Italy · City break

Siena City Guide

A shell-shaped square, a cathedral striped in black and white marble. Siena is the most medieval city in Tuscany, where ten of the seventeen contrade race each other twice a year at the Palio. One ready-made day route from San Domenico leads across the Piazza del Campo, up the tower and on to the Medici fortress.

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Our walking tours of Siena

Ready-made routes from the station guide you through Siena, to the right spots from the very first step, with no planning needed.

Il Campo, the cathedral & the Fortezza

From the brick basilica of San Domenico downhill to the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo and up the Torre del Mangia. On to the black-and-white striped cathedral with its inlaid marble floor and into the thousand-year-old pilgrims' hospital of Santa Maria della Scala. Finally out to the Medici fortress, where the ramparts give you a look back over the whole old town.

Basilica di San Domenico. The day starts at the austere brick church of the Dominicans, sitting like a fortress above the western edge of the old town. Inside it is bare and enormous, without columns, with an open timber roof. No pomp, just sheer scale. The Cappella di Santa Caterina holds the head of Saint Catherine of Siena as a relic, the city's patron saint, who was born just nearby. From the terrace beside the church you already get the full view across the valley to the striped cathedral.
Piazza del Campo. The Campo is one of Europe's finest squares, sloping down like a shell with the Palazzo Pubblico at its lowest point. The red brick paving is divided by nine pale stone strips. For the Nine, the council that governed Siena in the 13th and 14th centuries. Twice a year, on 2 July and 16 August, the rim is covered in earth and the Palio is run, with ten contrade, three laps and under 90 seconds. On every other day people simply sit on the bricks and watch time go by. At the upper edge stands the Fonte Gaia, the 14th-century marble fountain at the end of a kilometres-long underground aqueduct; what you see is a copy, the weathered originals are kept in Santa Maria della Scala. Above the square, at the Croce del Travaglio, begins Via Banchi di Sopra, the main lane along the crest of the hill. In the evening half of Siena strolls up and down here for the passeggiata, between the palazzi of the old banking families.
Torre del Mangia. 87 metres high, 102 with the lightning rod, around 400 steps, no lift. The slender tower of the Palazzo Pubblico was deliberately built as tall as the cathedral on the neighbouring hill. Secular and church power were meant to stand eye to eye. Its name goes back to one of the first bell-ringers, a good-for-nothing nicknamed Mangiaguadagni, the devourer of profits. From the top, the view over the shell of the Campo and the surrounding hills is the best in town. The staircase gets narrower the higher you go, so it's no place for claustrophobia, and you should book your time slot in advance.
Siena Cathedral (Duomo). Inside and out, the cathedral is banded in black and white marble stripes, the city's colours, which makes it look almost like a striped tent. The floor consists of 56 inlaid marble panels worked on over more than two centuries. Fully uncovered only for a few weeks each year, usually in late summer and autumn. Don't miss the Piccolomini Library with Pinturicchio's glowing frescoes and Nicola Pisano's marble pulpit. A combined ticket covers cathedral, library, crypt and museum and almost always pays off.
Facciatone. The viewing platform on the unfinished facade of the giant cathedral Siena never completed. Up a narrow spiral staircase, and at the top the best all-round view of the cathedral, the Campo and the Tuscan hills. Access is via the Museo dell'Opera; it's tight up there and not the place for a fear of heights. Late afternoon has the loveliest light.
Santa Maria della Scala. Opposite the cathedral stands one of Europe's oldest hospitals. For almost a thousand years, pilgrims were looked after here, the sick nursed and foundlings raised. Today it's a museum complex burrowing down through several levels into the hill. The highlight is the Pellegrinaio, the old pilgrims' hall, its walls covered in secular 15th-century frescoes, scenes of daily hospital life instead of saints. Far below you then find the archaeological museum with Etruscan finds and the original reliefs from the Fonte Gaia. Admission is surprisingly cheap, but don't underestimate the size.
Fortezza Medicea. To finish, the fortress Siena never wanted. Cosimo I de' Medici had it built after conquering the city, less for protection than to keep the defeated in check. Nothing of that threat is left today. The broad brick ramparts are a city park where Sienese jog, walk their dogs and wind down in the evening. Entry is free and the view back over the old town is the best way to close the day, with cathedral and Torre del Mangia side by side above the rooftops. From here, buses at La Lizza take you back to the centre or to the station.

Planning your visit

One day is enough. The route from San Domenico runs three kilometres onto the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, up the Torre del Mangia, to the striped cathedral, onto the Facciatone and to the Fortezza Medicea. From the Facciatone, the façade of a cathedral never finished, you look out over the roofs. Twice a year ten of the seventeen contrade ride the Palio around the Campo. Three evening tips are ready, and San Gimignano and the Chianti are on the doorstep.

Going out & nightlife

Nightlife quarters

Piazza del Campo & Via di Città. Honestly, Siena has barely any nightlife. In the evening half the city sits on the warm stone slabs of the Campo, plus a handful of wine bars and enoteche along Via di Città. And that's it. If you're after clubs you're in the wrong place; if you want a quiet evening with good Chianti, you're spot on.

Food & restaurants

Osteria Le Logge. Tuscan cooking in a former pharmacy right behind the Campo, with dark wood, a marble counter and a seriously good wine list. Honest heads-up. Portions are on the small side for the price, but the quality delivers. Without a reservation you'll struggle on a busy evening.

Stage & concerts

Teatro dei Rozzi. A historic 16th-century theatre just a few steps from the Campo. The programme covers drama, concerts and touring productions. Small, classic and a good reason to head back out in the evening. Check the schedule online first, there isn't a show every night.

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Practical information for Siena

Public transport

Operator. Siena doesn't have a transport association or a zone map, it has Autolinee Toscane. Under the brand at, the company runs the entire bus network of Tuscany, which includes both Siena's 18 city lines and the intercity routes into the province and to Florence. For fare purposes Siena belongs to the Urbano capoluogo group, along with Arezzo, Carrara, Florence, Grosseto, Livorno, Lucca, Massa, Pisa, Pistoia and Prato. On the network map the city lines carry numbers prefixed with S, plus the two night lines 50N and 60N and the on-demand lines BUXI A and BUXI B serving the outlying districts. BUXI just needs a normal city ticket with no surcharge, bookings are taken on weekdays until 6 pm the day before by calling 366 3440841, with a 20-minute tolerance window. Information is available on 800 14 24 24, daily from 6 am to 24.00.

Network. Buses, and nothing more is needed. The old town is pedestrianised.

Modes of transport. City bus · Minibus within the city walls (Pollicino) · Night bus · On-demand bus BUXI

Operating hours. Based on the summer timetable valid from 27 July 2026, city services start around 5.10 am and daytime service ends around 9.20 pm. The cross-town line S10, running from Fornacelle via Piazza Gramsci, the station and Policlinico to San Miniato, starts at 5.12 am and makes its last trip at 9.19 pm. The old-town line S54, from Coroncina via Porta Tufi to Piazza Indipendenza and Piazza Matteotti, runs every 15 minutes, on weekdays roughly from 6.32 am to 9.12 pm, on Sundays not until 7.02 am. Lines S3 and S17 run every 30 minutes, S3 from 7.25 am to 8.13 pm. On Sundays and public holidays service starts later and ends a bit earlier. For a two- to three-day stay in Siena, that means late in the evening only the two night lines are left running.

Night service. Siena has two designated night lines, both at the normal city fare and both running every day of the week, Sundays included. The 60N is listed in the timetable as Notturna P.za Gramsci – Siena z.Nord and runs from the central bus square Piazza Gramsci via Vecchia Stazione and the station to the northern districts of Petriccio, Vico Alto and Fornacelle. Departures from Piazza Gramsci are at 9.45 pm, 10.20 pm, 10.45 pm, 11.15 pm, 11.45 pm, 12.23 am and 1.15 am. The 50N links Taverne d'Arbia and Isola d'Arbia in the southeast, via Porta Pispini, Porta Romana and the Logge del Papa, with Piazza Repubblica, departing at 8.50 pm, 9.35 pm, 10.20 pm, 11 pm, 12.01 am, 12.20 am and 12.55 am, with the return direction from Isola d'Arbia running between 9.10 pm and 12.30 am. After the last night trip around 1.35 am, only a taxi is left.

Buying tickets. The cheapest way is to buy before boarding. Autolinee Toscane sells tickets through its own counters, including at Piazza Gramsci and the station, through machines at larger stops, and through authorized outlets, in Italy usually tobacco shops and bars displaying the at sticker. Digitally you can buy through the at bus app, through shop.at-bus.it, and through the third-party apps TABNET, URBI, TELEPASS and DropTicket. Tickets are also available from the driver, but at a surcharge price of 3.00 euros, and the operator explicitly notes that the driver is not obliged to give change. On-board sales are also suspended during a ticket inspection. By SMS the fare is 2.40 euros plus 0.29 euros in sending costs with TIM, Vodafone, WINDTRE, Very Mobile and Fastweb.

App and payment. For short visits, tip tap is the easiest option. The readers are mounted by the doors, you hold your card, phone or wearable up to them, a beep and a green screen confirm the tap, red means an error. Credit, debit and prepaid cards from Mastercard, Visa and American Express are accepted. There's an important difference in how it works though. On city lines you only tap when boarding, while on mixed lines, intercity routes and express buses you tap both when boarding and when getting off. Anyone who prefers to buy in advance can use the at bus app, which also shows timetables and real-time departures. Real-time data is also available through the Telegram channel AT_Orari in fermata. Cash is accepted only from the driver, at the higher on-board price and with no change given.

Which ticket. The range on offer is small, and that's the most important thing to know. Siena has no day ticket and no tourist pass. Since 1 August 2026 a single ride costs 2.00 euros and is valid for 70 minutes from validation, during which you can transfer as many times as you like. Buying from the driver costs 3.00 euros for the same ride, by SMS it's 2.40 euros plus 0.29 euros in sending costs. A book of ten costs 18.20 euros and brings the per-ride price down to 1.82 euros, a saving of 1.80 euros over ten rides. The monthly pass at 42.20 euros costs the same as 21 single fares. For a two- to three-day stay, where you'd cover the centre on foot anyway, that gives a clear breakeven point. Below ten bus rides, the single ticket is mathematically never more expensive than the book of ten.

Fare zones. No zones. A city ticket is valid across the whole city network. Anyone arriving on an intercity ticket in band 1 or 2 starting or ending in Siena can also use it on the city lines. Intercity fares start at 2.00 euros, priced by distance band.

Tip. Take the escalator at the station; the climb is steep.

Getting there

Main station

Location. The station sits below the town; escalators lead up to the centre.

Long-distance trains. Siena is a terminus of the Tuscan regional network, not a long-distance hub. On a weekday in August 2026 the schedule showed 54 departures, all in the Regionale category. Destinations are Firenze Santa Maria Novella, Empoli, Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, Grosseto and Buonconvento. The busiest route is to Florence, with roughly one train an hour, the journey usually taking 1 hour 34 minutes, for example departing Siena at 11.18 am and arriving Firenze Santa Maria Novella at 12.52 pm. Anyone needing a Frecciarossa or Intercity service changes in Florence. The station has six platform tracks, track 1 is step-free, tracks 2 to 5 are reached by elevator, and there are also tactile paving strips for the visually impaired, a ticket office, a waiting area, a bar, a newsstand, a tobacco shop, a pharmacy and a Polfer police post. The Sala Blu assistance service is booked through Florence, at least 12 hours before departure.

Opening hours. On weekdays the first train departs at 5 am for Empoli, the first for Florence at 5.43 am. The last departure, towards Florence, leaves at 9.40 pm. The elevators to the six platform tracks operate from 6 am to 10 pm.

Airports

FLR

Into the city. There is no direct connection. Tram T2 takes 20 minutes into Florence, then express bus 131R from the Autostazione takes around 75 minutes to Siena Via Tozzi. Via the regional train from Firenze Santa Maria Novella, the second leg takes around 95 minutes.

Frequency. The T2 runs daily from 5 am to 12.30 am, on Fridays and Saturdays until 2 am, every 4 to 11 minutes during the day. Bus 131R runs roughly hourly Monday to Friday, with the first departure from Siena at 6.15 am and the last at 8.45 pm.

Local quirks

The Palio. On 2 July and 16 August, horses race around the Piazza del Campo. The city is fully booked and in a state of exception at those times.
Inside the city walls, only the small Pollicino buses run. Autolinee Toscane marks the old-town lines on the official network map as a separate section called Pollicino. These are minibuses small enough to fit through alleys no standard bus can enter. The most frequent of them is the S54, running from Coroncina via Laterino and Porta Tufi to Piazza Indipendenza and Piazza Matteotti. It runs every 15 minutes, on weekdays roughly from 6.32 am to 9.12 pm, and stops along the way at Parcheggio Santa Caterina. If you're staying in the centre and have luggage, this gets you closer to your destination than any other line. The normal city ticket at 2.00 euros applies.
To Florence, the bus beats the train. The express bus 131R takes around 75 minutes from Siena Via Tozzi to the Autostazione next to Firenze Santa Maria Novella station, departing around 6.15 am and arriving around 7.30 am. The regional train runs via Empoli and takes around 95 minutes. The bus also starts up in the town itself, while the train starts down at the station. Monday to Friday the 131R runs roughly hourly, with the first departure at 6.15 am and the last at 8.45 pm. Note that the bus isn't covered by the city fare though, it's charged at the intercity rate by distance band.

Good to know

Currency: EUR €
Emergency number: 112
Plug type: C · F · L
Time zone: Europe/Rome
Driving: right

Speed limits. built-up areas 50 km/h, outside towns 90 km/h, 110 km/h on expressways, motorway 130 km/h

In rain, the motorway limit is 110 km/h instead of 130, and 90 instead of 110 on expressways. Drivers who have held their license for less than three years may drive at most 100 km/h on the motorway and 90 km/h on expressways. Within built-up areas, 50 km/h is the rule, though signposted city roads allow up to 70 km/h.

Tipping. Not expected. Bills often carry a coperto or servizio. If you were happy, round up.

Tolls. Most motorways are tolled. Take a ticket on entry, pay on exit. No vignette.

Access restrictions. Many historic centres are closed to non-residents. Cameras read the plate and the fine arrives home months later. Hours and boundaries differ from city to city.