In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Take the direct regional train from Firenze Santa Maria Novella: hourly at :10, 1 hour 28 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, from €10.80 each way, with the last train back at 21:40. The station is 2 km from the centre. The Duomo pass is €16 until 15 November 2026 and €14 from 16 November. The Torre del Mangia is €10, cannot be booked and sells out: buy it at the Palazzo Pubblico first thing. Siena alone costs about €37.60 in train fares and the Duomo pass. Or book a tour: Siena and San Gimignanoad is €49 for 9 hours, and Siena, San Gimignano and Monteriggioni with a tastingad is €65 for 11 (GetYourGuide).
Getting there
Fares are Trenitalia’s “from” fares for a second-class single; the Trenitalia app shows the exact fare for your date. Trenitalia changes its timetable in December.
| Route | Times | Journey | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florence Santa Maria Novella to Siena, direct | Hourly at :10: 08:10, 09:10, 10:10, 11:10, 12:10 | 1 hour 28 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes | From €10.80 |
| Siena to Florence, direct | 16:18, 17:18, 18:18, 19:18, 20:18, then 21:40 | 1 hour 34 minutes; the 21:40 takes 1 hour 39 minutes | From €10.80 |
| Siena to Florence, first train | 05:43 | 1 hour 40 minutes | From €10.80 |
- Changing trains. Some morning trains change at Empoli and take 1 hour 47 minutes to 3 hours. Take the direct train.
- The bus. Autolinee Toscane lines 131R and 131 run from the Florence bus station, next to Santa Maria Novella, to Siena. The train is the simpler day.
- In Siena. The station is about 2 km from the Museo Civico. City bus 520 runs from the station to Piazza Gramsci, where Siena’s bus station stands, and from Piazza Gramsci it is a 10 to 15 minute walk to the Museo Civico (museocivico.comune.siena.it).
- From Rome. There is no direct train; see Tuscany from Rome.
Tours from Florence
A tour is a coach, a guide and several towns in one booking. Prices are GetYourGuide’s lowest “from” prices for one adult.
Siena and San Gimignano
From €49 · 196 reviews · 9 hours
From Florence: Siena & San Gimignano Tour with Chianti Viewsad is a group tour with round-trip transport, a guide and free time in both towns. Tuscany Day Trip to Siena & San Gimignanoad is also 9 hours from €49 (796 reviews) and lists a private option. Day Trip with Free Time in San Gimignano and Sienaad is from €60 (2,351 reviews) and has an optional audio guide.
With Monteriggioni and a tasting
From €65 · 3,911 reviews · 11 hours
Florence: Siena, San Gimignano & Monteriggioni with Tastingad adds Monteriggioni and a Chianti wine tasting, and stops in Piazza del Campo.
Small group
From €149 · 506 reviews · 9 hours · up to 25 people
Small Group Tour: Siena, San Gimignano & Chianti with Lunchad lists skip-the-line entry, a wine tasting and lunch.
Siena with Pisa and San Gimignano
From €49 · 11,882 reviews · 12 to 12½ hours
Florence: Pisa, Siena and San Gimignano Day Trip with Lunchad fits three towns into one day, with lunch at a winery. The Pisa guide says what the Leaning Tower costs.
What to see in Siena
The Duomo
OPA SI pass €16 until 15 November, then €14 · three days · about 2 hours
The pass covers the Cathedral, the Piccolomini Library, the Museo dell’Opera with the view from the unfinished façade, the Crypt and the Baptistery, with an audio guide on your phone. The marble floor is uncovered from 18 August to 15 November 2026, which is why the price is higher. The Gate of Heaven ticket is €21 and adds the roof; children from 7 to 11 pay €3 for the pass and €6 for the roof, and under 7s are free. The Duomo is open 10:00 to 19:00 to 31 October (the Museo dell’Opera 09:30 to 19:30) and 10:30 to 17:30 from 1 November to 24 December. On 1 December the Cathedral closes at 15:00. The Cathedral opens later on Sundays and holidays, and last entry is 30 minutes before closing. Tickets are at Piazza Duomo 7, at Dear Guests in Via di Città 48, online or on +39 0577 286300 (operaduomo.siena.it).
The façade of Siena Cathedral. Photo: Raimond Spekking, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Piazza del Campo, the Palazzo Pubblico and the Torre del Mangia
Torre del Mangia €10 · Museo Civico €10 · both €15 · three sites €20
The Museo Civico in the Palazzo Pubblico is €10, or €11 booked online, and the tower beside it is a separate €10 ticket. The tower ticket cannot be booked: it is sold only at the Palazzo Pubblico ticket office or at Dear Guests, on the day. Ascents leave every 45 minutes with 25 people, at 10:00, 10:45 and so on to 18:00 until 30 October, and from 1 November to 28 February from 10:00 to 15:15. It is about 400 steps, and the museum advises against it for heart or breathing conditions, claustrophobia, vertigo or pregnancy. The Museo Civico and the tower together are €15, with no booking, and with Santa Maria della Scala €20. Museo Civico hours are 10:00 to 19:00 to 31 October and 10:00 to 18:00 from 1 November; the tower is open 10:00 to 16:00 from 1 November, with last entry at 15:15 (museocivico.comune.siena.it).
The Torre del Mangia and Palazzo Pubblico on the Piazza del Campo. Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The Palio
The Palio horse race runs in the Piazza del Campo on 2 July and 16 August every year, and the square is closed to normal visits on race days (palio.comune.siena.it).
Order for a day
- Take the 08:10 train, arriving about 09:40, and bus 520 or a walk to the Piazza del Campo.
- Buy the Torre del Mangia ticket at the Palazzo Pubblico first, because the ascents fill, and climb at your slot.
- Take the Museo Civico, then walk to the Duomo for the pass.
- Leave on the 18:18 or 19:18 train back; the last is at 21:40.
Siena’s historic centre has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1995 (whc.unesco.org).
Before you go
- The floor. The Duomo’s price falls from €16 to €14 on 16 November 2026.
- The tower. It cannot be booked and holds 25 people at a time.
- Santa Maria della Scala. The Museo Civico’s combined tickets with Santa Maria della Scala are not sold on the first weekend of each month.
- Trains. Take the direct train; the Empoli connections are slower.
The she-wolf of Siena in the inlaid marble floor of the Duomo. Photo: Zairon, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.
Siena is one of the day trips from Florence. San Gimignano is the usual second stop, Chianti by tour the countryside between, and Pisa the third town on the coach tours. Florence public transport covers the way to Santa Maria Novella and the bus station. What to book before you go to Florence has the city tickets, 3 days in Florence shows where a day away fits, and where to stay in Florence compares the areas.
Common questions
How do I get from Florence to Siena?
By direct regional train from Firenze Santa Maria Novella, hourly at :10, in 1 hour 28 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, from €10.80 each way. Autolinee Toscane buses 131 and 131R also run, from the bus station next to Santa Maria Novella. Siena's station is about 2 km from the centre; city bus 520 runs to Piazza Gramsci.
What is the last train from Siena back to Florence?
The direct trains leave Siena at :18 past each hour from 16:18 to 20:18, and the last leaves at 21:40, arriving in Florence 1 hour 39 minutes later.
How much is the Siena Duomo?
The OPA SI pass is €16 while the marble floor is uncovered, from 18 August to 15 November 2026, and €14 from 16 November. It covers the Cathedral, the Piccolomini Library, the Museo dell'Opera with the view from the unfinished façade, the Crypt and the Baptistery for three consecutive days. The Gate of Heaven ticket, which adds the roof, is €21.
Can I book the Torre del Mangia?
No. Any ticket that includes the tower is sold only at the Palazzo Pubblico ticket office or at the Dear Guests visitor centre in Via di Città 48, on the day. Ascents leave every 45 minutes for 25 people, and tickets run out. It is about 400 steps.
Is a Siena tour from Florence worth it?
For Siena alone, the train is cheaper: €21.60 return and €16 for the Duomo. A tour is worth choosing when you want San Gimignano as well: the Siena and San Gimignano tours are from €49 for 9 hours.
