Things to Do in Pisa in December
December weather, activities, events & insider tips
December Weather in Pisa
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
Is December Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
- + Piazza dei Miracoli with a fraction of the usual tourists. You might get a photo of the Leaning Tower without ten people's elbows in the frame. The morning chill on the stone pavement feels appropriately ancient.
- + The Christmas lights on Borgo Stretto, the main shopping arcade, go up in early December. They turn the 12th-century passageways into a canopy of white bulbs that reflect off the damp cobblestones. The perfect backdrop for a post-dinner stroll with a paper cup of hot cioccolata densa.
- + Food in Pisa pivots to winter richness. You'll find roasted chestnuts (castagne) sold from carts on Ponte di Mezzo, the river bridge. Menus feature game birds, slow-cooked wild boar (cinghiale), and ribollita, a thick Tuscan bread and vegetable soup that warms you through.
- + Hotel rates drop significantly after the November trade fairs end. A stay in a restored palazzo on the quieter side of the Arno, like near the Palazzo Blu, becomes much more attainable.
- − The damp cold in Pisa, thanks to that 70% humidity, gets into your bones. It's the kind that a thin jacket won't cut. You'll find yourself ducking into the first open doorway, whether it's a church or a bar, just to stand near a heater.
- − Many smaller trattorias beloved by locals in the San Martino quarter close for a week or two over the holidays, from around December 23rd through early January. Your backup plan? Head to the central market area near Piazza delle Vettovaglie, where the old-school places remain stubbornly open.
- − While the main sites are open, some of Pisa's best charms suffer. The botanic gardens near the Knights' Square and leisurely bike rides along the river to the church of San Piero a Grado are much less appealing when the sky is a flat, low gray and the ground is wet.
Best Activities in December
Top things to do during your visit
December is the one time you can properly *see* the architecture without crowds. The pale marble of the Baptistery looks even more ethereal against a moody sky. A guided visit means you can linger in the warmth of the Cathedral to hear about the pulpit carvings, rather than rushing through. The damp air quiets the piazza, so the echo of the hourly Baptistery demonstration is startlingly clear.
Winter in Tuscany is about what's in the pot, not on the grill. This is the season for *pappa al pomodoro*, for rich bean soups, and for bakeries to sell *panforte*, the dense, spiced Christmas cake from Siena. A private food tour in December ducks into steamy, hole-in-the-wall spots in the market district where the aroma of simmering sauces and baking bread is the main decor. You'll taste the seasonal shift up close.
The quarries in the Apuan Alps above Carrara are arguably more dramatic in winter. Low clouds cling to the jagged peaks, and the sheer white cliffs of marble stand out starkly against the dark green of the pines. It's colder up there, obviously, but the tours go into the cathedral-like caverns inside the mountains, where the temperature is constant and you're out of any rain. The drive itself, through misty valleys, is a moody slice of Tuscany few see.
This might seem counterintuitive, but a December visit to the Cinque Terre, when managed right, strips away the postcard cliché and shows you the real, quiet fishing villages. The minivan gets you between towns quickly and in warmth, while a short ferry ride, if the sea is calm, gives you the well-known view of the pastel houses clinging to the cliffs without the summer boat traffic. You'll have the narrow *caruggi* lanes of Vernazza or Manarola nearly to yourself.
The medieval hill towns of Tuscany wear December well. The cold, damp air feels right among the stone towers of San Gimignano and the Etruscan walls of Volterra. Crowds are thin, so you can hear your footsteps echo in the vaulted courtyards. In Volterra, you can watch alabaster artisans at work in their warm workshops, the dust hanging in the light from their windows. A perfect indoor activity.
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