Our Italian adventure began with an easy flight from Manchester to Pisa. Within 30 minutes of landing we had collected our bags, hopped in a taxi for the 10 minute ride into the city, and checked into our hotel.

By now it was around 9 pm, but there was no way we were going straight to bed. With the excitement of being back in Italy and having my grown-up kids with me, we quickly dropped our bags and headed straight out in search of the famous Leaning Tower.

Seeing the Leaning Tower at Night

Arriving at the Piazza dei Miracoli in the dark felt magical. The Leaning Tower and the Duomo were beautifully lit, and there were hardly any crowds. It was such a special way to see an iconic sight: peaceful, almost intimate, and completely different from the busy daytime atmosphere you usually associate with Pisa.

We made the most of the quiet, took around a hundred photos (of course!), and soaked up the atmosphere. All three of us agreed that taking a night in Pisa purely to see the tower and cathedral after dark had been absolutely worth it.

After all those photos, it was finally time for the essentials: pizza, an Aperol spritz, and then bed to rest up for the next morning.

Climbing the Leaning Tower

The next day started early, as we had pre-booked a climb of the Leaning Tower for 9.30 am. If you are thinking of doing this, you really do need to reserve in advance. Our day was fully booked, and by the time we were coming down there were plenty of disappointed people who had hoped to get tickets on the day.

My top tips for climbing the tower:

• Pre-book your ticket: it sells out.
• Go as early as possible: the crowds are lighter and the temperature is much more comfortable.

The kids were absolutely thrilled to be doing the climb. For them it was a real throwback to “Wizards of Waverly Place,” which they used to watch when they were little, and where Pisa and the tower featured. It felt like a fun full-circle moment, standing there together all these years later.

There are around 290 steps to the top. We found it very manageable, though you can definitely feel the lean as you walk up, which adds to the experience. The breeze at the top was a welcome relief and there is some seating, so you can pause, enjoy the views over Pisa and really take it all in.

Visiting the Duomo

Our tower tickets also included entry to the Duomo at any time that day, which made things very easy. If you do not have a combined ticket, you need to go to the ticket office and collect a free timed-entry ticket for the cathedral, so it is worth planning this into your day.

Stepping inside the Duomo is a lovely contrast to the playful atmosphere around the tower: it is calm, cool, and full of beautiful details that make you slow down and look.

Pisa by Day vs Pisa by Night

One of the most interesting parts of our stay was seeing just how different the area felt in the daytime compared to the night before. By late morning the square was heaving, full of people all trying to take the same picture of themselves “holding up” the tower. It is great fun, but very busy.

I can easily imagine it getting even more crowded as the day goes on, especially once the cruise passengers start to arrive. By that point, we were ready to move on. We collected our bags from the hotel and made our way to the station for our next stop on our Italian adventure.

Spending a single night in Pisa worked perfectly for us:

• A relaxed arrival and atmospheric first evening.
• The chance to see the Leaning Tower beautifully lit and almost empty.
• An early tower climb before the worst of the crowds and heat.
• A gentle introduction to Italy before heading off by train to explore more.

For anyone travelling via Pisa, especially with older children or grown-up kids, I would definitely recommend building in that one extra night. It turned a simple arrival point into a memorable start to our trip.