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San GimignanoCulture & history

Our most recommended San Gimignano Culture & history

From Florence: Day Trip Pisa, Siena & San Gimignano w/Lunch

1. From Florence: Day Trip Pisa, Siena & San Gimignano w/Lunch

Experience the wonders of Tuscany on one memorable day. Leave Florence for a 12-hour excursion and see the beautiful landscapes, architecture, and artworks of the region. Treat yourself to some local cuisine, and choose a guided tour in your language to learn even more about the historic area. Begin with Pisa and visit its stunning Piazza dei Miracoli. Admire the Baptistery, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, and, of course, the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa. After your free time in Pisa, head to a typical Tuscan winery in the Chianti Area and enjoy a delicious lunch with some local wine. Explore the city of Siena and visit to Piazza del Campo, where the Palio di Siena horse race is run, and Piazza del Duomo, where you will see the exterior of the magnificent cathedral. Enjoy your last stop in San Gimignano, a UNESCO medieval town, world-known for its Vernaccia di San Gimignano. The system of towers of San Gimignano tells the glories of the powerful families. Between saffron fields and typical indigenous vineyards, the city knows how to offer postcard views.

From Florence: Tuscany Day Trip with Lunch at Chianti winery

2. From Florence: Tuscany Day Trip with Lunch at Chianti winery

Begin your journey of Tuscany at Florence’s central train station, where you will be greeted by your guide who will take care of you throughout the day.  Head straight to Siena, Italy’s most picturesque medieval city, whereupon arrival your guide will take you on a walking tour. Look up to admire the lovely terracotta roofs adorning the buildings and marvel at the magnificent Gothic and Romanesque architecture of the main cathedral.   Next, head to the hilltop town of San Gimignano, a UNESCO world heritage site, famous for the tower houses built in the Middle Ages. Enjoy free time here to see its splendid squares, palaces, churches, and magnificent towers. The last stop on your Tuscan excursion is a visit to Pisa and its iconic leaning tower. Take a stroll through the Piazza dei Miracoli and see other marvelous monuments, before driving back to Florence. Best of all, choose from either a small-group or private guided experience to make your trip special. Choose the lunch option to enjoy a homemade lunch paired with an informal wine tasting at a traditional wine estate in the Chianti wine region. Savor 4 regional wines at lunch and learn about their unique production techniques. Feast on an organic, farmhouse meal while you overlook the rolling vineyards under the Tuscan sun.

Tuscany: Siena, San Gimignano, Chianti, and Pisa Day Tour

3. Tuscany: Siena, San Gimignano, Chianti, and Pisa Day Tour

Spend the day discovering many of the main highlights of the Tuscan countryside on this guided tour with a traditional Italian lunch included. Make your way through the rolling hills as you discover the charm of Pisa, San Gimignano, and Siena. Your first stop will be Pisa and the Square of Miracles. See the cathedral, baptistery, and, of course, the famous Leaning Tower. The Leaning Tower is almost 56 meters tall, about 183 feet, and leans at about 4 degrees, making it one of the most famous and iconic buildings in the world.  From Pisa, drive past hilltop hamlets scattered across some of the most beautiful and enchanting areas of the countryside. Arrive at San Gimignano where a traditional Tuscan lunch with wine tasting will be served, if the option is selected. Continue to the preserved medieval village of San Gimignano, a UNESCO World Heritage site often nicknamed the “Manhattan of the Middle Ages” because of its famous tall, narrow towers. Explore the town center and the charming craftsmen shops along the cobbled stone streets and small squares. End the tour in Siena, a hilltop town rich in art and traditions. Stroll the pedestrian historical center and visit the beautiful local cathedral. Take a guided walking tour along the small medieval streets and squares, passing the oldest bank in the world, and the Piazza del Campo. Sample Lunch Menu - Appetizer: cold cuts ( prosciutto, finocchiona, salami ) bruschetta olive oil and truffle oil pecorino cheese with balsamic vinegar and green salad - Main Course: penne with meat ragout and parmesan cheese - Dessert: homemade tart with jam and vinsanto - Tasting of 3 different wines

San Gimignano and Volterra: Day Tour from Siena

4. San Gimignano and Volterra: Day Tour from Siena

Start your day tour with a scenic drive from Siena to San Gimignano. Stop in Monteriggioni to see the well-preserved fortress built in the 13th century. Explore San Gimignano, admiring its many medieval towers. Listed by UNESCO, the town also boasts numerous artisanal boutiques. Head to a small family-run farm to enjoy lunch made with the farm’s seasonal products. Taste dishes prepared with saffron, and accompanied by Vernaccia wine. Continue to Volterra, stopping at a small alabaster workshop to see the ancient art of sculpting. In Volterra, admire the harmonious blend of Etruscan, Roman, Medieval, and Renaissance styles as you walk along the streets of the historic center.

From Florence: San Gimignano and Siena Full-Day Tour

5. From Florence: San Gimignano and Siena Full-Day Tour

Start your tour from Florence with pick-up from Piazzale Montelungo, and transfer to San Gimignano & Siena. Our transport service leaves from Florence at 9:10 a.m., then you can choose how to spend your time to visit San Gimignano & Siena. Our bus will pick-up our passenger from the first stop in Piazzale Montelungo and then it will reach San Gimignano & Siena as per scheduled timing. Firenze - Piazzale Montelungo: 9:10 a.m. San Gimignano - Bivio Volterra: 10:10 a.m. The bus will then leave you in San Gimignano, so that you can explore the city freely. After the morning visit, you will pick-up the bus to go in Siena. From San Gimignano to Siena: San Gimignano - Bivio Volterra 1:00 p.m. Afterwards, the travelers will be picked up to return to Florence: From Siena to Florence: Siena - Via Vittorio Veneto 5:00 p.m. For any information or emergency call the number +39 3499851222

From Siena: San Gimignano, Montalcino & Wine Tasting

6. From Siena: San Gimignano, Montalcino & Wine Tasting

The first part of your full-day tour begins with a visit to the walled medieval town of San Gimignano, the City of Fine Towers. Armed with helpful information from your tour escort you’ll have free time to explore the town’s historical center and browse its artisan shops. Visit San Gimignano, the birthplace of Vernaccia, a white wine produced exclusively in the area. The wine is noted for its high quality and for being the first Italian DOCG wine. Afterwards, stop at a winery for a lunch of salami, cheese, and other local products, accompanied by Chianti tasting.  Discover Val d’Orcia, another Tuscan jewel and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Continue on to Montalcino, perched on a hill overlooking 1,500 hectares of Brunello vineyards that have contributed to the area’s international reputation. Finally, enter a local wine cellar, where you’ll have a chance to taste the renowned Brunello of Montalcino, rated among the finest Italian DOCG wines. Sample other typical local products as well.

San Gimignano Cathedral Entry Ticket

7. San Gimignano Cathedral Entry Ticket

Pre-book your entry ticket and audio guide to the Cathedral of San Gimignano, one of the city’s most important monuments. The walls of the church are entirely lined with frescoes that recount stories of the New and Old Testaments painted by artists of the 14th-century Sienese school. Discover the wonders of the San Gimignano Cathedral immediately upon entering. Admire the interior of the church, characterized by 14 classical Tuscan stone columns, 10 of which are round and the other four octagonal. The cycle of frescoes of the New Testament on the church’s right wall is a masterpiece by Lippo and Federico Memmi. On the left wall, spot the Stories of the Old Testament, painted in 1367 by Bartolo di Fredi. The interior also presents polychrome decorations typical of medieval churches, such as the unique painted-blue cross vault and the intrados of the arches separating the nave from the aisles decorated with a striped motif typical of the Tuscan taste. The cathedral also holds a precious Renaissance jewel, the Chapel of Santa Fina, on which three famous Florentine artists worked: an architect, Giuliano da Maiano; a sculptor, Benedetto da Maiano; and a painter, Domenico Ghirlandaio. This piece is dedicated to San Gimignano’s best-loved saint. 

From Florence: Tuscany Highlights Full-Day Tour

8. From Florence: Tuscany Highlights Full-Day Tour

See all the treasures Tuscany has to offer with stops at Pisa, San Gimignano, and Siena. Tour the scenic Chianti countryside and enjoy a Tuscan lunch served with local wines. Take in the panoramic views of the Chianti countryside, before stopping in Siena. Here, a specialist guide joins the group and leads the walk around the most important squares to the Cathedral. Finish your tour with a coffee and visit the local shops. After lunch, explore one of the most famous medieval hilltop villages in Italy, San Gimignano, and discover the maze of cobbled streets, small squares, and many local artisan shops. Your day will end with some free time in Pisa and admire the stunning Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Monumental Cemetery, and the celebrated Leaning Tower. Continue to a wine estate or restaurant in the foothills of San Gimignano and enjoy a typical Tuscan lunch with wine tasting.

San Gimignano: The Medieval City

9. San Gimignano: The Medieval City

Discover how people used to once live in a tower here during the Middle Ages, and many more mysterious historical facts during this tour of the medieval city of San Gimignano. A professional local guide will be available every Sunday at 11:00 am in front of the San Gimignano Tourist Office in Piazza Duomo, ready to help you start exploring the city. The visit starts in Piazza Duomo, where most of the medieval towers are concentrated, then it continues along the medieval main street of the city, called Via San Matteo. You will continue until you reach the Church of Sant’Agostino, built in the late 13th Century, with splendid Renaissance frescoes by Benozzo Gozzoli. You will then go back toward the city center through some side streets, stopping to admire the views from the ruins of the Montestaffoli fortress. The tour will end in Piazza della Cisterna, surrounded by very well preserved medieval buildings and towers.

From Florence: PRIVATE Trip to Pisa, San Gimignano, & Siena

10. From Florence: PRIVATE Trip to Pisa, San Gimignano, & Siena

What To Expect • Stop At: Pisa, Tuscany. A comfortable one-hour drive will take you to Pisa. As soon as you arrive, you will pass by the historic suburbs and encounter Piazza dei Cavalieri, the original political center of medieval Pisa. It was later transformed by Cosimo I de’ Medici into the center for the Order of the Knights of Santo Stefano, created to defend the Tuscan and Mediterranean coasts from Turkish and pirate fleets. • Stop At: Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa and its Piazza dei Miracoli have always been a fundamental part of a trip to Tuscany, and despite the presence of the many tourists, the place radiates a timeless, evocative and powerful beauty. Visitors from every corner of the world typically try to keep the leaning tower upright, with a little help from their camera’s perspective, to make for amusing photos! Duration: 1 hour • Stop At: Historic Center of San Gimignano, Tuscany. The beautiful stronghold of San Gimignano is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Tuscany. San Gimignano is a treasure of medieval architecture, frozen in time in the year 1300. Above all, it is famous for its ancient towers, which still stand out from its skyline. Don't forget to stop by the famous Dondoli ice cream shop, winner of many awards for the best ice cream in the world. Duration: 1 hour • Stop At: Piazza della Cisterna, San Gimignano, Tuscany. Piazza della Cisterna dates back to 1287. It is located exactly in the center of the city, at a crossroads between the two main streets of the upper medieval village. While the city’s Piazza del Duomo served both as a religious and political center, Piazza della Cisterna was instead used as a local market and as a stage for social gatherings, parties and tournaments. • Stop At: Centro Storico di Siena. Siena is one of the most popular and visited places in Tuscany. It is known throughout Italy for its distinguished medieval architecture. Upon arrival, explore its rich history and art, through its notable local monuments such as the famous seashell-shaped Piazza del Campo and the outstanding Siena Cathedral. Many local shops fill the historic streets of Siena, a great opportunity for you to taste local food or buy some gifts! Duration: 2 hours • Pass by: Cathedral square, Siena. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is the main location of Catholic worship in Tuscany, and the diocese of Siena. The building is located in the square of the same name in the center of the city. Built in Italian Gothic style, it is one of the most significant and spectacular churches built in Italy. •Pass by: Piazza del Campo, Siena. Piazza del Campo (or simply, il Campo) is the main square of the city of Siena. Unique for its particular and original seashell shape, it is renowned all over the world for its beauty and architectural integrity, as well as for being the place where the Palio di Siena takes place twice a year.

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What people are saying about San Gimignano

Overall rating

4.5 / 5

based on 3,949 reviews

Had tour leader Martha and driver Boris. Long day trip but very interesting and good scenery. Tour leader was very friendly and knowledgeable. Leaves from Florence and visits Siena (free time), Chianti for lunch at winery, San Gimignano (free time) and Pisa (free time). There is a fair amount of walking on this tour and you are given free time. The tour leader is a leader and not a guide so you do not get guided tours by them at each location. Can pay for 1 hour walking tour in Siena at extra cost. We had sufficient free time at each location however we would have liked a little bit more free time in San Gimignano. Good value especially as 3 course lunch with wine is supplied.

Stefono was an amazing tour guide: great knowledge of the area, just the right amount of wit, and he cared about us having a good experience! We also had a local guide in Sienna, who was amazing in her own right. The lunch was absolutely delicious with a variety of wines, good food, and a great view! The whole day was a whirlwind and left you ready for a nap on the drive back to Florence, but it was a fantastic experience well worth the price!

Alex was such an amazing tour guide. He was friendly and really made the experience the best of tuscany. the tour was beautiful and so informative

It was a great way to see Tuscany in a short amount of time. The lunch at the winery was excellent!

Todo excelente, bonita experiencia con esta compañía