Siena, Italy: travel guide
A perfectly preserved medieval city on three hills in the heart of Tuscany. Siena revolves around the iconic fan-shaped Piazza del Campo, its striped marble Gothic Duomo, and the twice-yearly Palio horse race that divides citizens into 17 fierce contrade.
- Country
- Italy
- Currency
- EUR
- Time zone
- Europe/Rome
- Nearest airport
- FLR
Top places to visit in Siena
Synagogue of Siena
Synagogue · 4.5 rating · about 0.7 h · entry EUR 5
Neoclassical 18th-century synagogue in the historic Jewish ghetto, with guided visits
Orto Botanico di Siena
Nature · 4.4 rating · about 1.3 h · entry EUR 5
University botanical garden cascading down a medieval hillside with 1100 species
Piazza del Campo
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 1 h
Italy's finest medieval piazza: a fan-shaped shell of brick paving sloping to the 14th-century Palazzo Pubblico and Torre del Mangia, ringed by medieval palaces. Site of the Palio horse race every 2 July and 16 August, run since 1644.
Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena)
Church · 4.8 rating · about 1.5 h · entry EUR 8
One of Italy's supreme Gothic buildings (1215–1380): alternating bands of black and white Carrara marble, Pisano's carved pulpit, Pinturicchio's Piccolomini Library frescoes, and the remarkable inlaid marble floor — 56 scenes revealed only…
Torre del Mangia
Viewpoint · 4.7 rating · about 1 h · entry EUR 10
The 102-metre civic tower (1338) beside the Palazzo Pubblico on Piazza del Campo — climb 503 steps for the finest 360° view over Siena's terracotta cityscape and the Tuscan hills. One of the tallest medieval towers in Italy.
Siena Palio Festival Horse
Heritage · 4.9 rating · about 4 h
The Palio di Siena — the spectacular medieval horse race held twice yearly (2 July, 16 August) in the Piazza del Campo, with the historic contrade (neighbourhood) rivalries, the medieval costumes, and the most famous Italian medieval…
Siena San Gimignano Day
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 8 h
A day trip from Siena to San Gimignano — the spectacular medieval town with 14 surviving tower-houses (of the original 72), UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Medieval Manhattan, and the world's best gelato.
Siena Day Trip Florence
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 8 h
A day trip from Siena to Florence — the Renaissance capital just 70km north, with the Uffizi, the Accademia (David), the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, and the comparison between rival medieval republics.
Siena Chianti Wine Day
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 8 h
A day trip from Siena to the Chianti wine region — the spectacular hills with the famous Greve in Chianti, Radda, Castellina, the historic wine cellars, and the iconic Tuscan wine experience.
Palazzo Pubblico & Civic Museum
Museum · 4.7 rating · about 1.3 h
Siena's town hall (1297–1310) with Europe's most important medieval secular fresco cycle: Ambrogio Lorenzetti's Allegory of Good and Bad Government (1338–39) in the Sala della Pace.
Siena Chianti Wine Tour
Heritage · 4.8 rating · about 8 h
A Chianti wine tour from Siena — visiting the famous Chianti Classico vineyards in the spectacular Tuscan hills, with the historic wineries, the Sangiovese tastings, and the iconic black rooster heritage.
Siena Val d'Orcia Cypress
Nature · 4.9 rating · about 8 h
A day trip to the Val d'Orcia — the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage landscape of rolling Tuscan hills, the iconic cypress trees, the medieval villages of Bagno Vignoni and San Quirico, and the most photographed Tuscan scenery.
Things to do
- Siena Palio & Contrade Walking Tour Cultural · 3 h · from EUR 25 per person
Day trips and tours
- Siena Medieval Walking Tour with Palio History 3 h · from EUR 20
- Chianti Classico Wine Tour from Siena 5 h · from EUR 49
Where to stay in Siena
- Campo & Duomo Area about EUR 150 per night
Within the medieval walls; walk to Piazza del Campo and Duomo; cars banned inside
Hotels
- Campo Regio Relais 5-star · EUR 380 to EUR 900 per night
- Palazzo Ravizza 3-star · EUR 120 to EUR 260 per night
Where to eat
- Trattoria Papei Italian, Tuscan · about EUR 18 per person
- Osteria Le Logge Italian, Tuscan · about EUR 45 per person
- Enoteca I Terzi Italian, Tuscan · about EUR 30 per person
Getting around
- Bus main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.