Self-Guided Walking Tour of Siena (Free, 3 Hours)

Siena is small enough that a 3-hour walk covers all the big sights and most of the soul of the city. We've designed this self-guided tour so you can do it at your own pace, with optional food stops at the right times, and without paying €60 for a guided group.

You'll need: comfortable shoes, water, an OPA SI Pass (€18, optional but recommended), and 3 hours (5 if you take the long versions of sights).

Stop 1 — Piazza Gramsci (start)

Start at Piazza Gramsci, the bus terminus and the natural entry point to the centre. Look at the modern square, take in your bearings, walk south on Via dei Termini for 2 minutes.

Stop 2 — Croce del Travaglio

The medieval crossroads where the three main streets of Siena meet (Banchi di Sopra, Banchi di Sotto, Via di Città). Look up at the Loggia della Mercanzia (1417), the open-air tribunal where medieval merchants resolved disputes.

Stop 3 — Piazza Salimbeni

Walk 50 metres north on Banchi di Sopra to Piazza Salimbeni, home of Monte dei Paschi di Siena — the oldest bank in the world still operating (founded 1472). Three palaces around one piazza: Salimbeni (gothic), Spannocchi (renaissance), Tantucci (mannerist). Architectural history in one glance.

Stop 4 — Via Banchi di Sopra back south

Walk back south, past elegant shop fronts, until you reach Via di Città.

Stop 5 — Piazza del Campo

Enter the Campo from one of the side alleys (the most dramatic entry is via Vicolo San Pietro). The slope, the earth-coloured pavement divided into 9 sectors (for the medieval Council of Nine), the Fonte Gaia marble fountain at the top, and the Torre del Mangia rising 102 metres from the Palazzo Pubblico.

Sit on the slope for 10 minutes. It costs nothing and is one of the best things you can do in Italy.

Stop 6 — Palazzo Pubblico courtyard

Walk to the base of the Torre del Mangia. The courtyard of the Palazzo Pubblico is free to enter. Look up at the medieval frescoes and the wolf statues (Siena's symbol — Romulus and Remus, the city was founded by Senius, Remus's son according to legend).

*Optional: climb the Torre del Mangia (€10, 400 steps, separate ticket from OPA Pass).*

Stop 7 — Via di Città

Walk up the slope of the Campo and exit onto Via di Città, the most elegant medieval street in Siena. Notice the stone seats outside the palaces — medieval public benches. Window-shop the old pastry shops: panforte, ricciarelli, cantuccini.

*Coffee stop: any bar on Via di Città. Espresso €1.50-2.*

Stop 8 — Duomo + Piccolomini Library

Continue uphill. The Duomo appears suddenly at the top — the zebra-striped facade against the sky.

Use your OPA SI Pass (€18, valid 3 days, see our Siena Duomo tickets guide). Allow 45-60 minutes for the cathedral and the Piccolomini Library. Don't rush.

Stop 9 — Facciatone climb

Exit the cathedral, walk around to the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (included in the pass). After visiting Duccio's *Maestà*, look for the Facciatone entrance inside the museum — a narrow stone staircase that takes you to the top of the unfinished cathedral wall. The best rooftop view of the Duomo is from up here.

Stop 10 — Costa di Sant'Antonio

Walk down the Costa di Sant'Antonio — a steep stepped alley that drops west out of the cathedral area. Almost no tourists. Real Sienese houses. Cats. Laundry.

Stop 11 — Fontebranda + Basilica of San Domenico

At the bottom of the steps you reach Fontebranda, the great medieval fountain (1246) mentioned by Dante in the Inferno. Climb back up to the Basilica of San Domenico (1226), a huge brick gothic church holding the head of Saint Catherine — Siena's patron saint and one of Europe's most important medieval figures.

Free entry. Allow 25-30 minutes. The view from the terrace outside the basilica — over the Duomo with the Torre del Mangia — is one of the best photos you'll take in Siena.

*Lunch stop here, if you started at 9 AM. A trattoria around Via di Camollia or Piazza del Mercato. €18-28 for pici + dessert + glass of wine.*

Stop 12 — Loop back via Vicolo del Tiratoio

Walk back east through the Tartuca contrada, looking for flags, wall plaques, the Fonte di Pantaneto (each contrada has its own fountain — visiting them is a fun mini-game).

End at Piazza del Mercato (just behind Piazza del Campo) — quiet, local, with terrace cafés perfect for an aperitivo.

Optional food stops at the right moments

• Espresso break (after Stop 7): a bar on Via di Città — €1.50
• Lunch (after Stop 11): a trattoria near Via di Camollia — €18-28, pici + glass of wine
• Gelato (after Stop 12): see best gelato in Siena
• Aperitivo (around 7 PM): Piazza del Mercato — €6-8 spritz with free olives
• Dinner: a real Tuscan trattoria in the centre, or 12 minutes' walk out to La Napoletana 2.0 at Viale Sardegna 37 for real Neapolitan pizza (€12-16, in the 50 Top Pizza guide)

Total time and cost

| | Minimum | Comfortable | |---|---|---| | Walking + sights | 3h | 5h | | Cost (with OPA Pass) | €18 | €18 + Torre €10 = €28 | | Plus lunch | + €15-25 | + €25-35 |

Keep reading

• Things to do in Siena: 15 local favourites
• Siena Duomo tickets 2026: OPA SI Pass guide
• Siena in one day: the perfect itinerary
• Best gelato in Siena: 6 spots worth the walk

*Walked this route and have a question or a correction? Email us at redazione@visitsienaguide.it.*