Tuscany Travel Guide: Exploring San Gimignano
If you’re looking for the ideal Tuscany travel guide, put down the confusing maps and random brochures and join us on our full-day guided Tuscany in One Day Sightseeing Tour. We’ll take you to a variety of destinations, one of our favourite highlights being the town of San Gimignano.
When it comes to Tuscany travel, guided tours should always make sure to visit San Gimignano. This charming hilltop town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, chock-full of history and cute as can be to boot. We guarantee you’ll be enchanted by its picturesque squares, its world-famous medieval towers and its quaint local shops.
Our stop here allows for some free time where you can roam the streets at your discretion – but don’t worry about being at a loss for where to go! We’ve come up with what we think any Tuscany travel guide worth their salt would suggest that you see and do in this fascinating city.
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Exploring the city centre
As we previously mentioned, San Gimignano is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – which means the city centre is brimming with historic charm beyond comparison. Here you’ll find cobblestone streets and buildings from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries with intricate architectural details, as well as lovely little shops selling local specialty wares such as white wine and saffron. Why not pick up an authentic souvenir for a friend or family member back home while you’re here?
Visiting the Duomo di San Gimignano
Located smack dab in the city centre is a church from the twelfth century known as the Duomo di San Gimignano. Some of the most famous Italian artists throughout history have contributed to its classic frescos, and it has become a key part of the town’s culture. Inside you will find awe-inspiring architecture and breath-taking art, some of which is over 900 years old.
Tuscany Travel Guide Tip: Check out the church’s website before you arrive to make sure it’s open while you’re there – and maybe even bring a spare Euro or two along so you can make a donation towards its upkeep.
Discovering the Piazza della Cisterna and the Piazza del Duomo
San Gimignano has two main piazzas, which are two of the most popular spots in the entire city – and in our books they’re both must-sees. As you’ll likely be able to guess by the name, the Piazza del Duomo is home to the Duomo di San Gimignano, so if you’ve decided to visit the magnificent basilica, you’ll already be in this historic square. The surrounding architecture is undeniably lovely, so make sure you to keep an eye out for it (and perhaps even bring your camera along to snap a few photos).
The Piazza della Cisterna is right next door and is known for being a top medieval location in the town. The area around it is filled with restaurants, shops, houses and an ancient city gate – make sure you keep your eyes peeled for it.
Sampling gelato
After all that exploration, you’ll likely need a bit of a break… and what better way to relax and catch your breath than stopping at Gelateria Dondoli for some mouth-watering gelato? The ice cream here is some of the best in Italy, and the shop is located right in the Piazza della Cisterna. All the ingredients are free of preservatives and the product is made in-house – and you can definitely taste the passion in every scoop.
Tuscany Travel Guide Tip: Time this treat to be the last thing you do before you leave San Gimignano. That way you’ll have a delicious ending to a delicious day visit!
"Spectacular Tuscany"
“Every minute of the day was packed with wonderful views and interesting experiences. The highlight was San Gimignano. It was enchanting, like a step back in time. The Tuscany travel guide, Sara, was very informative, warm and friendly, and had a great sense of humour. Marco, the driver, was punctual and very capable. An excellent day out and good value for money.”
5 stars on TripAdvisor, Catherine B.
Although we undoubtedly love all aspects of our sightseeing tour, we have to admit that one of our top highlights is our time spent in San Gimignano… and we hope you’ll join us on our next visit. From gelato tastings to historic churches, this town is most definitely Tuscany tour guide approved.
This region of Italy has so much to offer its visitors – and we’d love to be your Tuscany tour guides. If this post has inspired you to experience the magic of San Gimignano on our sightseeing tour, if you’d like to know more about what other excursions we offer or if you have a question, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team. We look forward to hearing from you!
We Are Walkabout Florence
Here at Walkabout Florence, we are passionate about ensuring we are among the best Tuscany travel guides in the entire region. We’ve carefully cultivated a variety of entertaining and informative tours for all sorts of interests, whether you love sampling (and cooking!) different cuisines, sipping wines, going on long hikes or driving vintage vehicles. We’re sure you’ll find something you’ll love – but don’t just take our word for it. Join us and see for yourself. Tuscan magic awaits!
