Florence Day Trip to Siena and San Gimignano

Meet your private driver/guide at 9am for the pleasant hour and a half drive to Siena, probably one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. Scarcely any street is level as the city is built on 7 hills giving the winding narrow streets a charm all of their own. Of particular note is the gothic black and white marbled Duomo (1136-1382) with its stunning marble-inlaid floor. Stroll down the various winding streets, climb the 505 steps to the top of the Torre del Mangia, the bell tower of the Palazzo Pubblico, for spectacular views across the city. This is the second highest medieval tower at 102m (330ft) ever built in Italy between 1338-48. Afterwards descend to the grand Piazza del Campo where the famous Palio is held each July and August

As we travel on to San Gimignano, stop in Monteriggioni; a walled castle (built 1214-1219) and a strategic defensive outpost for Siena on top of a hill overlooking the Cassia Road. The intact fortified wall has 14 towers and 2 gates, the Franca or Romea Gate facing Rome and the Florentine Gate which looks towards Florence. The reputation and prestige of this particular castled town was mentioned in Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy!

You may wish to stop at a fattoria or lively osteria for lunch (at your own cost) before arriving into the beautiful historic centre of San Gimignano, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town bears exceptional testimony to the civilisation of the Italian Middle Ages in the 11-13th centuries as it groups together within a small area all the buildings typical of urban life with squares, streets, houses and palaces, wells and fountains. San Gimignano was importantly placed on a trade route as well as a relay point on the Via Francigena for pilgrims journeying to and from Rome.

The town itself was controlled by two major rival families and was the scene of incessant conflicts between the two. As symbols of their wealth and power, there were once an incredible 72 towers rising above the rooftops, some as high as 50m. There are fewer towers nowadays, but the fourteen remaining are still impressive in the misty distance, forming an unforgettable skyline in the heart of an Etruscan landscape. The town is renowned for its Vernaccia di San Gimignano white wine and certainly not to miss is a visit to Gelateria di Piazza, where Sergio Dondoli creates award-winning gelato with flavours including Vernaccia wine sorbet!

After a day discovering some of Tuscany's most beautiful towns, sit back, relax and enjoy the comfortable hour's journey back to Florence with arrival at around 6pm.

With your own private driver, entirely at your disposal throughout the day, this tour is flexible and if there is anything in particular that you wish to see or do, please let us know and we will do our best to incorporate this into your day.