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Cruise to Florence / Pisa (Livorno), Italy

One of Italy's oldest port cities, Livorno is a small but historically rich city. Check out the red-hued Fortezza Nuova, a 16th-century fortress, and the surrounding area known as Nuova Venezia ("New Venice"), and take a mini-sailboat ride through its charming canals. Cruise to Livorno and use the city as your jumping-off point to the beauty of Tuscany: Take the 30-minute drive to Pisa and snap a quintessential picture with the city's famous leaning tower. Or head to Florence — about an hour from Livorno by car or train — where you can see the unmistakable Duomo ("dome") and the Byzantine-style frescoes of Saint John's Baptistery.

National Language Italian

Currency Accepted Euro (EUR)

Things To Do in Florence / Pisa (Livorno)

Pisa Lungarno in Pisa, Italy

Respite by the River

Leave the tourist masses behind at the Leaning Tower on the Field of Miracles in Pisa and escape for a pleasant stroll along the banks of the Arno River. Admire the colors and architecture of the palazzi that line the southern riverside embankment, stop for a picnic with some simple focaccia bread, mozzarella and wine, and continue to Pisa's medieval heart north of the water.

Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, Italy

City Panorama

In Florence, hike up the 418-steps of the Torre d'Arnolfo tower, part of the Palazzo Vecchio. The fortress palace was built in the fourteenth century and is still Florence's seat of power. Inside, admire Michelangelo's Genio della Vittoria sculpture as well as several large paintings by other masters such as Giorgio Vasari.

Frontal view of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence, Italy

Marble and Monasticism

Visit Florence's Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, with its eye-catching green-and-white marble facade. Inside the basilica, built between the 13th and 15th centuries, you'll find countless artistic masterpieces, such as the frescoes by Domenico Ghirlandaio. Continue through a side door into the vast, serene monastic complex.

Local Cuisine

Tuscans share a proud culinary tradition, with seasonal and sustainable quality ingredients sourced locally. Cruise to Livorno to sample a traditional bowl of earthy ribollita (bean, bread and vegetable soup) from a humble family-run eatery. Sample a bistecca alla fiorentina, or Florentine steak, cooked over roasted chestnuts to impart a smoky flavor. Or grab some salami, parmesan cheeses and biscotti for lunch from the Mercato Centrale.

Leather diaries for sale in Florence, Italy

Shopping

Ignore the souvenir shops around Pisa's tower and head to the main shopping streets Corso Italia and Borgo Stretto, where you'll find Italian fashion shops. In stylish Florence, homegrown designers include Guccio Gucci and Salvatore Ferragamo. During your Tuscany cruise, look for the workshops in the medieval alleys, with handcrafted jewelry and leather goods from shoes to purses.