Siena, Italy: travel guide
A brick-red medieval hill town around the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo
A perfectly preserved medieval city on three hills in the heart of Tuscany. Siena revolves around the iconic fan-shaped Piazza del Campo, its striped marble Gothic Duomo, and the twice-yearly Palio horse race that divides citizens into 17 fierce contrade.
About Siena
Siena is a medieval city on three hills in the heart of Tuscany, built in warm brick-red tones and still laid out much as it was centuries ago. The shell-shaped Piazza del Campo is its centrepiece, overlooked by the Torre del Mangia and the town hall.
Things to do in Siena include climbing the tower, visiting the striped marble cathedral and wandering the lanes of its seventeen contrade, the neighbourhoods that compete in the Palio horse race each summer. Local pici pasta and panforte are good things to try, and the Chianti and Val d'Orcia countryside lies close.
Siena suits history lovers and slow travellers. Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons.
- Country
- Italy
- Currency
- EUR
- Time zone
- Europe/Rome
- Nearest airport
- FLR
Last updated
Top places to visit in Siena
Synagogue of Siena
synagogue · 4.5 rating · about 0.7 h · entry €5 (≈ ₹530)
Neoclassical 18th-century synagogue in the historic Jewish ghetto, with guided visits
Orto Botanico di Siena
botanical_garden · 4.4 rating · about 1.3 h · entry €5 (≈ ₹530)
University botanical garden cascading down a medieval hillside with 1100 species
Piazza del Campo
Medieval Piazza · 4.8 rating · about 1 h · check the fee at the gate
Italy's finest medieval piazza: a fan-shaped shell of brick paving sloping to the 14th-century Palazzo Pubblico and Torre del Mangia, ringed by medieval palaces. Site of the Palio horse race every 2 July and 16 August, run since 1644.
Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena)
Cathedral · 4.8 rating · about 1.5 h · check the fee at the gate
One of Italy's supreme Gothic buildings (1215–1380): alternating bands of black and white Carrara marble, Pisano's carved pulpit, Pinturicchio's Piccolomini Library frescoes, and the remarkable inlaid marble floor — 56 scenes revealed only…
Torre del Mangia
Medieval Tower · 4.7 rating · about 1 h · check the fee at the gate
The 102-metre civic tower (1338) beside the Palazzo Pubblico on Piazza del Campo — climb 503 steps for the finest 360° view over Siena's terracotta cityscape and the Tuscan hills. One of the tallest medieval towers in Italy.
Siena Palio Festival Horse
horse-race · 4.9 rating · about 4 h · check the fee at the gate
The Palio di Siena — the spectacular medieval horse race held twice yearly (2 July, 16 August) in the Piazza del Campo, with the historic contrade (neighbourhood) rivalries, the medieval costumes, and the most famous Italian medieval…
Siena San Gimignano Day
medieval-towers · 4.8 rating · about 8 h · check the fee at the gate
A day trip from Siena to San Gimignano — the spectacular medieval town with 14 surviving tower-houses (of the original 72), UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Medieval Manhattan, and the world's best gelato.
Siena Day Trip Florence
rival-city · 4.8 rating · about 8 h · check the fee at the gate
A day trip from Siena to Florence — the Renaissance capital just 70km north, with the Uffizi, the Accademia (David), the Duomo, the Ponte Vecchio, and the comparison between rival medieval republics.
Siena Chianti Wine Day
wine-region · 4.8 rating · about 8 h · check the fee at the gate
A day trip from Siena to the Chianti wine region — the spectacular hills with the famous Greve in Chianti, Radda, Castellina, the historic wine cellars, and the iconic Tuscan wine experience.
Palazzo Pubblico & Civic Museum
civic palace · 4.7 rating · about 1.3 h · check the fee at the gate
Siena's town hall (1297–1310) with Europe's most important medieval secular fresco cycle: Ambrogio Lorenzetti's Allegory of Good and Bad Government (1338–39) in the Sala della Pace.
Siena Chianti Wine Tour
wine-tour · 4.8 rating · about 8 h · check the fee at the gate
A Chianti wine tour from Siena — visiting the famous Chianti Classico vineyards in the spectacular Tuscan hills, with the historic wineries, the Sangiovese tastings, and the iconic black rooster heritage.
Siena Val d'Orcia Cypress
tuscan-landscape · 4.9 rating · about 8 h · check the fee at the gate
A day trip to the Val d'Orcia — the spectacular UNESCO World Heritage landscape of rolling Tuscan hills, the iconic cypress trees, the medieval villages of Bagno Vignoni and San Quirico, and the most photographed Tuscan scenery.
Things to do
- Siena Palio & Contrade Walking Tour Cultural · 3 h · from EUR 25 per person
Day trips and tours
- Siena Medieval Walking Tour with Palio History 3 h · from EUR 20
- Chianti Classico Wine Tour from Siena 5 h · from EUR 49
Where to stay in Siena
- Campo & Duomo Area about EUR 150 per night
Within the medieval walls; walk to Piazza del Campo and Duomo; cars banned inside
Hotels
- Campo Regio Relais 5-star · EUR 380 to EUR 900 per night
- Palazzo Ravizza 3-star · EUR 120 to EUR 260 per night
Where to eat
- Trattoria Papei Italian, Tuscan · about EUR 18 per person
- Osteria Le Logge Italian, Tuscan · about EUR 45 per person
- Enoteca I Terzi Italian, Tuscan · about EUR 30 per person
Getting to Siena
Nearest airport: Florence (FLR), about 55 km away in a straight line. The road or rail journey is longer.
Getting around
- Bus
- Walking
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Frequently asked questions about Siena
- What are the top-rated places to visit in Siena?
- The highest-rated places in our Siena guide are Siena Palio Festival Horse, Siena Val d'Orcia Cypress, Piazza del Campo, Siena Cathedral (Duomo di Siena), Siena San Gimignano Day.
- Where should I stay in Siena?
- Our guide covers these areas to stay in Siena: Campo & Duomo Area.
- How do I get around Siena?
- Ways to get around Siena covered in our guide: City bus, Walking.
- Which airport is nearest to Siena?
- The nearest airport to Siena has the code FLR.