23 Italian tips for an amazing trip in Tuscany: where to go and eat near Siena

A couple of weeks ago we left for 3 days in the amazing Tuscan hills. We stayed in Bagnaia, less than 20 km from Siena. Too many things to see and to do in the area so I asked for your help on Facebook and Instagram and you gave me so many tips that it is absolutely worth sharing them (the beauty of the web, right?)!
Technically this post you wrote it!

Siena

“Have a dinner in Siena at Trattoria da Dino for a very good fiorentina! Don’t miss the amazing landscape of crete senesi.
Elisa P.

“Have dinner at Taverna San Giuseppe in Siena!”
Alessandra B.
It is the number 1 restaurant on Tripadvisor in Siena: make a reservation in advance!

Crete senesi

“Take the road from Siena to Asciano to see the very typical crete senesi.”
Paola, UO

San Gimignano

“You can not miss San Gimignano with its towers, as well as Siena and Lucca.”
Cristina Chix V.

“Just come back from San Gimignano and Siena… I feel like I’ve been in another world… don’t miss them!”
Laura Rosa

Chiusdino – San Galgano Abbey and Mulino Bianco

“Abbazia San Galgano, magical place. Agriturismo Il Mulino delle Pile, Val d’Elsa… Tuscany is beautiful!”
Federica R.

“Chiusdino, San Galgano. Re Artù came after San Galgano!”
Elena M.

“From the Abbey take the short walk up to the top of the hill where there is a small chapel with the sword in the rock! Not far from San Galgano there is also the mill used in the old advertisements of the Mulino Bianco, very beautiful.”
Valentina, A day with V

I dreamed of coming to San Galgano from the first grade to see the abbey and the sword in the rock in the Hermitage of Montesiepi! You cannot imagine how excited I was!

For those like me who was born in Italy in the ’80s the advertisements of the Mulino Bianco were really huge hits… and it’s all true! Today it is the Mulino delle Pile in Chiusdino, a few kilometers from San Galgano.
It was Armando Testa, founder of one of the main Italian advertising agencies, to choose it in 1989 as a location for advertising. Giuseppe Tornatore and Ennio Morricone worked at the first ad in 1990. Today the mill is an agritourism and restaurant and continues to be the location for Barilla special events.

Bagno Vignoni

“Bagno Vignoni… don’t miss it!”
Titti G.

“Val D’Orcia… Bagno Vignoni”
Arianna N.

Lucignano d’Arbia

“An enchanting village out of time!”
Cristiano L. My Travelling

San Quirico d’Orcia

“San Quirico d’Orcia and the entire Val d’Orcia, just amazing!”
Cristiano L. My Travelling

In San Quirico d’Orcia have a lunch or buy some specialties at La Bottega di Portanova, where Roberta and Luigi, the two young owners, will recommend you the best local specialties!
Don’t miss the selection of fresh pecorino and those flavored with the molds of Gorgonzola and Camembert!

Monteriggioni

“Tuscany is amazing: San Galgano, Monteriggioni, San Gimignano. Abbazia Isola and have a dinner at Futura Osteria. If you visit Montepulciano have a dinner at the Osteria Acquacheta (better make a reservation)! Everywhere you turn here you’ll only see the famous Tuscany hills!”
Benny D.N.

“Don’t miss Monteriggioni!”
Giacomo Matteo T.

“San Gimignano, Montalcino, Montepulciano and Monteriggioni are mandatory!”
Alessandra B.

“Visit Monteriggioni and have lunch at the Bar dell’Orso…. then San Galgano and the Sword in the Stone, have lunch with rostinciane at the Speranza…. San Gimignano, Cassero, il Strozzavolpe castle and the Fonte delle Fate in Poggibonsi … have dinner at Osteria Numero Uno in San Donato in Poggio. If you are looking for an accomodation don’t miss the Castello di Fulignano… the entire Val d’Orcia is spectacular!!”
Martina M.

If you’ll have the impression of already have been in the beautiful square of Monteriggioni is because you would probably seen it in many movies like The English Patient, Stealing Beauty and The Gladiator!

Have some shopping at the amazing La Vecchia Ghiaccera shop! 

Abbazia Isola – via Francigena

Cypresses roads

“To see the famous roads with cypresses, take the road that leads to La Foce”
Paola, UO

Vitaleta Chapel

You will surely have seen it in Instagram or Pinterest. It is in the perfect icon of Tuscany. After a short dirt road you continue on foot for about 15 minutes and this walk takes you directly into another dimension between wildflowers and fragrant gentian bushes! Wonderful!

Montepulciano

“In Montepulciano you will find many wine and cheese tasting shops and you can also visit for free underground galleries where there were Etruscan tombs. Have a break at the Caffè Poliziano which has a small but beautiful terrace overlooking the hills.”
Valentina, A day with V

Sant’Antimo Abbey, Montalcino

“A real gem, I was there 12 years ago and I fell in love, when I arrived they were officiating the mass with Gregorian chants and there was a small shop with the products of the Benedictine monks… If you are not too far visit Pienza and the chapel of Vitaleta, what a wonderful landscape!
Carlotta F.

San Lorenzo a Merse

Between the up and down of the wonderful Tuscan hills stop in San Lorenzo a Merse for a time travel!

Pienza

“I’m from Tuscany and I tell you, go absolutely to Pienza! If you are there for lunch or dinner go to the Sette di Vino da Luciano ☺ ”
Laura C.

“In Tuscany you can eat very well anywhere but do not miss La Buca delle Fate and Il Rossellino in Pienza”
Cristiano L. My Travelling

“In Pienza there is a small shop called Made in Tuscany, with products made by local artisans such as ceramics, fabrics, leather accessories, hats, bags…”
Valentina, A day with V

Bagni San Filippo, Castiglione d’Orcia

“You absolutely have to take a bath in the free hot water of San Filippo! In the late afternoon you will find fewer people, look for the “white whale” pool and explore them all!”
Roberta P.

“You can’t absolutely miss the Baths of San Filippo in Castiglione d’Orcia… maybe a little far from Siena but unmissable in Tuscany is the Tarot Garden near Capalbio”
Lucia P.

Arezzo

“Arezzo is amazing with also nice shops! Here they shot also La Vita è Bella movie by Roberto Benigni and there are the fabulous frescoes by Piero della Francesca! You can’t miss them!”
Bianca Margarethe P.

“If you are in Arezzo you can’t miss every first Sunday of the month the antique fair”
Valentina, A day with V

Terme di Saturnia

“Saturnia hot springs! Just an hour from Siena.”
Giò B.

Volterra

“If you are looking for the most beautiful landscapes do not miss the road that goes from Volterra to Villamagna”
Arianna N.

“Lots of stairs in Volterra but it’s really amazing!”
Maddalena L.

Montefollonico

“A very small village on top of a hill. Go to La Botte Piena, here you can eat very well but you have to make a reservation in advance!”
Valentina, A day with V

Sul treno a vapore nel senese

“You can take the vintage train with steam locomotive. A different way to visit Tuscany!”
Paola, UO

As you can imagine, we could not see everything, not even half the things you recommended us… this is the perfect excuse to come back very soon!