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11 hrs. Siena/San Gimignano excursion

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brian_uk

brian_uk

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A magnificent small City and very easy to walk. If you self drive as we did the parking areas are a long steep walk to the City (upwards on way there).

 

Wonderful shops and restaurants.

 

San Gimigiano also very interesting but if I had to choose, Siena would win every time.

 

Brian

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lcand1923

lcand1923

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If this ends up being a duplicate post, sorry. Everything locked as my response was being sent.

 

The bus ride did not seem that long because the countryside is so beautiful - vineyards and olive groves for miles and miles.

 

We had an excellent local guide who took us through both towns. We had about a 2 hour walking tour of Siena which ended at the main plaza. We then had roughly 90 minutes free time - lunch, shopping or exploring.

 

After meeting the tour escort, we went back to the bus for the ride to San Gimignano. Here we had a 1 hour walking tour with about 60 minutes free time.

 

Being typical Italian towns, the motor coach drops you off outside of town. The tour escort used her cell phone to communicate with the coach driver for the pick-up point.

 

Our local guide was very good. She took us to the highlights of both towns, provided a lot of information on local history, architecture and customs. Will you see everything? No. For that, you would probably need 3 - 5 days in Siena and 2 days for San Gimignano.

 

If you are willing to grab a gelato instead of sitting down for lunch, you will be able to do some good exploring in both towns.

 

We knew we would probably never get back to this area, so we felt it was time and money well spent. Everyone I spoke with who did this tour, felt the same. Be prepared, though, it is a LOT of difficult walking because of the cobblestones and hills.

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Aquarelle

Aquarelle

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I went on that Oceania excursion while on the Barcelona/Lisbon cruise last August. I was a bit hesitant at first given the very long day, and the fact I was going solo due to my husband's limited mobility, but I am so glad I went. The bus ride was very scenic (highway and secondary roads) and the 2 guides excellent. We were in Siena on the day of the horse race, so it was crowded and festive - flags everywhere. I did enjoy a delicious piece of pizza while doing people watching during our free time. San Gimignano was quieter and also very beautiful. This trip provided nice memories of Tuscany.

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Aquarelle

Aquarelle

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Louis - I don't recall the precise amount of time spent, but it must have been about 3 hours including the free time for lunch (approx 10am -1pm) . We walked the streets and stopped at major sites where the guide provided historical information, visited the cathedral, and ended in the Piazza del Campo, where the horse race was to occur later that day. We then had about 1 hour on our own to shop / lunch. We must have arrived at San Gimignano around 3pm, and stayed for a couple of hours, with about 1 hour with the guide and 1 hour on our own. Try local wine gelato at the shop in the main square - the best! I do recall arriving back at the ship around 7pm. It was a wonderful day!

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bigreckster

bigreckster

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We did this tour a year or two ago and thought it was well worth the bus ride. The guide was excellent and Siena was beautiful. They had a little parade celebrating the winners of the horse race that had taken place prior to our visit and we had a wonderful lunch at a restaurant on the main Piazza. The visit to San G. was also great with a tour and then plenty of time to wander and shop or get something to eat. The ride home took a little longer because we didn't return via superhighway, but by some nice back country roads (in great condition mind you) which passed through fields of sunflowers and beautiful flowers...a very nice view of the countryside. We also made a stop at a farm/shop which featured all sorts of olive oil, preserves, liquers, etc. and had a nice snack...could't drag everyone away from this restful place under a shaded canopy! You won't be disappointed with this trip...we normally do many tours on our own but this proved to be a winner!

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Guest kcruisin

Guest kcruisin

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We also did the Oceania tour to this area. I agree with other posters - it was well worth the bus trip and there was ample time in both places for sightseeing, eating and shopping. Loved them both. Bought silver jewelry for two sons back home in small silver shop in San G. and had my picture taken with the silversmith - gave it with the gift. I did the same in Greece this past year for a daughter and gold - it makes the gift more special if it comes from something authentic and not just a tourist trap shop!

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  • 1 year later...
jfb128

jfb128

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"Has anyone done this tour more recently (2007, Medieval Magic - Siena & San Gimignano)?

 

Did you enjoy it? Any other comments?"

 

Yes we just did this tour less than two weeks ago. We enjoyed it thoroughly. Siena is much more interesting than San Gimignano and we spent more time there. On the way to Siena our guide shared a great deal of information that made the time pass more easily. On the return the driver took a route that was extremely scenic. Because on that day there were also tours going to Florence that were about the same duration a number of busses pulled into port at the same time and the ship's staff had a pleasant greeting for all of us.

 

By the way try the gelato in San Gimignano. Your guide can tell you about the award winning shop.

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Beach Nut

Beach Nut

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Although we haven't taken the O excursion, having done separate day trips to both San Gimignano and Siena during a stay in Tuscany, I'd encourage you to take the tour if that can get you to both places in one day. Such a deal! :D

 

One of the big thrills of our Tuscany vacation was to climb the bell tower (at the main square in Siena) to the very top, including taking the ladder at the top. What a view! And we got to ring the huge bell - it took 3 of us, including a fun-loving Brit named Roz. The view is stupendous. However, the passageway is very narrow, the climb fairly long, and the resultant viewpoint is very high, so it's not for those with extreme claustrophobia or extreme fear of heights.

 

If you ask your tour guide about it ahead of time, perhaps they could arrange for those so inclined to do that instead of shop. (I always opt for adventure over shopping, when possible.) The tower's directly across the plaza from the cafes where all the people-watching goes on.

 

And by the way, if you're approached by a man who seems quite mentally disturbed :eek: as you walk past the cafes in Siena's square, he's an entertainer. And YOU are the entertainment for 150 or so people sitting at the outside tables watching his antics with passersby. Just a heads-up so that you can have a snappy comeback, or at least not be frightened.

 

Ah! Tuscany! Would love to be there right now.

Have a wonderful time.

Susan

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china addict

china addict

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Took this tour 8/2006 when on Nautica as an alternative to re-visiting Florence and the 11 hours seemed too short. Scenery is fantastic and time is not "wasted" on bus because guide will provide wonderful background information about what lies ahead. Siena is a dream. We were there the day before the Palio (famous horse race) when all the town was decked out in silk banners, ate in the piazza, then thoroughly enjoyed our time in San G which was totally different but very charming. We usually avoid bus tours like the plague, but there was plenty of free time in each town to explore, sample the local delicacies, buy unique souvenirs, etc. Did we like it? Heck, yes! Enough to talk about a villa rental in Tuscany as an alternative to cruising one of these days. Try it, you'll like it.

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