RunCity

Pisa on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 10 of Pisa's best-known sights, including Giardino Scotto, Ponte di Mezzo, Palazzo Blu and more. It is about 4 km on foot, roughly 1.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Pisa leaderboard.

  • 10Stops
  • about 4 kmDistance
  • 1.5 hoursWalking
  • about 44 minRunning
Play Pisa in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Pisa
Photo: Arne Müseler · CC BY-SA 3.0 de

Most visitors see only the Leaning Tower, but Pisa's riverside town is worth the walk, and this route covers it in about 4 km before ending at the Piazza dei Miracoli. It starts at the Giardino Scotto on the walls of the old Medici fortress and follows the Arno to the Ponte di Mezzo. The bonus stop, the arcaded Piazza delle Vettovaglie, is a market by day and a bar square at night.

Along the Lungarno stand the blue Palazzo Blu and Santa Maria della Spina, a tiny Gothic church with spiky pinnacles on the riverbank. San Frediano, the Piazza dei Cavalieri with its carved palace and Santa Caterina lead north to the Leaning Tower across the lawn and the round white Baptistery. Climbing the tower needs a timed ticket; the walk from the station to the Field of Miracles along this route takes about half an hour.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Giardino Scotto

    Giardino Scotto

    The garden on the old Medici fortress walls.

    Photo: Sailko · CC BY 3.0

  2. Ponte di Mezzo

    Ponte di Mezzo Photo

    The central bridge over the Arno, seen from the Lungarno.

    Photo: José Luiz · CC BY-SA 3.0

  3. Piazza delle Vettovaglie

    Piazza delle Vettovaglie Bonus

    The arcaded market square, lively day and night.

    Photo: sailko · CC BY 2.5

  4. Palazzo Blu

    Palazzo Blu

    The blue-painted palace on the Lungarno Gambacorti.

    Photo: Japs 88 · CC BY-SA 4.0

  5. Santa Maria della Spina

    Santa Maria della Spina Photo

    The tiny Gothic church with its spiky pinnacles right on the riverbank.

    Photo: MenkinAlRire · CC BY-SA 4.0

  6. San Frediano

    San Frediano Photo

    The plain Romanesque front of the church near the Knights' Square.

    Photo: sailko · CC BY 2.5

  7. Piazza dei Cavalieri

    Piazza dei Cavalieri Photo

    The square of the Knights, with the carved Palazzo della Carovana.

    Photo: Sailko · CC BY 3.0

  8. Santa Caterina

    Santa Caterina

    The Gothic façade of the Dominican church on its square.

    Photo: Superchilum · CC BY-SA 4.0

  9. Leaning Tower of Pisa

    Leaning Tower of Pisa Photo

    The famous tilting tower seen across the lawn of Piazza dei Miracoli.

    Photo: Arne Müseler · CC BY-SA 3.0 de

  10. Pisa Baptistery

    Pisa Baptistery Photo

    The round white baptistery facing the cathedral façade.

    Photo: Massimo Catarinella · CC BY-SA 3.0

Play Pisa in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Pisa on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 10 stops on this route add up to about 4 km, roughly 1.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Pisa is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Pisa?

    Open Pisa in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Pisa leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Giardino Scotto and finishing at Pisa Baptistery. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

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