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Siena essentials: getting in, getting around and doing it right

Siena, ItalyDecember 3, 20242 min read
By MASA Editors
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A brick-vaulted alley in Siena, its worn paving running under a low arch past potted ferns and two old terracotta-red cartwheels propped against the stone wall.01
A brick-vaulted alley in Siena, its worn paving running under a low arch past potted ferns and two old terracotta-red cartwheels propped against the stone wall.Photo: Alessandro Stech / Unsplash

Tuscany's great Gothic hill town rewards travelers who arrive prepared. Here is how to reach Siena, how to move around its steep medieval lanes, and the mistakes to avoid.

Siena is one of Europe's best-preserved medieval cities, a Gothic hill town of brick palaces and steep lanes fanning out from the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo. It is also a city that punishes poor planning: cars are banned from the center, the station sits below the town, and day-tripper crowds surge and vanish on a predictable rhythm. A little logistics goes a long way.

Key facts

  • Nearest airports: Florence and Pisa; both are typically around 1.5 to 2 hours away by ground transport
  • Best months: April to June and September to October
  • The Palio: Siena's famous bareback horse race is traditionally run on July 2 and August 16
  • Historic center: a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and almost entirely pedestrian

Getting in

Siena has no commercial airport of its own. Most travelers fly into Florence or Pisa and continue by bus or train. The regional train from Florence takes around 90 minutes, but note the catch: Siena's station lies at the bottom of the hill, and you finish the journey via a long series of escalators or a local bus up to the old town. The intercity bus from Florence is often the smarter play — it is usually direct and drops you near the historic center.

If you drive, do not attempt to enter the walls. The center is a ZTL — a restricted traffic zone enforced by cameras — and fines follow tourists home. Park in one of the signed lots outside the walls and walk in.

Looking straight up into the gilded coffered dome of Siena Cathedral, its gold hexagon panels and painted stars ringed by deep blue vaults, stained glass and black-and-white striped marble piers.
Looking straight up into the gilded coffered dome of Siena Cathedral, its gold hexagon panels and painted stars ringed by deep blue vaults, stained glass and black-and-white striped marble piers.Photo: David Siglin / Unsplash

Getting around

On foot, and only on foot. The center is compact — you can cross it in about twenty minutes — but relentlessly hilly, so wear real shoes and budget more time than the map suggests. Navigation is easy once you understand the city's logic: all roads eventually tilt down toward the Campo. The Duomo, the Torre del Mangia and the great museums sit within a few minutes of each other.

Doing it right

Climb the Torre del Mangia early or late, and book the Duomo complex as one combined visit — the cathedral's striped marble interior and its inlaid floors deserve unhurried time. Stay overnight if you can: Siena between about 6pm and 10am, after the day tours have returned to Florence, is a different and far better city.

If you are anywhere near Siena in early July or mid-August, plan around the Palio. The city is euphoric and packed; hotel rooms are scarce and the Campo becomes a roaring amphitheater. It is unforgettable — but it is not the trip for anyone wanting quiet.

Beyond the walls, the Crete Senesi — the sculpted clay hills southeast of the city — are one of Tuscany's most photogenic landscapes and an easy half-day drive.

Tip: Check opening days for the Palio trial races if you visit in the days before the main event — the atmosphere builds all week, and the trials are far easier to see than the race itself. As always, confirm current schedules on official sites before you commit.

In pictures
The brick Torre del Mangia rising above Siena's terracotta rooftops, seen across the tiled roofs from a high stone wall with the Tuscan hills spread out beyond under a clear blue skyPhoto: Harry Robinson / Unsplash
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