Is Pisa Worth It?

As I've been researching our trip (thoroughly enjoying myself in the process), I've come across several blogs and chatboards proclaiming that Pisa is not worth the trip. There isn't much to see there and the area is overrun by cheap stalls and pushy salespeople. Apart from the tower, there's the cathedral and not much else. I'd personally rather spend more time in Florence. There is SO much to see there, one day will never be enough. If we were to slice it even further to accommodate Pisa, we really wouldn't see much. Which led me to the question...is Pisa worth the effort?

The "Florence & Pisa On Your Own" excursion would only give us 3.5 hours to wander around Florence and then would take us to Pisa. It does not include entrance fees to the Field of Miracles or lunch. I believe it's 15 Euros for a 30 minute visit inside the tower, not sure about the Field of Miracles. When you add the loss of time in Florence to the extra cost for the sites in Pisa and Florence, the $99.00 excursion fee doesn't seem so great. At first, I simply thought, "Skip Pisa! Who cares about some crooked tower?"

However.....how could we go to Italy for the first time and NOT see the tower while in the area? Also, one could ask how much we'll be seeing of Florence in one day anyhow. At least we'd see even more of Tuscany traveling to Pisa.

While significantly more expensive ($188), the "Florence & Pisa" excursion would take us to Pisa for just 45 minutes first thing in the morning (and we could see Tuscany bright and early) and then would take us to the major sites of Florence with a guide, and with lunch included. It might be worth the extra cost. We'd spend a minimal amount of time in Pisa, and the majority of the day enjoying Florence.



If we were drinkers, I'd suggest just going to a Tuscan wine tasting. But we're not and watching others get sloshed is no fun. :) We'll get to drive through Tuscany on the way out and back to ship. That'll have to be enough for this first trip.