tours of siena italy

Tuscan Escapes

A truly tuscan experience.

Daily departures from Siena, travel in a small group of maximum 8 participants to ensure a personal experience.

Visits at a leisurely pace throughout the day, wine regions and main hill towns of central Tuscany, tour wineries and enjoy lunches on farms.

Experiences

Coming to Siena? Get an understanding for the city and its surroundings on city tours, hikes and activities. Admire the natural and artistic beauty and savor the delicious wine and food in classes.

Tour Schedule

Prefer to go Private?

Need a more exclusive or custom experience? we have made it easy for you to find what you need.

Hire a city guide for museums and city center tours  

Request a guide in your language  

Privately led by expert official guides

Book a Hiking or Biking Guide   

Customize your outing to the preferred level of physical activity

p rivate transportation and expert local driver-guide  

Tour wineries and farms  

Visit historical centers and hill towns

Transport between destinations    

Stop for lunch and visit towns and sights en-route

When staying in a Private Villa or apartment in Tuscany and you would like an activity or special meal provided for you, make your specific request. We love challenges and catering to different requests.

We are based out of Siena, so we only cater to villas situated in the vicinity of Siena (50km Radius)

Some of the activities we provide, include. Chef hire for meal preparation, wine and food guided tastings, arts and crafts workshop, live music and entertainment. 

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ALL INCLUSIVE VACATIONS

Where Every Day is a Masterpiece

The BEST Siena Tours & Activities

Book tours of siena including piazza del campo and more.

Want to visit Siena but unsure what to see? Join a local guide from the area who is passionate about the city and learn about the deep history and rivalry with Florence. Explore Piazza del Campo to learn about the Palio and its significance to the town and its neighborhoods. Choose from the many options below!

3 Tours Found

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Price - Highest First

Most reviewed

Most Popular

Tuscany Wine Tour from Florence to Siena & Chianti

Enjoy a luxury Tuscany day trip to visit Siena and San Gimignano then taste food and wine in Chianti

Private Siena Walking Tour

Explore this charming Tuscan city with an engaging local guide to see the Duomo, San Domenico & more

Tuscany in a Day Tour from Florence

Visit Siena, dine at a Chianti vineyard, explore San Gimignano, and see the Leaning Tower of Pisa!

Things to do Near Siena

Florence Tours | Accademia Tours | Tuscany Tours | Florence Food Tours | Florence Wine Tours | Florence Full Day Tours | Florence Half Day Tours | Day Trips from Florence | Florence Duomo Tours (Santa Maria Del Fiore) | Florence Cooking Classes | Florence Food Tours | Ponte Vecchio | Private Accademia Tours | Private Uffizi | Statue of David Tours | Pisa Tours from Florence | Florence Dome Climb Tours | Florence Tours with Transportation | Florence Museum Tours | Florence Tours Likely to Sell Out | Florence Shore Excursions | Florence Attractions

Cities to Visit Near Siena

Rome Tours | Milan Tours | Venice Tours | Pisa Tours | Tuscany Tours | Cinque Terre | Siena

Top Attractions in Italy

Doge's Palace Tours | Rome Tours | Colosseum Tours | Vatican Tours | Colosseum Underground Tours | Colosseum Arena Floor Tours | St. Peter's Basilica Dome Tours | Pompeii Tours from Rome | Rome Catacombs Tours | Palatine Hill Tours Rome | Rome Forum Tours | Trevi Fountain Tours | St Mark's Square Tours | St Mark's Basilica Tours | Murano & Burano Island Tours | Trastevere Rome Tours | Pompeii Tours | Capri Tours | Amalfi Coast Tours & Activities | Cinque Terre Tours | Accademia Tours | Florence Duomo Tours (Santa Maria Del Fiore) | Statue of David Tours | Pisa Tours | Florence Dome Climb Tours | Uffizi Gallery Tours | The Last Supper Tours | Milan Duomo Tours | Lake Como Tours | Florence Cooking Classes | Florence Food Tours | Mt Etna Tours | Sicily Tours | Raphael Rooms Tours | Sistine Chapel Tours

OUR BEST SELLING TOURS AT A GLANCE

Most Popular Tours

Ultimate palace of versailles tour from paris.

Breeze past the lines for the palace and gardens with a friendly English speaking guide

Rome in a Day Tour with Colosseum and Vatican Museums

Explore the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and more!

Special Access Colosseum Arena Floor Tour through the Gladiator's Gate

Walk in the footsteps of gladiators on the Colosseum floor and see the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill

St. Mark’s Basilica & Doge’s Palace Half-Day Tour with Gondola Ride

Explore St. Mark's Square's most iconic attractions with skip-the-line tickets and an expert guide

Secrets of the Louvre Museum Tour with Mona Lisa

Get to know Venus de Milo, Liberty Leading the People, and Napoleon's Coronation like never before

Privileged Entrance Colosseum Tour with Roman Forum & Palatine Hill

Skip the line at the Colosseum, plus Arch of Titus, Temple of Julius Caesar, and more!

Rome Catacombs Tour and Capuchin Crypts with Transportation

Skip the line and explore a creepy underground world of Roman tombs and crypts with an expert guide

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Siena Tours & Trips

Find the right tour for you through Siena. We've got 257 adventures going to Siena, starting from just 3 days in length, and the longest tour is 31 days. The most popular month to go is September, which has the largest number of tour departures.

250+ Siena tour packages with 2,610 reviews

• In-depth Cultural
• Food & Culinary
• Local Living

Unique 8 days in Tuscany Adventure

The villa is beautiful with the most gorgeous view of the valley, the chef is great and the staff super accommodating.

Best of Tuscany in 3-days

The Farmhouse was full of Tuscan charm, and Paolo and Matteo both did an absolutely fantastic job as guides.

• Christmas & New Year

The Italian Dream

Equivalent does not just mean same number of stars, it also means similar distance from areas of interest.

• Wine tasting

Private Gourmet Wine Tour in Tuscany, Italy

Great accommodations! Fabulous wines and tours. This is a trip well worth it.

A Fantastic Journey- Tuscany Small Group Cycling Tour

The riding was wonderful, the countryside was glorious, the food was outstanding.

• Sightseeing

Siena & History

ITALY MUST-SEE (Amalfi Coast, Tuscany, Florence, Cinque Terre & more...)

• €100 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Tuscany Absolute

Florence is a daydream, Siena and San Gimignano are unique in the world. It is hard not to fall in love with Italy and its incredible beauty.

• €50 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Tuscan Treats

• €150 deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

• Hiking & Trekking

Tuscany Walks & Chianti Wines

Almost everything was very good or excellent. The group & group dynamic, the evening meals, greatly enhanced by the group dynamic.

What people love about Siena Tours

I spent 35 days in Italy and this was the best.

This was an amazing tour! Matteo had put together a great itinerary of Toscana, which included good food and a lot of good wine. During the first day we visited the medieval town San Gimignano, as well as the hill town Siena. We also visited the Fattoria San Donato winery – the owner himself gave us a quick tour and showed us the types of wine they make there, including their specialty white wine Vernaccia di San Gimignano, considered one of Italy's finest white wines. We had a plentiful lunch at this winery, with fresh pasta, charcuterie board, cheeses, and a lot of wine on the table of course. Matteo and his wife Laura were a great company and had many interesting stories to tell. We had a lovely dinner with them at Matteo’s favourite restaurant, an authentic Tuscan “osteria” and a pillar of the local community’s cuisine. We trusted Matteo to order for us and the culinary experience was outstanding – we had two types of local made pasta, and a large T-bone steak. For the second and third days we had a different tour guide named Paolo. He is very knowledgeable about all the different wines made in Toscana, but also about local history. The drive was very comfortable and we enjoyed his explanations about traditional and freestyle wines, as well as his interesting stories about the various towns we passed through. On the second day, we visited wineries in the Chianti Classico area. We started with Castello di Verrazzano, an old medieval castle of over 1000 years old, with a longstanding tradition of winemaking. Then, at the Casaloste winery, beside the wine tasting we also got to pet a big fluffy friendly dog! And finally, we visited Lamole di Lamole, where we had a tour of the vineyards, we saw the wine production equipment, and their cellar. On the third day, Paolo took us to take a bath at Fosso Bianco – the gorgeous natural hot springs just outside the small town of Bagni San Filippo. With Paolo, we visited several wineries in the Chianti Classico area and then in Moltancino, and we took a bath at Fosso Bianco – gorgeous natural hot springs just outside the small town of Bagni San Filippo. We had lunch in this town and we then visited an all-women run winery, called Solaria, in the area of Montalcino. During this tour, we were hosted at Agriturismo Borgo La Capraia, a lovely farmhouse with several stone guesthouses, a swimming pool, and good food. I thoroughly recommend this tour with either Matteo, Paolo, or others from their company. They were willing to allow us to customize our tour, in case we wanted to see some specific things, but we decided to go with their recommendations and that worked out great!

Tour really amizing, the driver and tour guid, food and location was very good, but a first day and last day hotel accomodation is not good very small shower, the bed is like rocking, the last tour scheduled from vasilica to collesium there no travelling car and is not good for us to take a taxi by our own and some a taxi driver is not honest.

Top operators

"Mi esposo y Yo estuvimos muyyy bien los 8 días del tour en Suiza. Paula, nuestra guía, fue muy amable y dedicada al grupo, siempre ayudando y apoyando al grupo. Los destinos muy bonitos. algún hotel mejor ubicado que otro, pero en general , hoteles nuevos y muy limpios. Lo mejor la gente, todo el grupo era una piña, siempre puntual, y muy divertida. Nos llevamos una buena impresión de la organización y del tour, no los olvidaremos a cada uno.

Europamundo is an expert in:

"Angelo was a friendly, informative guide and we felt safe in the hands of Pino our driver. The inclusions stated visits to the UNESCO archeological sites but the entrance fees were not . This was confusing and an added cost we were not expecting. So you need 90euro in entrance fees and 20 euro in city taxes. About $180au per person extra.

Dimensione Sicilia - Dimsi Incoming Operator Srl is an expert in:

"European horizon tour with Rhi was great. The tour took us to places I wanted to go and the information given by our tour guide was well presented. Would recommend this trip.

Contiki is an expert in:

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Siena tours

On our tours to Siena, discover this charming Tuscan city. Walk through Siena Cathedral, see the town’s black-and-white marble Duomo and try the local specialties.

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What travelers say about their trips to Siena

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See the latest from our travelers @goaheadtours

THE 10 BEST Siena Private Tours

Private tours in siena.

• Wine Tours & Tastings
• Cultural Tours
• Historical & Heritage Tours
• Private Tours
• Up to 1 hour
• 1 to 4 hours
• 4 hours to 1 day
• 5.0 of 5 bubbles
• 4.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 3.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• 2.0 of 5 bubbles & up
• Chinese (Simplified)
• Likely to Sell Out

• The ranking of tours, activities, and experiences available on Tripadvisor is determined by several factors including the revenue generated by Tripadvisor from these bookings, the frequency of user clicks, and the volume and quality of customer reviews. Occasionally, newly listed offerings may be prioritized and appear higher in the list. The specific placement of these new listings may vary.

1. Private day trip to Siena, San Gimignano, Chianti and Pisa, from Florence

2. Private Tuscany Tour from Florence Including Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti Wine Region

3. First Time Siena Medieval Tuscany Private Half Day Tour

4. Private Tour of Chianti Siena and San Gimignano by Minivan

5. Vespa tour in Tuscany (Guided)

6. San Gimignano and Siena Private Wine Tasting Tour with Lunch

7. Siena private guided tour for families

8. Private Tour: Secret Siena Walking Tour

9. Siena like a local (with a Licensed Tour Guide)

10. Private Tour: Pienza and Montalcino Organic Cheese and Wine Tour

11. Chianti Classico E-Bike Tour

12. Siena and San Gimignano Tour from Florence

13. The best of Siena - Private Walking Tour

14. Private tour from Florence THE BEST OF TUSCANY

15. 2 Hour Private Walking Tour in Siena with Local Guide

16. Private tour Siena, San Gimignano and Monteriggioni, lunch in the cellar

17. Siena Like a Local: Customized Private Tour

18. The Most Delicious Private Food Tour of Siena: 6 or 10 Tastings

19. Private Tuscany Tour: Siena, Pisa and San Gimignano from Florence

20. Discover the Medieval Charm of Siena on a Private Walking Tour

21. Siena, San Gimignano & the Chiantiside private tour with Mercedes V class Van

22. Pienza, Val d'Orcia, Montalcino wine and Pecorino cheese PRIVATE TOUR from SIENA

23. Livorno Shore Excursion: Private Day Trip to Siena and San Gimignano

24. Hunt for the 10 Treasures of Siena

25. Chianti Classico Bike Tour from Siena

26. Private Siena and San Gimignano Tour with Wine Tasting From Rome

27. Private Tour to Siena and San Gimignano with Wine Tasting & Lunch

28. Tuscany: Self-Guided Video Tour with World's Most Famous Experts

29. Siena Private walking tour

30. Highlights & Hidden Gems of Siena Private Tour - Duomo Included

What travelers are saying.

Siena Walking Tours with Costanza

Your taste of Tuscany with a local guide

I am Costanza, a local guide and provide private city and hiking tours for small groups and individuals, in Siena and its countryside.

Any itinerary can be tailored according to your interests and needs , I want you to have the best vacation ever and experience the authentic Siena’s way of life with a local and enthusiastic guide.

So, what about enjoying together this enchanting corner of Tuscany ?

Hiking Tours

Words of gratitude.

Passion, pride and knowledge make for a wonderful experience.

Costanza is a delightful, proud and knowledgeable guide from Siena. Our customized walking tour was the perfect start to our time in Siena. The history, passion, pride and scenery is evident throughout. Do yourself a favour and book a walking tour with Costanza. Ciao!

Costanza saves the day!

We had a Duomo tour scheduled with another local guide, but the morning of our tour she cancelled. I reached out to Costanza and she was able to meet us later in the afternoon. We were fortunate to be in Siena while the Duomo floors were uncovered. Costanza gave us a wonderful tour with all the details that make the experience meaningful. She lives in Siena and shares great insights on local life and, as a bonus she can provide tips on other things to see and do in the region. Her English is excellent. She is warm, knowledgeable and professional. Highly recommend.

November 2023

Costanza was fabulous!!! Enough said!

Costanza was fabulous, a lovely lady and incredibly accommodating. She gave us (2 couples) a wonderful insight into the history of Siena but would also include more recent history when asked. Her knowledge seemed limitless and every question was answered with a smile and a complete explanation. We all learned so much about Siena and the local region. We had asked to do a bit of an 'off piste' tour, a bit of a hybrid from the 'Unexpected Siena Tour' and Costanza completely delivered. Our only regret about the tour... We didn't remember to get a group photo with Costanza

September 2023

A Perfect day in Siena!!

Reed all the reviews on Tripadvisor or on my Guestbook .

• Italy Packages

Siena is the city of the Palio and the Contrada, a jewel nestled in the Tuscan countryside. With one of the best preserved historic centers in Italy, Siena welcomes thousands of visitors from all over the world every day. Here you can stroll through narrow streets, in a unique environment that will transport you out of time. In a Middle Age of art and beauty, poets and singers, wars and conquests. Choose your tour of Siena or, if you are on vacation in the city, discover the tours departing from Siena.

Tours available from Siena

Travel packages in Italy

Safari Chianti Experience

Experience this adventure in the countryside of Tuscany with an ultra-modern Polar 6 seats quad driven by an expert driver and enjoy a typical picnic lunch.

Dinner in the Chianti Vineyards

Enjoy a magical evening in the Chianti region and live the unforgettable experience of a dinner in the vineyards.

Chianti by E- Bike

Discover the natural beauty of the Tuscan countryside by bicycle on a guided tour from Siena. Experience the Chianti region from a different perspective. Enjoy a wine tasting as part of this unique

Ape Calessino Chianti Tour

Spend a half-day drive through the scenic Tuscan hills in an original Piaggio Ape Calessino. Admire the beauty of the Chianti region and stop for a tasting of locally produced wines.

Pizza and Tiramisù Cooking Class

Prepare with us one of the most popular dishes for children and adults alike: pizza. Indulge in the aroma of coffee and prepare one of the Italians' favourite desserts: tiramisù.

siena Travel Tips

Apr 18, 2023

Sep 29, 2022

Sep 23, 2022

Sep 22, 2022

Visit Siena

Why visit siena.

Siena is a city that leaves no one indifferent. Built on three hills, it preserves a unique urban structure and a community of inhabitants linked to rituals, games and traditions. The life of the Sienese contradaioli makes this city come alive at all times of the year, especially on July 2 and August 16, when 10 of the 17 contradas are summoned to compete in the Palio di Siena. . Siena is a city to visit calmly, falling in love with every corner. The polychrome marbles, the coats of arms of the contrada, the old artisan workshops, the typical sweet shops of Siena and the unique panorama that can be enjoyed in some parts of the city. These are all great reasons to visit Siena. You might stop at a party stop to savor pici with wild boar sauce, pappardelle, and game dishes, perhaps accompanied by a nice glass of Chianti Colli Senesi.

What to visit in Siena

Siena is a city that can be discovered at the pace of a walk by all those tourists armed with curiosity and patience. At myTour we started our activity here almost twenty years ago. Our guides know every detail of this city and will be delighted to take you to discover the main monuments of Siena: the Piazza del Campo with the Torre del Mangia, the rooms of the Civic Museum inside the Palazzo Pubblico and the magnificent Siena. complex of the Cathedral of Siena. Visit the secret places of Siena with a walking tour in the company of our guides: they will take you to discover the contrada and follow in the footsteps of Saint Catherine. 

What to visit starting from Siena

Siena is close in the heart of the most beautiful Tuscany. The Chianti, the Crete Senesi, the Valdorcia, places of singular beauty that are easily reached from the capital. Numerous excursions for all tastes depart from Siena: from the tour of Chianti Classico with its castles, to an excursion on electric bicycles along the characteristic white roads, through horseback riding through the oak forests or The Tuscany Wine Tour, an exclusive tour of Pienza and Montepulciano that includes a visit with tasting to three different selected wineries in the area.

A curiosity about Siena that you can discover on our tours

Our guides are ready to answer all your questions, and they know the secrets and legends on which Siena is built. A small town known throughout the world for the friendliness and strong spirit of its inhabitants. 

Choose a tour to Siena or from Siena with myTour in Italy, skip the Queue up, discover the secrets and let yourself be carried away by the beauty of the typical Tuscan landscape.

About Siena

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With the ticket FREE AUDIOGUIDE Directly on your smartphone

Only one ticket for access to all of the sites included in the monumental complex.

The Opa Si Pass itinerary can be completed in about two hours and is valid for three consecutive days from the date of purchase

Info e reservation +39 0577 286300

The single large monumental complex comprises the Cathedral, the Piccolomini Library, the Gate of Heaven, the Baptistry, the Crypt, the Museo dell’Opera, the Panorama from the Unfinished Façade, the Oratory of St. Bernardino.

Places of the museum complex:

1 Cathedral

1 Piccolomini Lybrary

2 Museo dell’Opera

4 Baptistery

5 Gate of Heaven

TICKETS & PASS

The Opera della Metropolitana di Siena, a not-for-profit organisation, devotes all profits from the sale of tickets exclusively to the conservation and restoration of the artistic and musem complex of Siena Cathedral

For information and reservations please contact:

Tel: +39 0577 286300 E-mail: [email protected]

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Only one ticket for access to the roof of the cathedral and to all of the sites included in the monumental complex.

FREE AUDIOGUIDE Directly on your smartphone

ENTIRE 01/03 – 06/01 : € 21,00

REDUCED (CHILDREN FROM 7 TO 11 YEARS) 01/03 – 06/01 : € 6,00

FREE (CHILDREN UP TO 6 YEARS)

Remember to always consult the rules of conduct before accessing the tour.

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Valid for three consecutive days from the date of issue.

WHOLE 01/01 – 26/06; 01/08 – 17/08; 17/10 – 31/12 : € 14.00

During the uncovering of the floor (27/06 – 31/07; 18/08 – 16/10) : € 16.00

REDUCED (CHILDREN FROM 7 TO 11 YEARS) 01/01 – 31/12 : € 3.00

• Children up to 6 years of age
• Residents and born in the Municipality of Siena
• Accredited journalists
• Disabled people with companion
• Students of the University of Siena and the University for Foreigners
• Parish groups of the Archdiocese of Siena with a letter from the parish priest

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Pilgrim card.

Certificate of completion of the pilgrimage to Siena.

The same way the Compostelana and the Testimonium testify to your having completed the pilgrimage to Santiago or to Rome, so the Charta Peregrini Senensis certifies that you have completed your pilgrimage to Siena. It is the only official document proving that you have meditated, step by step, in the footsteps of the Sienese saints and in the places associated with the city’s devotion to Mary . Ask for information either when booking or directly at the ticket office.

The Cathedral is by definition the house that welcomes the Christian community as it gathers together for liturgical celebrations, thus it is always accessible to the faithful for private prayer via the Porta del Perdono, the Gate of Forgiveness.

MASS SCHEDULE

Weekdays : 9:30 am (Madonna del Voto Chapel) Public Holidays and the eve of Public Holidays: 8:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:15 pm, 6:00 pm (summer 6:30 pm)

When the Cathedral’s marble inlay floor is uncovered, mass is celebrated in the church of the Santissima Annunziata. Weekday: 9:30 Holiday: 8:00 – 18:30

For mass times on solemn occasions or during special events, please consult the news section

GUIDED TOURS

You may tour Siena Cathedral’s museum complex in the company of authorised tour guides . Purchase your guided tour directly at the ticket office .

For information and reservations:

ITINERARIES

OTHER PROPOSALS

BASILICA OF SANTA MARIA ASSUNTA IN SAN GIMIGNANO: Visit the Cathedral of San Gimignano and the city’s Museo d’Arte Sacra. An audio-guide (in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish and Russian) is included in the admission price Info: [email protected] / website: www.duomosangimignano.it

L’oro di Montalcino Visit the Sant’Agostino complex, the city’s heritage and the richness of the territory Info: [email protected] / website: www.orodimontalcino.it

Abbazia di Sant’Antimo Discover the Benedictine Abbey thanks to the interactive video guide that you can rent at the welcome desk located at the entrance to the church. You will be able to retrace the spiritual itinerary of the ancient pilgrims, discovering the symbolic meaning of the architectural and decorative elements of the church. Info: [email protected] / website: www.antimo.it

HOW TO GET THERE

The Cathedral lies inside the city’s historic centre , thus it cannot be reached directly by car.

If you are coming by car, your best bet is to leave the motorway at the Siena Ovest exit and to head for the Parcheggio Duomo car park, or to leave the motorway at Siena Sud and to head for the Parcheggio Il Campo car park.

ACCESSIBILITY

The Cathedral may be accessed by a dedicated ramp on the left-hand side of the building.

Regretfully the Museum, Crypt and Baptistry are currently devoid of systems for disabled access.

Shop Museo dell’Opera, Piazza Duomo, 8

Shop Antica Canonica, Interno Cattedrale

Tel. 0577 47980

Privacy Overview

Immerse yourself in the virtual tour of Siena

While waiting to explore, experience and savour siena, take a virtual tour of some of the tuscan city's most beautiful monuments..

Siena deserves to be visited by walking its quaint streets and breathing in the air of the Tuscan countryside beyond the walls of the old town; but to help you plan your trip to Siena , in this section, we give you a glimpse of what your eyes will admire in person.

Dive into our virtual tour but remember that the other 5 senses can only be indulged by physically coming to Siena.

Plan your trip!

MUNICIPALITY OF SIENA

Culture and Tourism Directorate Piazza Il Campo, 1 – 53100 Siena (SI)

MUNICIPALITY OF SIENA Culture and Tourism Directorate Piazza Il Campo, 1 – 53100 Siena (SI)

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Here’s why your next vacation should be a self-guided bike tour.

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Cyclists traverse Italy's Dolomite region.

June 3 is World Bicycle Day, marking the official recognition of the bike by the United Nations General Assembly. The first World Bicycle Day was celebrated in 2018 and was created to honor "the uniqueness, longevity, and versatility of the bicycle which has been in use for two centuries and is a simple, affordable, reliable, clean, and environmentally fit, sustainable means of transportation, fostering environmental stewardship and health.” That’s a remarkable degree of acclaim for a simple invention that was once made of wood and lacked the brakes, gears, bells, and even pedals that 21st century cyclists rely on.

Today, there are more than a billion bicycles in the world and each year the number of bicycles produced is double the number of cars. The U.S. is home to the second highest number of bikes on the planet (after China) which begs the question: Why aren’t more of us building our vacations around our beloved bikes?

SIENA, ITALY - OCTOBER 07: A cyclist takes part in the Eroica bike race on October 7, 2018 in ... [+] Gaiole In Chianti, Siena, Italy. L'Eroica is a celebration of historic cycling with vintage road bikes. (Photo by Awakening/Getty Images)

The pandemic prompted an increase in bicycle tourism interest and the number of travellers looking to take their next trip on two wheels is steadily increasing. According to Coherent Marketing Insights, cycle tourism is projected to grow 9.5% each year over the next six years , becoming a $241.27 billion market by 2030. Still, it’s Europeans who are leading the pack on the tourism cycle track. They make up 30% of bike tourism revenue.

However, with the incorporation of tech-forward travel tools and travel providers offering on-the-ground support in a wider variety of destinations, bike tourism (including the solo, self-guided variety) is becoming more accessible and more appealing.

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“As technology changes and travel behavior changes, people are realizing they don’t need to go in a group or don’t want to go in a group,” says Maria Elena Malpezzi-Price, co-owner of ExperiencePlus! bicycle tours . The company has just reintroduced self-guided cycling trips in Italy in response to these evolving travel trends, and they’re seeing travellers embrace the option for several reasons.

Clients, she says, appreciate the ability to customize their days around their own interests while remaining flexible. “People's sense of exploration and satisfaction are heightened when they do it on their own. You realize you're capable of doing that and it gives you a better understanding of how another part of the world works,” she explains.

“That's one of the goals for us—to truly share [the experience of] other countries, all of the ins and outs, like going into the grocery store and being able to make a sandwich to have your picnic. And then you realize, ‘I just had what would be considered a gourmet lunch in the US for $25 for like €5.’ Those are the kinds of things we encourage people to do.”

The cycle and pedestrian path, Val di Fassa valley, Trentino, Italy, Europe. (Photo by: Marco ... [+] Simonini/REDA&CO/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Price is yet another reason to choose the self-guided route. Without the added cost of a full-time guide, tourism providers can offer trips that maintain a high standard of quality at a lower price.

Malpezzi-Price says that the key to her company's success with self-guided tours comes from having a strong team on the ground in every destination and a good knowledge of the local hospitality providers and cycling infrastructure. “You really have to know your local resources well. You need to trust your taxi drivers. You need to trust your hotels. You need people to show up and deliver the bikes because there isn't a tour leader there to help curate and solve problems. So it has to be planned very well,” she says.

Each self-guided trip kicks off with a bike fitting and a thorough briefing so that travellers set off equipped with the knowledge and safety skills they need to enjoy their trip. Like many cycle tour providers, ExperiencePlus! also offers a luggage transfer service, meaning that cyclists need only bring their day pack for each ride. A daily itinerary sets you up with a route and the details about your accommodations for the evening.

“It's just enough structure to take away the hard decisions, but not too much that you don't feel like you can have your own day,” says Malpezzi-Price. “This is what I love about biking in general—the fact that you are having your own unique experience.”

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Local News | Rich Archbold: I spent a dolce vita vacation in…

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Local News | Rich Archbold: I spent a dolce vita vacation in beautiful, historic Italy

And it was almost a vacation that I didn’t take.

Now that I am back in Long Beach, I can still feel the enjoyable vibes from an extraordinary time in Italy. It was la dolce vita packed into 10 unforgettable days.

When my wife told me a few months ago that we had been invited to a relative’s wedding in Italy, my first reaction was negative. I thought I had some good reasons not to go. Italy seemed too far away. And although I hated to admit it, I was getting older and I wondered if my body could take wandering around a country known for its walking pleasures.

My wife, fortunately, had easy answers for my doubts: No. 1, she said, I needed a break from life’s routine. We had not taken a real vacation for more than four years, mainly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. And No. 2, she was going to buy me a cane to help me get around.

Yikes! The thought of a cane troubled me at first, but it turned out to be one of the best things I could have done to ease my way around the ubiquitous cobblestone streets of Italy.

So off we went.

After flying into Rome, we took a train to Florence, in the heart of Tuscany, an almost impossibly beautiful area sprinkled with lush greenery, row after row of vineyards, and groves of olive trees amid rolling hills and valleys.

Rich and Pat Archbold enjoy lunch at a winery on their all-day Tuscany tour. May 2024 (Photo courtesy of Pat Archbold)

Pat and Rich Archbold bundling up at the wedding during a cool Italian evening. May 2024 (Photo courtesy of Pat Archbold)

View of the Duomo Cathedral with its rounded dome from a Florence hillside. May 2024 (Photo courtesy of Pat Archbold)

Pat and Rich Archbold pose like Michelangelo’s masterpiece sculpture of the biblical David in Florence. May 2024 (Photo courtesy of Pat Archbold)

Rich Archbold walks the narrow medieval streets of Siena with the help of his cane. May 2024 (Photo courtesy of Pat Archbold)

Rich holds up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. May 2024 (Photo courtesy of Pat Archbold)

Rich Archbold and sister-in-law Carol walk down the long farmhouse driveway lined with lush Italian vegetation. May 2024 (Photo courtesy of Pat Archbold)

Family posing in front of the stone farmhouse built in 1860 in the mountain town of Sezze, Italy. May 2024 (Photo courtesy of Pat Archbold)

Olive groves like this one near Sezze, Italy, were seen throughout the trip. May 2024 (Photo courtesy of Pat Archbold)

A 1920s villa was the venue for the outdoor wedding. May 2024 (Photo courtesy of Pat Archbold)

Our eyes feasted on the Renaissance-era art and architecture in Florence, including Michelangelo’s magnificent masterpiece, the sculpture of David before his battle with Goliath, and the Duomo cathedral, with its iconic dome designed by Filippo Brunelleschi.

Everywhere we went in Firenzie was a sight to behold.

We also went on a spectacular bus tour of the Tuscany region, with stops in historic Siena, San Gimignano and Pisa, where, of course, we had to take photos of ourselves keeping the Leaning Tower from crashing to the ground.

It was a 12-hour excursion and our feet certainly felt the 8.81 miles we trekked that day, according to my wife’s phone fitness app.

Jean Carlos, our congenial and informative tour guide, made us laugh with his description of Pisa, a longtime rival of Florence.

“All they have in Pisa is a tower they prop up to keep from falling down,” he said good-naturedly.

Pisa at one time boasted many sights, but World War II bombings destroyed most of them. The iconic tower, though, survived.

Our traveling around Tuscany would have been worth the trip, but we discovered that the best was yet to come in Sezze, a small, picturesque mountain town 50 miles south of Rome and 11 miles from the Mediterranean coast. That’s where the wedding of our niece, Krystal, and her fiance, CJ, was to be held. It turned out to be the highlight of our vacation.

We stayed in a charming stone farmhouse that was built in 1860 and had been turned into an Airbnb. The large farmhouse was surrounded by lush vegetation and fantastic views of the nearby hills and valleys. There’s also something refreshing about being awakened by loud-crowing roosters who strutted around a large chicken coop.

Our stay at the farmhouse was about as relaxing and restful as it could be. We did absolutely nothing, except get up late, enjoy the scenery and animals, and get ready for the wedding.

Krystal and CJ decided to get married in Sezze because his parents had a family connection there. Another niece, Vanessa, and her fiance, Eric, who officiated at the wedding, were our hosts and treated us like royalty.

At the rehearsal dinner, we had a 20-course meal that lasted four hours. Italians enjoy good food and great conversation. No cell phones or TVs during dinner!

Then came the main event — the wedding itself. The setting was spectacular: a beautifully decorated table outside a 1920s-era villa as the sun set over the Mediterranean Sea in the distance. A jazz quartet provided great entertainment.

As Carol, my sister-in-law, said later, “We ate drank, danced and laughed until our hearts were content. What an experience!.”

Before I end my story, I must say that travel, especially one like this trip, which was 16 hours away by plane, is not for the fainthearted. Planes, trains, autos. We did it all while schlepping around luggage and other paraphernalia.

This was my first time in Europe taking only carry-on luggage. We packed lean, but I still managed to get a suit and dress shoes that I wore to the wedding in my roll-on.

We barely made some connections because of late planes.

The trains were great once we got on them. But at first, it was difficult to figure out where the platforms were for our particular train, especially in the huge station in Rome, one of the largest in Europe.

And autos? We had a good time in them until the rental car we had conked out on one of those nice, curvy mountain roads, which aren’t so nice when your car dies and you’re stranded on a curve with no shoulders and it’s pitch black outside. Fortunately, our car had warning lights, which kept speedy drivers from crashing into us, but we had a scary few moments as cars sped past us on the winding road. After letting our engine cool off, with Eric driving, we were able to barely get it to a parking area where there was a Blessed Virgin statue enclosed in a glass case with a photo of Mother Teresa right in front of our car.

Someone was looking out for us.

It turned out that a mechanic had failed to put the oil filler cap on, causing oil to spew out all over the engine while we were driving merrily along.

But all of these problems have been forgotten. What we remember now is the common, enjoyable thread of immersing ourselves in another culture, trying new foods, appreciating ancient history and art, and, simply, just relaxing with other people.

As my wife and I nurse our aching feet and joints back in Long Beach, we ask ourselves, “What could be better than that?”

Arrivederci and ciao!

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My perfect brush with Tuscany: Join a painting class at a luxury hotel amid some of Italy's finest rolling countryside

• Kate Johnson enjoys a lesson with an artist from the Royal Drawing School
• The writer stayed at the grand Borgo Pignano hotel 30 minutes from Volterra
• Rooms at the hotel cost from £300 on a bed & breakfast basis 
• READ MORE: Inside 'Versailles in the clouds' - a hotel in Vietnam's mountains 

You could be forgiven for crumbling when handed a paintbrush by an award-winning artist from the Royal Drawing School — while in the gardens of a fine villa overlooking Tuscan hills that inspired some of the world’s greatest artists.

Fortunately, Fraser Scarfe is a patient, encouraging tutor.

When he takes us on a quick tour of nearly 500 original artworks lining the walls of the grand Borgo Pignano hotel, he’s so self-effacing I have to ask which is his work.

All were created by artists and alumni from the Royal School, founded by the King and artist Catherine Goodman in 2000 to keep life drawing flourishing. A group of postgraduates stay for a few weeks each summer to paint under the eye of a tutor, and maybe leave a work behind.

Fraser gives us tips — don’t hold your palette out like a pizza as they do in films, rest it on your forearm, choose a small area of the canvas to focus on, draw big and bold outlines in pencil — and sets us up with paints and easel.

He gives us the confidence to start — and crucially finish — our paintings, checks on us regularly, and helps where necessary.

His simple dabs and brushstrokes transform my canvas and three hours breeze past. A lesson like this can be arranged individually or in a group with a visiting artist from the Royal School. 

It’s just one of the courses at the 18th-century Borgo Pignano.

The luxury hotel, an organic estate with its own vineyard, is set in 750 wooded acres on a hilltop and has exceptionally glamorous neighbours.

Volterra is half an hour’s drive to the west, San Gimignano the same to the east, Siena is an hour to the south, Florence a bit more to the north. The Borgo, meaning village, has been restored by its British entrepreneur owner over 20 years.

For all the traditional splendour; elegant dining rooms, exceptional menus, delicate frescos, grand libraries, and billiards room, it’s not stuffy. No one eyeballs a guest or whispers that they might be more comfortable if they removed their baseball cap at breakfast.

There are horses to ride, fields of play for sports fans, a heated infinity pool, yoga, soap making with the herbalist, wine tasting, e-biking, cookery courses plus spectacular grounds.

I take a good hour’s morning walk; not a soul around and all of nature bursting with life.

We’re enveloped by countryside so beautiful, you just can’t stop staring at it. It’s no wonder there are no televisions in the rooms and that no one has ever complained about this. Nothing on screen could ever compare to the views. My artwork certainly doesn’t do it justice — but it’s been a joy giving it a try.

TRAVEL FACTS

Rooms at Borgo Pignano ( borgopignano.com ) from £300 B&B. Painting lessons from £90 (adults) and £50 (children). 

Return flights to Pisa from £46 ( ryanair.com ).

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Seeing the Eucharist through the eyes of 10 saints

June 1, 2024 Catholic News Agency News Briefs 1 Print

ACI Prensa Staff, Jun 1, 2024 / 10:20 am (CNA).

Jesus is present in the Eucharist and the Catholic Church, and many of the Church’s saints have encouraged Catholics to prayerfully participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Throughout the centuries, the saints have taught us through their witness and their writings, the vital importance of the Eucharist in the Christian life.

Below 10 saints offer their wise counsel on loving the Eucharist more:

1. St. Alphonsus Mary Liguori

“Know for certain that the time you spend with devotion before this most divine Sacrament will be the time that will bring you the most good in this life and will console you the most in your death and in eternity. And know that perhaps you will gain more in a quarter of an hour of adoration in the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament than in all the other spiritual exercises of the day.”

2. St. Francis de Sales

“When prayer is united to this divine sacrifice (of the Mass), it becomes so unspeakably efficacious as to cause the soul to overflow, as it were, with heavenly consolations. Here she reclines upon her well-beloved.”

3. St. John Mary Vianney, the Curé of Ars

“If we knew the value of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, how much greater effort would we put forth in order to assist at it!”

4. St. Louis Marie Grignion de Monfort

Before Communion, “Implore Mary to lend you her heart so that you may receive her Son with her dispositions.”

5. St. Teresa of Jesus (or of Ávila)

“After having received the Lord, since you have the Person Himself present, strive to close the eyes of the body and open those of the soul and look into your heart.”

6. St. John Bosco (Don Bosco)

“Dear young people, do we want to be happy and joyful? Let us love Jesus in the Sacrament with all our hearts.”

7. St. Catherine of Siena

“O boundless charity! Just as you gave us yourself, wholly God and wholly man, so you left us all of yourself as food so that while we are pilgrims in this life we might not collapse in our weariness but be strengthened by you, heavenly food.”

8. St. John Paul II

“Dear brothers and sisters: we must feel challenged by the needs of so many brothers. We cannot close our hearts to their requests for help. And we cannot forget that ‘man does not live by bread alone.’ We need the ‘living bread come down from heaven.’ This bread is Jesus. Feeding on it means receiving the very life of God, opening ourselves to the logic of love and sharing.”

9. St. Therese of Lisieux

“I remembered having heard that one obtains all the favors asked for on one’s First Communion Day. This thought consoled me immediately, and though I was only six years old at the time, I said to myself: ‘I will pray for my poor old man (someone she had tried to give alms to) on the day of my First Communion.”

10. St. Francis of Assisi

“When I cannot attend Holy Mass, I adore the Body of Christ with the eyes of the spirit in prayer, the same as I adore him when I see him at Mass.”

Originally published in June 2022, this story has been updated by ACI Prensa , CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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