Siena Sightseeing Walking Tour with Food Tastings for Small Groups or Private
Description
Come and discover Siena and its incomparable historic centre with our morning walk that aims at showing you the main attractions but also discovering some hidden gems. You can understand this wonderful medieval city in many ways and taste some of its best local products.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your experience begins at the main entrance of the church of San Domenico, an important place for Siena and its people because it houses the relics of Saint Catherine, the Italian patron saint and plays a significant role for the Palio, the most famous horse race from the Middle Ages.
Our walk carries on to the medieval historic centre and in particular it will make you come upon the "Contrade" - literally the name of the districts and teams of the Palio that are organised with their own symbol, flag and motto, becoming the pride of the Sienese people who live this event in a very serious and heartfelt way. During the walk your guide will tell you about the historical rivalries between them and you will visit one of the Contrada to fully understand this local tradition.
The itinerary will lead you up and down the characteristic alleys that head us to the spectacular Piazza del Campo, the unique shell-shaped square with the majestic Palazzo Pubblico and the high tower, which testifies to the glorious past but also hides dark secrets. Here other tales about the Palio will amaze you because this is the exact location where the horse race takes place twice a year which draws visitors from all over the world. The time has come for the first gastronomic stop - a tasting of the typical local sweets such as ricciarelli biscuits and other delicious tastings in a traditional shop: it will be an opportunity to learn about the Sienese culture that most represents the city. We continue to explore another medieval corner, not yet visited and stop at our favorite "Vineria" for the next tasting: a delicious Italian "panino" stuffed with your favorite ingredients and a well-deserved glass of wine.
Another little effort will take you to the top of the city to admire the exquisite Gothic Cathedral and the ancient pilgrims' hospital which hosted many pilgrims in the past centuries and made Siena great in the Middle Ages. The majestic beauty and undoubted elegance will leave you speechless.
Finally, we will reach a nearby medieval street where we will end our tour. Arrivederci!
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Children are considered if under 12 and they will have children menus
- This tour takes place with every weather conditions and it will be confirmed also with the rain
- Please bring your passport or ID to check-in
Reviews(16)
Lucky enough to be the only 2 people in our group, and wanted to know most about Siena’s contradas, our guide was very knowledgeable
Wonderful afternoon spent in the company of our wonderful guide Sarah. She brought Siena to life for us with her knowledge and stories. It was a very special afternoon and the 2 food stops were fantastic. Thank you
Sarah was great! So personable, great English and we appreciated how well she explained the history and community of Siena, along with personal stories. Thank you!
Very nice tour. Learned a lot about the history and locality. We enjoyed talking with our guide, Elenna.
Highly recommend this tour. Claudia was an excellent tour guide! There were just the two of us so we had a private tour of Siena. We learned so much about Sienna and Sienese culture. We walked through many of the contrate/regions, learned of customs and traditions. We tasted local sweets and ended with a glass of Chianti and local cheese and meats. This tour was the highlight of our trip
We lucked out and had an amazing tour with Elena. She was absolutely phenomenal and so knowledgeable and personable. My husband and I really enjoyed the experience and learned so much on our tour. We also sampled some great food and wine!
Our guide Claudia was wonderful, easy to get along with, and very good patient with my 1- and 3-year old toddlers. (We had to call her to let her know we'd be 10mins late due to parking difficulties... so make sure you give yourself plenty of time to find a carpark if you're driving!)
Ania was an incredible tour guide. Her knowledge of Siena history and charming anecdotes made us feel as if we were immersing ourselves in Sienese culture with the help of a friend. She was not only accommodating, but also exceeded our expectations with her insight and recommendations for after our tour. We cannot recommend this experience enough. Thank you, Ania!
We expected a small group, but it turned out that it became a private tour when the other people were not able to get there on time. Our guide was very knowledgeable about Siena and the foods. We enjoyed learning a lot, even though we'd already been in Siena for a week and had toured/visited many of the places she took us. The food was all good. We recommend this tour to anyone visiting Siena with a desire to learn more about the area or the food of the region.
This is a great way to discover the history of Siena. We wander the city learning about history and culture, stopping along the way to enjoy local treats, both savory and sweet. Anja was a terrific guide and so interesting to chat with.
