To climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa, you need a fixed-time ticket, in limited numbers, sold by the Opera della Primaziale Pisana. The climb is on foot, takes about 30 minutes, and is forbidden to children who will not be 8 by the end of the year. Bags must be left in the cloakroom.
The leaning tower is the cathedral’s bell tower, on the Square of Miracles. This page sets out the Opera’s official rules, offers a simple calculation of the minimum age (by birth year) and gives sunset times, useful for choosing between a daytime and a late-afternoon slot. For the region, see our guide to visiting Tuscany.
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Tower of Pisa: key facts
- Hours: vary by date, published day by day; recorded: October 15–18, 2026, 9 am–8 pm; October 19–31, 9 am–7 pm; November 2–23, 9 am–6 pm (checked on 15 October 2026 on opapisa.it).
- Price: shown on the Opera’s Prices page as an image, which could not be read when we checked on 15 October 2026 (and again on 11 November 2026) — check the official website before buying. No reduced rate for the tower.
- Booking: ticket compulsory for a precise time, in limited numbers; late arrival = no entry and no refund.
- Age: children who will not be 8 by the end of the year are refused; under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.
- Duration: about 30 minutes, climb on foot.
- Information checked on 15 October 2026 on opapisa.it.
Tickets: official or reseller?
The Opera della Primaziale Pisana manages the tower, the cathedral, the baptistery, the Camposanto and the museums; its ticket office is on opapisa.it. Resellers often offer “skip-the-line tickets” or packages with a guide: for the tower, they necessarily resell a slot from this same ticket office, with its limited quota. Compare the final price with the official website’s for the same slot.
- Cathedral: entry with a free pass, with no fixed time if you buy another ticket; fixed-time passes for the cathedral alone are limited and issued only at the ticket desks on site.
- Baptistery, Camposanto, museums: ticket valid for one year from the chosen date, during opening hours.
- Free admission: under 11s accompanied (excluding the tower) and visitors with disabilities with their companion, with proof.
- Tower: no reduced rate; free admission for visitors with disabilities with their companion, on site only, on request by email at least 5 days ahead.
Minimum age: the birth-year calculation
The official rule: children “who will not have turned 8 by the end of the current year” are refused, for safety reasons. In other words, what counts is the birth year, not the birthday (Destination de Voyage calculation):
| Year of the visit | Child admitted if born in… |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 2018 or earlier |
| 2027 | 2019 or earlier |
| 2028 | 2020 or earlier |
| 2029 | 2021 or earlier |
Opening hours
The Opera publishes the tower’s hours day by day in its online calendar: they change several times a season. As an example, the 15 October 2026 record gives 9 am–8 pm until October 18, 2026, 9 am–7 pm until November 1, then 9 am–6 pm. See the Opening and closing time page for your exact date.
Best time to climb
The climb is partly outdoors, and the Square of Miracles is very exposed. The table cross-checks daylight hours in Pisa with the normals published on our Tuscany page (Florence station, the nearest available on our pages).
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Day length | Mean max | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:49 | 17:06 | 9 h 17 | 11.2 °C (52 °F) | 58 mm (2.3 in) |
| February | 07:17 | 17:48 | 10 h 30 | 12.7 °C (55 °F) | 64 mm (2.5 in) |
| March | 06:31 | 18:24 | 11 h 53 | 16.2 °C (61 °F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) |
| April | 06:36 | 20:01 | 13 h 25 | 20.0 °C (68 °F) | 67 mm (2.6 in) |
| May | 05:53 | 20:36 | 14 h 43 | 24.3 °C (76 °F) | 63 mm (2.5 in) |
| June | 05:36 | 21:01 | 15 h 26 | 29.1 °C (84 °F) | 45 mm (1.8 in) |
| July | 05:50 | 20:58 | 15 h 08 | 32.3 °C (90 °F) | 25 mm (1.0 in) |
| August | 06:22 | 20:22 | 14 h 00 | 32.4 °C (90 °F) | 37 mm (1.5 in) |
| September | 06:57 | 19:29 | 12 h 32 | 27.3 °C (81 °F) | 67 mm (2.6 in) |
| October | 07:32 | 18:35 | 11 h 03 | 21.5 °C (71 °F) | 105 mm (4.1 in) |
| November | 07:12 | 16:53 | 9 h 41 | 15.6 °C (60 °F) | 115 mm (4.5 in) |
| December | 07:44 | 16:41 | 8 h 57 | 11.4 °C (53 °F) | 81 mm (3.2 in) |
In July and August, mean maximums exceed 32 °C (90 °F) in Florence: an early-morning or end-of-day slot is more comfortable. In winter, the sun sets around 4:40 pm in December: a slot around 3:30 pm lets you see the square in low light. Details on our page on the best time to visit Tuscany.
The visit in practice
- Welcome: staff briefly present the tower’s history before the climb.
- Climb: on foot, 251 steps according to the Opera’s advice page (the full staircase has 273 according to the tower’s fact sheet).
- Floor: uneven and slippery.
- The tower in figures (Opera): 58.36 m (191 ft) high, current tilt of about 5.115°, seven bells.
- On the square: the cathedral (free pass), the baptistery, the Camposanto, the Opera del Duomo museum.
Accessibility
The climb is not recommended for people with cardiovascular or muscular problems. Visitors with disabilities and their companion enter the tower free, on site only, on slots before 10 am and at the end of the day (after 6 pm if closing is at 8 pm, 5 pm if it is at 7 pm, 4 pm if it is at 6 pm), by writing to the Opera at least 5 days ahead.
Common mistakes (according to the official rules)
- Arriving late: no entry and no refund after the ticket time.
- Keeping your bag: handbags, bags and luggage go in the cloakroom before the climb.
- Coming with a child born after the cut-off year: refused, even if accompanied.
- Looking for a reduced rate for the tower: there is none.
- Entering the cathedral in beachwear: the Opera asks for appropriate dress and behaviour.
Checklist before you go
- Check the children’s birth year (8 years old by December 31 of the year of the visit).
- Book a slot on the Opera’s ticket office and note the exact time: no lateness tolerated.
- Plan to leave bags and luggage in the cloakroom before the climb.
- Wear suitable shoes: uneven, slippery floor.
- Check the day’s hours calendar on opapisa.it.
- Plan appropriate dress for the cathedral, a place of worship.
What to see nearby
Pisa is often combined with Florence. See our guides to visiting Florence and visiting Tuscany, as well as our Italy page.
Frequently asked questions
Can you climb the Tower of Pisa?
Yes, with a fixed-time ticket sold by the Opera della Primaziale Pisana. The climb is on foot and takes about 30 minutes.
What is the minimum age to climb the Tower of Pisa?
Children must be 8 at the latest on December 31 of the year of the visit: in 2027, born in 2019 or earlier. Under-18s must be accompanied.
How many steps does the Tower of Pisa have?
The Opera’s advice page gives 251 steps for the climb; the tower’s fact sheet mentions a staircase of 273 steps.
How much does it cost to enter the Tower of Pisa?
The price is published on the Prices page of opapisa.it; we could not read it when we checked on 15 October 2026. There is no reduced rate for the tower.
Can you keep your bag during the climb?
No: handbags, bags and luggage must be left in the cloakroom before the visit.
Our sources
- Opera della Primaziale Pisana, A few words of advice before you buy your ticket, Tower and Opening and closing time, consulted on 15 October 2026.
- NOAA / WMO, 1991–2020 normals for Florence-Peretola (via our page on the best time to visit Tuscany).
- NOAA, solar calculation algorithm; coordinates: Wikipedia / Wikidata (Q39054).
- Our methodology
Updated November 2026.
