Pisa, Livorno, Lucca & Tuscan Coast Tours

Tour details:

• The tour: walking tour
• Duration: 4 hours
• Suggested start times: 9:15am or 2:00pm
• Cost: €320 for guide + tickets additional (see below)
• Ticket Costs Additional: €27 is the total ticket price for adults 11 years old and above (€18 for the tower + €7 for baptistry/camposanto). €18 is the total ticket price for children 10 and under (€18 for the tower + free entry to baptistry/camposanto). Entrance to the Cathedral is free for all.

Coming from Florence? Consider a private driver

If you’re coming from Florence the train takes about 1 hour, or we can arrange a private driver service: Additional cost for a driver from Florence for a half day (5 hours) is €390 for 1-3 people or €490 for 4-7 people. For a full day with driver (8 hours) the cost is €590 for 1-3 people or €660 for 4-7 people.

Suggested Full Day Options

• Combine your tour with a transfer. Going from Florence to Cinque Terre? Get picked up with all your bags, head to Pisa for your tour, then get dropped off in Cinque Terre!
• Combine with a food & market tour of Livorno in the morning before exploring Pisa in the afternoon and ending at a rooftop at sunset (see below for details)
• Combine a half day in Pisa with a visit to the walled Renaissance city of Lucca with or without a guide (see below for details)
• After a tour in Pisa, head to the coast in Quercianella or Castiglioncello to have lunch on the water and swim in the sea
• Stop at the town of Vinci on the way back to Florence to visit the museums dedicated to the town’s most famous resident: Leonardo!
• Combine your visit to Pisa with a stop at a winery for a tasting and tour.

Tour Description

Begin with a stroll through the medieval streets where the contradictions begin: you’ll see a massive street art mural by Keith Haring, the delicate church “Santa Maria della Spina” perched on the banks of the Arno river and the house where Galileo was born not far from where he’d later perform his gravitational experiments. Medieval porticoes and churches contrast with the bustle of Pisans shopping at casual outdoor markets in the morning or heading for aperitivo with friends in the evening.

You’ll always find students in the Square of the Knights with its famous university founded by Napoleon and the tower of Count Ugolino, mentioned in the furthest reaches of hell in Dante’s Divine Comedy. Numerous Popes, Galileo, the 20th century physicist Enrico Fermi and even singer Andrea Bocelli received their educations in Pisa. This square speaks to the Academic tradition of thinkers and scholars that have made Pisa a center of innovation for centuries. 

No visit to Pisa is complete without a thorough exploration of the Square of Miracles. The grand cathedral is a magnificent example of the perfection and grandeur of Romanesque architecture. If we time our entry to the baptistry just right, you’ll hear the ethereal echo effect of singing voices before visiting the tomb of the great scientist Fibonacci in the monumental Camposanto cemetery full of beautiful statues and frescoes. (This is also the location of the famous swinging lamp that inspired Galileo’s experiments.) Last, but certainly not least, you’ll learn the secrets and circumstances behind how the tower of Pisa got its lean and how engineers have worked for centuries to maintain it before climbing its 297 steps for a spectacular view over the Square of Miracles.

Tour Details

• Duration: 4 hours
• Cost: €320 for 4 hours with a guide
• Livorno is 1 hour and 10 minutes by train from Florence. A half day in Livorno could be combined with a tour of Pisa, Lucca, or a boat ride or drive along the Tuscan coast (see full day description)
• Tastings: plan to have about €25 per person for tastings at the market (will depend what we decide to get and your preferences)
• Cost for 1 hour cruise on the canals: €15 per person on a typical canal boat (open to public up to 30 people)

Full Day with a private driver from Florence

We can meet you at your hotel in Pisa, at the train station, or arrange a private driver (additional cost) to pick you up in Florence/surroundings. Additional cost for a driver from Florence for a half day (5 hours) is €390 for 1-3 people or €490 for 4-7 people. For a full day with driver (8 hours) the cost is €590 for 1-3 people or €660 for 4-7 people.

Tour Description

Livorno was designed with the Renaissance concept of an “ideal city” with a great fortress built by the Medici that can still be seen today and canals for the merchant vessels known as “the Venice district.” For centuries it was a wealthy port city that replaced the Pisan port and was characterised by freedom: freedom of religion and shipping taxes! This fostered a unique community where locals, foreigners and a significant Jewish population lived, worked and worshipped side by side. 

We’ll hop onto a boat for a unique view of the city by water, past its famous grand palazzos, central market, and the Medici fortress into the harbor. Option for large public boat or private luxury boat available. You can also add a half day Tuscan coast boat cruise in the afternoon to have a full day in Livorno (see description below).

Then, we’ll experience the enormous 19th century central market (the largest and most grandiose in all of Tuscany) devoid of the tourist crowds you’ll find in Florence. Here you can try the best prosciutto, cheeses, and olive oil and experience the lively fish market. If you’re up for something stronger, you have to try the Livornese drink “Ponce” – a coffee & rum pick me up you won’t find anywhere else in Tuscany. Then follow in the footsteps of Stanley Tucci as you try the famous crispy chickpea flour sandwich known as “cinque & cinque.” 

Lastly, you can discover some of the history of Livorno and its role in contemporary artistic movements. The birthplace of the turn of the century composer Mascagni and artist Modigliani, Livorno also boasts a significant contemporary artistic scene, fostered by the gallery Uovo alla Pop and evident throughout the city in works by international street artists Clet, Blub, Lediesis, Merioone, Exit Enter, and more. Depending on your level of interest, we can point out some street art along the way or visit a few galleries or an artistic co-working space. 

If you have any room left, we’ll go for a stroll and a gelato on the Terrazza Mascagni’s checkerboard terrace overlooking the sea or drop you off for a seafood lunch.

Tour Details

• Duration: Full day tour about 8 hours
• Cost: €600 for 8 hours with a guide, any entry tickets or tastings additional
• This tour can be done taking trains in between location or hiring a private driver for the day. Additional cost for a driver from Florence is €590 for 1-3 people or €660 for 4-7 people.

Tour Description

Livorno and Pisa are two Tuscan coast cities that have been rivals for centuries and on this tour you’ll get to know both of them. In Livorno, choose to visit in the morning to exploring the Venice district and medieval fortress of Livorno along with the historic central market where you’ll taste the best local foods or take a boat out for the afternoon along the coast. The other half of the day will be in Pisa for a tour of the square of Miracles and leaning tower.

Tour Details

• Duration: Full day tour 6-8 hours
• Cost: €400 for guide, any tastings additional
• This tour can be done taking trains in between location or hiring a private driver for the day. Additional cost for a driver from Florence is €590 for 1-3 people or €660 for 4-7 people. For options from the Livorno coast area, please enquire. This tour can also be done with your own car.
• Tastings: €50-€100 per person depending on the combination we decide on together.

Tour Description

Visit the medieval town of Lari for a culinary experience unlike any other. We will start with a visit to the pasta making factory of the famous Martelli family, stop for some prosciutto and salami from the local butcher and visit a cheese cave located in an ancient Etruscan grotto that creates the perfect temperature for aging cheese.

After a local lunch of these products, you can choose between a visit to one of the following: head to an olive grove for a tasting of local olive oil, a winery to try the famous coastal “Super Tuscan Wines” or visit a chocolatier for the unique experience of a chocolate tasting of new products designed by the world’s first female chocolatier.

Tour Details

• We will put together a quote based on your requests for the day!
• Pictures of boats available on request

Tour Description

Extend one of the half day tour options in Livorno (described above) with one of the following:

The coast of Tuscany is characterized by green forests, winding roads and orange sandy rocks that plunge into the sea. If you’re in Livorno, the whole city flocks to the water during the summer months. There are numerous ways to do this so below we will describe a few options you can choose for an afternoon at the sea by boat, car, or train. 

Your private guide could come with you after our morning half day tour or we can drop you off to spend the rest of the day on your own. 

Option 1: 12 Meter luxury boat: €390 for 3-4 hours (max 8 people). Snorkels or water shoes available on request. Aperitivo on board available on request.

Option 2: Typical fishing boat with local fisherman: €290 for 3.4 hours (max 10 people). We recommend having a guide if you would like to fish as the fisherman speaks only Italian. Fishing rods available on request. Snorkels or water shoes available on request.

Option 3: Go for a drive in a vintage car. You can head down the coast to Quercianella or Castiglioncello. €290 per car (options up to 7 people)

Option 4: Or you can make your own way for the rest of the day! We’ll give you advice on how to drive your own vehicle or take trains from Livorno to Quercianella or Castiglioncello to enjoy the seaside on your own after our morning tour.

Tour details

• Duration: Full day tour about 8 hours
• Cost: €600 for 8 hours with a guide, any entry tickets or tastings additional
• This tour can be done taking trains in between location or hiring a private driver for the day. Additional cost for a driver from Florence is €590 for 1-3 people or €660 for 4-7 people.

Tour Description

Visit the leaning tower of Pisa in the morning before heading to Lucca in the afternoon. We’ll discuss how you’d like to customize this tour based on your interests!

Tour Details

• Cost for a driver to Bolgheri from Florence for the day is €725 for 1-3 people and €760 for 4-7 people. This day is about 10 hours.
• Estimated tasting costs: You will visit two wineries and tasting costs can range from €20 per winery to over €100 per winery. We’ll talk about what kind of experience you’d like to have when planning this tour together.
• Cost of lunch additional: from €20-€50 per person, depending on what you order/where you’d like to go

Tour Description

On this tour of the Bolgheri area, you’ll have an introduction to the coastal area of Bolgheri and their world-famous wines. Tuscany was known for its production of Chianti Classico but in the 20th century, wine producers started experimenting in the area of Bolgheri with French varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, creating blends that fell outside the Italian wine regulation system but which wine drinkers loved. Between winery visits, you’ll also stop at the town of Bolgheri itself, located at the end of the longest cypress lined road in Italy.

The wineries you visit on this day are up to you. You can visit some of the big names in the Bolgheri area like Ornellaia or Argentiera (where visits/tastings are €80-€100 per person) or some of the less well known (but no less delicious) producers where visits are €20 per person. 

Interested in more wine tours? Check out the wine tours we offer around Italy on our Wine Club & Tours page.

Tour Details

• Starting time from Florence: 8am (about 10 hours)
• Cost of driver from Florence area: €790 for 1-3 people, €890 for 4-7 people
• Cost of guide: Additional: €80 per hour, 3 hour minimum
• Private Boat for a full day: €1,000

The best way to organise a Cinque Terre excursion is to discuss your plans with us while booking. It’s a unique and beautiful place and one size certainly doesn’t fit all. If you have an idea of how many days you have available and what your interest is (hiking, tasting wine, best photos, boat experiences) then I can put together some suggestions for you.