San Gimignano day trip from Florence or Siena
A day trip to San Gimignano from Florence or Siena: Sant'Agostino, the Rocca di Montestaffoli, the historic centre, the Collegiata and Piazza del Duomo, the Palazzo Comunale with the Torre Grossa, then the walled village of Monteriggioni. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
San Gimignano in 1 day
Day 1
Sant'Agostino
Large Gothic church at the north end of town, with Benozzo Gozzoli's fresco cycle of the life of Saint Augustine.
Rocca di Montestaffoli
Ruins of a 14th-century fortress, now a garden with olive trees and views over the towers and the countryside.
Historic centre of San Gimignano
A walk past the surviving medieval towers, along Via San Giovanni to Piazza della Cisterna with its well and gelato shops.
Collegiata and Piazza del Duomo
Romanesque collegiate church covered with Old and New Testament frescoes, on the square ringed by towers and palaces.
Piazza della Cisterna
San Gimignano's triangular square around its old well, ringed by towers and palaces, and a good place for an ice cream.
Palazzo Comunale and Torre Grossa
Medieval town hall with a civic museum and picture gallery, and the Torre Grossa, the tallest tower, open to climb.
Monteriggioni walled village
Tiny hilltop village near Siena ringed by a complete medieval wall with towers, mentioned by Dante; walk the ramparts.
Watch: San Gimignano
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
Getting there
From Florence it is about an hour by car, or 1.5-2 hours by bus, usually changing at Poggibonsi. From Siena it is about 45 minutes by car or around an hour by bus, some direct and some via Poggibonsi. Monteriggioni is on the way back to Siena, best reached by car.
Staying in Florence or Siena? This day fits into those city plans, and in the Trip Builder it is one click under each of them.
When to go to San Gimignano
April to June and September to October bring mild weather and the best light over the countryside; July and August are hot and crowded with day-trippers. Autumn is the season of the grape harvest, while winter is quiet and cool, with fewer visitors.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in San Gimignano on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in San Gimignano on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in San Gimignano 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 San Gimignano
- Arrive early or stay into the evening: the town is busiest from late morning to mid-afternoon, when tour buses arrive.
- The old town is closed to most traffic; park in the car parks outside the gates and walk in.
- Buses from Florence usually change at Poggibonsi; check the time of the last bus back before setting out.
- Cover shoulders and knees for the Collegiata, and wear good shoes for the steep lanes and the climb up the Torre Grossa.
- Try Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the local white wine, in the town's wine bars or at the Rocca.
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
- Collegiata and Piazza del Duomo: Fiat 500e, CC BY 4.0
- Historic centre of San Gimignano: Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Monteriggioni walled village: Carsten Steger, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Palazzo Comunale and Torre Grossa: MarkusMark, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Piazza della Cisterna: Deror avi, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Rocca di Montestaffoli: sailko, CC BY 2.5
- Sant'Agostino: sailko, CC BY 2.5
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
