San Gimignano and Volterra Tour

€135 per person Lunch and all tastings included

Your meeting point is at the Basilica of San Domenico in Siena at 9.30am, easy to find even if you are arriving from out of town. Here you will meet the driver guide for the start of the tour. This is an ideal tour for those who are interested in history, architecture and visiting the some of the must see sites of Tuscany.
Our trip starts with driving towards San Gimignano, on our way we stop for a walk in the fortress of Monteriggioni, a medieval and perfectly preserved fortress with a complete ring of walls and turrets built in the 13th century and mentioned by Dante in his Devine Comedy. This was Siena’s main bastion of defense against the armies of Florence.  

We then continue to the fascinating town of San Gimignano, one of the most characteristic of Tuscany’s Hill-Towns with its many austere medieval towers that defiantly survived the centuries and are still standing today. It has recently been recognized as a Unesco world heritage site as a testimony of medieval architecture. Here we can walk along the ancient route of the Via Francigena, the main route to Rome for travelers and pilgrims of all Europe. Today again the bustling San Gimignano flourishes with artisanal boutiques of the local trades and stores selling the towns ‘red gold’, the saffron spice and the centuries old Vernaccia white wine.
After spending time visiting San Gimignano and having free time to visit the stores, churches and museums, we make our way to a small family run farm where we enjoy a wholesome traditional lunch prepared using the farms own seasonal products. During lunch you will taste dishes prepared with saffron accompanied by the refreshing Vernaccia white wine. It could occur that the farm for some reason is unavailable on the day, in this case we will enjoy our traditional Tuscan meal in a characteristic trattoria. After lunch we continue on panoramic roads towards Volterra, here we will first stop at a small artisanal alabaster workshop to meet the traditionalist craftsman and witness the ancient art of sculpting this semiprecious stone in the company of the jovial artists.

Proceed to Volterra, the ancient Velathri, a harmonious blend of Etruscan, Roman, Medieval and Renaissance art and architecture. Here you will have free time for walking along the streets of the historical centre, visiting the town’s famous Etruscan museum, the still standing millennia old Etruscan arch, the Roman theatre and the other monuments of town.

In some occasions, due to availability or last minute changes, the itinerary might vary a little. In this case the tour could be modified slightly. However the day will maintain a similar general imprint, same duration and have all the same inclusions.

Have a look at our Activities Calendar to see what tours are running while you are in Tuscany,
or request a private tour below.