Explore the medieval hill town of San Gimignano on a private walking tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre with a local guide. Follow a centuries-old pilgrim road to a series of historic landmarks, get views of the Tuscan countryside, and learn about the fascinating history of the region. This tour offers flat rate pricing for up to 15 people, and can be customized to your group’s interests and abilities. Morning and afternoon departures are available.

Walking tour of San Gimignano
See the UNESCO-listed Old Town
Learn about local history and architecture
Private guide for your group of up to 15 people
Flexibility to customize to your interests
Morning and afternoon departures

What's Included

Local guide
Private tour

Gratuities
Transportation to/from attractions

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

San Gimignano Porta San Giovanni
53037 San Gimignano, Province of Siena, Italy
Next to the San Giovanni city gate, guide will be holding a Tuscan Escapes sign

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Choose the departure time that’s most convenient for you, then meet your guide at Porta San Giovanni, the main entrance to the town of San Gimignano. Start by walking the medieval Francigena pilgrimage road as your guide shares some background on San Gimignano, then pass a 12th-century pilgrim shelter built by the knights of Malta.

Turn down a hidden side street for panoramic views of the Tuscan countryside, with rows of vines, olive groves, and cypress tress stretching into the distance. Continue to the central plaza to see San Gimignano’s Romanesque cathedral and the Torre Grossa, the tallest of the 14 medieval towers that are scattered throughout the town. If desired, enter the cathedral to see a collection of Gothic frescoes, or climb the tower (entrance fees are not included in the price of the tour).

Keep walking to a hilltop park and the pretty Sant’Agostino church, and if desired, continue to a series of medieval fountains and landmarks at the bottom of the town. This tour concludes in central San Gimignano, where your guide can share tips on where to eat, drink, and keep exploring on your own.

Porta San Giovanni

Meet your English speaking expert guide next to the main city gate and be introduced to the area. Learn of the conflicts and economical triumphs that have characterized San Gimignano, the Unesco protected medieval Town of Fine Towers, a must see in Tuscany. Situated between Siena and Florence, it is easily reached from both cities. Historically, as today, San Gimignano was a through fare for travelers and pilgrims traveling up or down the Italian peninsula. Enter the town on medieval Francigena pilgrim oute and pass the 12th century pilgrim shelter built by the knights of Malta. Discover how the wealthy merchants fortified their homes into towers, important status symbols in medieval times. Continue down a side street that opens up onto a picture perfect panorama of the Tuscan countryside, with its neat rows of vines, olive groves and lines of cypress trees. Pass an ancient arch an reach the city's heart, the central Piazza della Cisterna square named after the large water cistern located at its centre.

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Piazza della Cisterna

The Cistern Square is the civic center of the city, where the market is still held to this day. Learn about the medieval buildings towering over the square, and the commerce of gold and saffron spice that flourished in this town. Adjacent to the piazza is the square with the Romanesque Duomo, the Collegiata di San Gimignano, housing marvelous gothic frescos of Sienese art and a renaissance, Florentine chapel dedicated to Santa Fina, the town's most popular saint. Beside the church stands the Civic museum and the Torre Grossa, the city’s tallest tower. On request, you may decide to visit both of these monuments with your guide on tour (admission tickets not included in tour price).

20 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Service animals allowed

No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Reviews

5.0

12 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-9 of 12 reviews

Wonderful guide!

Stephanie_J, Mar 2023

We had the absolute best time exploring San Gimignano with our guide! He was a wonderful, enthusiastic guide and very knowledgable. He took time with us and answered questions too. We couldn't recommend him enough! It's a great idea to have this first thing in the morning when you arrive to the city, so you can learn about the history and then go back and explore more of the areas you toured based on your interests. Highly recommend!

Great San Gimignano!!

JoseE_G, Nov 2022

Great trip and guided tour in San Gimignano. The tour guide Elio Martino was very dedicated and made sure that we got the most of the tour.

Interesting and informative tour

Sasha_P, Nov 2022

Great morning! Giorgia was an encyclopedia of knowledge about San Gimignano, it was incredibly interesting!

A wonderful (and hot!!!) day in San Gimignano

Stefan_H, Aug 2022

Learning about the history of San Gimignano. Our tour guide Claudia was knowledgeable and shared very interesting information about this beautiful town.

Awesome Tour

Dave_D, Jun 2022

The tour was wonderful and guide was extremely informative. This small beautiful town has a long history and beautiful views.

Beautiful tune in San Gimignano

Liora_a, May 2022

Elio was a great tour guide and was very knowledgeable. San Gimignano is a beautiful city and we had a wonderful time seeing everything and taking beautiful pictures! Really enjoyed!

We had a good time with...

Danny_R, May 2022

We had a good time with Emilio. Very knowledgeable and interesting tour. It brought the old city to life.

This was an interesting tour to get...

James S, May 2017

This was an interesting tour to get a feel of the city and its history. Still lots of hills, but manageable. A bit expensive if not in a larger group we had 11. Our guide seemed very knowledgeable and interesting, although sometimes hard to hear when talking while walking.

Geschichte für die Familie

Otto_H, Aug 2021

Sehr interessante gut erhaltene Stadt. Wie ein großes Freilichtmuseum aus dem Mittelalter. Danke an unsere sehr gute Reiseführerin für die interessante und gut erklärte Tour.