Small-Group San Gimignano and Volterra Day Trip from Siena
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Small-Group San Gimignano and Volterra Day Trip from Siena
Free cancellation
Up to 24 hours in advance. Learn more
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8 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English and 1 more
Good for avoiding crowds
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Overview
Get medieval on this guided tour from Sienna to San Gimignano and Volterra. Head to the marvelously diminutive hilltop town of Monteriggioni and then stop for a while in UNESCO world Heritage-listed San Gimignano with its plethora of medieval towers and commanding views over the Tuscan countryside. Finally, spend some time in an alabaster workshop in Volterra before indulging in a rustic lunch at a Tuscan farm. This small-group tour is limited to just eight people, ensuring plenty of personalized attention from the guide.
- Full-day guided trip to San Gimignano and Volterra from Siena
- Visit the medieval Fortress of Monteriggioni
- Walk down the Via Francigena, an ancient pilgrimage road in San Gimignano
- Explore the UNESCO World Heritage-listed town of San Gimignano at leisure
- Visit an authentic workshop to see Volterra alabaster being made
- Small-group tour (maximum of eight people) provides an intimate and personalized experience
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Head out of Siena in the morning traveling toward the medieval town of San Gimignano. Along the way, stop in the tiny town of Monteriggioni, a charming village on a hill that is defined by the centuries-old walls that encircle it. Stroll around the town, taking in the views and walking along the walls, learning from your guide about the history of the place.
From there, hop back in the automobile for San Gimignano, enjoying the rustic Tuscan countryside along the way: the villa-topped hills, the vineyard-clad rolling mounds of earth and the olive groves. Once in San Gimignano, walk down the Via Francigena, a pilgrimage route from the Middle Ages that stretches from Canterbury in England all the way to Rome. The path goes right through San Gimignano. Learn from your guide about pilgrims in the Middle Ages and even today that would trek through France and Switzerland, even the Alps, to eventually get to Rome.
Take some free time to do exploring on your own. Walk the narrow cobblestoned alleyways. Stare out at the vast Tuscan landscape before your eyes. Ascend one of the 14 matchstick-like stone towers, which were once inhabited by families in the Middle Ages. Linger for a while in Piazza del Duomo and perhaps pop into the church, the Collegiata. The exterior facade may look dull but the black-and-white striped Gothic interior is a showstopper.
After some exploration, take a load off for lunch at a family-run farm just outside of town. Feast on locally made delights such as cheese and prosciutto. And don't miss anything made with the locally produced saffron in it.
Later that afternoon, take a scenic drive south to the town of Volterra. The town, known for its alabaster -- the translucent stone used for centuries to create vases, lamps and other works of art -- is an aesthetically pleasing place to spend a little while. Watch craftsmen ply their trade and spend some time strolling the streets.
After about an hour, hop back on the bus and head back to Siena.
From there, hop back in the automobile for San Gimignano, enjoying the rustic Tuscan countryside along the way: the villa-topped hills, the vineyard-clad rolling mounds of earth and the olive groves. Once in San Gimignano, walk down the Via Francigena, a pilgrimage route from the Middle Ages that stretches from Canterbury in England all the way to Rome. The path goes right through San Gimignano. Learn from your guide about pilgrims in the Middle Ages and even today that would trek through France and Switzerland, even the Alps, to eventually get to Rome.
Take some free time to do exploring on your own. Walk the narrow cobblestoned alleyways. Stare out at the vast Tuscan landscape before your eyes. Ascend one of the 14 matchstick-like stone towers, which were once inhabited by families in the Middle Ages. Linger for a while in Piazza del Duomo and perhaps pop into the church, the Collegiata. The exterior facade may look dull but the black-and-white striped Gothic interior is a showstopper.
After some exploration, take a load off for lunch at a family-run farm just outside of town. Feast on locally made delights such as cheese and prosciutto. And don't miss anything made with the locally produced saffron in it.
Later that afternoon, take a scenic drive south to the town of Volterra. The town, known for its alabaster -- the translucent stone used for centuries to create vases, lamps and other works of art -- is an aesthetically pleasing place to spend a little while. Watch craftsmen ply their trade and spend some time strolling the streets.
After about an hour, hop back on the bus and head back to Siena.
Itinerary
Travel north into the first Chianti hills and take a walk around Monteriggioni, a medieval and perfectly preserved fortress with a complete ring of city walls and turrets built in the 13th century and mentioned by Dante in his Divine Comedy: this was once Siena’s main bastion of defense against the armies of Florence. Enjoy its quiet and charming atmosphere browsing the alleys and shops of local crafts and products, or lighting a candle in the local church as the pilgrim's once did.
Duration: 30 minutes
Admission Ticket Free
Continue to the fascinating town of San Gimignano, one of the most characteristic hilltop towns of Tuscany, with its many austere medieval towers that defiantly survived the centuries and are still proudly standing today. Recognized as a UNESCO site of world heritage, this city is a great testimony of medieval architecture. Walk along the ancient route of the Via Francigena, the main route that took all travelers and pilgrims of Europe to Rome and the Holy See. The bustling San Gimignano flourishes with artisanal boutiques of the local trades and stores, selling the towns famous ‘red gold’ or saffron spice as well as the Vernaccia white wine, so traditional and old that Dante mentions it in the 13th century.
Duration: 1 hour
Admission Ticket Free
After working up an appetite browsing squares, streets, churches and stores of San Gimignano, visit a small family-run farm and enjoy a traditional Tuscan lunch prepared using the farm's own seasonal products. During lunch you will taste dishes prepared with saffron accompanied by the refreshing Vernaccia white wine.
After lunch, continue on the panoramic roads towards Volterra, the ancient Velathri, a city that harmoniously combines Etruscan and Roman ruins with medieval and Renaissance architecture, with the unavoidable modern buildings and furnishings. Visit a small, artisanal workshop and meet the craftsmen that have been working the local alabaster for decades. Witness this ancient art of sculpting this stone into precious masterpieces.
Duration: 2 hours
Admission Ticket Free
Enjoy leisure time walking along the streets of the historical centre of Volterra, visiting the town’s famous Etruscan museum or simply marveling at the millennia old Etruscan arch, the Roman theatre or the more modern monuments and shops in town.
On some occasions the itinerary might vary a little. In this case, the tour could be slightly modified but will maintain a similar general imprint, of the same duration and with all the same inclusions.
Duration: 1 hour
Admission Ticket Free
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Traveler Tips
- "Don't opt for cheaper tour - do small group - you will NOT regret it!" See review
- "Take cash if you want to be able to purchase one of his creations." See review
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