Siena and its dolcetti
Day Tours & ActivitiesDuration:3 hours
Rates
THE PALIO AND ALL THE REST
Siena is world renowned for a breathtaking horse race called Palio that takes place in its central square and that originated in the middle ages. The medieval setting in town is perfectly preserved. Getting lost in this maze of turning lanes going up and downhill and intersecating with super picturesque little squares is a just a wonderful experience. Because of its perfect preservation, the whole town center is listed in the Unesco world heritage.
Visiting Siena requires a detailled introduction by an official and fully licensed local guide. Arianna & Friends arranges private guided walking tours with the most professional and skilled city guide in town. We personalize the route in town according to the main interests of the visitors’ party, making sure that the walk includes any main attraction in town but customizing the visit for the most satisfactory experience.
Our guide will let you understand the unique spirit that joins the town with its inhabitants and why their traditions are still so strongly rooted in the people. The most renowned case of this is the horse race held twice a year from the 13th Century in the most spectacular square in town called Palio.
You’ll have the great privilege of visiting one of the “Contradas” of the Palio, the headquarters of the competing teams, and get to meet the local people. You will wander through the historical center, discovering picturesque districts, then up to the majestic Cathedral, a gem full of numerous masterpieces and a place to remember for a lifetime. Your guide will take you to one of the most important pastry shop in the town for a tasting of several typical pastries such as Ricciarelli and Panforte.
We can facilitate the purchase of access tickets to the Duomo and the astonishing terrace Porta del Cielo as well as to any monument or museum in Siena.
Our talented guide will be super-happy to customize your route according to your interests. We can also book a table for you in one of the best trattorias in town, for you to be able to also taste the delicious specialties the town is also famous for. The cost of the meal is not included in our offer.
The total rate for this activity does not vary according to the number of people in your party.
Check rates in the table below.
SIENA HALF-DAY GUIDED SIGHTSEEING TOUR– RATES 2024 – |
|
|---|---|
NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN YOUR PARTY |
TOTAL RATE |
| 2 persons | € 360 |
| Extra person | € 35 |
| Access to Cathedral | from € 8 to € 15 per person according to season |
Rates include
- A private English speaking licensed Siena city guide for the whole walking tour (2 to 3 hours)
- Pastry tasting
- Access to the Contrada
Rates do NOT include
- Tickets to the cathedral € 8-15 per person according to the season;
- Transportation;
Transportation is not included in the rates above. For more info on transportation, please see the box “Transportation options”.
Here the enthusiastic message of Anne and Charlie, who enjoyed our private guided tour of Siena as well as a few other touring experiences in September 2019:
My husband and I took a vacation in Tuscany in September. A region we didn’t know a lot about. We took three tours with Arianna & Friends. One was a half day tour of Volterra and the other was a similar tour in Sienna. Both were fabulous. Our tour guides were so knowledgeable and prepared. They introduced us to new foods, explained the history of the town and shared with us in depth information and stories about the different cultures of these towns in Tuscany. We recommend them highly. We did them as private tours, which we don’t normally do, but this was worth the extra expense, and was not unreasonable.
The highlight of our trip, was a private cooking lesson at a farmhouse. It was nothing short of spectacular. Esther our teacher, a restaurant chef for many years, and Luca our guide, and at times excellent translator, were amazing teachers. They taught us techniques and many other tips about Tuscan cooking. Before we left the U.S. for Tuscany they sent us menu options for us to choose, for our four course meal, which had many of options.
We chose spinach and cheese dumplings in a butter and sage sauce. The next course was homemade pasta with a sausage ragu sauce. Next was a beef stew with vegetables and potatoes. And for dessert, a delicious apple cake.
We were lucky enough to have one of those beautiful evenings with a stunning sunset. We ate under a canvas pergola. It was a magical evening.
We can’t thank Esther and Luca enough; our wonderful hosts. If you get the opportunity to do this, you will never forget it. And, when we came home, we made everything Esther and Luca taught us. Thank you again.
Please feel free to keep in touch. We really enjoyed your company and getting to know you.
Best regards,
Anne and Charlie
Here the message of appreciation of Ken who visited Siena with our experienced guide:
Cheryl and I are now home with fond memories of our time in Tuscany this year. We are very thankful to Arianna and Friends for many fun days.
We look forward to seeing you again next year
All the Best,
Ken & Cheryl
Private guided walking tours of Siena with licensed guide
This is a message we got from Anne who met our guide in Siena and experienced a great walking tour with her:
We have not stopped talking about our wonderful day in Tuscany. Sylvia was a delight! We will definitely use your services again and will be sure to pass your information on to any friends that are travelling to Italy. We are now back in the U.S. Tired but so happy with our trip.
You are certainly welcome to use anything I have said on your website. I immediately gave you a glowing review on TripAdvisor as well! I have talked and talked about the wonderful time we had in Tuscany. My husband and I have celebrated our 10, 15, 20, and now 25 year anniversaries in Italy and we’ve been fortunate enough to take two additional trips to Italy as well. Just last night he said he is not waiting another 5 years to go back. We want to come back and have Sylvia take on a tour south of Siena! You will be one of my first contacts when we plan our next trip!!!
I’ll be sure to post something on Facebook very soon.
Anne
This walking tour takes place in the city of Siena.
DURATION:
Unless differently specified, the meeting point with the guide is in Siena downtown. Detailled instructions will be provided.
DURATION & LENGTH OF ROUTE:
This program takes 3 hours. Time for reaching the meeting point not included.
AVAILABILITY:
Available all the year through, any day of the week.
LANGUAGE:
This tour is available in English or Italian with no surcharge. For German, French, Russian or Spanish a surcharge applies.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL:
Easy
CHILD FRIENDLY:
Ideal for children
CLOTHING:
No particular clothing required.
TRANSPORTATION:
This program and its rates do not include transportation to the meeting point and are set on a self-driving base. For further information see the box "transportation options".
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