Via Francigena Camino: San Miniato to Siena

This trip is perfect if you want to experience the Via Francigena from San Miniato in Tuscany at your own pace.

Description

Walk the picturesque Via Francigena from San Miniato to Siena, a UNESCO World Heritage city. This route covers fewer kilometres daily compared to the main Via Francigena from Lucca to Siena.

Over seven days, you’ll walk through Tuscany’s rolling hills and woodlands, staying in charming villages, including the stunning San Gimignano. You’ll cover an average of under 20km per day, with the longest day being 24km and the shortest 13km.

This allows you to slow down and truly appreciate the beauty of the Italian countryside. Walking through Tuscany’s olive groves is a highlight for many walkers.

The town of San Gimignano itself is truly breathtaking with its medieval towers. There are plenty of historical sites and churches to visit and spend time along the way.

The Easy Via Francigena ends in the magnificent Siena, steeped in art, history, culture, and gastronomy.

Consider spending an extra day in Siena to experience its charm fully.

If you travel in July or August, you may witness the traditional Palio di Siena horse race. In autumn, Tuscany is famous for its white truffles, offering food lovers a special treat. Along the way, you’ll savour delicious Italian cuisine.

The Via Francigena Easy Walking experience is an unforgettable and relaxing holiday!

Itinerary

Day 1: San Miniato You arrive in San Miniato.

Day 2: Gambassi Terme (24km)

Today’s walking section on the Via Francigena follows a lovely trail through oak woods, chestnut woods, olive groves and vineyards. The trail is predominantly on off-road tracks over small rolling hills, the classic Tuscan landscape. On the way you will pass Chianni where you should visit the lovely little church. There is a 300m climb to Gambassi Terme, a hilltop town best known for its spa and hot springs, as well as glass manufacturing.

Day 3: San Gimignano (14km)

From Gambassi Terme you will descend for a couple of kilometres before you begin another climb. The day is quite up and down but the scenery as you pass through the world famous Chianti vineyards will make the effort worthwhile. San Gimignano is a wonderful, walled, hilltop, medieval town, where you can stop for the night. The towers of the town can be seen for miles around. The museum of San Gimignano 1300 has a wonderful reconstruction of how the town once looked and is well worth a visit.

Day 4: Colle di Val d’Elsa (13km)

Easy Walking Option: You can choose to split your long walking day above between San Gimignano and Monteriggioni, if you would like to walk at a more relaxed pace. You would stay overnight in a charming hotel in Colle di Val d’Elsa.

You will have a pleasant walk through olive groves and cypress avenues up to the village of Montecchio. In Colle Val d’Elsa, enjoy a glass of Chianti in the central piazza.

Day 5: Monteriggioni (14km)

From the Piazza in Colle di Val d’Elsa, you will continue your walk along tree-lined roads, starting with a long descent to Castel Petraia and then up to the densely forested hill of Montagnole. Your walking day on the Via Francigena takes you to the unique hilltop village of Monteriggioni with its circular wall.

Day 6: Siena (21km)

After Monteriggioni, the Via Francigena takes pilgrims towards the village of Funghaia and its church with frescoed interior. Make sure you experience real Tuscan food in one of the region’s best osterias, as you reach stunning Siena. Siena is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most visited places in Italy. It is world famous for its art, medieval architecture, museums, cuisine and the ‘Palio‘, the spectacular annual horse race held in the city’s piazza.

Accommodation

Standard Hotels

We have hand-picked hotels and guesthouses along the Camino for their character and warm hospitality. Up to 3-stars, you will be staying in the centre of town and close to your Camino trail. All rooms are en-suite with bathroom. For our family packages, we have hand-picked establishments with outdoor space and swimming pools where possible.

Where accommodation with private outdoor space is not available, we have selected comfortable hotels with spacious common areas as well as a convenient location close to recreational areas and sights. As your comfort is our priority, we try to book hotels located within walking distance of the Camino. Despite our effort, on rare occasions your accommodation can be located a few kilometers away from the trail, so we organise transportation to/from your accommodation.

Superior Collection

Stay in very special hotels and unique properties along the Camino. We have selected luxurious 4 and 5-star hotels, boutique guesthouses, relaxing country homes and stunning heritage ‘Parador’ hotels so you can feel pampered.

Rest assured when you select Superior Collection, you will enjoy the full experience of our best hotels and top guesthouses when and where this option is available, however, bear in mind, that sometimes due to location factors, only our choice of standard collection hotels and guesthouses may be available. All rooms are en-suite. Please ask about upgrading to Superior Collection accommodation.

Price Details

Price per person is based on adult sharing and includes:

Holiday pack & maps
24/7 support during your trip
GPS data files
6 nights accommodation
Continental breakfast each morning

Please ask us about:

Flights from Ireland
Travel insurance
Single supplement (where available)
Bike hire

Subject to availability. Terms & conditions apply. Prices are live and only guaranteed at time of booking.

For more information please call us on 021 427 7094 or 01 696 5135, email info@shandontravel.ie, request a call back using the red button or submit an enquiry through the form below.