Florence, Pisa & Siena Tours 2026

The square has four UNESCO-listed monuments: the Cathedral, the Baptistery, the Leaning Tower and the Camposanto. Each has its own ticket, except the Cathedral, which you can enter free with a ticket for any other monument in the square. It opens from 10:00.

If you have about an hour, a practical order is: photos of the tower from the lawn, then the Cathedral, then the Baptistery. The Baptistery’s double dome gives it acoustics the city of Pisa compares to a “musical instrument”, and a visit takes about 20 minutes.

If you have longer, add the Camposanto, a walled cemetery with 14th-century frescoes including The Triumph of Death. Few visitors go inside, so it is one of the quietest spots in the square.

Our tip: Ask your tour how much free time you get in Pisa before you book. If it is under an hour, focus on the Cathedral and Baptistery rather than queuing for a tower slot you may not reach in time.

The tower is 56 metres tall and leans about 4 degrees. Inside, the staircase runs against the lean, so the steps slope in two directions at once. Many visitors find coming down harder than going up.

It is worth it if you want the view over Piazza dei Miracoli and the city, or the unusual feeling of the tilt. It is less suited to anyone uneasy with narrow spiral stairs, and you cannot carry anything up, not even a small bag.

From April to October, morning slots can sell out weeks in advance. In summer 2026 the tower stayed open until 22:30 from 17 June to 31 August, so an evening slot is cooler and often easier to get.

Our tip: If your tour does not include the climb and you really want it, consider the half-day Pisa tour with optional tower entry, or visit Pisa independently on another day so you can choose your slot.

Choose the Torre del Mangia if you want the best view in Siena. It is 87 metres tall, Italy’s third-tallest historic tower, with over 300 steps. You enter from the Cortile del Podestà inside Palazzo Pubblico, right on Piazza del Campo.

Choose the Cathedral if you prefer art. It holds works by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Donatello, Michelangelo and Bernini, and one ticket also covers the Piccolomini Library and the Gate of Heaven. The inlaid marble floor is uncovered only for a few weeks a year, usually June–July and August–October, and is a strong reason to pick the cathedral then.

Piazza del Campo itself is free to enjoy. Look for the Fonte Gaia, Siena’s first public fountain, and the Palazzo Pubblico, home to the Civic Museum with Simone Martini’s Maestà.

Our tip: Check the floor-uncovering dates on operaduomo.siena.it before your trip. If your date falls in that window, prioritise the cathedral.

The town keeps 14 medieval towers inside 13th-century walls, which is why it is called the “Manhattan of the Middle Ages”. It has been a UNESCO site since 1990.

Start at Piazza della Cisterna, the old market square. Walk on to Piazza Duomo, the town’s historic religious and political centre. The cathedral’s plain front hides walls of 14th-century frescoes that have never been restored.

For a view, Torre Grossa is the tallest tower at 54 metres and one of the few you can climb. Spotting the others makes a fun extra: Torre Rognosa is the oldest, and the Devil’s Tower has a legend that its owner came home to find it mysteriously taller.

Our tip: San Gimignano’s best souvenirs are edible. Leave a few minutes for a bottle of Vernaccia di San Gimignano white wine or a pack of local saffron, which has protected designation of origin.

Siena built it between 1213 and 1219 as a fortress against Florence. Its 570 metres of walls and 14 towers survive almost intact, and Dante mentions the towers in the Inferno (Canto XXXI).

The main thing to do is walk the walkways on the wall as part of the “Monteriggioni in Arme” route, which also shows replica medieval and Renaissance weapons and armour. The village is small enough to see in under an hour.

In July, the village hosts “Monteriggioni di torri si corona”, one of Italy’s oldest medieval festivals, with costumes and historic food. It also holds the Touring Club’s Orange Flag quality mark for small towns.

Our tip: Only one of the tours on this site stops at Monteriggioni, and it skips Pisa. Choose it if a quieter, castle-style village appeals to you more than the Leaning Tower.

Genuine Chianti Classico carries the Black Rooster (Gallo Nero) emblem of its producers’ consortium, founded in 1924. The wine must contain 80% to 100% Sangiovese, and no white grapes are allowed.

You will usually see two levels. Chianti Classico (at least 12% alcohol) is the everyday style. Riserva is aged at least 24 months, including 3 in the bottle, and reaches at least 12.5%. Expect a bright ruby colour, a scent of violets and a dry, slightly tannic taste.

At home, Visit Tuscany recommends pairing it with steak (bistecca alla fiorentina), wild boar stew or aged pecorino cheese. If you visit in September or October, you are there during the grape harvest, when the countryside is at its liveliest.

Our tip: Check your airline’s liquid and baggage rules before buying several bottles. Many wineries can advise on packing or shipping, so ask at the tasting.

In Siena, the local pasta is pici, thick hand-rolled spaghetti, usually with wild boar ragù or cacio e pepe. Vegetarians can try gnudi, ricotta and spinach dumplings with butter and sage.

For souvenirs, Siena’s sweets are easy to pack: panforte (a dense cake dating back to the 13th century), ricciarelli (soft almond biscuits) and cavallucci (walnut and candied-fruit biscuits). They are sold in cafés and bakeries across the city.

In San Gimignano, pair a glass of Vernaccia white wine with Tuscan cured meats such as finocchiona, a fennel-seed salami. The town’s protected saffron is light and makes a good gift.

Our tip: If your country has strict rules on bringing in meat products, choose the sweets, wine or saffron instead of cured meats.

The main climbs are: Leaning Tower of Pisa, 294 steps on a tilted spiral; Torre del Mangia in Siena, over 300 steps; and Brunelleschi’s Dome in Florence, 463 steps with no lift. Florence’s cathedral office does not recommend the dome climb for people with heart conditions, vertigo or claustrophobia.

Day trips also involve a lot of walking. Siena and San Gimignano are hilltop towns, so expect slopes and cobbles even if you skip every tower.

For visitors with disabilities, the Leaning Tower offers free access that can be arranged in advance (one guide advises at least five days ahead). Florence’s cathedral complex also lets you reserve free admission for a person with disabilities by email or at its cash desk, subject to availability.

Our tip: If stairs are a concern, choose a tour with free time rather than a packed guided schedule. You can enjoy the squares, cathedrals and food at your own pace without any climbs.

Pisa alone: regional trains from Florence Santa Maria Novella take about 1 hour. From Pisa Centrale, take a bus or walk about 20 minutes to Piazza dei Miracoli. This is the easiest independent trip.

Siena alone: the Autolinee Toscane 131R express bus takes about 1 hr 15 min and stops at Piazza Gramsci, close to the centre. Trains take about 1 hr 30 min, but Siena’s station is about 2 km below the old town, so you need a local bus.

San Gimignano: there is no train station. You go by bus or train to Poggibonsi, then a local bus, taking around 1 hr 40 min each way. Monteriggioni is usually easiest on a tour or by car.

Our tip: Go independently if you only want one town. Choose a tour if you want Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano in the same day, since connections between them by public transport take much longer than a coach.

The dome, built 1420–1436, is still the largest masonry vault in the world. Brunelleschi built it without a wooden support frame, using more than four million bricks.

Access is by timed slot only. Before climbing, you must leave large and medium bags, backpacks and suitcases at the luggage storage on Piazza Duomo, and visitors carrying prohibited items are turned away.

The 463-step climb passes close to Vasari and Zuccari’s Last Judgment fresco inside the dome and ends with a view over Florence’s rooftops.

Our tip: Buy dome tickets only on the official Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore website. The Opera warns that tickets from unauthorised resellers may be refused at the entrance.