Discover Lucca’s Secrets on a Guided Walking Tour
Description
If you are travelling with your family, in a small group, or individually, share the experience of a guided tour of Lucca’s historic center with others. It is an interesting and economical way to discover the wonders of the town.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The tour begins in Piazzale Verdi at the old Porta San Donato where the tourist information centre is located, adjacent to the historic Renaissance walls.
From Piazzale Verdi, you will walk along Via San Paolino which corresponds to the ancient Roman street (Decumanus Maximus), passing by the Renaissance church dedicated to the Patron Saint of the town, San (Saint) Paolino. At the end of the street, behold Piazza San Michele, the area where the ancient Roman forum was located. Time to stop to photograph the spectacular facade of the 12th century church of the same name. Along the way, you will encounter Lucca's most famous celebrity, Giacomo Puccini, and see the exterior of the building where he was born. Still today, his operas fascinate audiences all around the world!
Stroll along to reach Via Fillungo, the main and busiest shopping street of the town where both traditional shops and medieval tower houses live. The two highest civic towers will also be covered: Torre delle Ore (the tower with the clock) and the very particular Torre Guinigi, which is crowned by seven holm oak trees. More surprises await, such as the stunning Byzantine-style mosaic on the facade of one of Lucca's best-loved churches: San Frediano.
Just a few steps away from San Frediano church is one of the most beautiful squares in Lucca, Piazza Anfiteatro. The elliptical shape of the characteristic piazza is due to subsequent construction of buildings over the foundations of the ancient Roman amphitheatre.
A short walk along more medieval streets and you will reach the Cathedral of San Martino with its unusual and striking Pisa-Lucca Romanesque facade. This is where the tour ends. However, if you are not too tired, the guide will be very happy to continue the tour inside the Cathedral. There is a € 3.00 entrance fee. In the interior, the Volto Santo (the Holy Face), an evocative wooden crucifix, highly venerated for centuries and the symbol of Lucca, an incredible Last Supper painted by Tintoretto, and, in the sacristy, the beautiful marble sarcophagus of Ilaria del Carretto, the early 15th century masterpiece sculpted by Jacopo della Quercia of Siena, await your visit.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
- Adult rate applies to travelers 15 years and older
- Children ages 0-14 are free with a paid adult
Reviews(526)
We really enjoyed our walking tour of Lucca with Nadia. She was incredibly knowledgeable and insightful, and her stories and explanations gave us a much better understanding of the city and its history. What we particularly appreciated was that Nadia added a little something extra to the tour. She took us to what, in her opinion, is the best place for gelato and granita in Lucca. It wasn't part of the standard itinerary, but it turned out to be a fantastic recommendation – the kids were absolutely delighted! That personal touch made the tour feel less like a standard sightseeing experience and more like being shown around the city by someone who genuinely knows and loves Lucca. Thank you, Nadia, for a wonderful experience. Highly recommended!
The joining point is inside at the information centre, I was not aware of this. Very informative but also Italian people on the tour and so a lot of time spent waiting for the guide to give the Italian version too. Was late finishing by at least half an hour and we missed the end in order to catch a train.
Lucca is a very beautiful city. I rented an apartment in the historic area, within the walls. I decided to base myself there to travel to other places in Tuscany. Everything by train. Lucca exudes history in every street you walk down. Its people are friendly; its food and coffee are tasty; its architecture shows the different stages and styles as time has passed. I loved it and would go back again.
This was a great tour of Lucca. Our guide was lovely, welcoming, and very knowledgeable about the history of Lucca. I would highly recommend this experience to anyone who wants to walk around Lucca and learn the background of this fabulous city.
The tour had about 25 English speaking customers and 2 Italian so the guide spent half the time speaking Italian and completely lost the interest of the group
The instructions were detailed and took us all over the interesting places in Lucca, thank you!
Wonderful tour with just the right amount of information and duration. The meeting point is at the Tourist Information Centre not as specified on Viator.
This is the perfect way to get a taste of the history and stories of Lucca. Our guide was full of knowledge and stories. She even stayed with us after the 2 hours and continued to show us around. She was a joy to be with!
A beautiful afternoon in the company of the guide Antonella, who was excellent with her explanations, making the tour enjoyable and interesting while engaging our kids. Very well-prepared and very helpful, a lover of her job, she narrated the beauties of Lucca along with all its historical events up to the present day. Congratulations
An excellent walking tour. Claudia was a great guide with so much history. So helpful and friendly.
