Tuscany day trip tickets: Siena, San Gimignano, Chianti and Pisa compared

Guided tours usually leave from Santa Maria Novella or your hotel, run eight to ten hours and combine Siena, San Gimignano and a Chianti wine tasting, or alternatively Pisa and its Leaning Tower. The schedule is tight.

By regional train and bus you are more flexible and cheaper, but need to know the timetables – Siena and Pisa are easy to reach by train, while San Gimignano and the Chianti wineries are only practical by bus or car.

Siena is famous for the Piazza del Campo and its cathedral, San Gimignano for its medieval towers. Neither town charges general admission; only individual buildings are chargeable.

Pisa is known for the Leaning Tower on the Piazza dei Miracoli; climbing the tower is strictly limited by time slot and capacity and should be booked in advance. Chianti stands for wine tastings at estates between Florence and Siena.

Start early: from late morning both the Piazza del Campo in Siena and the Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa fill up. Realistically Siena, San Gimignano and a wine tasting in one day need nine to ten hours.

Wine tastings include a cellar tour. There is no obligation to buy; if you want to skip a long pitch, choose a tour that explicitly keeps the tasting short.