*POST UPDATED OCTOBER 2026
Hello again, friends! Today I’m sharing part three in our five-part Tuscany travel series: A Quick Guide to Siena. To recap, our first post was An Ode to Florence, and our second post dished the deets on spending 24 Hours in San Gimignano.
Boyfriend and I have visited Siena twice together over the years and simply adore it. It has all the good things that come with a Tuscan city – food, views, culture – but with half as much tourists as in bigger cities like Florence. Honestly! It’s truly the best of both worlds.
You might think my list of recommendations is a bit sparse in some parts, but that’s just because we know which places are worthy of your time and which aren’t. Recommendations are listed below!
why siena?
Siena is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it is the “embodiment of a medieval city”. It can trace its existence back to Etruscan times – like, c.900-400 BC. One of the restaurants recommended below informed us that we were dining in a room that dated back to around 600BC. If the history alone isn’t worth a visit, then please consider visiting Siena for the food scene – it boasts some mighty fine restaurants, one of which is one of our all time favourites.
before you visit
Some of the things you should take into account before setting off!
Siena is an extremely hilly town, which is definitely something to keep in mind if you suffer from bathmophobia.
if you’re planning to visit the attractions within the Duomo complex, be aware that some of them require a combo ticket. The prices range a bit, but the tickets last for three days, giving you plenty of time to explore.
Siena is home to the Palio, an insane horse race that takes place twice a year. The whole city books out & becomes much more expensive during these times, so be sure to check the dates before you travel.
getting there
The bus is the best way to travel into Siena – it’s cheaper, quicker, and more convenient. I’m a train gal myself, but every piece of advice I read said the same thing: take the damn bus. This is the route we took from San Gimignano:
there are limited number of bus tickets available, so it is best to purchase them in advance. We bought ours at the tourist office in San Gimignano, where we were also given a timetable. The buses are, unsurprisingly, rather rare. Be sure to double-check the timetable to avoid disappointment.
from the bus stop in San Gimignano – which is just outside and to the right of the main gate, Porta San Giovanni – you’re looking for bus #130 to Siena. Ours was at least 20-minutes late, so don’t panic. When you do get onboard, it’s important to validate your ticket, although ours were never checked.
on the bus, you’re waiting for the last stop, which should take about 65-minutes. This leaves you right at Piazza Gramsci, the main bus station in Siena. From there, it’s just a short walk into the city centre or to the hotel suggested below.
Again, for a more detailed guide with extremely helpful pictures, I found this post very useful.