Montepulciano · Siena · Tuscany, Italy
Montepulciano Tours, Tastings & Things to Do
The best things to do in Montepulciano, ranked by real traveller reviews: taste Vino Nobile in cellars cut into the tufa beneath Renaissance palazzi, climb the Corso to Piazza Grande, walk down to Sangallo's Temple of San Biagio, hunt truffles in the oak woods, roll fresh pasta in a Tuscan farmhouse kitchen, and drive out into the Val d'Orcia for Pienza and Montalcino. Compare wine tours, cooking classes and day trips side by side, most with free cancellation.
106 experiences Free cancellation Top-rated tours Instant booking
Sunset tours in Montepulciano
Departures that are under way when the sun sets in the coming weeks — start times checked against the local sunset.
Good for families in Montepulciano
Children can join from a young age and pay less than adults — taken from each operator’s price list.
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Explore Montepulciano by interest
Whatever brings you to Montepulciano — world-class museums, the river, or a long lunch — start with the experiences travellers love most.
What to see
Top attractions in Montepulciano
The landmarks that define the city — and the tickets and tours that get you in, often skipping the line.
Piazza Grande
The town at 600 metres.
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The tufa cellars
Barrels in the rock.
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Nobile vineyards
Prugnolo Gentile hills.
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The Corso
Renaissance palazzi, uphill.
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Truffle woods
Oak and hazel, with dogs.
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Cinta Senese farms
The belted Tuscan pig.
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Vineyard bridleways
Between the rows on horseback.
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Val d'Orcia
Cypresses and clay ridges.
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1 day
Montepulciano in 1 day
- 1Up the Corso
- 2Piazza Grande
- 3A tufa cellar tasting
- 4San Biagio at sunset
2 days
Montepulciano in 2 days
- 1Day 1: town & cellars
- 2Day 2: cooking class
- 3Vineyard lunch
- 4Val d'Orcia drive
With kids
Montepulciano with kids
- 1Pasta-making class
- 2Cinta Senese farm
- 3Horseback in the vineyards
- 4Tower at Piazza Grande
Day trips
Day trips from Montepulciano
- 1Pienza for pecorino
- 2Montalcino and Brunello
- 3Bagno Vignoni springs
- 4Val d'Orcia ridges
20 min awayPienza
A Renaissance town, to order.
from €39View trips
40 min awayMontalcino
Brunello in a fortress.
from €59View trips
30 min awayVal d'Orcia
Cypress ridges, UNESCO.
from €39View trips
30 min awayBagno Vignoni
A square that is a hot spring.
from €59View trips
20 min awayValdichiana farms
Cinta Senese and olive oil.
from €45View trips
30 min awayTruffle woods
Out with the dogs.
from €240View trips
Practical guide
Know before you go
Short, straight answers to the questions every Montepulciano visitor asks before booking.
Spring (Apr–Jun)
Green hills, long light, cellars quiet.
Summer (Jul–Aug)
Hot and busy; the Bravìo barrel race ends August.
Harvest (Sep–Oct)
Vendemmia — the best weeks of the year here.
Winter (Nov–Mar)
New olive oil in November, then very quiet.
For truffles
White truffle season runs October to December.
Best overall
May, June and September, in that order.
Half a day
The Corso, Piazza Grande and one cellar.
One day
Add San Biagio and a proper tasting lunch.
Two days
Add a cooking class or a farm and estate lunch.
Three days
Add Pienza, Montalcino and the Val d'Orcia.
For wine
Two days minimum — one cellar is never enough.
For families
Two days: pasta class, farm, horse ride.
From Florence
About 1 h 45 by road; trains need a change and a bus.
From Siena
Roughly 1 h 15 through the Crete Senesi.
By train
Chiusi–Chianciano station, then 20 minutes by bus.
In town
One long climb; the old centre is closed to traffic.
Parking
Lots below the walls, with a small bus to the top.
Between hill towns
Car, guided tour or e-bike — buses are sparse.
Palazzo tower
A few euros for the best view in the valley.
Free by design
The Corso, Piazza Grande and San Biagio cost nothing.
Cellar tastings
From €25; many cellars open off the main street.
Lunch closes early
Kitchens stop around 14.30 outside high season.
Currency
The euro; small producers may prefer cash.
Best light
San Biagio in the last hour before sunset.
Cooking classes
Six to eight places; they fill days ahead.
Truffle hunts
Limited dogs and hunters — book early in autumn.
Bravìo delle Botti
Last Sunday of August fills every room in town.
Harvest weeks
September estate visits book out first.
Private tastings
Small cellars take only a few people at once.
E-bike tours
Limited fleets, especially at weekends.
Cellar tour & tasting
€25–€35 for a visit with a flight.
Sommelier tasting
About €50; private Nobile tastings €85.
Cooking class
€65 in a home, €109–€176 on a farm.
Guided town walk
€132–€135 with a tasting included.
Truffle hunt
Around €240 with a tasting lunch.
E-bike or horseback
€159 by e-bike, €80 on horseback.
When to visit
Montepulciano through the seasons
What's best, how busy it gets, and one booking tip for each time of year.
Spring (Apr–Jun)
Apr–Jun
- Best for
- Green hills, quiet cellars.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- The best light of the year.
Summer (Jul–Aug)
Jul–Aug
- Best for
- Festivals and long evenings.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Book tastings ahead.
Harvest (Sep–Oct)
Sep–Oct
- Best for
- Vendemmia and truffles.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Estates are at their busiest.
Winter (Nov–Mar)
Nov–Mar
- Best for
- New olive oil, empty streets.
- Crowds
- Booking tip
- Some cellars close midweek.
People also ask
Montepulciano travel FAQ
What are the best tours in Montepulciano?
The highest-rated experiences are a Vino Nobile tasting in one of the tufa cellars (€25–€35), a pasta and tiramisu cooking class in a local home (€65), a guided walk of the old town with a tasting (€132–€135), a truffle hunt with lunch (€240), a Cinta Senese farm visit (€45–€58), and a day out through the Val d’Orcia to Pienza and Montalcino.
How much do Montepulciano tours cost?
Cellar tours with tasting cost €25–€35, sommelier-led tastings about €50, private Nobile tastings €85, cooking classes €65–€176, guided town walks with a tasting €132–€135, horseback rides €80, e-bike wine tours €159, and truffle hunts around €240.
How many days do you need in Montepulciano?
One day covers the town — the Corso, Piazza Grande, a cellar and San Biagio. Two days adds a cooking class or a farm lunch, and a third takes in Pienza, Montalcino and the Val d’Orcia properly.
When is the best time to visit Montepulciano?
May, June and September. Spring has the greenest hills and the quietest cellars; September brings the harvest, warm days and the best food. July and August are hot and busy, and the last Sunday of August fills the town for the Bravìo barrel race.
What is Vino Nobile di Montepulciano?
A red DOCG wine from at least 70% Prugnolo Gentile, the local Sangiovese clone, aged two years before release and three for a Riserva. It was the first Italian wine granted DOCG status, in 1980 — and it has nothing to do with the Montepulciano grape of Abruzzo.
How do you get to Montepulciano?
By car it is about 1 h 45 from Florence and 1 h 15 from Siena. By train, take the line to Chiusi–Chianciano Terme and a 20-minute bus from there. Without a car, guided day tours are the practical way to reach the surrounding hill towns.
What are the best day trips from Montepulciano?
Pienza at 13 km for its Renaissance centre and pecorino, Montalcino at 40 minutes for Brunello, Bagno Vignoni’s thermal square at half an hour, Cortona at 35 minutes and Siena at just over an hour.
106 Montepulciano experiencesfrom €10 · free cancellation
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