See the best Siena and San Gimignano have to offer with your private driver and private transportation! Experience Siena and San Gimignano's Highlights with a private guide and transportation for your small group of 9 or more. Two of Tuscany's most unusual architectural towns!
This excursion is for 9 or more participants. For smaller groups, please see our
Livorno Siena and San Gimignano Excursion.
You will take the free shuttle from your Livorno pier to the transportation hub near the harbor's main gate. You will meet your English speaking escort and separate driver and set out in your air-conditioned transport for the 1 hour 45 minute journey to Siena.
Your local guide will meet you at the city's historic area which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and then lead you on a walking excursion of this fabled town. The medieval architecture takes you back in time.
The hilltop has been inhabited since the time of the Etruscans (900 - 400BC). According to legend, the town is named after Senius, one of the sons of Remus who was murdered by his brother Romulus.
Your guide will point out the sites as you walk through the town - the Piazza dei Campo, the shell-shaped main square that is home to the famous Palio horse races each year. The city hall, Palazzo Pubblico (public plaza), stands over the piazza with its Tower (Torre dei Mangia), which you can see from miles away.
You will see a masterpiece of architecture, the Italian Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral that dates from the 1300's. Visit the Piazza Salimbeni, once a private palace from the 1300's. There is so much to see! Depending on your interests and the amount of time remaining, your guide may include an exterior visit to the Sanctuary of Santa Caterina or the Siena Synagogue, both are popular visitor attractions. Stroll down the Via di Citta past the Palazzo Chigi-Saracini and other intriguing architecture from the 12th century.
Take advantage of the countryside surroundings and sample some Tuscan cuisine and local wine. Your guide will be able to offer suggestions of where and what you can purchase. Please note that food, beverage and optional site admissions are at the guest's own expense. You will have approximately 4 hours in the historic district.
Your next stop is approximately a 40-minute drive, San Gimignano. The walled city started in the 3rd century. Due to local family conflict, tower houses began to be built in the 1200's. Trying to outdo their neighbor, the families continued to build and add on. There are now more than 70 tower homes looming over the town with the tallest being 230 feet tall. Looking at the unusual skyline of Siena, it is easy to see why that in 1990 UNESCO added the entire Historic Center to its World Heritage List.
Your guide will lead you on a walking exploration of many of the finest sites in San Gimignano - the Piazza della Cisterna, the main square of the town. The Piazza Duomo is home to the Collegiate Church and its famous frescoes that were saved from the Nazis and featured in the 1999 film "Tea with Mussolini." There is also the Palazzo Communale and the mayor's Palazzo Podesta. You will spend approximately 75 minutes in the historic district.
When you have completed your time in San Gimignano, you will bid farewell to your guide and your driver/escort will lead you to your transportation for the 90-minute drive back to your Livorno cruise pier.
Please note that you should anticipate large crowds at all sites. When possible, a guide from Livorno will be used replacing the need for the escort.
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