Cinque Terre is a stunning collection of five seaside villages on the Italian Riviera, known for their colorful houses, steep vineyards, and vibrant harbors filled with fishing boats. The villages are famous for their seafood and pesto dishes served in cozy trattorias. The Sentiero Azzurro hiking trail links the villages along the cliffs, offering breathtaking views of the sea. Getting There: 1. From Pisa Train Station: - Take a train from Pisa Centrale to La Spezia Centrale. - Change trains at La Spezia Centrale to Monterosso (this train stops at each of the Cinque Terre) 2. By Car: - Drive to La Spezia and park near the harbor. - Take the ferry to Portovenere and Cinque Terre, stopping first at Portovenere and then at each village. This option puts you out at sea where you can really admire the coastline. Once in Cinque Terre, walk between villages or take the train when you’re ready to rest. Enjoy the leisurely pace and explore the beauty of each village!
Florence is a must see! Make sure to book museums by March max to find availability: Uffizi, Accademia, Palazzo Pitti. If you do Palazzo Pitti you must visit Boboli Gardens, make your way up to the top and admire the view down to Florence. Then visit Florence’s centre, Piazza della Signoria, Ponte Vecchio, Piazza Santa Croce. You can have lunch at Il Latini or La Menagere, or if you’re up for a Picnic have your own in the Boboli gardens with views of Florence right in front of you, get Panino with lampredotto if you want to do it like locals do, ice cream at La Carraia. You can go for drinks at Terrazza dell’Oro if you like rooftop vibes at the aperitivo hour. You can have dinner at Cucina Torcicoda if you like to stay in Florence and wish for something more elevated or at Il Cinghiale Bianco for something more casual.
Pisa and Lucca (full or half day): Both Pisa and Lucca are possible to visit with half a day, so you decide if you want to make this a day trip with both. Pisa: Visit Piazza dei Miracoli and access its monuments (Leaning tower is here). You can have a coffee at Bistrot dell’Opera into its beautiful loggia overlooking the leaning tower. Then you can explore more inside the town, Piazza dei Cavalieri, Borgo Stretto, and go for lunch at Il Crudo for the best panini in town, if you wish to continue to Lucca they can grab one and go via train or car (both are about 20mins journey). Lucca: In Lucca musts are: city walls you can walk on and all around the town (only town in Europe having this), Lucca’s towers (like Torre Guinigi and Torre delle Ore), really nice leather shops in Via di Fillungo. Here you could have afternoon snacks and Aperol at Ciacco before coming back. Ciacco or Bastian Contrario are also two great spots for lunch if you wish to do just Lucca.