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Chianti and Crete Senesi countryside, Siena
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SienaTravel Guide

Italy4 stories

The great Gothic hill town of Tuscany, built around the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo and its Palio horse race, with historic palazzo and monastery hotels inside and around its medieval walls.

Is Siena right for you?

When to come

Spring and early autumn

Around 31°C by day in August, 10°C in January — recorded at the local weather station.

What it costs

It depends where you stand. There is a cheap version and an expensive one — the guides below say which is which.

What we've planned, and who for

No hour-by-hour route here yet — the guides below cover it by subject instead.

Siena is inDeepest in Europe
When to go
January: around 10 degrees by day, 3 at night, 53 millimetres of rain, some rain.
February: around 11 degrees by day, 3 at night, 61 millimetres of rain, some rain.
March: around 15 degrees by day, 5 at night, 59 millimetres of rain, some rain.
April: around 18 degrees by day, 8 at night, 71 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
May: around 23 degrees by day, 12 at night, 70 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
June: around 27 degrees by day, 15 at night, 52 millimetres of rain, some rain. We recommend this month.
July: around 31 degrees by day, 18 at night, 29 millimetres of rain, dry and hot.
August: around 31 degrees by day, 18 at night, 39 millimetres of rain, some rain.
September: around 25 degrees by day, 14 at night, 81 millimetres of rain, wet. We recommend this month.
October: around 20 degrees by day, 11 at night, 106 millimetres of rain, wet. We recommend this month.
November: around 14 degrees by day, 7 at night, 125 millimetres of rain, wet.
December: around 10 degrees by day, 4 at night, 77 millimetres of rain, some rain.
Cold to hot, by dayDry to wetWhen we would go

Spring and early autumn

Average daily highs, recorded at Siena (1991-2020 normals).

Where this comes from

Consorzio LaMMA (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena weather box)

Budget level

Mixed

Typical cost profile for visitors

Combine it with
  • Florence50 km

    an easy day trip · both good in April, May, June · a different price level (mid)

  • Pisa87 km

    an easy day trip · both good in April, May, June · a different price level (budget)

  • Bologna130 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in April, May, June · a different price level (mid)

  • Cinque Terre160 km

    a short hop — comfortable overland · both good in April, May, June · a different price level (mid)

Plan itWhere to stay in Sienaad · Booking.comTours and tickets
On the map

Finding Siena

Open in Google Maps Larger map
The stories

Reading Siena

Siena seen from the green edge of the city, the striped marble Duomo with its dome and campanile standing above ochre rooftops while dense trees and garden terraces fill the slope in the foreground.
01
Hidden Gems

Green Siena: gardens, ramparts and easy country escapes

Medieval Siena keeps its countryside close: a hidden valley inside the walls, fortress ramparts made for sunset, a historic botanical garden and the sculpted hills of the Crete Senesi beyond.

Italy · 2 min
Rolling Tuscan hills at misty sunrise, with a stone farmhouse ringed by cypress trees on a ridge and a winding white road below
02
Stays

Where to Stay in Siena: Neighborhoods and Grand Classics

Inside the walls near the Campo, in a converted monastery just outside them, or amid Chianti vines: a neighborhood-led guide to Siena's most storied places to sleep.

Italy · 2 min
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.
03
Destinations

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

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.

Italy · 2 min
A cappuccino with latte art beside a slice of cream-layered cake dusted with cocoa on a marble café table
04
Food

Coffee, cakes and people-watching in Siena

Panforte, ricciarelli and a ringside espresso on the most beautiful square in Italy — Siena's café life is a masterclass in doing very little, very well.

Italy · 2 min
In pictures

Siena, framed

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 sky
Photo: Harry Robinson / Unsplash
Chianti and Crete Senesi countryside, Siena
Photo: Kristof Van Rentergem / Unsplash
Chianti and Crete Senesi countryside, Siena
Photo: nella n. / Unsplash
The Torre del Mangia over the Piazza del Campo, Siena
Photo: tommao wang / Unsplash
Our picks

What we'd do in Siena

See and do

Eat and drink

Where to stay

Before you go

Practical essentials for Italy

Money

Euro (EUR)

Language

Italian; English is spoken in hotels and tourist businesses but thins out quickly in smaller towns

Power

Type C/F/L, 230V 50Hz (Type L is the Italian three-pin)

Getting around

Frecciarossa and Italo high-speed trains link the major cities in a few hours; in town you buy a local paper ticket such as Rome's €1.50 BIT and validate it as you board.

Tipping

Service is included and tipping is uncommon — a few euros for genuinely good service is plenty, and the coperto on the bill is a cover charge, not a tip.

Tap water

Tap water is safe to drink everywhere, although restaurants will normally bring bottled.

Driving

Right-hand side; a UK or EU photocard licence is accepted, though hire companies commonly require an International Driving Permit as well.

Emergency

112 (single European number; the old 113, 115 and 118 route to it)

Country-level guidance, checked against official sources. Currency, fares and entry rules change — confirm anything time-critical before you travel.

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