How to Visit Florence and Pisa from La Spezia, Italy:
A Cruise Port Guide 2025

Updated: July 2025

Written by: Martina, a former cruise line employee

Getting from La Spezia to Florence and Pisa, Italy, in a day is easier than ever with the special bus shuttle service created for cruisers only. This guide breaks down the best ways to make the most of your limited time, including transportation tips, must-see sights, and what to expect on a shore excursion. Keep reading to find out how to secure your seat!

Why Visit Florence and Pisa from La Spezia?

If your cruise ship docks in La Spezia, Italy, you’re in for a treat—this charming port town is the perfect jumping-off point for visiting two of Tuscany’s most iconic cities: Florence and Pisa.

In Florence, you'll step into the birthplace of the Renaissance. Art lovers and first-timers alike are drawn to see Michelangelo’s David, one of the most celebrated sculptures in the world, housed in the Accademia Gallery.

The majestic Florence Cathedral (Duomo), with its striking dome by Brunelleschi, is another showstopper, dominating the skyline and radiating centuries of architectural genius.

Nearby, the Uffizi Gallery, Ponte Vecchio, and Piazza della Signoria offer a feast of history, art, and atmosphere—all walkable from the city center.

Meanwhile, Pisa is world-famous for its Leaning Tower, a UNESCO-listed marvel that stands in the Piazza dei Miracoli alongside the beautiful cathedral and baptistery.

It's a quick stop but a memorable one—perfect for snapping that iconic "holding up the tower" photo.

How far is La Spezia from Florence and Pisa?

La Spezia is about 2 to 2.5 hours from Florence and roughly 1 to 1.5 hours from Pisa, depending on your mode of transport.

Here are the approximate road distances between La Spezia, Florence, and Pisa:

• La Spezia to Florence: ~145 km (about 90 miles)
• Florence to Pisa: ~85 km (about 53 miles)
• Pisa to La Spezia: ~80 km (about 50 miles)

So, the full La Spezia ➝ Florence ➝ Pisa ➝ La Spezia loop is roughly 310 km total by road, and you can see it on the map below.

How to Visit Florence and Pisa from La Spezia?

While it may seem ambitious, it's absolutely possible to visit both Florence and Pisa in one day from La Spezia, especially with proper planning or an organized tour.

There are a couple of ways you can travel from La Spezia to Florence and Italy if you are a cruise passenger:

• Organized Shore Excursion (by cruise line) 
• Organized Shore Excursion (provided by local tour operator)
• Hiring a private driver 
• Taking a taxi at the cruise port

Unfortunately, taking a train to both Florence and Pisa in a day will not be possible, but I will discuss the option of taking a train to Florence only below. 

I don't suggest taking a rental car either. Driving yourself sounds doable, but tight cruise schedules leave little room for error. Parking in Florence is difficult; ZTL zones (restricted zones) carry heavy fines, and unexpected traffic or GPS issues can delay you.

Without a guaranteed return to port, it’s a risky option unless you're very confident and experienced.

The Best Ways to Visit Florence and Pisa in One Day

So what is the best way to get from La Spezia to Florence and Pisa in a day?

According to thousands of cruisers who have used this service before you, it's definitely taking an air-conditioned, low-cost shuttle bus that...

• caters to cruisers specifically (operates only when there are cruise ships in port), 
• includes a quick orientation tour of Florence and Pisa
• gives you an option of visiting the Accademia or climbing the Leaning Tower...
• or roam around, have lunch, and have gelato on your own
• has very professional staff onboard the bus, ready to answer your questions and give you the local maps...

I discovered this service, called La Spezia Shore Excursion to Florence & Pisa, a few years ago, and since then dozens of our readers have booked them on a monthly basis.

On the other hand, it makes perfect sense: people are more than happy to use the service that gives you the best value for the money.

And on top of that, it takes all the stress out of your planning process!

How to go about booking transportation from La Spezia to Florence and Pisa in Italy?

First of all, as soon as you decide this is what you want to do on your day in La Spezia, reserve your seats ASAP!.

As you may know, there are oftentimes more than one cruise ship in port in a single day...and each one of them numbers, on average, between 2,000 and 5,000 passengers. That is why you want to book your seats on that bus ASAP.

Step by step: from the cruise terminal in La Spezia to Florence and Pisa, Italy

On the day of your arrival, you will get off the ship's gangway and get on the free port shuttle that will take you to the cruise terminal's building.

Cruise ports can get very busy with all those supplies and maintenance trucks and vehicles, so the port authorities won't let you just walk around, for your own safety.

The ride to the La Spezia terminal building takes only five minutes. You will walk through the terminal building and outside, on the other side, find the staff wearing red t-shirts and holding the sign „Tuscanybus.com Florence/Pisa“.

The staff will direct you to your pre-booked seats.

The bus leaves at 9:00am sharp.

The ride to Florence takes approximately 2 hours.

The time will pass quickly as the multilingual assistance on board explains all about the highlights of your visit to La Spezia, Florence, and Pisa in Italy.

Also, there is free Wi-Fi on board the bus, so here's a chance to catch up with what's going on at home and post your envy-provoking photos on social media.

You will get a map that highlights the best trail to cover in the time you have on hand and has notes about the top monuments to see.

Once in Florence, the bus will drop you off at the Central train station, Santa Maria Novella (SMN), on the piazzale Montelungo. From there, it is only a 10-minute walk to the Duomo (the cathedral) and other top sights.

You get 3.5 hours in Florence to see all the highlights, sit in the sunny terraces of the charming piazzas, walk by the Arno river, enjoy some gelato and real Italian espresso, explore the shops, etc. Actually, on the bus you will also get some money-saving coupons to use in the shops and cafes of Florence.

If this is your first visit to Florence ever, do not waste your precious time standing in lines to see the museums. Experience the real life of Florence, out in the streets and cafes. If this is how you plan your day, 3.5 hours is more than enough to experience Florence, as it is a small pedestrian city and all the major points are within a 5-10 minute walking distance.

The bus will leave Florence at 2:30pm, from the same point it dropped you off, and continue to the second part of your adventure called 'La Spezia, Florence, and Pisa in Italy in a Day.'

Florence Duomo

From Florence to Pisa and back to the cruise port in La Spezia

The ride to Pisa takes approximately 1 hour, and you will be dropped off some 700 meters from the Miracle Square.

For more information on that, read the instructions on our page about getting from Livorno to Florence and Pisa by bus, but come back to this page to send off the correct contact form at the bottom.

You will get about 1 hour of time in Pisa, which is more than enough to see the leaning tower and the baptistery, walk around the Piazza dei Miracoli, and buy some souvenirs. Do not go planning to climb the tower; that is something to do on your next visit.

The bus will drop you off at the port on time; that is guaranteed!

Have you booked your seats yet? Do so from La Spezia to Florence and Pisa and back.

The price of getting from La Spezia to Florence and Pisa, Italy, in a day

Now you may be wondering, how much will all this cost me?

The ticket price of this low-cost shuttle service is only

• $56 for children older than 9 and adults
• $32 for children 3-8 years, disable passengers with ID cards, and crew
• Free for infants 0-2 years

This price includes:

• the transportation from La Spezia to Florence Pisa, Italy, and back
• the multilingual assistance on board
• free WI-FI on the bus
• the map with the coupons
• the 24-hour emergency number.

After sitting for many hours and doing lots of research online, I can say this is probably the best and the safest deal you'll get (shown by the high ranks on the Viator platform).

Getting from La Spezia to Florence and Pisa By Train

Taking a train to Florence and Pisa in a day from La Spezia is impossible. And we'll leave it at that.

Ok, so let's talk about getting to Firenze only: if you take into account the time it takes to find a taxi that will take you to La Spezia Centrale train station (that is only discussing it in theory because in reality no taxi will want to take you for such a short ride; they are all waiting for the bigger fish) and the time for changing trains in Pisa (changing trains is almost always required), your travel time to Florence amounts to 3 hours.

That is 6 hrs a day just for traveling. And there's always this fear you won't plan your time properly coming back to the cruise port in time. The cost of the train tickets is anywhere from € 9 to € 19.40.

The cruise ship organized shore excursions from La Spezia to Florence and Pisa

Cruise ship organized tours—these are reliable but do sell out fast. Also, the On Your Own tour from La Spezia to Florence, which includes transportation to Florence only, starts from $75. There is no On Your Own tour that would take you to both Pisa and Florence in a day, but only guided tours that start from about $200 per person.

Private Shore Excursions from La Spezia to Florence and Pisa

If you want to enjoy this perfect day all by yourself and with your family and friends, I totally understand you. There is a great choice of private or small-group shore excursions that also guarantee to take you back to the ship in time for its departure.

Taking a Taxi from La Spezia to Florence and Pisa

4) Taxis at the cruise ship terminal—they will charge you about €500 per car and a couple of hours wait in Florence. There’s no guarantee your taxi driver speaks any English. Stopping and the wait in Pisa will bump up the cost.

Of course, there are also some other options when picking your port activities when docked in La Spezia. There are always folks who have been to Florence and Pisa many times and want to do something completely different. That is why we have hand-picked a few original shore excursions for you: