What are the top 10 things to do in Siena Italy? The beautiful Tuscan town that’s one of the highlights of the region is full of beauty! Siena is also a great place to visit and stay, if you are planning day trips in Tuscany. The beautiful Medieval town on top of the hill is absolutely fabulous, and there are so many fun things to do in Sienta Italy! Discover some of the best things to do in Siena Italy in June or specific things to do in Siena Italy in October, but overall, the best 10 things to see in Siena Italy and experience!
TOP 10 Things to do in Siena Italy
I really want to highlight some specific activities for different months too, so if you’re looking for things to do in Siena Italy in June, or things to do in Siena Italy in October, you’ll get some tips for these! Below, you’ll find the best 10 things to do in Siena, that is actually all the must do things in Siena Italy that you shouldn’t miss!
Since I’ve been obsessed with destination and travel movies, after watching Letters to Juliet, Verona and Siena got straight to the top of my bucket list. Siena was one of the top bucket list items for me before I even considered moving to Italy. The first time I’ve been there, I traveled from Rome by bus, and it was just a day trip from Rome to explore some fun things to do in Siena Italy and get finally this bucket list item checked.
Tuscany is truly one of the most beautiful regions in Italy. Now that I’ve been so fortunate to see more than 10 towns and cities in Tuscany, I must confirm, that I do absolutely believe Tuscany is magical! If you are visiting Siena, make sure to check the best hotels in Siena you should stay at! Now, let’s see what are the 10 best things to do in Siena Italy!
1. Piazza del Campo
If you’re looking for some of the best things to do in Siena Italy in June then we must start at Piazza del Campo. When we speak about must do things in Siena Italy, the Piazza del Campo is the top place you must visit if you’re in Siena anyway! This stunning medieval piazza is one of Europe’s most fascinating medieval squares. The shell-shaped Piazza is surrounded by beautiful buildings, such as the Palazzo Sigonerlli and the Palazzo Pubblico with the famous Torre del Mangia.
One of my favorite 10 things to do in Siena is sitting on the brick pavement on the piazza, like many other people do, and enjoying the vibes, admiring the buildings, and soaking up the Tuscan sun. This is the biggest reason why it’s much better to visit Siena during the warm months. Sometimes you can even see families having picnic on the square, which is actually super adorable!
You can also find on top of the square, facing the Palazzo Pubblico the Gaia Fountain, which is absolutely stunning! You can also find many restaurants around the square, as well as cafes and bars. It’s the best place to start your Siena tour! Experience the warm, vibrant, friendly center of Siena and fall in love with the town as we did!
2. Palazzo Pubblico and the Tower of Mangia
For some, this will be a great idea for fun things to do in Siena Italy! Visiting the medieval building, the Palazzo Pubblico is one of the must do things in Siena Italy. The construction of Palazzo Pubblico started in the 13th century. It was a visible Gothic architecture influence beside some Renaissance elements as well. When you go inside the building, you’ll see that almost every room is decorated with amazing frescoes. This is definitely one of the best 10 things to see in Siena Italy!
Why I said previously that it’s a fun thing for some to visit Palazzo Pubblico is because you can also visit its giant clock tower, the Torre di Mangia. Climbing up in Torre del Mangia is definitely one of the best 10 things to do in Siena Italy since from the top you can have a spectacular view over the historic center of Siena and the beautiful Tuscan hills around the city. It is absolutely fabulous!
3. Siena Cathedral – Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta
What other things to do in Siena Italy in June are there? Well, actually this one, you can visit all around the year! The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta is definitely one of the 10 best things to do in Siena Italy! A stunning medieval church was designed and built between 1215 and 1263. The lantern atop the dome was added by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, one of my favorite architectures ever. You could also see many of his works in Rome! For instance, he made most of the most famous fountains in Rome!
The belltower has six bells, while the oldest one dates back to 1149. One of the most beautiful things in the Siena Cathedral is that both outside and inside it’s built using white and greenish-black marble in alternating stripes. This is completed on the facade using in addition red marble as well. An interesting fact about the Siena Cathedral and the use of these colors is, that black and white are actually Siena’s symbolic colors. Legend says that Senius and Aschius, the founders of Siena had a black and white horse, so here comes the symbol. Duomo di Santa Maria Assunta is definitely one of the top 10 things to do in Siena Italy! And we’ll also speak about the interiors further down!
4. Eating out
Siena and this side of Tuscany in usual is really famous for their truffles. One of the best things to do in Siena Italy is definitely to try some dishes with truffles. Try a risotto with truffles, or spaghetti, ravioli with truffles, or simply try some truffle cream! It’s a delicacy that you must try once in your life! Though, for some – as for me – the taste and smell of truffles might not be too attractive, while others just adore it. The most expensive type of mushroom! So if you’re looking for things to do in Siena Italy in October, definitely head for a local Osteria and ask for a fresh truffle!
Beside truffles, in Tuscany another amazing dish that you must try is definitely the ragu di cinghiale, so the boar ragu. The best boar dishes I’ve ever tried I’ve tried in around Tuscany. Beside these delicacies, eating is anyway one of the must do things in Siena Italy, since we all know, Italian food is just amazing! So whatever traditional dish you order, I’m sure you won’t regret it!
5. Biblioteca Piccolomini
For those who love arts, frescoes, and historic buildings, this is definitely one of the 10 best things to do in Siena Italy! Visiting the Biblioteca Piccolomini, so the Piccolomini Library in Siena is definitely a must! It is definitely one of the favorites of the 10 things to see in Siena Italy! The Piccolomini Library is renowned throughout the country thanks to the most impressive frescoes from the region of Tuscany!
In the Piccolomini Library the walls, ceiling and arches are covered with highly detailed frescoes created by Punturicchio, one of the most famous renaissance artists. If you take a good look, you’ll discover 10 different scenes painted on the walls. All these scenes relate to the career and life of Pope Pius II. Pinturicchio is famous for his detailed, colorful and vivid. This will see reflecting in the library!
6. Basilica of San Domenico
Another of the 10 things to do in Siena is to visit the Church of San Domenico. This is located on the western side of the historic center of Siena. What is interesting about this church, and why it is one of the must do things in Siena Italy is that it features quite a few different styles. Basilica of San Domenico was built between 1226-1265, then it was enlarged in the 14th century. This resulted in the Gothic appearance that you can see today.
Due to fires in the 15th and 16th centuries, the Gothic structure was subsequently destroyed, then, due to this, it was rebuilt multiple times. The church is home of many relics of St Catherine of Siena, whose family house is close to the church itself. If you want to visit inside, you’re going to see many beautiful frescoes and marble sculptures. Basilica San Domenico, that’s also known as Basilica Santa Caterina is definitely one of the 10 best things to do in Siena, Italy!
7. Shopping in Siena
One of the best things to do in Siena Italy in June is shopping for some seasonal products. This is also one of the best things to do in Siena Italy in October when you can buy fresh wine, truffles, and olive oil. When it comes to some fun things to do in Siena Italy, shopping is really a fun one! The street in the historic center, Via di Citta is one of the best streets for shopping. You’ll find plenty of stores with local products, artisan items, and ceramics as well.
The truffle craft shop, the butches (salumeria), and the cheese shops can’t be missed! Don’t forget to stop by for gelato and go do some chocolate shopping! If you like delicacies, and you want to get local Italian products, shopping is one of your must do things in Siena Italy!
8. Piazza Salimbeni
Discovering the beautiful historic center of Siena is already one of the most important must do things in Siena Italy, but visiting the Piazza Salimbeni specifically is definitely one of the 10 best things to do in Siena Italy! On Piazza Salimbeni you can see on three sides three palazzos. One of them being the Palazzo Tantucci, and the other two the Palazzo Salimbeni and the Palazzo Spannocchi.
Visiting Piazza Salimbeni is definitely one of the best 10 things to do in Siena! Originally, on the square was the garden of the Salimbeni palace, but it’s been demolished and rebuilt to be a public square that features a pattern on the pavement such as the one on Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome. Then, in the middle of the square, you can see the fabulous marble statue of Sallustio Bandini, a Sienese priest who was also one of the first Italian economists. This statue was made by Tito Sarrocchi in 1882.
9. Baptistery and inside the Santa Maria Assunta
We’ve already spoken about the Dome of Santa Maria Assunta, and I said that the inside we’re going to discuss later. Now, the inside of the dome is built with white and black-blue marble. The whole design is absolutely stunning, and it is such, that you can’t really find it anywhere else. Visiting the Santa Maria Assunta and its baptistery is definitely one of the 10 best things to do in Siena Italy! When it comes to the 10 things to see in Siena Italy, well, I’d vote this as the second for the list!
Some of Italy’s finest artists worked on this cathedral, besides Bernini, Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Pinturicchio, and Donatello as well. The baptistery of Siena Cathedral was added to the cathedral itself in the 14th century. You can notice a part of the exterior of the baptistery isn’t completed, and only half is covered with the famous polychrome marble. Inside the baptistery, you’re going to find also beautiful decorations, similar to the cathedral, with the black-white marble, and stunning frescoes. Also, in the center of the building, you can see the baptismal font that was designed by the famous Renaissance sculpture, Donatello.
10. Wine Tasting in Siena
This might not be new for you, but Tuscany is the most famous region in Italy for its wine. Some of the most famous worldwide famous wines are from Tuscany. See for example the Chianti wines, Vin Santo, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, or Brunello di Montalcino. If you’re in Tuscany, one of the best fun things to do in Siena Italy is heading for a wine tasting, or visiting a vineyard around Siena!
Some great red wine or white wine, depending on what you prefer, and your Siena trip will be complete! Wine tasting is one of the most important must do things in Siena Italy, so don’t miss it! The Cantina del Brunello di Montalcino is actually in Siena, so if you’re traveling around Tuscany by train, this is the easiest one to reach!
Wrapping up the 10 best things to do in Siena Italy
As I have mentioned at the beginning, Siena is absolutely stunning, and it’s one of the best places to visit in Tuscany! On our list of the 10 best things to do in Siena, we’ve covered some fun things to do in Siena Italy, We’ve got covered also the 10 things to see in Siena Italy, or maybe it was actually more than 10, anyway, we hope you’re ready to explore! Don’t forget when you visit Siena to save this list of must do things in Siena Italy, so you won’t miss anything! Also, for those who have been looking for things to do in Siena Italy in October or June, we’ve covered some ideas! Get ready for Tuscany, and explore the region beyond Florence!