The Leaning Tower of Pisa is the bell tower of Pisa Cathedral, standing on the lawns of the Piazza dei Miracoli with the cathedral, the round baptistery and the monumental cemetery. Looking at it is free; climbing it means a timed ticket from the Opera della Primaziale Pisana on opapisa.it, which as of October 2026 costs €20, with no reductions. Tickets go on sale 90 days ahead and often sell out in high season. Children must have turned 8 during the current year, under-18s must be with an adult, bags go in the cloakroom, and latecomers lose their slot.
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Tickets and tours for Leaning Tower of Pisa
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Why the Leaning Tower matters
Pisa was a rich maritime republic when it began this campanile in 1173, as the final piece of a cathedral complex paid for by its victories at sea. Only three floors had gone up when the soft, silty ground gave way and the tower began to lean. Building stopped for almost a century, and when it resumed the masons curved the upper floors to compensate, which is why the tower is slightly banana-shaped. The bell chamber was completed in the later 14th century. By 1990 the lean had grown so much that the tower closed for over a decade while engineers removed soil from under the higher side; it reopened in 2001, straighter by about 40 centimetres and stable for the foreseeable future. Today it leans about 5 degrees and stands about 58 metres tall, at the centre of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What you’ll see
- The climb: a spiral staircase of about 250 worn marble steps inside the hollow tower, around 30 minutes up and down. You feel the lean as you climb, pulled first to one side and then the other.
- The bell chamber and the top: seven bells, one for each note of the scale, and a view over the red roofs of Pisa, the cathedral domes and, on clear days, the mountains and the sea.
- The cathedral: begun in 1064, with a striped marble interior, a gilded ceiling and Giovanni Pisano’s carved pulpit. Entry is free.
- The baptistery, Camposanto and museums: the largest baptistery in Italy, famous for its echo; the Camposanto, a cloistered cemetery with frescoes; and the Opera del Duomo and Sinopie museums.
Tickets and how to visit
Prices and rules from the Opera della Primaziale Pisana, as of October 2026:
- Tower (€20): a timed entry at the slot you book; no reduced tickets are available. Any ticket includes a free pass to the cathedral, without a fixed time.
- Combined tickets: the Complete Visit + Tower ticket adds all the other open monuments and museums in the square, valid for a year from the chosen date; check the current combinations and prices on opapisa.it.
- Cathedral only: free, but you need a timed coupon from the ticket offices in the square.
- Booking: on opapisa.it, from 90 days before your visit until the day itself, subject to availability. Book early from spring to autumn.
- Age rules: children who will not have turned 8 by the end of the current year cannot climb; under-18s must be with an adult, and ID may be requested to check ages.
- Arrival: be at the tower 15 minutes before your time. Latecomers are not admitted and unused tickets are not refunded.
- Bags and cloakroom: handbags, bags and luggage must be left at the cloakroom before the climb and collected afterwards; the cloakroom takes bags up to 20 × 30 × 38 cm, and large suitcases are not accepted.
- Hours (autumn 2026): the monuments open at 9:00, the cathedral to visitors at 10:00. They close at 20:00 until 18 October, at 19:00 from 19 October to 1 November, and at 18:00 from 2 November; last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Hours vary on Sundays and religious holidays.
- Health: the steps are uneven and slippery, and the climb is not recommended for people with heart or muscular conditions.
How long to allow and when to go
The tower climb takes about 30 minutes; allow two to three hours for the whole square with the cathedral, baptistery and Camposanto. Day-trippers and tour buses arrive mid-morning, so book an early or late slot, and come back to the square at dusk for photos without the crowds.
Accessibility
The tower itself can only be climbed on foot. Visitors with a disability and one helper are admitted free to the monuments: write to the Opera’s accessibility office at least five days ahead, with documentation in Italian or English, and note that free tower visits for disabled visitors are limited to slots before 10:00 and after 18:00.
Getting there
Pisa is about an hour from Florence by regional train. From Pisa Centrale it is about a 25-minute walk or a short bus ride to the Piazza dei Miracoli; Pisa San Rossore station, on the Lucca line, is a few minutes’ walk from the square. From Pisa airport, the PisaMover shuttle runs to Pisa Centrale.
Combine it with
Most visitors combine Pisa with a day based in Florence, where the Duomo and Brunelleschi’s dome and the Uffizi Gallery await, or continue 30 minutes by train to Lucca and its walls. See our Tuscany travel guide, our cycling guide for Lucca’s walls, and the Cinque Terre up the coast.
Leaning Tower of Pisa FAQ
How much does it cost to climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
As of October 2026, €20 per person, with no reduced tickets. The price includes a free pass to the cathedral; combined tickets add the baptistery, Camposanto and museums.
Do I need to book the Leaning Tower in advance?
Yes, in practice. Climbs are timed and limited, and tickets go on sale on opapisa.it 90 days ahead. In summer, same-day slots often sell out.
Is there an age limit for the Leaning Tower?
Yes. Children who will not have turned 8 by the end of the year cannot climb, and under-18s must be with an adult. ID may be requested to check ages.
Can I take a bag up the Leaning Tower?
No. Bags, handbags and luggage must be left at the cloakroom before the climb; it takes bags up to 20 × 30 × 38 cm, so leave big suitcases elsewhere.
How many steps are there in the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
About 250 steps on the visitor route, which takes around 30 minutes up and down. The floor is uneven and slippery, so wear shoes with good grip.
Is Pisa Cathedral free?
Yes. Entry to the cathedral is free: any tower or monument ticket includes a cathedral pass, or you can pick up a free timed coupon at the ticket offices in the square.