Can you do Pisa and Cinque Terre in one day from Florence?

Discover Pisa and the picturesque Cinque Terre on this day trip departing from Florence. Snap a photo with the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa before heading to the coast to see the seaside villages of the Italian Riviera. There, travel through the pink- and yellow-hued towns of the Cinque Terre, a World Heritage Site.



Yes, you can visit both Pisa and Cinque Terre in a single day from Florence, but it is a very long and structured 12-to-13-hour journey. In 2026, many tour operators offer small-group van tours that start early (around 7:30 AM), stopping in Pisa for about an hour to see the Leaning Tower before heading to La Spezia, the gateway to the Cinque Terre. If traveling independently by train, you would take a morning train to Pisa Centrale, spend 90 minutes at the Piazza dei Miracoli, and then take a direct train to La Spezia to board the Cinque Terre Express. Because the five villages are connected by very short train rides (often just 4-6 minutes apart), you can realistically explore two or three of the towns—such as Vernazza and Manarola—before needing to head back to Florence. While rewarding, this itinerary is exhausting and only allows for a "highlight reel" experience, so it is best suited for travelers who are short on time and don't mind a fast-paced day of walking and train transfers.

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Day trip to Cinque Terre from Florence: everything you should know. A day trip to Cinque Terre from Florence is a great way to spend a day, and the opportunity to add this famous destination to your trip to Italy. It's so beautiful and unique that has been turned into a National Park in 1999.

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Cinque Terre is only 105 miles (169 km) away from Florence, making it an easy side trip that takes between 1.5-3 hours one way. There are a few options for making your way here—train, car or private transfer—but before choosing your means of transport, consider the geography.

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Is one day long enough in the Cinque Terre? The Cinque Terre is Italy's smallest National Park and frequent train services along the coast mean it's easy to get around. So although a day trip to the Cinque Terre isn't long enough to thoroughly explore the area, it will give you a taste of each village.

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Cinque Terre is a collection of five seaside villages on a 2-mile (3 km) stretch of Italy's northwest coast. Known as the Italian Riviera due to its dramatic setting, it takes a mere day to visit each of these gems. Two to three days would allow you to enjoy its beaches and discover the culture via a cooking class.

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The cheapest way to get from Florence to Cinque Terre is to train which costs €13 - €23 and takes 2h 29m. What is the fastest way to get from Florence to Cinque Terre? The quickest way to get from Florence to Cinque Terre is to drive which costs €29 - €45 and takes 2h 4m.

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If you do decide to day-trip, the big but easygoing town of La Spezia is far closer than Genoa or Pisa, with just a seven-minute commute to the closest Cinque Terre village, Riomaggiore, and around 15 to 25 minutes to the farthest village, Monterosso.

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Cinque Terre are close enough to Florence to be reached in less than 2 hours. So it makes a perfect destination for a day trip!

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You can walk the entire route in about six hours, if you take short breaks—although many hikers prefer to spread the route out over a few days at a strolling pace, stopping to enjoy the towns along the way. You can start from either direction (Monterosso, heading south, or Riomaggiore, heading north).

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September-October The shoulder season of September to October is the best time to visit Cinque Terre.

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The train is the simplest and cheapest way to go from Florence to Pisa (and vice versa). From Florence Santa Maria Novella station there are trains to Pisa (station is called Pisa Centrale) at least every 30 minutes (more often during peak hours), and a single ticket costs 8.90 euros.

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Pisa makes a great day trip from large cities like Florence. At only about 1 hour away from Florence by train, it is easy to visit Pisa in one day, and you could even squeeze in Lucca to your itinerary if you wanted. Lucca is another beautiful town 30 minutes away from Pisa by train.

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Book in advance Most of the train companies across Europe release their tickets around three to six months in advance, many of which can be cheaper the earlier you book. If you know the dates you want to travel, you may be able to find some cheaper train tickets from Florence to Pisa Centrale by booking early.

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