Stories · Italy
A weekend in San Gimignano
Told the way I’d tell a friend, step by step.
You don’t visit San Gimignano; it takes you in. Here is how I’d spend 2 days there without rushing, leaving room for the things you can’t plan.
Day 1 · The icons
Early in the morning, it’s Porta San Giovanni. You’ve seen it a hundred times in pictures; in person it is bigger, closer, more alive. Travellers give it 4.7 out of 5 (2,679 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line book your tickets, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Around noon, meet me at iSculpture Gallery San Gimignano & Casole d'Elsa. Give it a good two hours, and leave before you are full: that is the secret to wanting to come back. Practical: here is the route by public transport, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your visit or compare on Tiqets.
Lunch without a plan: the first noisy room you pass is often the right one.
Later, head to Gagliardi Art Gallery. I always pick two or three rooms rather than seeing everything. You walk out light. Practical: how to get there, and if you’d rather skip the queue, get your tickets in advance or go through Tiqets.
To end the day, I make my way to Torre e Casa Campatelli. Take the time to walk all the way around it; the best views are rarely at the entrance. 4.7 out of 5 across 813 reviews: few places are this unanimous. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your visit or go through Tiqets.
Keep the evening free. San Gimignano is a city that tells itself better at night.
Day 2 · The icons
To start, I make my way to Piazza della Cisterna. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Travellers give it 4.8 out of 5 (1,800 reviews) and I won’t argue with them. To get organised: the public-transport route; skip-the-line book your visit, otherwise also check Tiqets.
Then, it’s Torre del Diavolo. Take the time to walk all the way around it; the best views are rarely at the entrance. To get organised: how to get there; skip-the-line get your tickets in advance, otherwise go through Tiqets.
For lunch, trust the rooms full of locals rather than the menus translated into six languages.
In the afternoon, head to Torri degli Ardinghelli. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Practical: the public-transport route, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your tickets or compare on Tiqets.
In the evening, head to San Gimignano. It’s the kind of place that makes you go quiet for a moment, even when you thought you knew it all. Practical: how to get there, and if you’d rather skip the queue, book your visit or also check Tiqets.
In the evening, let go: a terrace, a walk, and San Gimignano does the rest.
If you’re still hungry
I still have a few up my sleeve: Diborrato Waterfall, Palazzo Comunale, Pinacoteca, Torre Grossa - San Gimignano Musei, SanGimignano1300, Galleria Continua, Chiesa di Sant'Agostino and Viewpoint. Your call.
My advice
Walk. Then take public transport: that is where you see the city live.
Book the busiest places the day before: queues have ruined more than one morning.
Keep a little local cash: the best addresses are often the least equipped.
There. The rest is yours: the detours, the encounters, the café that becomes your own.
A Triovol story · written by someone who would go back tomorrow
Opening hours, prices and closures change: a quick look at the venue’s website before you go avoids bad surprises.
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