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Easy Via Francigena in Tuscany (San Miniato to Siena) | Shorter days

Rate:
Price: from €615
  • Activity Walking or Easy Walking or Cycling or Easy Cycling
  • Duration 6 nights
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Tour Type Self-Guided Caminos
  • Time To Go All Year Round
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Easy Via Francigena in Tuscany (San Miniato to Siena) | Shorter days

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

You will 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!

Map of the Easy Via Francigena

Itinerary of the Easy Via Francigena

San Miniato

Stage: San Miniato

You arrive in San Miniato.

24 km

Gambassi Terme

Stage: Gambassi Terme

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.

14 km

San Gimignano

Stage: San Gimignano

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.

13 km

Colle di Val d’Elsa

Stage: Colle di Val d’Elsa

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.

14 km

Monteriggioni

Stage: Monteriggioni

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.

21 km

Siena

Stage: Siena

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.

Standard Hotel & Guesthouse

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.

Superior Collection

Access

How to get there

Live information on Rome2Rio. We can also arrange private transfers if you prefer, just ask us.

San Miniato

Florence International Airport 41km:  Hourly bus (15min) from Florence Vespucci Airport to Firenze Autostazione.  Train to S. Miniato Stazione Fs (41min) every half hour.  Bus from train station to P.Za Dante bus stop (15mins).

Pisa International Airport 43km:  Bus from airport to Pisa Centrale (5mins).  Hourly train to San Miniato Stazione Fs  (29mins).  Bus from train station to P.Za Dante bus stop (15mins).

 

Siena

Florence International Airport 86km: You can either take the bus or the train. However they don’t stop at the same finishing point. The bus will drop you off in the heart of the historic city centre of Siena whereas Siena train station is located further away from the city centre and you might need to take a city bus (5 min travel time approx).
By bus:
– Autostradale bus express, coming from Pisa, stops in Florence and reaches Siena in less than 2 hours. See: www.airportbusexpress.it.
– SITA bus: www.sitabus.it/en/. The bus station is just around the corner from the train station in Florence. SITA buses to Siena take just under an hour, run frequently and takes you to Siena historic city center. Make sure you take the rapide (express) and not the ordinarie, which stops in Poggibonsi and Colle Val d’Elsa. Ticket costs €12. See the route itinerary and price for more information (note information is only in Italian). To reach the Santa Maria Novella train station in Florence from the airport, just take the city line Vola in bus from the airport. The service connects the city centre in just 20 minutes and the fare is €6 one way.
By train:
Trains from Florence to Siena leave Santa Maria Novella station roughly once an hour on most days, and a direct train takes about 1.5 hours. The ticket is in the €6-10 range (if you’re on the direct train). See www.fsitaliane.it for more information.

Pisa International Airport 130km: You can take two different buses outside the airport going directly to Siena (under 2hr approximate travel time), for more information, see: http://www.pisa-airport.com/aeroporto_di_pisa_196.html.
– Train S.p.a, see: www.trainspa.it. Leaving directly from the airport to Piazza Gramsci in Siena. It takes you around two hours travel time and costs €14 one way.
– Autostradale, see: www.airportbusexpress.it. It follows similar itinerary than Train S.p.a but with a change in Florence. One way ticket costs €15. All information, timetable and route with Siena Mobilita.

Bologna International Airport 167km: There are bus and train connections available to Siena.  Shuttle bus from Bologna Airport to Bologna Central Station (every 11 mins, €6 one-way).  For more information see: https://www.marconiexpress.it/en/.  From here you will take the train to Siena with a change in Florence.  Train to Siena (2hr 30, from €24 one-way). For more information see: https://www.lefrecce.it.

Bus from Bologna Airport to Siena Train Station. (4 times daily, from €18, Duration 2h40 – 3h40).  For more information see: https://www.rome2rio.com

Whats Included

  • Included: Conveniently located family-friendly accommodation, with either family or connecting rooms and indoor and/or outdoor space for everyone to play or relax. Holiday Pack on your mobile phone (Route ebook and Google Maps) and a 24/7 support number providing assistance during your trip, for instance organising a support vehicle if needed.
  • Not included: Flights, drinks, city tax, Travel Insurance (Recommended)
  • Optional: Luggage transfers (On by default. One bag up to 20kg per person), dinners (On by default, where available), bike rental and accessories (On by default) and airport transfers, etc…

Note on Accommodation: We aim to book you into each of the towns listed on the itinerary, however in case of low availability we may book you 2 nights in the same town with provided transfers. If you are booking Superior collection or Country cottages, please note it is subject to availability and therefore cannot be guaranteed. Superior/Country cottage accommodation may be away from the route with included transfers. More details.

FAQs – Easy Via Francigena in Tuscany (San Miniato to Siena) | Shorter days

Q: How many days does this route take?
A: This itinerary takes 6 nights and 7 days, with an average of under 20 km walking per day.

Q: How difficult is the walk?
A: It is rated as easy, with gentle rolling hills and shorter daily distances compared to the main Lucca to Siena route.

Q: What is the total distance covered?
A: The Easy Via Francigena from San Miniato to Siena covers around 86 km in total.

Q: What are the highlights along the way?
A: Highlights include San Miniato’s historic centre, the spa town of Gambassi Terme, the medieval towers of San Gimignano, Monteriggioni’s circular walls, and the UNESCO World Heritage city of Siena.

Q: When is the best time to go?
A: The route can be walked all year round, though spring and autumn are especially popular for pleasant weather and food festivals like Siena’s Palio and Tuscany’s truffle season.

Q: What type of accommodation is included?
A: You’ll stay in hand-picked 2–3 star hotels, guesthouses, or agriturismos, all with private bathrooms. Superior options are available in some locations.

Q: Is luggage transfer included?
A: Yes, luggage transfer is included (one bag up to 20kg per person), allowing you to walk light each day.

Q: Can I shorten the longer walking days?
A: Yes, an easy walking option allows you to split the longer San Gimignano–Monteriggioni stage by staying overnight in Colle di Val d’Elsa.

Q: What food experiences can I expect?
A: You’ll enjoy Tuscan specialities such as fresh pasta, Chianti wine, and truffle dishes, along with plenty of local cafés and trattorias along the way.

👉 Plan your Easy Via Francigena from San Miniato to Siena with our Award-Winning Camino Planner.

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