Day trip from Pisa to San Gimignano by train and bus

Outbound 2 h 37 minAbout 5.5 h for your visit in San Gimignano

Costs for the dayabout €66.40 to €76.40 per person2 adults, recommended sights, with AI Tour Guide and foodWork out your costs ↓

Start the San Gimignano tour See the day plan

This works, but it is a long day: each way you take a train to Empoli, a second train to Poggibonsi and a bus up to the town walls. Leave Pisa just after eight and you stand at Porta San Giovanni before eleven, with about five hours in San Gimignano before the bus back.

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

San Gimignano is the Tuscan hill town people picture: a walled medieval centre with 14 surviving tower houses, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. Pisa gives you one famous square; San Gimignano gives you a whole skyline of towers, stone lanes and views over the countryside, and the reason to come is to walk it slowly rather than tick it off as a photo stop.

The price is the journey. Without a car you change twice, at Empoli and at Poggibonsi, so a good part of the morning and the early evening goes to trains and the bus. The town itself is compact: one walking tour, three paid interiors and lunch fill the day comfortably, but it is atmosphere and wandering more than museum-hopping. If you want a full city with many interiors, pick a bigger destination.

Who this day trip suits

Travellers who want the classic Tuscan hill town: towers, stone lanes and countryside views in one compact place
Photographers, because the towered skyline is one of the defining images of Tuscany
Wine lovers who want to taste Vernaccia di San Gimignano where it is made
Slow walkers who enjoy side lanes and squares more than a long list of museums
Travellers fine with an early start and two changes in exchange for a day in a medieval town

Go if you want a medieval hill town at walking pace and accept a long travel day; if you would rather spend more time in town than on trains, choose Lucca or Florence instead.

Other day trips from Pisa

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

The way to go is a Trenitalia regional train from Pisa Centrale to Empoli, a second regional train to Poggibonsi-San Gimignano, then Autolinee Toscane bus line 130 up to the town. There is no direct train, and this chain brings you right to the gate where the walking tour begins.

Combined journey: Trenitalia + Autolinee Toscane

From Pisa Centrale, regional trains to Empoli run several times an hour. At Empoli you change on the same station to a train towards Siena and get off at Poggibonsi-San Gimignano; these run roughly every half hour to hour on weekdays, noticeably less often on Sundays. At Poggibonsi the line 130 bus leaves from the stop right at the station (Poggibonsi FS) and climbs to Porta San Giovanni. Buses run about twenty times a day from Monday to Saturday but only a handful of times on Sundays, so the bus is the leg to plan around. Buy the regional ticket before you travel and validate it before boarding; buy the bus ticket before you board as well. No seat reservation is needed on any leg. The cost tool shows the fares.

Operator: Trenitalia + Autolinee Toscane
Route: Pisa Centrale → San Gimignano (Porta San Giovanni)
Journey time: 2 h 37 min
Travel fare: Outward €13.20; return €13.20 (€26.40 return total)

Tickets at Trenitalia ↗

Tickets at Autolinee Toscane ↗

The line 130 bus stops at Porta San Giovanni, the main gate in the southern walls, which is also the first stop of the walking tour. You get off and are already at the start.

Example connections by weekday

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

Day	Outbound	Return
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday	08:03–10:40 · 2 h 37 min Pisa Centrale → Empoli: 08:03–08:46 Empoli → Poggibonsi FS: 09:08–09:44 Poggibonsi FS → San Gimignano (Porta San Giovanni): 10:20–10:40	16:55–19:28 · 2 h 33 min Piazzale Montemaggio → Poggibonsi FS: 16:55–17:17 Poggibonsi FS → Empoli: 17:42–18:20 Empoli → Pisa Centrale: 18:58–19:28
Sunday	08:03–11:50 · 3 h 47 min Pisa Centrale → Empoli: 08:03–08:46 Empoli → Poggibonsi FS: 09:08–09:44 Poggibonsi FS → San Gimignano (Porta San Giovanni): 11:25–11:50	17:40–20:28 · 2 h 48 min Piazzale Montemaggio → Poggibonsi FS: 17:40–18:00 Poggibonsi FS → Empoli: 18:42–19:20 Empoli → Pisa Centrale: 19:58–20:28

Timetable

Train: Trenitalia

Monday to SaturdaySunday

Monday to Saturday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
08:03	08:46	43 min

Show all departures (24)

Other suitable trains may have different fares.


Departure	Arrival	Duration
05:19	06:01	42 min
05:39	06:17	38 min
05:53	06:33	40 min
06:29	06:58	29 min
06:54	07:30	36 min
06:58	07:40	42 min
07:38	08:07	29 min
07:44	08:14	30 min
07:54	08:31	37 min
08:03	08:46	43 min
08:32	09:03	31 min
09:09	09:36	27 min
09:32	10:03	31 min
09:54	10:31	37 min
10:01	10:46	45 min
10:32	11:03	31 min
10:54	11:31	37 min
11:09	11:36	27 min
11:30	12:01	31 min
11:54	12:31	37 min
12:01	12:46	45 min
12:32	13:03	31 min
12:54	13:31	37 min
13:09	13:36	27 min

Sunday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
05:39	06:17	38 min
06:01	06:46	45 min
06:29	06:58	29 min
06:54	07:30	36 min
07:38	08:07	29 min
07:54	08:31	37 min
08:03	08:46	43 min
08:32	09:03	31 min
08:54	09:51	57 min
09:09	09:36	27 min
09:32	10:16	44 min
10:54	11:31	37 min
11:30	12:01	31 min
12:32	13:03	31 min
13:09	13:36	27 min

Timetable: Trenitalia, as of 22 October 2026

Monday to SaturdaySunday

Monday to Saturday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
06:21	07:01	40 min
06:50	07:28	38 min
07:26	08:10	44 min
08:06	08:43	37 min
08:40	09:14	34 min
09:08	09:44	36 min
09:40	10:14	34 min
10:40	11:14	34 min
11:40	12:14	34 min
12:08	12:44	36 min
12:40	13:14	34 min
13:08	13:44	36 min

Sunday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
06:50	07:23	33 min
08:06	08:43	37 min
08:40	09:14	34 min
09:08	09:44	36 min
11:40	12:14	34 min
12:40	13:14	34 min
13:08	13:44	36 min

Check current times at Trenitalia ↗

Bus: Autolinee Toscane

Monday to SaturdaySunday

Monday to Saturday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
06:35	06:55	20 min
07:00	07:25	25 min
08:00	08:20	20 min
08:32	08:55	23 min
09:19	09:39	20 min
10:20	10:40	20 min
11:00	11:20	20 min
12:05	12:25	20 min
12:25	12:50	25 min
13:12	13:32	20 min

Sunday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
07:02	07:27	25 min
09:00	09:25	25 min
11:25	11:50	25 min
12:25	12:50	25 min
13:30	13:50	20 min

Timetable: Autolinee Toscane, as of 22 October 2026

Check current times at Autolinee Toscane ↗

Train: Trenitalia

Monday to SaturdaySunday

Monday to Saturday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
17:42	18:20	38 min

Show all departures (19)

Other suitable trains may have different fares.


Departure	Arrival	Duration
12:12	12:54	42 min
12:42	13:20	38 min
13:08	13:54	46 min
13:42	14:20	38 min
14:08	14:54	46 min
14:42	15:20	38 min
15:08	15:54	46 min
15:42	16:20	38 min
16:08	16:54	46 min
16:42	17:20	38 min
17:08	17:52	44 min
17:42	18:20	38 min
18:08	18:52	44 min
18:42	19:20	38 min
19:08	19:54	46 min
19:42	20:20	38 min
20:08	20:54	46 min
20:42	21:20	38 min
22:07	22:40	33 min

Sunday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
12:12	12:54	42 min
12:42	13:20	38 min
13:42	14:20	38 min
15:08	15:54	46 min
15:42	16:20	38 min
17:08	17:52	44 min
17:42	18:20	38 min
18:08	18:52	44 min
18:42	19:20	38 min
19:12	19:54	42 min
20:08	20:54	46 min
20:42	21:20	38 min
22:07	22:40	33 min

Monday to FridaySaturdaySunday

Monday to Friday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
18:58	19:28	30 min

Show all departures (32)

Other suitable trains may have different fares.


Departure	Arrival	Duration
12:13	12:59	46 min
12:27	13:04	37 min
12:58	13:28	30 min
13:23	13:51	28 min
13:27	14:04	37 min
13:58	14:28	30 min
14:01	14:45	44 min
14:13	14:59	46 min
14:27	15:04	37 min
14:58	15:28	30 min
15:23	15:51	28 min
15:28	16:04	36 min
15:58	16:28	30 min
16:13	16:59	46 min
16:27	17:04	37 min
16:58	17:28	30 min
17:23	17:51	28 min
17:28	18:04	36 min
17:58	18:28	30 min
18:13	18:55	42 min
18:27	19:03	36 min
18:58	19:28	30 min
19:00	19:44	44 min
19:23	19:54	31 min
19:27	20:04	37 min
19:58	20:28	30 min
20:13	20:59	46 min
20:27	21:04	37 min
20:58	21:28	30 min
21:13	21:59	46 min
21:27	22:04	37 min
22:00	22:36	36 min

Saturday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
18:58	19:28	30 min

Show all departures (29)

Other suitable trains may have different fares.


Departure	Arrival	Duration
12:13	12:59	46 min
12:27	13:04	37 min
12:58	13:28	30 min
13:23	13:51	28 min
13:27	14:04	37 min
13:58	14:28	30 min
14:13	14:59	46 min
14:27	15:04	37 min
14:58	15:28	30 min
15:23	15:51	28 min
15:28	16:04	36 min
15:58	16:28	30 min
16:26	17:04	38 min
16:58	17:28	30 min
17:23	17:51	28 min
17:28	18:04	36 min
17:58	18:28	30 min
18:13	18:55	42 min
18:58	19:28	30 min
19:00	19:44	44 min
19:23	19:54	31 min
19:27	20:04	37 min
19:58	20:28	30 min
20:13	20:59	46 min
20:27	21:04	37 min
20:58	21:28	30 min
21:13	21:59	46 min
21:27	22:04	37 min
22:00	22:36	36 min

Sunday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
18:58	19:28	30 min

Show all departures (24)

Other suitable trains may have different fares.


Departure	Arrival	Duration
12:13	12:59	46 min
12:58	13:28	30 min
13:27	14:04	37 min
14:13	14:59	46 min
14:27	15:04	37 min
14:58	15:28	30 min
15:23	15:51	28 min
15:28	16:04	36 min
15:58	16:28	30 min
16:13	16:59	46 min
16:27	17:04	37 min
17:28	18:04	36 min
17:58	18:28	30 min
18:13	18:55	42 min
18:58	19:28	30 min
19:00	19:44	44 min
19:23	19:54	31 min
19:27	20:04	37 min
19:58	20:28	30 min
20:13	20:59	46 min
20:27	21:04	37 min
21:13	21:59	46 min
21:27	22:04	37 min
22:00	22:28	28 min

Check current times at Trenitalia ↗

Bus: Autolinee Toscane

Monday to FridaySaturdaySunday

Monday to Friday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
13:00	13:26	26 min
14:08	14:28	20 min
14:45	15:07	22 min
14:45	15:10	25 min
15:00	15:25	25 min
15:40	16:02	22 min
16:55	17:17	22 min
18:35	18:57	22 min
19:00	19:25	25 min
19:40	20:00	20 min
20:00	20:25	25 min
20:40	21:00	20 min

Saturday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
13:00	13:26	26 min
14:08	14:28	20 min
15:00	15:25	25 min
15:10	15:30	20 min
16:04	16:25	21 min
16:55	17:17	22 min
18:40	19:00	20 min
19:00	19:25	25 min
19:40	20:00	20 min
20:00	20:25	25 min
20:40	21:00	20 min

Sunday


Departure	Arrival	Duration
12:35	12:55	20 min
14:00	14:25	25 min
15:00	15:25	25 min
15:55	16:20	25 min
17:40	18:00	20 min
19:05	19:30	25 min
20:25	20:50	25 min

Check current times at Autolinee Toscane ↗

Your Pisa to San Gimignano day trip itinerary

Day plan for: Mon–Sat

Take the morning train just after eight so the bus has you at the gate before eleven, then let the walking tour carry the day with lunch in the middle and a late afternoon bus back.

Morning08:03 – 10:40
Take the regional train from Pisa Centrale shortly after 8 to Empoli, change there to the train towards Poggibonsi, then take the line 130 bus, which reaches Porta San Giovanni at around a quarter to eleven.
This chain has comfortable changes at Empoli and Poggibonsi and gets you to the town walls before the middle of the day, with time for a coffee before you set off.
Tour11:00 – 13:00
Open the tour in the browser at Porta San Giovanni. The AI Tour Guide greets you, tells you about the gate and leads you up to Piazza della Cisterna, on to the Palazzo Comunale and then into the Duomo, asking what interests you as you go.
The civic museum and the Duomo are the indoor heart of the tour, and doing them before lunch keeps the afternoon light.
1. 1Porta San Giovanni
2. 2Piazza della Cisterna
3. 3Palazzo Comunale (Palazzo del Popolo)
4. 4Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo)
Start the San Gimignano tour
Lunch13:00 – 14:00
Break for lunch after the Duomo and before Torre Grossa, in the lanes around the two central squares. Look for local saffron, Vernaccia wine and a gelato.
The Duomo and Torre Grossa stand side by side on Piazza del Duomo, so the meal fits naturally between them and you pick up the tour right where you stopped.
Afternoon14:00 – 16:15
The guide continues at Torre Grossa and then walks you up to Rocca di Montestaffoli, where the tour ends at around a quarter past three. You then have roughly an hour spare: as an optional detour, wander the side lanes away from the main street or sit down for a glass of Vernaccia.
The fortress park is a quiet place to finish, and the spare hour is your room for the slow wandering that makes San Gimignano worth the trip.
1. 5Torre Grossa
2. 6Rocca di Montestaffoli
Return16:15 – 19:28
Leave Rocca di Montestaffoli by about a quarter past four and walk to Piazzale Montemaggio for the line 130 bus to Poggibonsi shortly before five. From there, take the train to Empoli and change for Pisa Centrale, arriving at around half past seven.
The bus back leaves from a different stop than the one you arrived at, and the walk plus a short buffer keeps the two changes relaxed.

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

Realistically you get about five hours in San Gimignano; if you arrive late, shorten the end of the tour and the free hour at the Rocca rather than rushing the Duomo.

The best day to visit San Gimignano from Pisa

Monday: recommended
Tuesday: recommended
Wednesday: recommended
Thursday: recommended
Friday: recommended
Saturday: recommended
Sunday: better not

Sunday: The planned interior visits (Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo)) do not fit the opening hours on this day.

A San Gimignano walking tour in one day

The walking tour runs from Porta San Giovanni through the two central squares to the Rocca di Montestaffoli, about 0.7 km and only some twelve minutes of pure walking, but with the interiors it fills about three hours. It is a short, gently uphill walk on stone streets, and the AI Tour Guide leads it as a conversation, telling the stories of each place and following what catches your interest.

The San Gimignano tour: your guide leads you from stop to stop.

Porta San Giovanni
Piazza della Cisterna
Palazzo Comunale (Palazzo del Popolo)
Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo)
Torre Grossa
Rocca di Montestaffoli

Start the San Gimignano tour

Opening hours as of 22 October 2026.

1Stop 1
Porta San Giovanni
The most important gate in the town walls, where travellers from Siena on a branch of the Via Francigena once entered San Gimignano.
Price

Free
Website

sangimignano.com ↗
Location

Porta San Giovanni on Google Maps ↗
2Stop 2
Piazza della Cisterna
A triangular square on a gentle natural slope, opening through a passage onto Piazza del Duomo and ringed by tower houses.
Price

Free
Location

Piazza della Cisterna on Google Maps ↗
3Stop 3
Palazzo Comunale (Palazzo del Popolo)
The seat of the town's civic government since the 13th century, which today also houses the Pinacoteca of the civic museums.
Hours

Daily: 11:00–17:30 (last admission 17:00)
Website

sangimignanomusei.it ↗
Included

Combined ticket (Civic Museums: Palazzo Comunale & Torre Grossa, Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo))
Location

Palazzo Comunale (Palazzo del Popolo) on Google Maps ↗
4Stop 4
Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo)
The collegiate church and minor basilica whose frescoed interior many visitors walk past, and should not.
Hours

Mon–Sat: 10:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30)
Sun: 12:30–17:00 (last admission 16:30)
Website

duomosangimignano.it ↗
Price

Combined ticket: €15
Location

Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo) on Google Maps ↗
5Stop 5
Torre Grossa
The tallest tower in San Gimignano, standing on Piazza del Duomo beside the Palazzo del Podestà and named for its sheer bulk.
Hours

Daily: 11:00–17:30 (last admission 17:00)
Website

sangimignanomusei.it ↗
Included

Combined ticket (Civic Museums: Palazzo Comunale & Torre Grossa, Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo))
Location

Torre Grossa on Google Maps ↗
6Stop 6
Rocca di Montestaffoli
A 14th-century fortress on the hill once held by the bishop of Volterra, now a small park and a calm last stop.
Price

Free
Website

sangimignano.com ↗
Location

Rocca di Montestaffoli on Google Maps ↗

AI Tour Guide in San Gimignano

Your guide for the San Gimignano tour

At Porta San Giovanni you start the AI Tour Guide in the browser, and from there it leads you through San Gimignano as a conversation: who built the towers and why, what the council decided in the Palazzo Comunale, what the frescoes in the Duomo tell. It asks you questions, remembers what you care about, and you can interrupt it at any point.

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 tour See the whole tour →

What a Pisa to San Gimignano day trip costs

The day is driven by three things: the train and bus fares for two legs each way, the paid entries for the civic museums with Torre Grossa and for the Duomo, and lunch in town. The cost tool includes these three paid sights by default because they are the interiors on the tour; skip any of them and the day gets cheaper.

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 × €26.40	€52.80
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
Bufferfor anything unplanned	€0
Total	€132.79 to €152.79
Split between people	about €66.40 to €76.40 per person

Sights

Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta (Duomo) recommended€7
Civic Museums: Palazzo Comunale & Torre Grossa recommended€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

Buffer per personWith a private guide

If you visit both the civic museums and the Duomo, compare the San Gimignano Pass with single tickets at the first desk, and if you skip the Duomo, a combined civic museum and Torre Grossa ticket is the simpler choice.

Prices as of October 2026.

Getting back from San Gimignano to Pisa

The way back is the same chain in reverse: line 130 bus down to Poggibonsi, a train to Empoli and a train to Pisa Centrale. The bus back leaves from Piazzale Montemaggio at the edge of the old town, not from Porta San Giovanni where you arrived, so allow about twenty minutes from the Rocca plus a short buffer at the stop.

On Sundays the example connection leaves later, with the bus from Piazzale Montemaggio at around a quarter to six and the last stop to leave by about five, but with few buses there is little room if something slips.

If you are running late, drop the Rocca and the free hour first, never the walk to Piazzale Montemaggio. If you miss the bus, the next line 130 bus usually follows within the hour on weekdays, trains from Poggibonsi to Empoli run about twice an hour and Empoli to Pisa even more often; a taxi down to Poggibonsi station is the fallback.

Recommended returnAutolinee Toscane + Trenitalia: departs 16:55, arrives 19:28Leave 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 21:59
Autolinee Toscane + Trenitalia from Piazzale Montemaggio, Monday to Saturday: departs 20:00, arrives 22:36

Questions about the day trip from Pisa to San Gimignano

Can I drive from Pisa to San Gimignano instead?

Yes, but the old town is a limited traffic zone, so you park outside the walls and walk in. Carry some cash, because not every car park accepts cards.

Can I combine San Gimignano with Siena on the same day?

Not comfortably by public transport. With two changes each way, San Gimignano fills the day on its own; Siena deserves a day trip of its own.

Do I need to book the trains or the bus in advance?

No. There are no seat reservations on any leg. Buy the regional train ticket and validate it before boarding, and buy the bus ticket before you get on.

What should I wear?

Comfortable shoes for sloping, uneven stone streets, and an extra layer, because the hilltop is windier and cooler than the valley, especially later in the day.