Private Siena & San Gimignano Tour from Florence with Winery Lunch

Highlights

• San Gimignano
• Siena
• Winery Lunch

What's included

Itinerary

1. 1

   Florence

   15min

   After meeting your expert guide, an air-conditioned minivan will whisk you away to the first stop of the day, Siena. The drive to Siena will take about 1 hour and 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. 2

   Siena

   3h

   After lunch, a 45-minute drive will take you to Siena, 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. 3

   Piazza Salimbeni

   15min

   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. 4

   Stop 4

   15min

   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. You will visit a church and museum of one contrada. 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. 5

   Piazza del Campo

   15min

   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. 6

   Duomo di Siena

   15min

   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!

7. 7

   Fattoria Poggio Alloro

   2h

   After the morning exploration of Siena, a 15-minute drive will take you the the next stop: Fattoria Poggio Alloro, an organic family-run wine estate – the highlight of the day! Visit the farm, 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. 8

   San Gimignano

   2h

   San Gimignano is a small, walled Tuscan hill town 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.

Before you go

Location

Italy