Siena, with its breathtaking historic centre, is less than 80 kilometres from Florence. This makes it an easy day trip. One you can easily make on public transport, or with a guided tour.
Siena’s UNESCO listed town centre is compact enough that you can see the main sights in one day. You can easily explore the perfectly preserved Medieval town centre, the stunning Piazza del Campo and the Gothic cathedral on foot.
=> 12 Top Things to do in Siena
TIP => If you love art you cannot miss to visit the interior of the Duomo, a real treasure chest of Renaissance art!
Day trip to Siena leaving from Florence
Best way to travel from Florence to Siena by public transport
You can get from Florence to Siena by train or bus, but the bus is the more convenient option. The journey is a bit shorter than by rail, and on your arrival the bus station in Siena is close to the city centre.
Siena Bus station: in Piazza San Domenico, near the beautiful San Domenico Church (from here it takes 15 minutes to reach Piazza del Campo, the heart of Siena). Siena’s train station is further out, at around 2 kilometres from the town’s centre.
In Florence the bus company SITA (now called TiemmeBus) has the terminus just opposite the Santa Maria Novella train station – address: Via Santa Caterina 15. There you can buy the tickets on the day and you don’t need a seat reservation. Just ask for ‘Siena Linea Rapida’ (express service) – the journey takes 1 hour and 15 minutes – while the ‘Siena Linea Ordinaria’ makes a few stops along the way and takes 1 hour and 40 minutes.
There’s no substantial difference in rates. Both services start early in the morning. The last bus is at 8:45pm and the last train is at 9:40pm (but check updated timetable as times may vary).
=> Siena main sights and attractions
Why join a Siena Guided Tour
While travelling on your own gives you all the freedom to see the sights at your own pace, joining a guided tour from Florence to Siena is a great idea if you want to learn a bit and immerse yourself in the history of this fascinating town. Having a guide that explains the fascinating past and traditions of Siena, home to the oldest horserace still run today, the Palio, is a very memorable experience indeed.
A tour also makes a lot of sense if you don’t have much time and would like to see as much as possible of Tuscany while you’re there. There are various tours from Florence that combine a visit to Siena with other nearby attractions.
This Full-Day Tour from Florence to Siena, San Gimignano and Monteriggioni includes a visit to Siena’s historic centre, scenic hilltop towns and a visit to a Chianti winery, where you can taste some of the locally produced wine.
=> Would you like to see some more of Tuscany? You can visit Siena, Pisa and San Gimignano with this Day Trip from Florence including lunch.
