How many days in Siena? 3 days: the Campo, the Duomo and the Val d'Orcia
By Tony Panopoulos · travel-agency planner in Greece · Updated
Most visitors see Siena in a rushed afternoon from Florence and miss what makes it special: a Gothic city that has barely changed since the 14th century, still divided into 17 contrade (districts), each with its own church, fountain and flag. Give it three days. Two are enough for the Campo, the Duomo complex and the museums at a gentle pace, with the evenings when the day-trippers have gone; the third goes into the hills, to San Gimignano or the Val d'Orcia.
Short answer
Two days covers Piazza del Campo, the Torre del Mangia, the Museo Civico, the Duomo and Santa Maria della Scala. The third day is for the countryside: towers, vineyards and the cypress-lined roads of southern Tuscany.
The 3-day plan, day by day
Day 1: Piazza del Campo, the Torre del Mangia and the Museo Civico
Morning. Arrive at Piazza del Campo early, when the shell-shaped square is almost empty, and climb the Torre del Mangia, about 400 steps to a terrace some 88 metres up, for the view over the red roofs to the hills (about €10-15; timed entry, limited numbers). Go in the first slots in summer.
Afternoon. Visit the Museo Civico in the Palazzo Pubblico (about €10-15, or a combined ticket with the tower): the Maesta by Simone Martini and the frescoes of Good and Bad Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti, painted in the 1330s, one of the first great secular paintings of Europe. Then walk the main streets, Banchi di Sopra and Banchi di Sotto.
Evening. Sit on the warm bricks of the Campo at dusk like the Sienese do, then have dinner in a side street rather than on the square itself. A plate of pici pasta costs about €12-16 away from the Campo.
Restaurants facing the Campo charge for the view. Walk 3-5 minutes in any direction and prices drop by a third.
Day 2: The Duomo, the Piccolomini Library and Santa Maria della Scala
Morning. Buy the OPA SI pass (about €16-20) for the Duomo complex and go in at opening. Inside the cathedral, look at the striped marble columns and the inlaid marble floor, fully uncovered only for a few weeks a year (usually late summer to October; check dates). In the Piccolomini Library, frescoes by Pinturicchio cover the walls in bright colours.
Afternoon. With the same pass, visit the Museo dell'Opera, home of Duccio's Maesta, and climb to the Panorama, the top of the unfinished new cathedral facade, for a view over the Campo. Then cross the square to Santa Maria della Scala (about €9), a former hospital that served pilgrims for some 800 years, with frescoed wards.
Evening. Walk down to the brick Fonte Branda, the medieval fountain, and up to San Domenico, the church that keeps relics of St Catherine of Siena, for the sunset view of the Duomo across the valley.
The Panorama has a small, timed capacity and queues form by midday. Book a slot when you buy the OPA SI pass.
Day 3: Day trip: San Gimignano or the Val d'Orcia
Morning. For San Gimignano, take a bus to Poggibonsi and change for the town (about 1-1.5 hours in total; check current timetables), or drive 45 minutes. Climb the Torre Grossa, the tallest of its 14 surviving medieval towers, and walk through Piazza della Cisterna. On the way back, stop at walled Monteriggioni, 20 minutes from Siena.
Afternoon. For the Val d'Orcia instead, drive south about 1 hour to Pienza, the Renaissance town planned by Pope Pius II, known for its pecorino sheep's cheese, then continue 25 minutes to Montalcino for a tasting of Brunello wine (tastings from about €15-30).
Evening. Return to Siena for dinner in one of the contrade, where some districts hold open-air dinners in summer, or at an osteria near the Campo. A full meal with house wine costs €30-45 per person.
The Val d'Orcia is very hard to see without a car or a tour. If you drive, book a parking place outside the old town, as the centre of Siena is a limited traffic zone (ZTL) with cameras and fines.
Only have 2 days?
With 2 days, do Day 1 and Day 2 and leave the countryside for another trip. With only 1 day, focus on the Campo, the tower and the Duomo complex, and stay for the evening.
Got extra days?
A 4th day can go to the Chianti villages between Siena and Florence, such as Castellina and Radda, to the abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, or to Montepulciano for its Vino Nobile. A car makes these much easier.
Where to stay in Siena
| Budget | Area | Why | Typical double/night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget | Outside the walls, near the station | Cheaper hotels and B&Bs, with escalators and buses up to the centre. | €70-120 |
| Mid-range | Inside the walls, near the Campo | Walk everywhere, and enjoy the city at night when visitors leave. | €120-220 |
| Mid-range | San Domenico / Camollia | Close to the bus station and parking, a 10-minute walk to the Campo. | €110-200 |
| Comfort | Country villas and agriturismi | Restored farmhouses with pools in the hills, 10-20 minutes from town by car. | €250-500 |
Getting around
Siena's old town is walkable and mostly car-free: from Piazza Gramsci to the Campo is about 10 minutes, with some steep streets. From Florence, the fastest option is usually the direct bus (about 1 hour 15 minutes) to Piazza Gramsci; the train takes about 1.5 hours and arrives at the station below the town, linked to the centre by escalators and local buses. Regional buses reach San Gimignano, Montalcino and Pienza, but services are limited; check current timetables.
What to eat in Siena
Siena's pasta is pici, thick hand-rolled spaghetti, served with garlic and tomato (all'aglione), with crumbs, or with wild boar ragu. Try ribollita, a bread and vegetable soup, and cinta senese, the local breed of pork, as salami or grilled. Siena is famous for its sweets: panforte, a dense cake of honey, nuts and spices, ricciarelli almond biscuits and cantucci dipped in vin santo. Order the local wines: Chianti Classico from the north, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano from the south. A trattoria meal costs €25-40 per person.
Best time to visit
April-June and September-October, with 18-27°C and the vineyards at their best in autumn harvest. July and August are hot (32°C and above). The Palio, the bareback horse race around the Campo, takes place on 2 July and 16 August; the city is extraordinary then but hotels triple in price and the square is packed. Winter is quiet and cool, with fewer visitors.
What a day costs
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing a double) | €45 | €85 | €200 |
| Food & drink | €30 | €55 | €100 |
| Sights & tickets | €15 | €35 | €60 |
| Local transport | €5 | €15 | €50 |
| Total per person, per day | about €95 | about €190 | about €410 |
Approximate 2026 prices in euros. Siena charges a tourist tax of about €2-5 per person per night, depending on the hotel category, for the first nights of the stay.
Before you go
Common questions
Can I see the Palio?
Yes, for free, by standing in the centre of the Campo, but you must arrive hours before the race, which lasts about 90 seconds, and you cannot leave until it ends. Seats on the stands around the square are sold privately and cost a lot, often hundreds of euros. The trial races in the days before are much easier to watch.
Is Siena better than Florence as a base for Tuscany?
For the countryside, yes. Siena is closer to the Val d'Orcia, Montalcino, Pienza and the Chianti villages, and quieter in the evenings. Florence has more museums and better train links to the rest of Italy. Many travellers spend 3 nights in Florence and 2-3 in Siena or a farmhouse nearby.
When can I see the Duomo floor?
Most of the inlaid marble floor is covered for protection during the year and uncovered for a period, usually from late June or August to October; the exact dates change each year. During that period the OPA SI pass costs a little more and the cathedral is busier. Check the official Opera del Duomo website before travelling.
Do I need a car for Siena?
Not for the city: the old town is a limited traffic zone, and you walk everywhere. A car is useful for the Val d'Orcia, Chianti and small villages, which have few buses. If you rent one, park in the car parks outside the walls, such as Il Campo or Santa Caterina, and never drive into the ZTL.
How this guide was made
Compiled by TonyPlan from official tourism, transport and attraction sources and on-the-ground travel knowledge. Prices are approximate for 2026 and change with season; anything we could not confirm is marked as approximate.
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