All You Need to Know about Traveling from Florence to San Gimignano

San Gimignano, located about 35 miles southwest of Florence, is a beautifully preserved Medieval hilltop town. The entire historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is enclosed by the old city walls and has a famous collection of tower houses. The city was once an important stop on the pilgrimage route between Canterbury and Rome, known as the Via Francigena, and today it is one of the most popular day trips from Florence.

If you’re planning a trip to Florence, you really should consider taking a day trip tour to San Gimignano. Whether you do a day trip or stay overnight, you’ll fall in love with this quaint Italian town. Of course, no matter how much time you plan to spend there, you have to get there first. Check out our guide to getting from Florence to San Gimignano—plus some information about what to do, see, and eat.

On your way from Florence to San Gimignano, you’ll know you’re getting close when you see the famous towers.

Why San Gimignano Makes a Great Day Trip from Florence

Spending time in Florence is a must for most Italy travelers, but getting out into the Tuscan countryside allows you to see a different side of Italian life. San Gimignano is a great day trip option for a few key reasons.

1. It’s extremely well-preserved. Inside the old city walls, San Gimignano can feel a little bit like a time capsule. There’s no denying the appeal of strolling around the car-free cobblestone streets and admiring the Medieval buildings and towers—not to mention admiring the spectacular views of the countryside from the town’s hilltop position. It’s not hard to imagine that it’s quite like what locals might have seen in the 13th century when the town was at its peak.
2. It’s a short trip from Florence. Whether you have a car or are traveling by bus, the trip from Florence to San Gimignano is between 1-2 hours each way. Get an early start and you’ll have plenty of time for on-the-ground exploring before you have to head back to Florence (or on to a second Tuscan day trip town).
3. It’s easy to fully explore in less than a day. San Gimignano is small enough that you can see the whole town on foot in half a day (at a leisurely pace, no less). There are churches and small museums to visit, a tower to climb, and plenty of aimless strolling to do. You can do and see everything you came for in one day without feeling rushed.

Small quiet squares and medieval architecture make for a perfect day trip from Florence.

It’s important to emphasize, however, that San Gimignano isn’t just a great day trip option from Florence, it’s also a very popular one. Especially in the high season, the town can get quite crowded during the day. If you’re looking for more of an “I have the whole town to myself” experience, you’ll want to plan an overnight stay. The town feels completely different in the evenings after the last buses leave for the day.

How to Get from Florence to San Gimignano

By Car

The 35-mile drive from Florence to San Gimignano usually takes a little more than an hour, making this the quickest way to travel. Driving also gives you the most freedom to make your own schedule, especially if you’d like to stop in a few towns throughout the day. There are a couple of things to keep in mind about driving from Florence to San Gimignano, however.

If you visit in summertime, you might be lucky to come across a local festival.

Parking in San Gimignano is limited and can be expensive. Hourly rates are €2-3, up to €15 for a full day, depending on the parking lot. The lot that’s furthest from the town (P1 Giubileo) is the largest and cheapest one, with a maximum daily charge of €7. It’s the first lot you’ll see when you’re driving in from Florence via Poggibonsi. All of the car parks are close enough to the main entrance of San Gimignano that it’s an easy walk, but there’s also a shuttle bus that circles the town and stops at each parking lot. A bus ticket costs €1.20. A detailed list of the parking lots and fees is available at the official car park site of San Gimignano.

As nice as road trips in Tuscany can be, having a car in Florence (or, really, most Italian cities) is usually more trouble than it’s worth. Renting a car for just a day to drive around the region is a great way to explore beyond Florence—but you’re strongly encouraged to get outside the historic center before you get behind the wheel. Find a car rental office that’s on the outskirts of Florence so you can skip the stress of driving through tiny streets while trying to avoid the unexpected limited traffic zones that come with hefty fines.

Even if you have GPS available for the drive itself, the Via Michelin site is an excellent trip planner to check in advance so you have an idea of roughly what the cost of fuel and tolls will be on a given route.

Although there used to be 72 towers in San Gimignano’s historic center, only 13 still stand today. Still impressive to see!

By Bus

Italy’s train system has plenty of fans, and with good reason—but within a province or region, buses are sometimes the only (and often the cheapest) way to go. For trips from Florence to San Gimignano, the bus is arguably the better public transportation option than the train/bus combination outlined below, but only by a hair.

There’s no direct bus service between the cities, which means taking one bus from Florence to Poggibonsi and a separate bus from Poggibonsi to San Gimignano. Florence’s bus station is next to Florence’s Santa Maria Novella (SMN) train station. It’s bus number 131 that goes to Poggibonsi, a trip of about 50 minutes, and it departs at least once per hour on most days.

After you reach Poggibonsi, you’ll be looking for bus 130 going to San Gimignano, a trip of about 25 minutes. Bus schedules are usually well-coordinated so that you won’t have to wait long, typically no more than 15 minutes, and buses leave for San Gimignano from Poggibonsi at least once per hour on most days.

Although known for its many towers and old-world charm, San Gimignano has a lot of interesting history.

By Train

The town of San Gimignano itself has no train station. If you’re keen to ride the rails as much as possible, though, you can take the train from Florence to Poggibonsi and then hop on the bus to San Gimignano.

Trains to Poggibonsi leave Firenze SMN once per hour during most of the day and the trip takes a little over one hour. The stop is called “Poggibonsi-S. Gimignano,” which is a convenient reminder that it’s where you want to disembark for the town of towers.

From the Poggibonsi train station, you’ll need to catch bus number 130 to San Gimignano itself, as outlined above.

We love walking through an Gimignano’s preserved architecture, and charming streets.

What to Do in San Gimignano

There were once 72 towers clustered in San Gimignano’s historic center, leading to its modern nickname, “Medieval Manhattan.” Only 13 towers are left standing today, but, given how striking the skyline is now, it’s not hard to imagine how imposing 72 towers must have looked. Built to ever increasing heights by local families vying to demonstrate their wealth and power, the towers were often also family homes. The tallest ones stood at about 230 feet (70 meters). The Medieval building spree was brought to a halt when the city council declared that nothing could be built taller than the tower on the city hall.

Today, though most of San Gimignano’s towers can only be enjoyed from the ground, you can climb the tallest one (Torre Grossa) for unparalleled 360-degree views over the town and the surrounding countryside. Other things to see in San Gimignano include the Duomo and Palazzo Comunale, both of which have notable artworks inside, and the 14th century cistern in the square named for it: Piazza della Cisterna.

Walking around the streets of San Gimignano is like stepping back in time.

What to Eat in San Gimignano

When all of that strolling and sightseeing leaves you feeling a bit peckish, you’ll be pleased to know that San Gimignano is well-known in the culinary world for pecorino cheese and a celebrated white wine called Vernaccia di San Gimignano. You can even book a tasting or wine masterclass at the Vernaccia Wine Experience (located in the fortress, La Rocca).

You may see traditional Tuscan dishes such as pici pasta with cinghiale (wild boar) on local menus, and don’t miss the award-winning scoops at Gelateria Dondoli right on the Piazza della Cisterna. San Gimignano has also been a center for saffron cultivation since at least the late 12th century (in fact, the lucrative saffron trade helped fuel all that tower building in the Middle Ages), so look for it both on menus and in shops.

From light bites to hearty pasta dishes, you really can’t go wrong with any type of Tuscan fare.

Florence to San Gimignano FAQs

How long does it take to get to San Gimignano from Florence?

The trip usually takes about one hour by car or 1.5-2 hours by bus (or by the train/bus combination detailed above).

Can you climb the towers in San Gimignano?

There is one tower in San Gimignano you can climb, and it’s the tallest one: Torre Grossa. Built in 1311, it’s 177 feet (54 meters) high and offers splendid 360-degree views overlooking the town and countryside. If you’re spending the night, however, there’s another tower you can climb if you book its holiday apartment: Torre Salvucci Maggiore.

What’s the best way to get to San Gimignano from Florence?

Driving from Florence to San Gimignano is the fastest way to get there, but if you don’t want to rent a car then the bus is your best bet. You’ll have to change buses in Poggibonsi, but it’s still a bit quicker than taking the train to Poggibonsi and a bus from there to San Gimignano. Or, you can book a small-group Tuscany day trip from Florence to Chianti, Siena, and San Gimignano that includes transportation, food, wine tastings, and walking tours.

Florence is one of Italy’s most vibrant cities. Make the most of your visit by taking a walking tour of all its top sites!

Want to discover more of what there is to see and do in incredible Florence? Check out our Best of Florence Walking Tour with David & the Duomo. Our local guides will not only show you the best of Florence by exploring the streets, piazzas, and bridges of the city, but you’ll also be able to skip the line at the Duomo and Michelangelo’s David.