Day trip from Florence San Gimignano
A small walled hill town 55 km south-west of Florence with 14 surviving medieval towers, reached by train to Poggibonsi and a 20 minute bus.
Is San Gimignano worth a day trip from Florence?
Three hours there. A long way round.
Worth seeing, but be honest about the ratio. The town is two streets and two squares, and 3 hours cover the Torre Grossa climb, the frescoes in the Palazzo Comunale and a walk along the walls. Getting there takes 1 h 30 each way with a change at Poggibonsi, and in the morning only the 08:10 and 09:10 trains meet a bus without a long wait. Miss them and the next sensible arrival is 12:25. That is 3 hours of travel for 3 hours on site. If you also want Siena, the coach tours that pair the two make better use of the day.
The decision sheet
- Travel time
- 1 h 2964 min train + 20 min bus, change at Poggibonsi · one way · Trenitalia
- Transport
- Train + bus
- Self-guided cost
- € 34.60–39.60Train + bus through ticket return (€ 12.30 each way) + Palazzo Comunale and Torre Grossa (€ 10) or the San Gimignano Pass for all four sites (€ 15, plus € 1 if booked online) · San Gimignano Musei
- Tour price
- From € 58.50Civitatis catalogue
- Time needed
- 3–4 hDaytripo editorial
- Closed days
- 25 Dec
- Best time
- Apr-Oct, weekdays; museums open 10:00-19:30 (11:00-17:30 Nov-Mar)Daytripo editorial
- Verdict
- Worth half a dayDaytripo editorial
What to see and do in San Gimignano
- 01
Torre Grossa
The tallest tower in town at 54 metres and the only one open to climb. A modern steel stair leads to the roof in about 10 minutes, with all the other towers below you.
- 02
Palazzo Comunale
The town hall holds Lippo Memmi's large Maestà fresco and a room of 14th-century scenes of courtship and bathing. It shares a ticket with the tower. Allow 40 minutes.
- 03
Piazza della Cisterna
A triangular square paved in herringbone brick around a 13th-century well. This is where everyone stops for gelato, so come early or after 16:30 to sit on the well steps.
- 04
Collegiata
The main church on Piazza del Duomo, with both side walls covered in fresco cycles of the Old and New Testament. It has its own ticket and takes about 30 minutes.
- 05
Rocca di Montestaffoli
The ruined fortress at the top of town, free to enter. Five minutes from the Duomo, it gives a view of the towers and the vineyards without paying for a climb.
How to spend the day
Take the 08:10 train from Santa Maria Novella to Poggibonsi-S. Gimignano, arriving 09:14, and the 09:19 bus, in town at 09:39. Walk up to Piazza della Cisterna, then climb Torre Grossa when the Palazzo Comunale opens at 10:00. Lunch at 12:30, walls and the Rocca after. Catch the 16:55 bus, which meets the 17:42 train and gets you to Florence at 18:52. Later options leave at 17:40 and 19:00.
San Gimignano in summer and in winter
Summer
June to AugustFrom June to August the museums open 10:00-19:30 and coach groups pack Via San Giovanni from about 10:30 to 16:00. Arrive on the 09:39 bus, climb Torre Grossa at opening and leave the walls for later. The stone holds the heat, so plan a long lunch indoors. Evening light on the towers is the best of the day.
Winter
December to FebruaryFrom November to March the museums open only 11:00-17:30, so the 08:10 train gets you there too early. Take the 09:10 instead. Many shops and some restaurants close in January and February, and fog often hides the view. The town is quiet and still worth 3 hours if you keep expectations modest.
How crowded it gets
Very busy- Busiest
- Apr-Oct, 10:30-16:00, worst at weekends
- Quietest
- Before 10:30, after 16:30, and Nov-Mar
Nearly every visitor walks the same 400 metres from Porta San Giovanni to the two squares. Do the tower first, then step onto the wall path or up to the Rocca, where the groups do not have time to go.
How do you get to San Gimignano from Florence?
Train + bus
- Travel time
- 1 h 30
- Frequency
- Good connections at 08:10 and 09:10, then patchy
- Cost
- € 12.30 each way
- Departs from
- Firenze Santa Maria Novella
Take the Siena train to Poggibonsi-S. Gimignano, 64 minutes, then the Autolinee Toscane bus from the station forecourt, 20 minutes. Trenitalia sells both legs as one ticket to 'S. Gimignano Centro Storico'. Check the bus connection before choosing a train, some waits reach 50 minutes.
Organized tour
- Travel time
- 10.5 to 11.5 hours door to door
- Frequency
- Daily
- Cost
- From € 58.50
- Departs from
- Piazzale Montelungo, behind Santa Maria Novella station
Coach tours stop here for about 1 h 15 between Siena and either Pisa or a Chianti winery. That is too short to climb Torre Grossa calmly, but it removes the Poggibonsi connection and adds Siena on the same day.
Practical: clothes, food and money
What to wear
Comfortable shoes for steep paved streets and the tower stairs. The hilltop is windy, so carry a layer even in May and September. In summer a hat helps on the walls, where shade is scarce.
What to eat
Vernaccia di San Gimignano is the local white wine, dry with a slightly bitter finish, sold by the glass all over town. Saffron grown here turns up in pasta and cheese. Wild boar ragù is the standard pasta sauce. Side streets off Via San Matteo are calmer for lunch.
What you will spend
The through ticket by train and bus is € 12.30 each way. Palazzo Comunale with Torre Grossa costs € 10, or take the San Gimignano Pass for all four sites at € 15, plus € 1 if booked online. The Rocca, the walls and both squares are free.
How to get the most out of the day
- The bus stops outside Porta San Giovanni at the south end. Check the return times posted there as soon as you arrive, before walking uphill.
- At Poggibonsi the bus leaves from the station forecourt five minutes after the train arrives. Sit near the train doors and do not stop for coffee.
- Bottles of Vernaccia are heavy. Buy on the way down to the bus, not on the way up, and ask for travel wrapping.
- If the Torre Grossa queue is long, the Rocca gives a similar skyline for free and takes a quarter of the time.
How long do you need in San Gimignano?
Plan 3–4 h on site, plus 1 h 29 of travel each way from Florence.
When is San Gimignano closed?
25 Dec. Best time: Apr-Oct, weekdays; museums open 10:00-19:30 (11:00-17:30 Nov-Mar).