I like to think of San Gimignano as somewhat of a secret. It is a lesser known medieval city in the Tuscany region of Italy near Florence but is such a lovely city to explore. They are apparently home to one of the “World’s Best” gelaterias! (But who really makes that call?)
My parents always loved this little town due to its less crowded streets in relation to Florence or Rome; which are complete zoos during tourist season. However, I would say it has since been “discovered” like most places thanks to social media.
How to get around
San Gimignano is just over an hour’s drive outside of Florence. It is also accessible by bus which will take longer (closer to two hours) but you will get to avoid the rental car process as well as avoiding the parking nightmare (both of which can be frustrating). There isn’t a ton of parking here; the only place to leave your car is on the side of the road leading to the city. There really aren’t any vehicles in the city and the streets are primarily for pedestrian use.
The city is fully walkable. It is enclosed within a wall so there are several designated places to enter and it’s not massive. Even in just three years between my visits to this city, the number of cars parked on the side of that road was wayyyy longer the second time. Tourists are discovering this place fast.
Where to stay and when to go
I have never stayed overnight here; I’ve only been on a day trip (2x) from Florence. You will be in a great area staying anywhere in the city center, but if you stay out in the countryside you will probably need to rent a car.
Spring and fall (shoulder seasons) are the best times to visit but it was pretty lovely in the late summer both times when I was there. Summertime comes with warmer temperatures and a lot more people… there’s a reason they call it tourist season.
Money
Italy uses the Euro (€).
I would consider this city reasonably priced, but perhaps a bit pricier than some other cities around Italy. With that said, this is the type of place to really INDULGE in everything, this stunning place has a lot of classically Italian things to offer in a smaller town setting. Soak it all in.
What to do
This is more of a relaxing, scenic, and architecturally appealing city full of food and wine than an outdoor adventure type of destination. There are churches, towers, galleries and several museums located here. There is loads of delicious food and mild crowds.
We ate our dinner at a restaurant right next to a church where we were just close enough to hear the service. Churches are everywhere in Italy and a sometimes you can even hear singing coming from inside. They are usually open to the public for viewing during average daytime hours.
We spent quite a bit of time shopping here. Like the rest of Italy, there are some terrific retail shops that sell all kinds of Italian leather products. There are loads of high quality souvenir shops. This is also the first city I ran into the penis pasta! (It seems like all of Europe has an obsession with phallic things.)
This is one of those cities that embodies everything Italian. The streets are beautiful. The gelato is splendid. The food rich with flavor. It’s remarkably photogenic. It’s surrounded by rolling hills blanketed in flourishing vineyards that will soon become delightful wines.
This post by Luxe Adventure Traveler is a good place to start if you’re looking for specific ideas.
For real though, how could you not fall in love with this place? It’s a sweet piece of eye candy in Italy’s candy jar.
Have you been here yet? What else should people know about this place?
Happy traveling! 😊
(this post was last edited and updated on February 14, 2024)
Laura the explora: the blog 
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