Florence & Pisa Shore Excursion from La Spezia

This La Spezia shore excursion to Florence and Pisa is well suited to first time visitors to both cities. You see the top monuments and sites while keeping a flexible schedule to shop and eat without too much hand holding. Your driver guide makes suggestions, but ultimately you decide how to spend your time.

Your driver guide meets you at your cruise ship in La Spezia, and your exploration begins with a 2 hour drive through the Tuscan countryside to Florence, whose historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As an introduction to the Renaissance city, a stop at the Piazzale Michelangelo is your starting point. From this lookout point there are panoramic views of the city.

Next you drive into Florence, which is mostly a pedestrian zone. Your driver guide navigates the vehicle to get you to key places in the city so you can enjoy the maximum amount of sightseeing. The places typically visited include the Cathedral Complex, where you see the Gothic Duomo, Giotto's bell tower, and the Baptistry's bronze doors. Then you are brought to Piazza della Signoria to see a copy of Michelangelo's David in the outdoor setting for which it was originally designed. Also at this location is the 14th century Loggia dei Lanzi and the Palazzo Vecchio, once home to the Medici family. A stop is also included to walk on the Ponte Vecchio, rebuilt in stone in 1345 after a flood destroyed the previous bridge. This bridge crossing the Arno River is lined with shops that traditionally sell gold and silver, and a passageway above the shops once connected the Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery to the Pitti Palace.

Another popular stop is Santa Croce, famous for the church where Michelangelo and other notable Florentines are buried. The square is filled with cafes, so lunch is often at this location. If you are interested in shopping for leather, Florence is the ideal city for it, and there are many quality leather shops near Santa Croce.

Later in the afternoon you drive to Pisa to visit the Piazza dei Miracoli, or Field of Miracles. This pedestrian area is one of the finest architectural ensembles in the world, including the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Duomo, a Romanesque masterpiece dating back to the 11th century. If you are looking for a last minute souvenir or an afternoon Italian ice cream, you can find it here too. At the end of the day, you return to La Spezia.