Siena, San Gimignano & Pisa: Full Day Excursion Review

Planning a trip and thinking about seeing the highlights of Tuscany in just one day? The full-day excursion to Siena, San Gimignano, and Pisa might be just a little what you’re looking for. A pretty popular option, it tries to pack a bunch of famous sights into a single, action-filled day. I recently took this tour myself, and I want to just tell you a bit about how it went, so you can maybe decide if it’s the trip style for your liking.

Is This Whirlwind Tour Right for You?

This trip is very, very jam-packed, and honestly, it suits those folks who are maybe short on time or who like a taste of many places without, like, really sitting for long in one spot. You sort of breeze through these Tuscan gems. If you get energized by seeing a bunch of famous places and getting the photo, then this tour could be it for you. Just a word of caution that, because you have less time at each place, if you wish to soak it up in each location, perhaps this might be more a tease than satisfying for that sense of wonder, almost. Now, personally, I like lingering, almost. But for what it is, the excursion can be a very neat opportunity, to say the least.

Siena: History Comes to Life

Siena was the initial stop, you know, and let me tell you, Piazza del Campo is very cool. It’s, like, the main public space of the Historic Centre of Siena, Tuscany, Italy. You’ll often notice this shell-like spot hosts the Palio, this is, almost, like a historical horse race twice a year, with real deep roots in the city’s traditions. I wandered ’round, gazing, at all these old buildings, just letting the history soak in; apparently, they compete intensely for pride and glory! One could imagine almost the chaos that it turns to. Walking in the Piazza del Campo made you feel you went back in time.

San Gimignano: A Medieval Marvel

Next on the tour, was the adorable San Gimignano, which had a collection of these medieval towers. The backdrop looked stunning when, standing on a ridge, it’s really unlike anything else. Getting lost just a bit in these teeny lanes to browse some local crafts was something to experience. Be sure to maybe grab some gelato; San Gimignano boasts some award-winning shops for what seems like good reason. I, actually, grabbed pistachio-flavored gelato that was almost too divine.

Pisa: More Than Just a Leaning Tower

Obviously, you can’t do this sort of trip without seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It might be that, really, all these countless images cannot prepare someone for the actual experience in front of it. Yes, I participated with all those folks doing their photo, where you’re posing as you try to hold it up – but there’s also the Cathedral, Baptistery, plus Camposanto Monumentale, they, really, bring more context and understanding of history of architecture than you think. I am advising taking, a little, walk ’round the whole place, so you soak in the entire field. If, really, there are only specific highlights that make up most images shown online, that you can experience there is nothing that replaces walking on the green, or touching its brick.

#Tuscany #Italy #Travel “`