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Wonders Of Lucca & Pisa: Pre-book & Save $10

Combine two of the most famous Tuscan towns: Lucca, with a colorful history that stretches back to the days of the ancient Etruscans, and Pisa with its famous Field of Miracles with the cathedral, baptistery, and of course, the Leaning Tower. Arriving in Lucca, take a guided walk through the old town, which retains its Renaissance-vintage fortified walls. Stroll from piazza to piazza and learn the city's history through its architecture. The Duomo, Lucca's Romanesque cathedral dates from the 12th century and features a facade with elaborate relieves and columns. The Gothic interior features an image of Christ on the cross, supposedly carved by Nicodemus, a purported witness of the crucifixion. The Duomo also boasts Tintoretto's magnificent painting of the Last Supper. You'll have free time in Lucca to enjoy your activity of choice; explore, eat or shop! Once a powerful maritime republic and a rival to Genoa and Venice, Pisa offers Renaissance splendor of its own. A short guided walk leads to the Field of Miracles where you'll receive a brief orientation on Pisan history. The Piazza is the site of Pisa's Duomo, baptistery, Campo Santo, and of course, the campanile – the famous Leaning Tower. Galileo is said to have used the 180-foot campanile during his experiments with gravity. Today, the tower leans 14-degrees from perpendicular. Recently reopened, admittance to the tower is limited and is not included in the excursion. Pisa's Duomo is a mixture of Tuscan and Romanesque styles and the black and white interior marble arches are thought to have been inspired by Islamic architecture. You'll have plenty of photo and shopping opportunities on this tour. Note: Should religious services be taking place in the Duomo, the guide will conduct an explanation outside and guests will be free to enter individually. Guests who are planning to visit religious sites during free time or on tour, please dress appropriately; no bare shoulders or shorts are allowed. You'll meet your guide in Lucca for your visit there and your other guide in Pisa for your visit to Pisa, however you'll have an escort with you throughout the day. In Pisa, you'll have to walk to and from the bus parking area approximately 15 minutes each way. Online price is inclusive of the Pre-book and Save offer.
Average:
4.2 out of 5
4.2
 out of 
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(5 Reviews) 5
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4 of 5(80%)customers would recommend this to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Wonders Of Lucca & Pisa: Pre-book & Save $10
Review 1 for Wonders Of Lucca & Pisa: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Historical: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Cultural: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Entertaining: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Dafne
Date:June 29, 2012
Wonderful cultural tour
I loved the tour of Lucca and Pisa, especially Lucca, important as the birthplace of composers Puccini and Boccherini. In my free time in Lucca, I bought a Murano glass pendant in a small, elegant shop, enjoyed a coffee by the main square and Renaissance cathedral, and visited Puccini's home which was recently designated a museum,. The museum has newsclippings of the time, opera programs, music, and Puccini's original 1901 Steinway piano. The town itself is charming and it was interesting to learn that it was a rival city to Pisa. Our tour guide was excellent - extremely informative, but with a delightful diffidence. Ending the tour in Pisa, with its spectacular cathedral and leaning tower, was perfect.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Review 2 for Wonders Of Lucca & Pisa: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Historical: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Cultural: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Entertaining: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
GeorgefromGeorgia
Location:Saint Simons Island, GA
Party size:1
I traveled with:Family
Date:June 5, 2012
Two Gems in a crown
We had been to Florence recently and took this tour, primarily to see Lucca, which we had not visited. Lucca was great. Another walled Italian city with ancient roots and loaded with history. The city still has its walls, medieval churches and a Roman arena turned into homes. Our tourguide, Antonella (sp?) was excellent, informed and with a good sense of humor. After Lucca, we visited Field of Miracles at Pisa that included the leaning tower, Cathedral and Baptistry. We had been there before and only went through the Cathedral, which cost two euros each. The tower was 15euros and we had not made reservations. This was a great tour and I strongly recommend it to others.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
Review 3 for Wonders Of Lucca & Pisa: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall: 
2 out of 5
2 out of 5
Historical: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Cultural: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Entertaining: 
1 out of 5
1 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
3 out of 5
3 out of 5
Bella213
Date:October 27, 2011
Enjoyed other excursions much more
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Well, what to say about this tour. I guess I can start by saying it wasn't what we expected. I fully expected to receive the history of the towns and maybe some side stories. I think it would have been a little more beneficial to receive a chunk of the history while we were walking from place to place instead of stopping in front of the sights and being overly excited to experience them, but waiting until the guide was done talking. With that said, Lucca wasn't my favorite place. Yes, there was a lot of history and many beautiful sights to see. However, we received 2 full hours of free time in Lucca after our 2 hour guided tour. This wasn't needed. The town is so complex and the streets are so narrow, one could easily get lost in those two hours and never find the way back to the bus. We were given a map, but honestly I couldn't have found my way if I were lost using it. As a matter of fact, some members of our group did get lost and were about 10 minutes late getting back to the bus in Lucca. This also happened in Pisa, where about 4 people were over 30 minutes late getting back to the meeting point.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Pisa. I believe we received about 45 minutes of free time. I felt it would have been nice to have relatively the same amount of free time in both Lucca and Pisa. In Lucca we received about a 2 hours guided tour. In Pisa, about 30-45 minutes. Clearly the highlight of this tour was Lucca, not Pisa. If equal time was spent in both places, I think it would have been better.
Okay, so you're probably thinking...why didn't you voice your concerns to NCL? Well, I did. I didn't do so to get anyone in trouble, just to let them know my thoughts on certain things. Even though we didn't request it, we were given a 10% discount off the price of the tour. I also understand this is not NCL's tour, they contract through tour companies...but if customers are expecting one thing and not receiving it, I think NCL would like to know and they were very appreciative of our feedback. As a matter of fact, we discussed this tour with a few other couples later in the cruise and they had also complained about this tour.
13 of 14 people found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Wonders Of Lucca & Pisa: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall: 
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Historical: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Cultural: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Entertaining: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Cultural/Educational: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
MissedMe
Date:October 12, 2011
Nice trip
This was a great excursion. I didn't know what to expect of Lucca but ended up being really happy I chose to go. My only complaint is that we had a lot of free time to roam Lucca and not enough in Miracle Square. Overall I would definitely recommend this excursion when going to this port.
Review 5 for Wonders Of Lucca & Pisa: Pre-book & Save $10
Overall: 
5 out of 5
5 out of 5
Marcia55
Location:Coconut Creek, FL
I traveled with:Self
Cruise Date Month:July
Cruise Date Year:2011
Favorite activities:Relaxing
Favorite port:Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
I want to go here next:Caribbean
Date:August 13, 2011
Pisa & a Taste of Tuscany
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I opted to start my excursions at a slower pace, starting with Pisa. Most of it was free time & I admit we did not really have time to stand in line & explore the architecture.
Then we went to Tuscany to tour a small Vineyard and Olive Tree farm. Our guide was informative & sweet. Then we sat down to the most wonderful lunch ever! It started with hot pasta & the foot kept coming. Cheese, olives, cold meat, & of course, all the wine we could sample & drink. This is a great excursion.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.