Tuscany Day Trip from Florence: Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa and Lunch at a Winery

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Duration:11 hours to 12 hours (approx.)
Location: Florence, Tuscany

From $115.17

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Famous for a wealth of art, history, striking landscapes and outstanding produce, Tuscany really does have the best of all worlds! With only a day to spare, see the best Tuscany has to offer on this full-day guided coach trip from Florence.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. Florence
We will meet at the front of Santa Maria Novella train station at 7:45am, ready for an 8.00am start. Your guide will be holding a WALKABOUT TOURS sign, right by the taxi stand at Santa Maria Novella train station across from the outside McDonald's. After meeting your expert guide, an air-conditioned coach will whisk you away to the first stop of the day, Siena. The drive to Siena will take about 1 hours 15 minutes. During the journey, your guide will explain the itinerary for the day and entertain you with interesting facts about Siena and Tuscany!!!
2. Siena
Siena is a real medieval gem and in fact one of Tuscany's most famous and beautiful hill top towns. When you arrive you will join a 1 hour guided walking tour with a local city guide through Siena's most beautiful streets and sites, including the entrance to the Cathedral, a treasure chest of artworks. Afterwards, enjoy Siena at your own pace with free time for shopping or relaxing in an open-air cafe.
3. Piazza Salimbeni
The first stop on the walking tour of Siena is a bank that has its headquarters in this square - the oldest surviving bank in the world. It's called Monte dei Paschi di Siena and it has been running continuously since 1472. Your guide will explain how Siena's wealth through the centuries came from being on the pilgrim route known as the Via Francigena, a route that led pilgrims between Rome and Northern Europe. Siena prospered as a banking town by lending money and exchanging money for the merchants who were using the pilgrim route as a safe travel route. The Sienese are still wealthy from their banking past and are still famous for their banks today!
4. Contrada della Torre
Your local guide will then walk through some of the most picturesque back streets of Siena, while telling about something very unique to Siena are the 17 districts which make up the historical centre.The name for these ancient divisions is 'contrade'. Each contrada has its own symbol, normally that of an animal including a snail, rhino and giraffe amongst others. The sense of identity and belonging to ones 'contrada' is extremely important. They are self-contained little worlds with their own church, where newborns are baptised, and a public fountain where the newborns are baptised a second time! Needless to say there are strong rivalries between these districts, that explodes during the Palio horserace held twice a year in Piazza del Campo.
5. Piazza del Campo
Piazza del Campo is one of the most beautiful squares you will ever see and it is also the city's gathering place, where the locals meet for a coffee and to chat and of course gossip. The unusual square (actually not a square, it's in the shape of a sea-shell, and sloping!) is the site of the famous Palio horse-race. A 600 year old tradition of Siena. The piazza gets transformed into a racing track twice a year and the contrade, or neighbourhoods of the city battle out for the highest honour possible – winning the palio. You'll hear more about this on the tour, your local guide will set the scene so that you can somehow live for a moment the vibrant atmosphere of this incredible race.
6. Duomo di Siena
Our walking tour then ends inside the Duomo of Siena – undoubtedly the jewel of the city. If you've seen the interior of Florence's Duomo, it is nowhere near as spectacular as Siena's. The most unique part of this city's cathedral is its floor. It's an artwork on its own, made out of the world's most precious marbles – in fact, it's a combined masterpiece of over 50 images created over 2 centuries by some of Italy's most important artists. Then, enjoy walking through the city center on your own before meeting your guide again to head to your next stop!
7. Fattoria Poggio Alloro
After the morning exploration of Siena, a 45-minute drive will take you the the next stop: Fattoria Poggio Alloro, an organic family-run wine estate – the highlight of the day! Enjoy an informal wine tasting lesson and a traditional Tuscan lunch with plenty of wine, in the most gorgeous location overlooking stunning views of the surrounding countryside. Take the opportunity to meet fellow travelers while feasting on fresh organic farm food of homemade pasta, cured meats (homemade prosciutto and salami), local cheeses, a real garden salad, and Tuscan biscotti. There is also the opportunity to buy the local products of the winery before heading to San Gimignano.
8. San Gimignano
After lunch, a 15-minute drive will take you to San Gimignano, that is an even smaller, walled Tuscan hill town than Siena - about 6 times smaller - and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. San Gimignano is most famous for its towers of which there were 72 though there are just 14 remaining today. From this the city gets its nickname of the little Manhattan of Tuscany. Your guide will give you a map and point out the best landmarks, so that you can roam independently the picturesque streets and squares of this enchanting hilltop town.
9. Piazza della Cisterna
Your guide will lead you to the entrance city gate and that is where the main boulevard starts from, Via San Giovanni. This street will take you to Piazza della Cisterna, the heart of San Gimignano and also the setting for several films. This was the square where festivals and tournaments took place while the Piazza Duomo was the religious and political centre. This is also where the best gelato in the world is – Gelateria della Piazza 'Dondoli'. It's won many awards as the best gelato, you could try it and see what you'll think!
10. Piazza del Duomo
From Piazza della Cisterna, the next piazza along is Piazza del Duomo – the Duomo, also known as the Collegiata, is small but is well worth visiting! The beautiful interior of the cathedral walls is filled with colorful 14th century frescoes in every space available. You could also climb up one of the medieval towers here in this piazza, next to the Duomo (the Torre Grossa) to appreciate the incredible 'BIRD'S EYE' view over San Gimignano.
11. Rocca of Montestaffoli
Another stunning view over the towers of San Gimignano is from La Rocca. It is easily accessible behind the Duomo and It is a peaceful setting with olive trees and the wall surrounding the garden that formed part of the 14th-century fortress Medici of Florence built to protect this town from Siena. if you walk to the back of the garden and climb the steps to the top, the views over San Gimignano's skyline are absolutely breathtaking.
12. Pisa
After the visit of San Gimignano, a 1 hour and an half scenic drive through iconic Tuscan countryside will take you to your final stop, Pisa.
13. Piazza dei Miracoli
Upon arrival, your guide will lead you straight to the famous Square of Miracles. At first sight, it is truly breathtaking - the white marble buildings glow in contrast to the perfect, green lawns. You will have about an hour to explore the Cathedral, Baptistry, Monumental Cemetery, and of course - The Leaning Tower! Upgrade to include skip-the-line entry, if you wish.
14. Leaning Tower of Pisa
During your time in Pisa, you can climb the Leaning Tower to admire the incredible views of the Square of Miracles from above. The views from the top of the Tower are truly breathtaking - from the monuments below, to the city surrounding the square, the Arno River, and the countryside in the distance... and part of the fun is also climbing the stairs inside the Leaning Tower that we will make you feel a bit dizzy at the end! To avoid disappointment, we suggest to upgrade to include the pre-booked tickets since the entrance to climb the Leaning Tower is according to time slots.
15. Florence
After leaving Pisa, it will take about an hour to return to Florence. You will dropped off at the start point with a camera full of pictures, a stomach full of hearty Tuscan food and a host of new friends.

ADDITIONAL INFO

• 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
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
• Due to uneven surfaces, we cannot accept anyone with walking difficulties or using a wheelchair
• Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
• It is recommended to book any rail travel from Florence after 9pm to allow time for any traffic delays on your return journey
• When the Duomo of Siena is closed for religious services, Santa Maria della Scala museum will be visited instead
• Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
• Please note: For the Leaning Tower of Pisa children under the age of 8 are not admitted. Children between 8 and 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult and held by the hand at all times while you are in the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Teenagers between 13 and 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult while you are in the Leaning Tower of Pisa
• Full Tour option includes the visit to Pisa but not the ticket to climb the Leaning Tower
• Full Tour plus Leaning Tower Tickets option also include the tickets to climb on the Leaning Tower in Pisa.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : Matt D
Had an awesome time. San Gimignano was incredible. Beautiful little town preserved from the medieval era. You have to do the farmhouse lunch offered. They feed you well and offer multiple wine pairings with your meal. Learning about Siena’s story and the Palio horse races was very cool. Adding on the opportunity to climb the leaning tower of Pisa was a good call. The accompanying Cathedral and Baptistry of Pisa made for more great photo opps.

Have to take a second to shoutout our guide Dario. He was fantastic — informative, clearly with a depth of experience, and entertaining along the way. What I was most impressed by, was seeing him go person-by-person on the way back to Florence, asking each guest about their feedback from the day, where the rest of their respective trips would take them, and providing personalized recommendations for them where he could. Went above and beyond expectation and definitely deserves the shoutout. Said he does the Vespa tours with Walk About Tours too, so you might catch him there.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-18 05:00:02

Posted By : Alyssa_D
Amazing trip! Claudia was very personable and informative and the bus driver was great. We had an unforgettable experience all day, thank you!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-18 04:37:40

Posted By : Cassandra_P
Noemi was a phenomenal tour guide! We had a fabulous tour and would highly recommend this experience!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-18 04:04:35

Posted By : MAY_V
I loved everything about the tour. It was a long day but worth it. Our tour guide Emma is full of energy and humor. Local guide Roberta was a star too. And our driver Antonio has been great bringing us to places safely and comfortably. Thanks guys! We enjoyed it 😀
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-18 03:49:50

Posted By : gadgate
As lovers of history and culture, we were lucky to have a guide, Gabriel, whose knowledge and passion for world history and depth of understanding of Tuscan culture brought our trip through history to life. From the rivalries between Florence, Siena and Pisa and how they influenced architecture, food and traditions that live still today, Gabriel was a wonderful story teller. The tour is an all day adventure, so prepare for drive times between each stop. A highlight of the tour is a lunch at a local agriturismo farm where we had a traditional Tuscan lunch with three different wine varietals and a shop with wine, honey, grappa, limoncello, and other items produced in the farm. And the star of the farm is the spirited nonna, the matriarch of the family.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-18 03:23:52

Posted By : Martene_M
We loved this Tuscany day trip so much! The tour company we chose was Walkabout Tours, and they did a great job. I thought maybe it would be too tiring, being over 12 hours long, but it was so wonderful - every minute of it. Most of all, our tour guide Noemi, was the best, best, best tour guide we have ever had! She was simply a joy to be with all day long. She speaks excellent English, so there were no issues at all in understanding. You can tell she really loves her job and cares for the people she is guiding on her tours. She constantly was checking in with us to make sure everything was going well and to see if we needed anything. She is funny and had a lot of information to provide about the cities we visited. We were so happy she was our guide!

This tour does involve a lot of walking - I noticed some of the older people on our tour complaining that it was more than they had expected. We thought it was fine, but just be aware you will be walking quite a bit in the cities you visit, and also it is quite a long walk to even get to the bus at the beginning of the day.

I loved all three towns that we visited, but my favorite was probably San Gimignano. I loved it there, and someday if I return to Italy, I'd love to stay there. My favorite part of the day was the farmhouse lunch. I know that some of the people on other buses had their lunch at different locations, but our lunch was at a place called Il Vecchio Maneggio. It was so very beautiful there, and the lunch was spectacular! Lots of food and all the wine we could drink. We purchased some wine and olive oil and honey from them after lunch. There was no pressure to buy something, but it was great that we got to sample everything during our lunch so we would know if we wanted to buy it or not. The family who lived there and served the lunch were so wonderful to us. We felt like part of their family.

Overall, we loved our day in Tuscany and would recommend you book this tour. It was well worth the cost. And if you're lucky, you'll get Noemi as your guide and get to have lunch at Il Vecchio Maneggio!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-17 22:12:02

Posted By : jorgealbertoa945
Great value it is worth the day spent at Tuscany no words to described. A lot of history culture and gastronomy of this beautiful place
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-17 21:29:08

Posted By : Josephine_C
This tour is a must when in Florence!! You get to see the true beauty Tuscany has to offer, truly amazing! I would highly recommend doing the walk up Pisa and lunch at the winery! Delicious food and wine! But the star of show was our tour guide Mirella!!! She was amazing, so knowledgeable and helpful! Extremely kind too!! Overall great experience!
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Posted On : 2024-05-17 18:19:58

Posted By : Lexi_P
We loved this day trip! It was a long day from 8am-9pm, however we were having so much fun it flew by. Our guide was named Claudia with Walk About Tours & WOW! She spoke wonderful English and kept everything informative and lighthearted, throwing in some jokes too! We really loved having her all day! Siena was so lovely with its cathedral & square. The lunch and winery outside of San Giminiano was truly a once in a lifetime experience with breathtaking views. The food was so amazing and you will leave with a full belly of delicious food/wine! Lastly, Pisa was very fun to see the tower, took some photos & enjoyed some pizza. Overall would definitely recommend this trip to anybody going to Florence, also the meet up location was very easy and straightforward! If you have a day this is a must do!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-17 16:58:08

Posted By : Robyn_B
Manolo was wonderful as our tour guide for this scenic and informative trip around beautiful Tuscany. The stops in each of Sienna, Sam Gimignano and Pisa were of ample length as was the winery lunch which was accompanied by absolutely stunning scenery.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-05-17 16:23:06