Tuesday 15 April 2014

Siena and San Gimignano Day Trip from Florence


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  • Location: Florence, Italy
  • Duration:  10 hours (approx.)

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Visit two highlights of Tuscany, the charming cities of Siena and San Gimignano, on an action-packed day trip from Florence. After traveling through the gorgeous Chianti countryside, visit Siena Duomo to see incredible frescoes inside the Libreria Piccolomini hall. Learn about Siena’s famous 'contrades' neighborhoods on a visit to one of the city's contrada museums, and then head to San Gimignano. Visit San Gimignano 1300 Museum to see miniature models of the ancient city made, and sample local wine and sweets!

Highlights

  • Day trip to Siena and San Gimignano from Florence, led by a tour escort
  • Travel through the picturesque Chianti countryside in Tuscany
  • Explore Siena Duomo and admire the frescoes inside the Libreria Piccolomini hall
  • Visit one of Siena's contrade museums and learn all about the city's famous contrades
  • Walk through San Gimignano 1300 Museum, see a craft demonstration and sample wine and sweets

Recent Photos of This Tour

What You Can Expect

Siena and San Gimignano Day Trip from Florence
Admire the beautiful Siena Duomo
Leave Florence by air-conditioned coach and travel south to Siena, passing through the postcard-perfect Tuscan countryside. Travel through the area known as Chianti, admiring the idyllic landscape of verdant green hills punctuated by cypress trees, vineyards and olive groves. After 1.5 hours, stop in the medieval walled city of Siena – Tuscany’s elegantly beautiful second city.

Your first visit is Siena Duomo, a majestic medieval cathedral that dominates the city’s UNESCO-listed Old Town. Head inside the cathedral with your guide and admire highlights like the Libreria Piccolomini – a hall adorned with frescoes depicting the early life of Pope Pius II. After marveling at the artwork, stroll to one of the city's contrada museums.

The museum is dedicated to information about Siena’s famous contrades, and as you browse the exhibits, your guide will talk to you about their origins. Loosely translated as districts, the contrades have individual legacies of traditions and each one boasts their own flag and anthems. Learn of the contrades’ role during Siena’s legendary Palio horse race, and browse the historical documents on display.

After a break in Piazza del Campo for lunch (own expense), board your coach and travel to San Gimignano, roughly an hour away. Head inside San Gimignano 1300 Museum, which showcases life in the city 700 years ago, and watch a crafts demonstration where miniature models of San Gimignano buildings are made. Learn about the different techniques in ceramic production from hand decorating to firing the clay, and then sample a glass of white wine made from the locally renowned vernaccia grape. Try a selection of medieval sweets, too, such as ricciarelli (rich biscuits) and panforte (moist and sumptuous fruit cake).

Enjoy free time to explore the museum and town, and then return to your coach for your journey back to Florence, finishing your tour at the start point.

Please note: Siena Duomo is closed each Sunday and the contrada museums occasionally close with little notice. Should these attractions be closed on the day of your tour, visits will be arranged to the Basilica of San Domenico or the cathedral museum (Opera del Duomo), instead.

Customer Reviews

5 star rating: Highly RecommendedApril 2014
terrific tour well planned easy to find meeting point. staff very friendly and helpful. the day out was very enjoyable--the highlight of our Florence citybreak
5 star rating: Highly RecommendedApril 2014
I only did the Siena tour as it was way too strenuous for me to do another. This tour requires you be in excellent steep walking ability (think San Francisco upward hills), which I do not have. However, the tour itself was just excellent! I got so much out of it, and our tour guides were just great and loaded with good information. I totally enjoyed the Siena tour--even if I had a really hard time with the walking.
The tour guide for our bus was so sweet that, when I sat at the bus stop in San Gimignano while the others did the tour, she even brought me a coffee and wouldn't let me pay her for it. So kind!
This is an excellent tour if you are in shape, but I am getting over some back problems where I had to sit alot for 2 years and just was too hard for me. But it is a fantastic tour.
Siena is beautiful, so interesting and built so strange on one hill after another high up in elevation. So worth your time!

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