Florence & Pisa Tour from Livorno

One Day.
Florence & Pisa. Yours.

Your ship docks at Livorno. Your driver is already waiting. Your day begins.

Your private Mercedes driver meets you directly at the agreed meeting point — inside the cruise terminal or dockside at your ship, depending on which berth you dock at. Departure time is confirmed together in advance, typically around 8:00 AM, so you can make the most of the day without rushing.

The first leg takes you towards Florence, and if time allows and you haven't seen it before, your driver will suggest a brief stop at Piazzale Michelangelo — the famous hilltop square above the city with the most celebrated panoramic view of Florence. From up there, the Duomo, the Arno and the ancient towers all come into focus at once. Alternatively, your driver can take you to San Miniato al Monte, the Romanesque church just above Piazzale Michelangelo, for an even quieter and more elevated perspective.

From there, the descent into the city begins. You enter Florence from the south through Porta Romana, one of the great medieval gateways in the ancient city walls. The road passes directly in front of Palazzo Pitti — the vast Renaissance palace that was the principal residence of the Medici family and later the royal house of Savoy. Your driver will point out the characteristic small windows of the Corridoio Vasariano, the elevated secret passage commissioned by Cosimo I de' Medici in 1565 that runs from Palazzo Pitti all the way to Palazzo Vecchio — crossing the Arno above the jewellery shops of the Ponte Vecchio without ever descending to street level.

You will see the Ponte Vecchio itself — the oldest bridge in Florence, lined with gold and jewellery shops that have been here since the 16th century. Then the road continues to the Basilica di Santa Croce, the largest Franciscan church in the world and the burial place of some of the greatest figures of Italian history: Michelangelo Buonarroti, Galileo Galilei, Niccolò Machiavelli, Gioachino Rossini — and a cenotaph in honour of Dante Alighieri, who is buried in Ravenna.

On the way towards the drop-off point, your driver will show you one of Florence's most charming curiosities — a Wine Window (Buchetta del Vino). These small stone windows, set into the walls of Renaissance palaces, were used during the plague of the 17th century to sell wine directly from the cellar to the street without any physical contact. Some have been reopened in recent years. Florence never lost its sense of style, even in a pandemic.

The route continues past Piazza Santa Maria Novella and the Basilica di San Lorenzo, parish church of the Medici family for nearly three hundred years. Just outside, the Mercato di San Lorenzo and the Mercato Centrale — Florence's covered food market with its extraordinary upper floor of food stalls, chefs and wine bars.

Your driver will drop you directly beneath the Duomo di Firenze and before leaving you to your free time, will point you in the right direction for Piazza della Signoria, the Uffizi Gallery, Piazza del Mercato Nuovo with its bronze boar, and the two great shopping streets — Via Calzaiuoli and Via de' Tornabuoni.

On the return journey, if time permits, your driver can take a scenic route through the first hills of Chianti — just 35 minutes from the centre of Florence. A stop at a family winery for a quick tasting is possible on request. From the winery, the drive to Pisa takes approximately 1 hour 10 minutes in normal traffic.

In Pisa, your driver will take you past the Giardino Scotto along the Arno and through Piazza dei Cavalieri — the historic centre of Pisan civic life, home to the Scuola Normale di Pisa, one of Italy's most prestigious universities, founded by Napoléon in 1810. And then, the Campo dei Miracoli — the Leaning Tower, the Cathedral, the Baptistery. Allow approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour for your visit.

On the way back to the port, your driver will show you the Cittadella — the great medieval fortress on the banks of the Arno that once defended the city from the sea. From there, approximately 35 to 40 minutes back to the cruise terminal at Livorno. Guaranteed return before your ship departs. No exceptions.