Highlights
San Gimignano is an Italian hill town in Tuscany, southwest of Florence. Encircled by 13th-century walls, its old town centers on Piazza della Cisterna, a triangular square lined with medieval houses. It has a skyline of medieval towers, including the stone Torre Grossa. The Duomo di San Gimignano is a 12th-century church.
Things to Know
- Stay in an AirBnB within the walls. There are many beautiful medieval homes to stay in and they are incredible. How often do you get to stay in a place this old?
- Small town with lot’s of tourist traffic during the day. If you stay here, you have the mornings and evenings to yourself.
Where to Eat
Bar Piazzetta – Our favorite place to get coffee, lunch & breakfast.
Divinorum Wine Bar – Best happy hour and epic views.
Le Vecchie Mura – Dinner outside with amazing terrace views.
Perucà – Our favorite Trattoria.
Gelateria Dondoli
World Champion Gelato.
What to Do
Panoramic vista view
Get up early. Trust us, it’s worth it! This is the best way to avoid the crowds and see some of the most memorable sunrises of your life. We made a cup of coffee in our AirBnB and soaked up the views. Our first recommendation is an easy walk to a panoramic view a few feet from the Divinorum Wine Bar.
Lookout point on surrounding wall
Another reason to get up early is to watch the sunrise at the highest lookout point on the wall surrounding the city. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the view. We are so glad we did! There are a few stairs to climb but it’s not bad.
Our Thoughts
We throughly enjoyed our stay in San Gimignano. It’s much smaller than Florence or Siena so it’s easier to see everything in a day or two. We typically don’t like to rush so we stayed 3 nights and would definitely do it again. I will say this place gets very busy with tourists during the day as it’s a popular day trip destination. That is exactly why we recommend staying here so you can avoid the crowds in the mornings and evenings. It’s only locals around when the tourists leave and that’s when you get an authentic experience and avoid mass tourism. It’s all about being smart and dodging the crowds.
