1 day

Full Day

By train

About this activity

Meet your expert guide at Santa Maria Novella train station in central Florence, then hop aboard an air-conditioned train to Pisa. Sit back and relax as you enjoy your scenic ride out of the city, arriving in Pisa approximately an hour later.

On arrival, follow your guide to the Field of Dreams (Piazza dei Miracoli), a verdant expanse home to the city’s most important sights: the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Baptistery and the Duomo. With 1.5 hours here spent at your leisure, perhaps pose for photos by the Leaning Tower and, depending on availability, head inside for a guided tour (own expense). Alternatively, make for the Duomo (own expense) to marvel at its carved pulpit by Giovanni Pisano, or head inside the Baptistery (own expense) to test the unusual acoustics.

Next, return to the station to board your train to La Spezia, the gateway to the UNESCO-listed Cinque Terre National Park. Translated as ‘five lands,’ Cinque Terre is made up of five enchanting fishing villages that line the coast of the Italian Riviera.

Just under 1.5 hours later, find yourself at La Spezia train station, where you’ll catch a local train to the historical village of Riomaggiore. Wonder at the tightly packed pastel buildings as you stroll along the cobbled streets with your guide.

Continue by train to Vernazza, a seaside town that surrounds a tiny, natural port. Alight your train, then enjoy free time to soak up the sun on the pretty beach, or dive into the cooling waters for a swim.

Your final stop is Manarola, a tiny village that is said to have more grapevines than any other Cinque Terre village. Wander along the harbor and spend a few minutes snapping photos of the picturesque buildings that cascade toward the sea.

After, make your way back to La Spezia or Pisa aboard the train for the return trip to Florence, where your tour concludes.

Read more Show less

Included

Local English-speaking tour leader
Stop in Pisa to allow you to visit the leaning tower
The best of Cinque Terre: Riomaggiore, Manarola and Vernazza
Info about the region and sites
Time to swim

Not included

Food and drinks, unless specified
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Gratuities
Guided tour of Pisa
Entrance to the Tower of Pisa
Lunch

Additional

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 2 days of travel. In this case confirmation will be received within 48 hours, subject to availability
In high season ( June, July & August ) due to the popularity of the villages, the trains could be very crowed and hot, be prepared.
This tour is not suitable for people with walking disabilties and to those sensitive to the heat
It is recommended to wear comfortable clothes
In summer it is recommended to bring hat, sun cream, bottle of water and swimming suit
In winter it is recommended to bring a rain jacket in the event of bad weather
The tour is in English only
Minimum age allowed on the tour is 18 years - no kids
Maximum age allowed on the tour is 45 years
We are not strict with the age limit and people older than 45 BUT younger than 50 are always welcome as long as they are young in heart and have no walking disabilities and are happy to be with younger people. Our Tour Operator has a general audience of college students, backpackers, solo travellers, etc... that often fall into this category. The tour is more fast-paced, budget-minded and are made for travellers to meet and connect with other passengers of the same age from all parts of the world who share the same interests, lifestyles and traveling styles.
Please note:
Due to a landslide which occurred at the end of September 2012, Via dell’Amore is closed
In the event of a national train strike or train delays, the tour operator is not responsible of the disservice of the trains. In the event of national train strikes the tour could be cancelled

Features

Tourism

100%

Cultural

65%

Reviews

4.6

138

s

successwithinreach

2 | 2019-08-12

I cannot begin to express how disappointed I was with this "tour." This was not led by a tour guide but by a person who leads you from train to train. No interesting information was given at each stop except for 3 minutes at Pisa. The sites were beautiful but I need to look them up online to see what made them special/unique. The escort told us that her boss was accompanying her to review her performance, although he spoke no English and did not help at all. At each stop, she was holding hands with him (I assume it was her boyfriend). I will say that they were both very nice and she would answer a question if one was asked. Cinque Terre and Pisa were beautiful. My suggestion would be that the tour operator be transparent and state that this is not a tour but someone to guide you to a train. If that expectation was set then all would be OK. I would also encourage the guide to be transparent and truthful. This was a complete disappointment.

m

mz-sanda

4 | 2019-08-05

This tour is definitely worth your while if you are on a tight schedule. Our tour guide Paula was amazing, so friendly she showed us where to eat, what drinks to try and what gelato was the best. We visited 3 of the villages and spent good hour or more at each one.

l

lxp4904

5 | 2019-07-03

I did not book many tours while in Italy, but am very glad I picked this one. It's a busy day and managing it on your own would not be too easy. Also, the guide (Eduardo) was great! He explained everything very well, and gave time to explore on your own, etc.

h

h.small18

5 | 2019-07-03

Our guides were great! We stopped in Pisa and explored sites there and then headed to Cinque Terre. It was really nice to be on the tour and not have to worry about which train to take . We would have a meeting spot and they took care of everything. We made 3 stops in Cinque Terra and had about an hour at each stop. They told her us where to go to get the best picture and where to grab the best gelato, lemoncelo, fresh seafood, and pesto.

G

Guo Qiang N

3 | 2019-07-03

Met at Florence train station early in the morning and ended in the evening. Transport is via train and walking and the tickets were bought by the guide. All other expenses by own including entrance fees and food. We went to Pisa first and moved on to 3 of the 5 villages in Cinque Terre. We were briefed on what is there to see at each venue and given some time to explore by ourselves and to be back at the meeting point by a certain timing. Schedule was quite tight ( just short of an hour) and there wasn't much time to walk and enjoy the area ( except for Pisa). Emma recommended some food ( she was able to pre-book) for lunch and mentioned about her usual gelato shop.

l

lindsaypasset

5 | 2019-02-25

Highly recommend this tour if you want to get a lot done in one day. Fast paced so perfect for people who want to see a lot/walk a lot. Lots of train transfers but there’s so much to see in Pisa and cinque terre. Don’t think twice just book this one

W

Wai Ho C

5 | 2019-01-08

The guide was very nice and descripted every place very detail. Time control is very good too. We have enough time in every spots! Will join again in the future!

Y

Yasmin G

5 | 2018-08-07

Pierce was a great tour leader. He got us around easily and quickly. There was a big delay with one of the trains, and Pierce confirmed with the group that we would skip the second town to have more time in the last time. He was very apologetic, which he didnt need to be as it wasn't his fault. Very good tour! You get to Pisa early enough that it is not busy at all!

L

Lucyna T

5 | 2018-07-13

I took this trip in early part of June and it was perfect. Tour guid was very knowledgeable. Perfect timing, well organized and I would strongly recomment to take this trip.

Collections This experience is part of these collections