the tower's top is over 4 meters from where it would be if the building were correctly vertical.

Entrance tickets

Tickets for the Tower are sold at set times and limited in number, and you pick your time at the moment of purchase. The flow of visitors onto the site is controlled, so buying in advance is what secures a climb at the hour you want rather than whatever is left when you reach the window.

The ticket for the other monuments and museums — the Baptistery, the Camposanto, the Opera del Duomo Museum and the Sinopie Museum — is not tied to a time at all. It is valid from the date you choose, not before, and then for a full year, so an unused one is not a wasted one.

All six monuments are run by the Opera della Primaziale Pisana, which is the only official seller and the place to check the current tariff before you travel.

Free evenings

On 24 July and 9 August the Baptistery, Camposanto, Opera del Duomo Museum and Sinopie Museum open free of charge from 20.30 to 23.00, by advance reservation. The Cathedral is free on those two evenings with no reservation needed, subject to the capacity limit.

Before you go

The monuments and museums on the Piazza dei Miracoli are open every day, and entrance is allowed up to 30 minutes before closing time. From 17 June to 31 August 2026 they stay open until 22.30. The Baptistery is the one to check before setting out: areas of it can be closed for restoration work, and its opening can vary on Sundays and religious holidays.

Tickets for the Tower are sold at set times and limited in number, and you choose your time when you buy. That is the whole reason to book ahead rather than queue at the gate. The ticket for every other monument and museum works the opposite way round: it is valid from the date you choose, not before, for a full year from that date.

How to get there

By train. Pisa Centrale is the main interchange for three of Tuscany's rail corridors, carrying trains from Rome, Florence and Genoa. The Tower is a 20 to 30 minute walk from the station, and local buses also stop by the site.

By car. The Parcheggio di Piazza dei Miracoli is the closest car park to the complex and is often full. The alternatives sit further out and leave a 15 to 20 minute walk.

Climbing the tower

Almost 300 steps spiral up the inside of the shaft to the belfry. From the top you look out over the city, and on a clear day a good distance past it. The climb is the part of the visit that has to be booked for an hour, so decide whether you want it before you buy anything else.