Day trip from Florence to San Gimignano by train and bus

Outbound 2 h 30 minAbout 5.5 h for your visit in San Gimignano
Costs for the dayabout €64.60 to €74.60 per person2 adults, recommended sights, with AI Tour Guide and foodWork out your costs ↓
Start the San Gimignano tourSee the day plan
San Gimignano

San Gimignano is a good day trip from Florence, but a long one: there is no direct line, so you take a regional train to Poggibonsi and a bus up to the walls, which takes between two and two and a half hours each way. With an early train you still get about 5.5 hours in town, enough for the walking tour through the towers, an unhurried lunch and a gelato on Piazza della Cisterna.

Is a day trip from Florence to San Gimignano worth it?

Yes, if you accept the travel. San Gimignano gives you something Florence cannot: a small walled hill town whose medieval towers still stand above the rooftops, with the whole historic centre close enough to cross on foot in minutes. The core of the visit sits on two neighbouring squares, Piazza della Cisterna and Piazza del Duomo, so the tour stays short on walking and long on looking.

The price is the journey. Every public connection changes at Poggibonsi, and the bus that matches the morning train leaves about an hour after you arrive there, so the outward trip eats most of the morning. The return is quicker, but you still spend four to five hours of the day in trains, buses and waiting. Leave early, keep the change in Poggibonsi calm, and the day works well.

Who this day trip suits

  • Travellers who want one Tuscan hill town after the big museums of Florence, without renting a car
  • Walkers who like compact streets and squares more than long city distances
  • Wine and food lovers who want to taste Vernaccia di San Gimignano and eat pici or wild boar ragù where they come from
  • First-time visitors to Tuscany who are fine with an early start and a long day

Go if you want a Tuscan hill town of towers and don't mind a long day with a change in Poggibonsi; if you want little time in transit, Bologna or Pisa are the easier trips.

Other day trips from Florence

How to get from Florence to San Gimignano by train and bus

The way to go without a car is a Trenitalia regional train from Firenze Santa Maria Novella to Poggibonsi, then Autolinee Toscane bus line 130 up to the town walls. It is the only public route, there is no direct train or bus, and with one change it is simple once you know where the bus stops are.

Combined journey: Trenitalia + Autolinee Toscane

Regional trains to Poggibonsi leave Firenze Santa Maria Novella roughly every hour on weekdays and Saturdays, with fewer on Sundays, and the ride takes about an hour. Note that the station called Poggibonsi-San Gimignano is in Poggibonsi, not in San Gimignano. Line 130 leaves from the bus stop Poggibonsi FS right at the station and reaches Porta San Giovanni in about twenty minutes. With a tight connection the whole trip takes under an hour and a half, but trains and buses are not timed to each other, so plan for a wait at Poggibonsi. Train and bus each need their own ticket: buy the train ticket from Trenitalia and the bus ticket for line 130 separately. A paper train ticket must be stamped in the machine on the platform before boarding, otherwise you risk a fine; an e-ticket avoids this. Bus numbers can change, so ask the driver "San Gimignano?" before you get on.

Operator
Trenitalia + Autolinee Toscane
Route
Firenze Santa Maria Novella → San Gimignano (Porta San Giovanni)
Journey time
2 h 30 min
Travel fare
Outward €12.30; return €12.30 (€24.60 return total)

Tickets at Trenitalia ↗

Tickets at Autolinee Toscane ↗

Line 130 stops at Porta San Giovanni on the edge of the walled town, and the walking tour begins at that very gate. The historic centre is closed to traffic, so from here you continue on foot.

Example connections by weekday

Full journeys with each leg shown. Times and fares can vary by day and service.

DayOutboundReturn
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday08:10–10:40 · 2 h 30 min
  1. Firenze Santa Maria Novella → Poggibonsi FS: 08:10–09:14
  2. Poggibonsi FS → San Gimignano (Porta San Giovanni): 10:20–10:40
16:55–18:52 · 1 h 57 min
  1. Piazzale Montemaggio → Poggibonsi FS: 16:55–17:17
  2. Poggibonsi FS → Firenze Santa Maria Novella: 17:42–18:52
Sunday08:10–11:50 · 3 h 40 min
  1. Firenze Santa Maria Novella → Poggibonsi FS: 08:10–09:14
  2. Poggibonsi FS → San Gimignano (Porta San Giovanni): 11:25–11:50
17:40–19:52 · 2 h 12 min
  1. Piazzale Montemaggio → Poggibonsi FS: 17:40–18:00
  2. Poggibonsi FS → Firenze Santa Maria Novella: 18:42–19:52

Timetable

Train: Trenitalia

Monday to Saturday

DepartureArrivalDuration
06:2007:281 h 8 min
08:1009:141 h 4 min
09:1010:141 h 4 min
10:1011:141 h 4 min
11:1012:141 h 4 min
12:1013:141 h 4 min
13:1014:141 h 4 min

Sunday

DepartureArrivalDuration
06:2007:231 h 3 min
08:1009:141 h 4 min
11:1012:141 h 4 min
12:1013:141 h 4 min

Timetable: Trenitalia, as of 22 October 2026

Check current times at Trenitalia ↗

Bus: Autolinee Toscane

Monday to Saturday

DepartureArrivalDuration
06:3506:5520 min
07:0007:2525 min
08:0008:2020 min
08:3208:5523 min
09:1909:3920 min
10:2010:4020 min
11:0011:2020 min
12:0512:2520 min
12:2512:5025 min
13:1213:3220 min

Sunday

DepartureArrivalDuration
07:0207:2725 min
09:0009:2525 min
11:2511:5025 min
12:2512:5025 min
13:3013:5020 min

Timetable: Autolinee Toscane, as of 22 October 2026

Check current times at Autolinee Toscane ↗

Train: Trenitalia

Monday to Saturday

DepartureArrivalDuration
12:4213:521 h 10 min
13:4214:521 h 10 min
14:4215:521 h 10 min
15:4216:521 h 10 min
16:4217:521 h 10 min
17:4218:521 h 10 min
18:4219:521 h 10 min
19:4220:521 h 10 min
20:4221:521 h 10 min

Sunday

DepartureArrivalDuration
12:4213:521 h 10 min
13:4214:521 h 10 min
15:4216:521 h 10 min
17:4218:521 h 10 min
18:4219:521 h 10 min
20:4221:521 h 10 min

Check current times at Trenitalia ↗

Bus: Autolinee Toscane

Monday to Friday

DepartureArrivalDuration
13:0013:2626 min
14:0814:2820 min
14:4515:0722 min
14:4515:1025 min
15:0015:2525 min
15:4016:0222 min
16:5517:1722 min
18:3518:5722 min
19:0019:2525 min
19:4020:0020 min
20:0020:2525 min
20:4021:0020 min

Saturday

DepartureArrivalDuration
13:0013:2626 min
14:0814:2820 min
15:0015:2525 min
15:1015:3020 min
16:0416:2521 min
16:5517:1722 min
18:4019:0020 min
19:0019:2525 min
19:4020:0020 min
20:0020:2525 min
20:4021:0020 min

Sunday

DepartureArrivalDuration
12:3512:5520 min
14:0014:2525 min
15:0015:2525 min
15:5516:2025 min
17:4018:0020 min
19:0519:3025 min
20:2520:5025 min

Check current times at Autolinee Toscane ↗

Florence to San Gimignano day trip itinerary

Day plan for: Mon–Sat

The day is anchored by the early train out of Florence and the bus back in late afternoon; everything in between is the walking tour with a long lunch on Piazza del Duomo.

  1. Morning08:10 – 10:40

    Take a regional train shortly after eight from Firenze Santa Maria Novella, arrive in Poggibonsi shortly after nine and catch the line 130 bus about an hour later, which reaches Porta San Giovanni before eleven. Have a coffee at the station while you wait.

    This train gives a safe connection to the bus with time to spare, and it still puts you at the gate before the late morning.

  2. Tour11:00 – 13:00

    Open the tour in the browser at Porta San Giovanni. The AI Tour Guide greets you and leads you up to Piazza della Cisterna, then to the Palazzo Comunale and the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta, telling the stories of each place and asking what you want to know more about.

    The morning is the right time for the two paid interiors on Piazza del Duomo, and the two outdoor stops on the way in are quick.

    1. Porta San Giovanni in San Gimignano, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour1Porta San Giovanni
    2. Piazza della Cisterna in San Gimignano, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour2Piazza della Cisterna
    3. Palazzo Comunale (Palazzo del Popolo) in San Gimignano, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour3Palazzo Comunale (Palazzo del Popolo)
    4. Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo) in San Gimignano, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour4Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo)

    Start the San Gimignano tour

  3. Lunch13:00 – 14:00

    Lunch after the Collegiate Church and before Torre Grossa, both right on Piazza del Duomo. Try pici al ragù or wild boar with a glass of Vernaccia di San Gimignano.

    You are already in the centre with the morning interiors done, and the tower is a few steps away for the afternoon.

  4. Afternoon14:00 – 16:15

    The guide picks up again at Torre Grossa and then walks you to the Rocca di Montestaffoli, the last stop. With about an hour left before you need to leave, add an optional detour: a Vernaccia tasting at a small wine bar or a gelato at Gelateria Dondoli on Piazza della Cisterna, which often has a queue.

    Climbing the tower after lunch keeps the morning free for the church and palace, and the spare hour absorbs queues without pressure.

    1. Torre Grossa in San Gimignano, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour5Torre Grossa
    2. Rocca di Montestaffoli in San Gimignano, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour6Rocca di Montestaffoli
  5. Return16:15 – 18:52

    Leave the Rocca di Montestaffoli by a quarter past four and walk to Piazzale Montemaggio for the bus shortly before five to Poggibonsi, then the connecting train to Firenze Santa Maria Novella, in shortly before seven.

    The return bus leaves from a different stop than the one you arrived at, so allow time to walk there with a buffer.

Arrival to return departure: 6 h 15 min. Time for your visit: about 5.5 h.

You get about five hours in San Gimignano; if you arrive late, shorten the end of the tour at the Rocca di Montestaffoli rather than the squares and interiors.

Best day to visit San Gimignano from Florence

  1. Monday: recommended
  2. Tuesday: recommended
  3. Wednesday: recommended
  4. Thursday: recommended
  5. Friday: recommended
  6. Saturday: recommended
  7. Sunday: better not
  • Sunday: The planned interior visits (Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo)) do not fit the opening hours on this day.

San Gimignano walking tour in one day

The walking tour runs from Porta San Giovanni through the centre to the Rocca di Montestaffoli, only about a quarter of an hour of pure walking, with the time going into the squares, the town hall, the church and the tower. The AI Tour Guide leads it as a conversation, so you spend the day looking up at the towers rather than at a map.

The San Gimignano tour: your guide leads you from stop to stop.
  1. Porta San Giovanni
  2. Piazza della Cisterna
  3. Palazzo Comunale (Palazzo del Popolo)
  4. Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo)
  5. Torre Grossa
  6. Rocca di Montestaffoli

Start the San Gimignano tour

Opening hours as of 22 October 2026.

  1. Porta San Giovanni in San Gimignano, stop 1 on the self-guided walking tour
    1Stop 1

    Porta San Giovanni

    The most important gate in the town walls, the southern entrance used by travellers coming from Siena on the Via Francigena.

    Price
    Free
  2. Piazza della Cisterna in San Gimignano, stop 2 on the self-guided walking tour
    2Stop 2

    Piazza della Cisterna

    A triangular, gently sloping square around its old cistern, linked to Piazza del Duomo by an open passage.

    Price
    Free
  3. Palazzo Comunale (Palazzo del Popolo) in San Gimignano, stop 3 on the self-guided walking tour
    3Stop 3

    Palazzo Comunale (Palazzo del Popolo)

    Also called the Palazzo del Popolo, it has been the seat of the town's government since the 13th century.

    Hours
    Daily: 11:00–17:30 (last admission 17:00)
    Included
    Combined ticket (Civic Museums: Palazzo Comunale & Torre Grossa, Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo))
  4. Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo) in San Gimignano, stop 4 on the self-guided walking tour
    4Stop 4

    Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo)

    The town's main church, a collegiate church and minor basilica that locals call the Duomo.

    Hours
    Mon–Sat: 10:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30)
    Sun: 12:30–17:00 (last admission 16:30)
    Price
    Combined ticket: €15
  5. Torre Grossa in San Gimignano, stop 5 on the self-guided walking tour
    5Stop 5

    Torre Grossa

    The tallest tower in San Gimignano, which is where its name comes from, standing on Piazza del Duomo beside the Palazzo del Podestà.

    Hours
    Daily: 11:00–17:30 (last admission 17:00)
    Included
    Combined ticket (Civic Museums: Palazzo Comunale & Torre Grossa, Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo))
  6. Rocca di Montestaffoli in San Gimignano, stop 6 on the self-guided walking tour
    6Stop 6

    Rocca di Montestaffoli

    A 14th-century fortress on the Montestaffoli hill, a site held in the early Middle Ages by the bishop of Volterra and now a green place to end the walk.

    Price
    Free
AI Tour Guide in San Gimignano

Your guide for the San Gimignano tour

Start the San Gimignano tour in your browser at Porta San Giovanni and the AI Tour Guide leads you from there: it greets you, tells you about the pilgrims who came through the gate, the cistern square, the town hall and Torre Grossa, and asks you questions along the way. It remembers what catches your interest, whether that is the towers, the church or the wine, and adapts the stories as you walk, and you can interrupt it any time.

stops
6
route
0.7 km
walking only
12 min
with visits
3 h 1 min
  • 100 free credits to start
  • €19.99 once for the whole group
  • Travel and admission tickets are not included
Start the San Gimignano tourSee the whole tour →

Florence to San Gimignano day trip cost

The day costs you the train and the bus in both directions, three paid sights on the tour (the Palazzo Comunale, the Collegiate Church and Torre Grossa) and lunch. The gate, Piazza della Cisterna and the Rocca di Montestaffoli are free, so you can save by choosing which interiors matter most to you.

Adults
Children

One device is enough for the whole group: two people listen on two connected headphones, larger groups use the phone speaker.

Cost breakdown

Costs for 2 adults · planned visits

Travel there and backTrenitalia + Autolinee Toscane2 adults × €24.60€49.20
SightsCombined ticket (Civic Museums: Palazzo Comunale & Torre Grossa, Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo))2 adults × €15€30
AI Tour Guide touronce for the whole group€19.99
Food (estimate)€15 to €25 per person€30 to €50
Total€129.19 to €149.19
Split between peopleabout €64.60 to €74.60 per person
Sights
  • €7
  • €10
  • Combined ticket (Civic Museums: Palazzo Comunale & Torre Grossa, Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo))The calculator automatically picks the cheapest combination ticket that fits.€15
Buffer and private guide

If you want to add the Museum of Sacred Art next to the Collegiate Church, ask at the ticket office about the San Gimignano Pass for combined museum entry.

Prices as of October 2026.

Getting back from San Gimignano to Florence

The way back is the same chain in reverse: line 130 from Piazzale Montemaggio down to Poggibonsi FS, then a regional train to Firenze Santa Maria Novella. Piazzale Montemaggio is a different stop from Porta San Giovanni, also at the edge of the old town, so allow time to walk there from the last stop plus a buffer before the bus. In Poggibonsi plan at least a quarter of an hour to change from bus to train. If you do travel on a Sunday, an example connection leaves Piazzale Montemaggio around a quarter to six, so you can leave the Rocca di Montestaffoli by five.

If you run late, drop the Rocca di Montestaffoli at the end of the tour first. If you miss the planned bus, take the next line 130 bus to Poggibonsi and continue on the next regional train to Florence; on Sundays the gaps between them are longer, so leave more margin.

Recommended returnAutolinee Toscane + Trenitalia: departs 16:55, arrives 18:52Leave the last stop of the tour by 16:15

Latest return that fits the day: 20:00

  • Autolinee Toscane + Trenitalia from Piazzale Montemaggio, Sunday: departs 19:05, arrives 21:52
  • Autolinee Toscane + Trenitalia from Piazzale Montemaggio, Monday to Saturday: departs 20:00, arrives 21:52

Questions about the day trip from Florence to San Gimignano

Do I need a car to visit San Gimignano?

No. The train and bus via Poggibonsi bring you to the walls, and the historic centre is closed to car traffic anyway. Drivers park outside the walls and walk in.

Is it worth stopping in Poggibonsi?

Not for most day trippers. Keep your time for San Gimignano and use Poggibonsi only for the change between train and bus.

Where can I taste Vernaccia di San Gimignano?

Small wine bars around the centre pour it by the glass, which fits the spare hour after the tour better than the wine museum in town.

Can I bring cheese home?

Several shops in town sell Italian cheese vacuum-packed for travel, so it keeps without a smell in your luggage.

When is the best season for the trip?

April, May, September and October bring mild weather and fewer visitors than high summer.

More day trips from Florence

Rome in a day 1 h 25 min Pisa in a day 50 min Venice in a day 2 h 14 min Siena in a day 1 h 15 min Bologna in a day 37 min Lucca in a day 1 h 20 min Assisi in a day 2 h Perugia in a day 2 h Orvieto in a day 2 h 10 min

Sources

Timetables, fares and opening hours come from these operators:

Image credits
AI Tour Guide
Researched and curated by the AI Tour Guide team
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