Pisa is much more than a leaning tower and a quick stop on the way to Florence, and knowing where to stay in Pisa makes all the difference. The city has a lively centro storico with arcades and market squares, a long riverside promenade along the Arno and thousands of students who keep the cafés open long after the day-trippers have gone home.
Your choice of area matters more here than you might think. Stay right next to the tower and you get the sights in the morning light, but also a neighbourhood that shuts down in the evening. Stay in the centre or by the station and you get the restaurants, the trains and everyday life. Here are my five picks.
Contents
Where to Stay in Pisa: The Best Areas
- Piazza dei Miracoli & Santa Maria - best area for sights right on your doorstep
- Centro storico, Borgo Stretto & Piazza dei Cavalieri - best area for first-time visitors
- Stazione Centrale, Sant’Antonio & San Martino - best area for train travellers and budget stays
- Marina di Pisa & Tirrenia - best area for beaches and families
- San Giuliano Terme & Calci - best area for a Tuscan feel, spas and agriturismo
Below, I go through the five areas one at a time. For each area you get a map, the key distances and prices, my honest thoughts on the pros and cons, and three specific hotels in different price ranges that I found on Booking.com.
1. Piazza dei Miracoli & Santa Maria - best area for sights right on your doorstep 🗼
- 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re a 10-15 minute walk from Borgo Stretto and Ponte di Mezzo. Pisa Centrale is about 2 km away, or 25 minutes on foot.
- 🚌 Transport: You can do everything in the neighbourhood on foot. City buses run between the tower and Pisa Centrale in about 10 minutes, and if you’re heading to the airport, you change to the PisaMover at the station.
- ✈️ Time from Pisa Galileo Galilei: About 25-30 minutes by PisaMover to Pisa Centrale and then a city bus on to the tower, or about 10 minutes by taxi.
- 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost from around £85 to £220 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Safe, but watch out for pickpockets and street sellers in the daytime crowds on the square. In the evening the streets are quiet, more deserted than unsafe.
Piazza dei Miracoli is officially called Piazza del Duomo, and this is where you’ll find it all on one lawn: the Leaning Tower, the cathedral, the round Baptistery and the Camposanto cemetery. The whole square is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Climbing the tower costs 20 euros (around £17) from Opera della Primaziale Pisana, you get a fixed time slot, the visit takes about half an hour, and bags must be left in the cloakroom before you go up. Children must turn 8 in the calendar year they visit the tower, otherwise they can’t go up. On the plus side, free entry to the cathedral is included when you buy any ticket.
I’d stay here if you’re coming mainly to see the square and would like to experience it at seven in the morning or in the evening sun, once the day-trippers have gone. They’re two completely different experiences, and you only get them if you’re staying within a few minutes’ walk. Via Santa Maria runs from the square down towards the Arno and is packed with trattorias and gelato shops, and just behind the square lies the university’s botanical garden, Orto e Museo Botanico, a calm break from the crowds.
See hotels near Piazza dei Miracoli here.
The downsides are easy to spot. During the day, the square and Via Santa Maria are one big tourist throng with souvenir stalls and menus in six languages, and in the evening most places close, so you’ll have to walk into the centre to eat well anyway. Many of the places to stay are small B&Bs in old houses with steep stairs and no lift, so check before booking if you’re travelling with a heavy suitcase. If you’re coming by car, be aware that the whole centre is a ZTL zone you can’t drive into without a permit, so ask the hotel about parking before you book.
Hotels near Piazza dei Miracoli & Santa Maria
Grand Hotel Duomo - 4-star classic with a roof terrace and views of the tower
Grand Hotel Duomo is at Via Santa Maria 94, a minute’s walk from the square, and it’s the closest you’ll get to a proper hotel with a restaurant, bar and 24-hour reception in this neighbourhood. Its trump card is the roof terrace, where you can sit with a glass of wine looking straight at the Leaning Tower. The décor is classic rather than modern, and street-facing rooms can be noisy in the morning, so ask for a quiet room when you book.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The location is fantastic, a minute’s walk to the tower, which we could see from our room.”
See photos and book Grand Hotel Duomo here.
Hotel Pisa Tower - mid-range hotel with a garden just outside the city walls
Hotel Pisa Tower is on Piazza Manin, just outside the city walls by the square’s western entrance, so you’re at the tower in two minutes. It’s a 3-star hotel with family rooms, a small garden with tables and a gazebo, and a score of 8.6 from over 2,000 guests. The downside is its position on a busy square, where buses and cars can be noisy early in the morning.
From one review: “The hotel’s location was fantastic for us and our plans.”
See photos and book Hotel Pisa Tower here.
Il cardinale - budget guesthouse 200 steps from the tower
Il cardinale is on Via Cardinale Pietro Maffi just east of the square, and from here it’s literally a couple of hundred steps to the tower. It’s a simple guesthouse with family rooms, air conditioning and a small café, and the score of 9.0 is high for the price. Some guests mention that the air conditioning in the large room doesn’t cool very well, so choose one of the smaller rooms in high summer.
One guest highlights: “The location was absolutely perfect, just a short walk from one of the world’s most iconic landmarks.”
See photos and book Il cardinale here.
2. Centro storico, Borgo Stretto & Piazza dei Cavalieri - best area for first-time visitors 🍝
- 📍 Distance to the centre: You’re right in the middle of everything. Ponte di Mezzo, Borgo Stretto and Piazza dei Cavalieri are all within five minutes’ walk, and the tower is 10-15 minutes away.
- 🚌 Transport: Everything is walkable. Pisa Centrale is a 15-minute walk south along Corso Italia, and city buses stop along the Lungarno and at Piazza Garibaldi.
- ✈️ Time from Pisa Galileo Galilei: About 20 minutes: 5 minutes on the PisaMover to Pisa Centrale, then a 15-minute walk up Corso Italia and across Ponte di Mezzo.
- 💰 Price level: €€ to €€€. The three hotels below cost from around £95 to £240 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Safe and lively until late, especially around Piazza delle Vettovaglie and Piazza Garibaldi, where the students meet. It’s noise rather than safety you need to think about when choosing a room.
The historic centre north of the Arno is the Pisa most visitors never get to see, because they rush between train and tower. Borgo Stretto is the main street, with medieval arcades, old cafés and shops, and it opens out onto Piazza Garibaldi and Ponte di Mezzo, the city’s central bridge. A few streets to the west lies Piazza dei Cavalieri, the Renaissance square with the ornate Palazzo della Carovana, now home to the elite Scuola Normale Superiore university, and Palazzo dell’Orologio, where, according to Dante, Count Ugolino was locked up with his sons. And tucked away just behind Borgo Stretto is Piazza delle Vettovaglie, the old market square that becomes the city’s aperitivo hotspot in the evening.
This is where I’d stay on a first trip to Pisa. You have the restaurants, everyday life and the Lungarno promenade right outside the door, and the tower is a short walk away whenever you fancy it. If you’re in town on 16 June, be here in the evening: for the Luminara di San Ranieri, the palazzi along the Arno are outlined with around 100,000 small lights, and at around 11pm fireworks are set off over the river. Book well in advance, as the city is full that weekend.
See hotels in the centro storico here.
The downside is that you pay for the location, and the choice of actual hotels is small. Most places to stay are B&Bs and apartments on the second or third floor of old buildings, often without a lift and with self check-in. Rooms facing Piazza delle Vettovaglie and Piazza Garibaldi can be noisy well into the night, especially Thursday to Saturday. And if you’re coming by car, this is the most difficult area of all: the ZTL zone applies around the clock, and the few car parks are expensive.
Hotels in the centro storico
Palazzo Feroci - luxury in a restored townhouse near Piazza dei Cavalieri
Palazzo Feroci is on Via della Faggiola, the quiet street between Piazza dei Cavalieri and the tower, so you have both within five minutes’ walk. It’s a residenza d’epoca with a garden, bar, lift, soundproofed rooms and a concierge, and the score of 9.5 from over 700 guests speaks for itself. The downside is the price, which is well above the rest of the city, and one guest says frankly that it was very expensive but fine for a single night.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “It’s a beautiful place. I had read reviews before booking, and it lived up to expectations.”
See photos and book Palazzo Feroci here.
Hotel Di Stefano - 3-star hotel with a roof terrace in the heart of the centro storico
Hotel Di Stefano is on Via Sant’Apollonia, a side street a couple of minutes from both Borgo Stretto and Piazza dei Cavalieri. It’s one of the few proper hotels in the neighbourhood, with 24-hour reception, a lift and a roof terrace overlooking the rooftops, and the score is 8.6. The twin rooms are small if you’re staying several nights, and parking in the hotel garage costs about 30 euros (around £25) per night.
From one review: “Everything: the location, the staff and the quality.”
See photos and book Hotel Di Stefano here.
Casa Carducci 33 - budget B&B with breakfast at a local café
Casa Carducci 33 is on Via Carducci, five minutes’ walk from Piazza dei Cavalieri and Borgo Stretto, and is one of the best-rated cheap options in the centre, with a score of 9.1 from around 1,600 guests. Breakfast is included and served at a nearby café, and there’s a terrace, family rooms and self check-in. The downside is that the entrance can be hard to find the first time, so read the instructions before you arrive.
One guest puts it simply: “The location was fantastic.”
See photos and book Casa Carducci 33 here.
3. Stazione Centrale, Sant’Antonio & San Martino - best area for train travellers and budget stays 🚆
- 📍 Distance to the centre: From the station it’s about 1 km, or a 10-12 minute walk, along Corso Italia to Ponte di Mezzo. The tower is about 2 km away.
- 🚆 Transport: Here you have regional trains to Florence in about an hour, Lucca in 25-35 minutes and La Spezia for the Cinque Terre, the PisaMover to the airport, and the city buses that gather in front of the station.
- ✈️ Time from Pisa Galileo Galilei: About 5 minutes on the PisaMover, so you can be at your hotel with your suitcase 15 minutes after leaving the terminal.
- 💰 Price level: € to €€€€. The three hotels below cost from around £85 to £300 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: The station square and Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II can feel a bit scruffy late in the evening, with people hanging around and the odd pushy type. It isn’t dangerous, but keep an eye on your bag, and ideally choose a hotel a few streets north in Sant’Antonio.
South of the Arno lie the neighbourhoods of Sant’Antonio to the west and San Martino to the east, with Pisa Centrale station as their hub. Corso Italia, the city’s busiest shopping street, runs in a straight line from the station up to Ponte di Mezzo, so you’ll never be unsure of the way into the centre. The area has its own attractions too: Keith Haring’s giant 1989 mural Tuttomondo on the back of the church of Sant’Antonio Abate right by the station, the Palazzo Blu art museum on Lungarno Gambacorti with changing exhibitions, the small Gothic church of Santa Maria della Spina on the riverbank, and Giardino Scotto, the park inside the old fortress by Lungarno Fibonacci, with an open-air cinema in summer.
I’d stay here if you’re arriving by train, flying in and out of Pisa or using the city as a base for day trips. The PisaMover runs between the airport and the station in about 5 minutes and costs 6.50 euros (around £5.50) per journey, and you can read much more about it in my guide to getting from Pisa Airport to the city centre. From here, regional trains to Florence take about an hour and cost around 10 euros (about £8.50), Lucca takes around half an hour, and if you’re doing a day trip to the Cinque Terre, it’s also from Pisa Centrale that you head towards La Spezia.
See hotels near Pisa Centrale here.
The downside is charm, or the lack of it. The streets right around the station, Via Corridoni behind the platforms and Viale Gramsci in front, are busy and dominated by functional hotels, and you have to walk 10 minutes before Pisa starts to look like the postcards. This is also where you’ll find the city’s shabbiest corners late in the evening. If you choose a hotel in the northern part of Sant’Antonio, between Corso Italia and the Arno, you get the best of both worlds: five minutes to the train and five minutes to the river.
Hotels near Stazione Centrale, Sant’Antonio & San Martino
Palazzo Cini Luxury Rooms - luxury rooms with a garden and hot tub between the station and Corso Italia
Palazzo Cini is on Via Manzoni, five minutes’ walk from the station and just round the corner from Corso Italia, and it’s the area’s most expensive and best-rated address, with a score of 9.4. There’s a garden, sun terrace, hot tub and massages on request, the rooms are soundproofed, and breakfast can be served in your room. The downside is that there’s no private parking, so if you’re coming by car, you’ll need to find a space on the street or in a car park.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The room itself was stunning, beautifully decorated, spotless and extremely comfortable.”
See photos and book Palazzo Cini Luxury Rooms here.
NH Pisa - 4-star chain hotel right on the station square
NH Pisa is on Piazza della Stazione directly opposite the station, so you just wheel your suitcase across the square and you’re there. It’s a classic chain hotel with a gym, 24-hour reception, family rooms and a car park at about 19 euros (around £16) a day, and the score is 8.2 from almost 3,000 guests. The downside is noise from the station and square in the front-facing rooms, so ask for a room at the back.
From one review: “Friendly, welcoming staff and stylish, comfortable rooms.”
See photos and book NH Pisa here.
Hotel Moderno - simple 2-star hotel 150 metres from the platforms
Hotel Moderno is on Via Corridoni just behind the station, about 150 metres from the platforms, and is one of the cheapest places in the city with 24-hour reception. The rooms are basic, but there’s air conditioning, a bar, family rooms and luggage storage, and the score of 8.1 from over 2,000 guests is solid for a 2-star hotel. The downside is that it really is basic, and Via Corridoni is a busy road, so this isn’t the place if you want a Pisa atmosphere outside the door.
One guest highlights: “The staff are so friendly and really care about you and your stay.”
See photos and book Hotel Moderno here.
4. Marina di Pisa & Tirrenia - best area for beaches and families 🏖️
- 📍 Distance to the centre: Marina di Pisa is about 12 km west of Pisa at the mouth of the Arno, and Tirrenia about 15 km to the south-west. Allow 20-25 minutes by car.
- 🚌 Transport: Bus routes 10 and 20 run from Pisa to Marina di Pisa, Tirrenia and Calambrone, and a Litorale Pisano ticket costs 2 euros (around £1.70) and is valid for 90 minutes. With a car, though, you’re far more independent.
- ✈️ Time from Pisa Galileo Galilei: About 20 minutes by car or taxi. By bus you first have to go into Pisa and change, so allow up to an hour.
- 💰 Price level: € to €€€. The three hotels below cost from around £65 to £140 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Quiet seaside resorts with families and cycling tourists. In summer the promenade is lively until late; out of season it’s very quiet. Don’t leave valuables visible in your car by the beach.
Few people think of Pisa as a beach destination, but the coast is only 20 minutes from the tower. Marina di Pisa is the oldest of the resorts, laid out in the late 19th century at the mouth of the Arno, with old villas, a marina and small beaches of white pebbles behind the breakwaters. Along the river’s last kilometre stand the distinctive retoni, fishing huts on stilts with large nets that are lowered into the water, and this is also where you’ll find some of the area’s best seafood restaurants. Tirrenia, a few kilometres to the south, is the classic family resort, with a long sandy beach, beach clubs with sunloungers and parasols, pine forest and a golf course.
I’d stay here if you’re travelling with children in summer, or if you’d like to combine a few days by the sea with day trips into Pisa and Lucca. Between the city and the coast lies the Parco di San Rossore, the old royal estate with pine forests, meadows with semi-wild horses and miles of paths for walking and cycling. The estate is open every day, but swimming is banned on its beaches, so the actual beach life happens in Marina di Pisa and Tirrenia. It’s also an area where a car makes everyday life much easier, so have a look at car hire on Booking.com if you want to stay out here.
See hotels in Marina di Pisa and Tirrenia here.
The downside is that this is a seasonal coast. From October to April many restaurants and beach clubs are closed, and the resorts feel half empty. The beaches in Marina di Pisa are pebbles rather than sand, and the fine sandy beaches in Tirrenia are largely private beach clubs where you pay for a sunlounger and parasol. Without a car you rely on buses 10 and 20, which run frequently in summer but less often the rest of the year. And you’ll need to allow half an hour’s travel every time you want to go in and see the tower.
Hotels in Marina di Pisa & Tirrenia
Toscana Charme Resort - 5-star beach resort with a rooftop pool in Tirrenia
Toscana Charme Resort is on Viale del Tirreno in Tirrenia, with a private beach, a rooftop infinity pool with sea views, a restaurant, gym, playground and kids’ club. It’s one of the few 5-star hotels on the coast, and with over 3,000 reviews and a score of 8.0, you know what you’re getting. The downside is that several guests feel the bathrooms need a refresh, and the standard is more solid family resort than true luxury.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “Beautiful hotel, great facilities and very helpful staff.”
See photos and book Toscana Charme Resort here.
Residence Hotel L’incanto di Boccadarno - mid-range hotel right by the sea in Marina di Pisa
L’incanto di Boccadarno is on Via Barbolani at the northern end of Marina di Pisa, where the Arno flows into the sea, with views over the water from the terrace and access to a private beach for a fee. There’s a lift, gym, garden and family rooms, and the score is 8.4 from over 1,000 guests. Despite the name, the rooms have no kitchen, and breakfast isn’t served all year, so check before booking out of season.
From one review: “The location couldn’t be better, right by the sea, with stunning views and easy access to the beach.”
See photos and book Residence Hotel L’incanto di Boccadarno here.
Il Pescatore - budget B&B with free parking in Marina di Pisa
Il Pescatore is a small B&B on Via Barbolani in Marina di Pisa with a garden, free parking, air conditioning and family rooms, and it was the cheapest of my coastal picks when I searched. It’s just over 600 metres to the beach at Bagno Gorgona, and the score is 8.4. The downside is that it’s simple, without many facilities, so it’s a place to sleep and have breakfast, not somewhere to spend your holiday in your room.
One guest writes honestly: “It’s not a five-star hotel, but the atmosphere was pleasant and comfortable.”
See photos and book Il Pescatore here.
5. San Giuliano Terme & Calci - best area for a Tuscan feel, spas and agriturismo 🌿
- 📍 Distance to the centre: San Giuliano Terme is about 7 km north of Pisa at the foot of Monte Pisano, and Calci about 12 km to the east. Allow 15-25 minutes by car.
- 🚗 Transport: A car is almost essential. San Giuliano Terme does have a station on the railway line between Pisa and Lucca, though, and buses run from Pisa to Calci in about half an hour.
- ✈️ Time from Pisa Galileo Galilei: About 20 minutes by car to San Giuliano Terme and 25-30 minutes to Calci.
- 💰 Price level: € to €€€€. The three hotels below cost from around £85 to £315 per night when I searched for a weekend in May.
- 👮 Safety: Small villages where the biggest problem is narrow roads and darkness without street lighting. Very safe.
Just north and east of Pisa rises Monte Pisano, the range of hills with olive groves, cypresses and small stone villages that separates Pisa from Lucca. San Giuliano Terme at the foot of the mountain has been a spa town since the 18th century, when the Grand Dukes of Tuscany built their bathing palace here, and poets such as Shelley and Byron came to the town to take the waters. Calci lies in a lush valley to the east, the Valgraziosa, and is best known for the Certosa di Calci, the vast 14th-century Carthusian monastery that now houses the university’s natural history museum, with a large collection of whale skeletons. The museum is open every day, an adult ticket costs 15 euros (around £13), and a visit takes a couple of hours.
I’d stay here if you have a car, want peace and quiet in the evening and dream of a pool, olive groves and long dinners, but would still like to be able to drive into Pisa in 20 minutes. Lucca is just on the other side of the mountain, and from here it’s also easy to head further into the region if you want to combine your trip with one of the other destinations in my guide to where to stay in Tuscany. Without a car it gets awkward, so check car hire on Booking.com before you book an agriturismo out here.
See hotels in San Giuliano Terme and Calci here.
The downsides are the same as anywhere in rural Tuscany. Not much happens in the evening, so it’s either the restaurant on site or a drive to the village, and many of the best places lie at the end of narrow, steep gravel roads. If you drive into Pisa, remember the ZTL zone in the centre and park outside the city walls instead, for example at the large car park on Via Pietrasantina north of the tower, and walk the last stretch. And if you’re climbing the tower with a fixed time on your ticket, allow plenty of time for parking.
Hotels in San Giuliano Terme & Calci
Bagni di Pisa Palace & Thermal Spa - 5-star spa hotel in the Grand Duke’s former summer residence
Bagni di Pisa is on Largo Shelley in the heart of San Giuliano Terme and is one of the few genuine luxury hotels in the Pisa area. The spa has indoor and outdoor thermal pools, a hammam, sauna and treatments, there’s a restaurant, terrace and free parking, and the score is 8.4. The downside is that some guests feel parts of the hotel look worn and need a refresh, which is hard to swallow at the price.
One guest writes on Booking.com: “The staff were lovely. The food was excellent, and the room was so beautiful.”
See photos and book Bagni di Pisa Palace & Thermal Spa here.
Al Palazzaccio - agriturismo with an infinity pool and restaurant in the hills above Calci
Al Palazzaccio is on Via del Seminario up in the hills above Calci, not far from the monastery, with a seasonal infinity pool, a restaurant serving traditional Tuscan food, a garden, free parking and massages on request. The score is 8.8, and it’s the kind of place where you end up lingering by the pool instead of driving into town. The downside is the access road, which is steep and narrow, so you’ll need a car and a bit of courage behind the wheel.
From one review: “We loved everything about this place.”
See photos and book Al Palazzaccio here.
B&B Cribò - budget B&B with a garden a few hundred metres from the spa
B&B Cribò is on Via Dinucci in San Giuliano Terme, a few hundred metres from Bagni di Pisa, so you can stay cheaply and still have the spa town and its restaurants right outside the door. There’s a garden, free parking, family rooms and air conditioning, and the score of 9.4 is the highest among my picks in the area. The downside is that it’s a small place with few rooms, and one guest mentions that the shower could have more pressure.
One guest highlights: “The interior has been renovated, but they’ve kept the authentic Italian character.”
See photos and book B&B Cribò here.
Where not to stay in Pisa
Pisa is a small, easy-to-navigate city, so there aren’t many outright mistakes to make, but there are a few. If you’re a light sleeper, avoid rooms facing directly onto Piazza della Stazione, Viale Gramsci and Via Corridoni behind the station, where the traffic and nightlife around the station are noisy until late. Also avoid the hotels along Via Aurelia and in the industrial and business areas towards Ospedaletto south of the city. They’re cheap because there’s traffic, no atmosphere and it’s a long way to everything you came for. The same goes for Cascina and the other suburbs along the motorway towards Florence, where you’re stuck in the evening without a car. And the hotels right out by the airport only make sense the night before a very early flight, because the airport is only about 2 km from the centre anyway, so you gain nothing by staying out there.
If it’s your first trip to Pisa and you’re staying a few nights, I’d stay in the centro storico around Borgo Stretto and Piazza dei Cavalieri, where you get both the restaurants and a short walk to the tower. If you’re arriving by train or plane and mainly using Pisa as a base for day trips, the area around Pisa Centrale makes the most sense. If you want the sights to yourself in the morning light, stay near Piazza dei Miracoli, and if you’re travelling with children in summer, look at Tirrenia.
If you have a car and fancy peace, hills and a pool, choose San Giuliano Terme or Calci. And if your trip continues to Florence, only an hour away by train, my guide to where to stay in Florence can help you plan your next stop.
Travel ressources & websites I use all the time 👇
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• Welcome Pickups is the best & safest place to pre-book airport transfers
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