Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci day trip from Livorno or Pisa
A day trip to Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci from Livorno or Pisa: the little Oratorio di San Guido and the long cypress avenue Carducci wrote about, the castle gate and lanes of Bolgheri with lunch and a glass at Enoteca Tognoni, a booked visit to the Ornellaia winery among the vineyards, the hill village of Castagneto Carducci, then the beach at Marina di Castagneto for the evening. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci in 1 day
Day 1
Oratorio di San Guido
Small chapel on the old Aurelia road at the foot of the cypress avenue, the San Guido of Carducci's famous poem.
Viale dei Cipressi (cypress avenue)
Five kilometres of tall cypresses in a straight line from San Guido up to Bolgheri, the classic image of this coast.
Historic centre of Bolgheri (castle gate)
Tiny village entered through the red-brick gate of the Gherardesca castle, with a few lanes of wine bars and shops.
Enoteca Tognoni
Wine bar and restaurant in the centre of Bolgheri, with a long list of local wines by the glass and Tuscan plates.
Ornellaia winery visit (book ahead)
One of the estates that made Bolgheri's name for Super Tuscan wines; booked tours show the cellars and end with a tasting.
Historic centre of Castagneto Carducci (Piazza del Popolo)
Hill village around the Gherardesca castle, where Carducci spent part of his childhood, with lanes and views down to the sea.
Marina di Castagneto beach
Long sandy beach backed by pinewoods below Castagneto, with beach bars and a wide view of the sea at sunset.
Watch: Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
Getting there
A car is the practical way: from Livorno it is about 45 minutes and from Pisa about an hour down the SS1 Aurelia, leaving at the Bolgheri or Donoratico exit. The nearest train station is Castagneto Carducci-Donoratico on the coast line, but buses up to the villages are few, so a car or a booked wine tour is needed to link the stops.
Staying in Livorno or Pisa? This day fits into those city plans, and in the Trip Builder it is one click under each of them.
When to go to Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci
Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with mild weather in the vineyards; the grape harvest runs from September into October. Summer is hot and the coast below is busy with beach holidays, but evenings in the hill villages are pleasant. Winter is quiet and some wineries and restaurants close or cut their days.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Italy from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci
- Winery visits in Bolgheri, Ornellaia included, are by booking only and mostly on weekdays; reserve well ahead, especially in spring and at harvest time.
- Choose a driver before the tastings: the roads are narrow and the stops are spread out, or book a driver or a wine tour from the coast.
- Drive the Viale dei Cipressi slowly from San Guido to Bolgheri; there are few places to stop along it, so park at either end to walk a stretch.
- Bolgheri is tiny and fills at weekend lunchtimes; book a table at the enoteche and osterie inside the walls.
- End the day on the beach at Marina di Castagneto, a few minutes below the hills, for a swim or the sunset over the sea.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Historic centre of Bolgheri (castle gate): Janericloebe, Public domain
- Historic centre of Castagneto Carducci (Piazza del Popolo): Cassanma at Italian Wikipedia, Public domain
- Marina di Castagneto beach: sailko, CC BY 2.5
- Oratorio di San Guido: Mongolo1984, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ornellaia winery visit (book ahead): Foto by nl:gebruiker:Londenp, made on 6th of June, 2005, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Viale dei Cipressi (cypress avenue): Lucarelli, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
