Food Tours · Tour
Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa in a Day with a Winery Lunch
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
FlorenceTwelve hours, three towns and a long lunch, which is the standard shape of a Tuscany day trip and is worth doing once. Siena comes first, an hour from Florence by coach. A local guide takes the group through the centre for about an hour, ending at the cathedral square: Piazza del Campo, where the Palio is run bareback between the city's own neighbourhoods; the Torre del Mangia, third tallest tower in Italy; and the Duomo, which holds work by a long list of Renaissance names and the Piccolomini Library behind it. Lunch is an hour further on, at a family winery in the countryside outside San Gimignano. Three courses, Tuscan meat and cheese, pasta, dessert, with wines paired to each. San Gimignano itself is fifteen minutes away, and the free hour there is enough to see the thirteen surviving towers that gave it the nickname of a medieval Manhattan and sit in Piazza della Cisterna with a gelato. Pisa closes the day. An hour in the Piazza dei Miracoli, with the cathedral, the baptistery, the cemetery and the tower, and the option of climbing it if the queue allows. Up to nine people per booking, and the language depends on the season: English and Spanish always run, while French, Italian and Portuguese need a minimum number, and Korean, Japanese and Mandarin arrive through an audio guide app with an English-speaking tour leader on the coach. Two things change what you get: the Semi Independent option drops the guide in Siena, and the Low Cost option drops both the guide and the lunch. Vegetarian and gluten-free lunches with notice. The order of the stops can change.
What's included
- Departure and Return from/to Florence (Piazzale Montelungo Bus Station)
- Siena tour with professional guide with Headsets (if option selected)
- Free time in Pisa and San Gimignano
- Expert multilingual Tour Leader
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- Journey by fully-fitted GT Coach with air conditioning and free Wi-Fi on board
- Typical Tuscan Lunch with Wine Pairing in a charming wine estate (if option selected)
Itinerary
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Piazzale Montelungo, Firenze
The Tours & News kiosk at Piazzale Montelungo bus terminal, five to ten minutes on foot from Santa Maria Novella station. Look for staff in fuchsia CiaoFlorence jackets holding a CiaoFlorence clipboard.
Florence
The coach leaves Piazzale Montelungo early, five to ten minutes' walk from Santa Maria Novella. About an hour to Siena, with the guide filling it in on the way and answering questions.
Siena
Siena, a medieval city on the UNESCO list. The guide walks the group through the streets to Piazza del Campo, where a city guide takes over for about an hour, ending at the cathedral square. The Semi Independent and Low Cost options do not include this guided walk.
Piazza del Campo
Piazza del Campo, where Siena gathers and where the Palio is run between the city's neighbourhoods. About thirty minutes here on the history of the square.
Torre del Mangia
Torre del Mangia, the clocktower over the city and the third tallest in Italy, attached to the Palazzo Pubblico. Fifteen minutes outside it.
Costo extra
Duomo di Siena
The guided walk ends at Siena Cathedral, which mixes several styles and holds work by a long list of Renaissance names. Twenty minutes to go in on your own ticket, and the Piccolomini Library on the way out. Then free time in the centre before the group moves on.
Costo extra
Strada Statale 222 Chiantigiana
An hour through the hills to a family-owned winery outside San Gimignano, with olive groves and vineyards on every side. Three courses, a Tuscan meat and cheese plate, pasta and dessert, with wines paired to them. Then fifteen minutes on to San Gimignano. Lunch is not included in the Low Cost option.
San Gimignano
San Gimignano, visible from a long way off because of its towers: thirteen still standing, which is why it gets called a medieval Manhattan. The guide takes the group to a viewpoint first, then in through the gates, and you have an hour.
Piazza Della Cisterna
Piazza della Cisterna, the main square, with the cathedral and the architecture around it. A good place for a gelato or a coffee.
Collegiata di Santa Maria Assunta - Duomo di San Gimignano
The cathedral in San Gimignano, frescoed throughout and skipped by most visitors, which is a mistake.
Pisa
About an hour on to Pisa, with the guide covering the city and its monuments on the way.
Piazza dei Miracoli
The Piazza dei Miracoli: white marble on cut grass, with the cathedral, the baptistery, the cemetery and the tower. An hour here, and everyone takes the photograph.
Leaning Tower of Pisa
If the queue allows, you can climb the Leaning Tower during the free hour, for the view over the square, the city, the Arno and the countryside behind it.
Costo extra
Duomo di Pisa
Pisa Cathedral, Romanesque outside and heavily decorated in gold and colour inside.
Costo extra
Florence
About an hour back to Piazzale Montelungo in Florence, by air-conditioned coach.
Piazzale Montelungo, Firenze
Not included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Guide in Siena in case you select the Semi Independent and the Low Cost Option
Good to know
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Specialized infant seats are available
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- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- Kindly note that the Semi Independent option does not include the local guide in Siena
- Please note that the given order of the visits may change
- LOW SEASON (From November, 1st to March, 24th): English and Spanish languages are always available. In order to confirm the excursion in French, Italian or Portuguese a minimum of 4 pax is required
- HIGH SEASON (From March 25th to October 31st): English and Spanish languages are always available. Other languages are confirmed as follows: FRENCH: Wednesday, Saturday - min 2 pax PORTUGUESE: Tuesday - min 2 pax ITALIAN: Sunday - min 2 pax
- With prior notice, we can accommodate Vegetarian and Gluten free customers for lunch
- If you select Chinese, Korean, or Japanese, the historical explanations and tour commentary will be provided exclusively via audio guide (via App) in your chosen language. You will not be left alone: a professional Tour Leader will accompany the group throughout the trip. The Tour Leader will manage the group and provide logistics, meeting point details, and emergency assistance in English, while the cultural insights will be delivered via the app in your language.
- May be operated by a multilingual guide
- Up to 9 travelers per booking.
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Guiding available in: ko, pt, cmn, ja, en, it, fr, es.
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