You don’t need to look for signs to find San Gimignano. You’re driving along a Tuscan road between the vineyards, winding through the bends, and then, on a hill ahead of you, there suddenly rise stone towers. Fourteen of them crammed onto one hill look, from a distance, more like a mistake in the landscape than a Tuscan town. That’s when you know for certain you’re going the right way – and that’s the exact moment Daniel and I agreed this would be a good stop.
Then we reached the town, and lesson number one arrived: a number one in a car park’s name doesn’t mean you’ve won. We tried to park at the car park closest to the centre, but the sign showing free spaces read a relentless zero. The next one, same thing. So we drove down below the hill to P3 Bagnaia Superiore – and there we could literally take our pick of where to stop. Ten minutes’ walk to the square. Ten minutes that bought us some peace.
The best car park in San Gimignano isn’t the closest one. It’s the one with a space.
We were there in August, in the worst heat, and the thing I appreciated most was something I’d normally never even notice – a water dispenser right by the car park. When you’ve got a climb uphill ahead of you and it’s nearly thirty degrees, a litre of cold water suddenly matters more than any cathedral. 🙂
In this article, you’ll get everything we found out here: a complete price list for every car park straight from the town council, which tower is worth climbing and how much it costs, where to buy gelato from a two-time world champion, where we ate one of the best porchetta sandwiches we’ve ever had, and 6 specific places to stay – four in the centre and two outside town with free parking. San Gimignano is one stop in our Italy guide that there’s no point skipping.
Tuscany has plenty of hill towns. San Gimignano is the only one that looks like Manhattan in the 13th century.
In the Middle Ages, wealthy families here competed over who could build the tallest tower – it was as much about prestige as about defence. At its peak, there were around 72. Today, of those, 14 are still standing, and it’s precisely because of them that the whole historic centre has been listed since 1990 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
For me, the biggest difference compared to Siena is scale. Siena is a city where you could spend a whole day and still miss something – we actually wrote a whole article about it, Siena is a city of never-ending celebrations. You can cover San Gimignano in a morning, and still feel like you’ve seen something exceptional. It’s the ideal half-day stop on a road trip, not a week-long destination.
And one more thing that’s only fair to say upfront: there are a lot of people here. According to the Italian press, around three million visitors head here every year, and in 2022 over ninety percent of them arrived and left on the same day. In September, according to the same source, an average of 92 coaches stop here daily. The atmosphere on the main street, Via San Giovanni, around midday matches that. And we were very much part of it 🙂
Parking here decides whether you enjoy your visit or spend forty minutes circling.
The town has five numbered car parks. Two are on the south side of town, two are on the north on the slope below the walls, and one is reserved for caravans only.
| Car park | Location | Price per hour | Max. for 24h | Spaces |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 Giubileo | south | €2 (hours 1-2), then €1.50 | €7 | over 300 |
| P2 Montemaggio | south | €3 (hour 1), €2.50 (hour 2), then €2 | €15 | 153 |
| P3 Bagnaia Superiore | north | €2.50 (hours 1-2), then €2 | €15 | around 100 |
| P4 Bagnaia Inferiore | north | €2.50 (hours 1-2), then €2 | €15 | over 230 |
| P5 Santa Lucia | 3 km, caravans only | €1 | €11 | 50 |
There’s a saving hidden in the table: P1 Giubileo is the cheapest car park in town, and it also has the most spaces. For a full day there you’ll pay €7; everywhere else the cap is €15.
We arrived in the morning in August – the worst possible time. P1 Giubileo was showing zero free spaces, P2 the same. We ended up down at P3 Bagnaia Superiore below the walls – and there were so many spaces there that we had our pick.
The walk up to Piazza della Cisterna took us about ten minutes at a normal walking pace. It’s not a flat stroll, it’s uphill, but even in the August heat it wasn’t anything terrible. From both Bagnaia car parks there’s also a lift up into town, so if you don’t fancy the hill, you don’t have to.
According to the price list at the entrance, the cost is €2.50 for both the first and second hour, so for two hours you’ll pay €5. Every additional hour is then cheaper, at €2, so four hours comes to €9. At P1 Giubileo the hourly rate is cheaper and the daily cap is lower, so it’s better value for a long stay.
The water dispenser was by the car park we ended up using, and in the August heat it was a lifesaver. You won’t find it on the official car park price list, so take this as our own experience, not a guarantee. Bring a bottle with you either way.
You can’t drive into the historic centre. A restricted traffic zone (ZTL) applies in the centre, and from 1 May 2026 it’s monitored by cameras.
EN
ztl@comune.sangimignano.si.it.Don’t arrive in the morning. We arrived around eleven, and that’s exactly the hour when coaches are parked outside town and the upper car parks are reading zero. When we left after midday, the situation was different – the buses were gone and there was space up top.
If you’d rather not walk at all, there’s a town minibus, running between the car parks and the centre. A one-way ticket costs €1.50 per person: you validate the ticket from the car park at the CityBus Point and pay the fare at the machine along with your parking fee, so you won’t need change. From June to September, though, the minibus doesn’t run into the historic centre – it drops you at Porta San Giovanni or Porta San Matteo, and you’ll walk the rest of the way up anyway.
The basic question everyone here wrestles with: there are fourteen towers – which one can you actually climb?
The answer is simpler than you’d expect. Only one is open to the public for climbing – Torre Grossa.
Torre Grossa is part of Palazzo Comunale on Piazza del Duomo. It stands 54 metres tall, with 218 steps leading up. I’ll admit we didn’t climb it ourselves – we had two hours for the town, and they went on the square, the lanes and food. If I came back, I’d make time for the tower: it’s the only place in town where you can see the other towers from above.
San Gimignano: Torre Grossa and Duomo ticket (2-day pass) – free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance, and no upfront payment to book.
The second tower you can buy a ticket for is Torre e Casa Campatelli run by the FAI foundation, 200 metres from Porta San Giovanni. But it’s not a climb to a viewpoint, it’s a tour of a townhouse with a tower inside – the interiors and the story of the family who lived there.
San Gimignano: Torre e Casa Campatelli – a 45-minute tour with an audio guide, free cancellation.
If you only have time for one, go up Torre Grossa. It’s the only public climb in town, and the ticket also includes Palazzo Comunale and the Pinacoteca, so for ten euros you’re not just buying stairs. Save Campatelli as a second stop if you’re here for the whole day, or if period interiors interest you more than the view.
A triangular square with a stone well in the middle, surrounded by towers and medieval houses. It’s the spot where you’ll end up spending the most time anyway – the main street leads here, the cafes sit here, Dondoli and Vinaino Fiorenza are both here, and everywhere else is a short walk away.
If you’re like me and want a photo without the crowd, you need to come here early in the morning. By midday the square is packed, and there’s almost no shade.
Modest almost to the point of plain outside, and inside, one of the most striking fresco cycles you’ll see in any Tuscan church.
It’s an active church, so covered shoulders and knees are appropriate – there’s no official dress code posted anywhere, but I wouldn’t go in wearing a vest top.
A church on the northern edge of town, a little away from the main tourist flow. Open April-October 9:00-12:00 and 15:00-19:00; the official price list doesn’t state an admission fee.
The remains of a fortress above town, with views of the towers and the surrounding countryside, and entry to the grounds is free. If you don’t want to pay to climb a tower, this is the best free viewpoint in town. It’s also home to the Vernaccia winegrowers’ association.
San Gimignano: Vernaccia wine tasting – an official tasting right inside Rocca di Montestaffoli, free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. (Fair warning: it only has a rating of 3.8/5 from 10 reviews so far.)
If you want a guide around town, there’s also a walking tour – just with one catch:
San Gimignano: The Medieval City – two hours with a local guide. Heads up: it only runs on Sundays at 11:00.
Famous gelato on the main square of a tourist town usually means one thing: you overpay for something average. Not here – and it has a name.
Sergio Dondoli is a two-time world gelato champion with the Italian national team, with titles from the 2006/2007 and 2008/2009 seasons. In 2016 he was also awarded the title of Maestro d’Arte e Mestiere, the highest recognition in Italian craftsmanship, and he’s the only gelato maker who has ever received it. He has also collected a string of Italian awards since the 1990s, including the Coppa d’Oro and the Italian championship title from 1998.
A scoop cost us €3.50 and in my opinion it was worth every cent. The place doesn’t publish an official price list, so take our figure as what we spent in summer 2025, not today’s price.
And now for the main event. This is a place we think absolutely everyone needs to visit.
Vinaino Fiorenza is on the same square as Dondoli, just a few steps away. It’s open only from Thursday to Sunday, so keep that in mind – it’s closed Monday to Wednesday. They make schiacciate – sandwiches on flat Tuscan bread. We had two: one with porchetta and the other with ham and truffle. And then we went back for one more porchetta. Just to be sure. 🤌
It was one of the best porchetta sandwiches we’ve ever eaten – and we’ve eaten plenty of them around Italy.
It’s not just about the food. You can tell that the woman running it does it with real heart – and that’s something you don’t expect in a tourist centre, which makes you notice it all the more.
You’ll find the specific sandwiches on their menu under the names: Boccaccio (homemade porchetta, smoked mozzarella, grilled peppers) and Fiorenza (ham, Tuscan pecorino DOP and truffle sauce). They don’t publish prices online, so I’d rather not put a number here – but compared to lunch at a restaurant on the square, it’s a significantly cheaper option.
Our tip: take your sandwich with you, walk up to Rocca di Montestaffoli and eat it with a view. You’ll save on the cover charge and get a better backdrop than any restaurant.
The local white wine, which this year marks 750 years since the first written mention and 60 years since it was awarded DOC status. You can taste it anywhere in town, or directly at the winegrowers’ association in Rocca di Montestaffoli. Nowhere in town posts a price per glass, so I won’t give a number here – but you should have one while you’re here.
The key decision comes down to this: the centre, or an agriturismo outside town? The centre means towers outside your window and, once the coaches leave in the evening, having the town almost to yourselves – but also dealing with the ZTL and usually parking outside the walls. Outside town means a pool, free parking and peace and quiet – but you can’t do without a car.
Chosen from our own experience
Heads up: even if your accommodation in the centre has parking, always get written confirmation in advance that they’ve registered your number plate in the ZTL system, and which entrance you’re allowed to use. The camera can’t tell that you’re only there to unload your bags.
This is the option I’d choose – you won’t get a pool with a view of the towers in the centre.
The map is centred on Via Mainardi, right inside the walls. Drag it out a little and you’ll see, on the same map, the agriturismi outside town where parking is free – and the price difference against the centre, right there.
We love travelling around Italy and we’re happy to share what we’ve learned about finding good places to stay. That’s why Daniel wrote the article Italy by Car: ACCOMMODATION, where we’re gradually adding our reviews.
| Item | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|
| P3 Bagnaia parking, 2 hours | €5 | sign at entrance + Comune di San Gimignano |
| P3/P4 Bagnaia parking, 4 hours | €9 | Comune di San Gimignano |
| P1 Giubileo parking, 4 hours | €7 (daily cap) | Comune di San Gimignano |
| Torre Grossa + Palazzo Comunale + Pinacoteca | €10 / €11 with a timed reservation | sangimignano.com |
| Duomo (Collegiata) | €5, reduced €3 | sangimignano.com |
| San Gimignano Pass (3 days, 5 sights) | €15 adult / €12 junior | sangimignanomusei.it |
| Torre e Casa Campatelli | €8 / €13 with a guide | FAI |
| Rocca di Montestaffoli | free | – |
| Scoop of gelato at Dondoli | €3.50 | our own spend, summer 2025 |
| Town minibus, one-way | €1.50 / person | sangimignano.com |
| Budget | Standard | Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parking | €7 (P1) | €9 (Bagnaia) | €15 (full day at Bagnaia) |
| Admission | €0 (just the town and the Rocca) | €20 (2x Torre Grossa) | €30 (2x San Gimignano Pass) |
| Gelato | €7 (2 scoops) | €7 | €7 |
| Total for two | €14 | €36 | €52 |
Food is deliberately not in this table. Neither Vinaino Fiorenza nor most of the local trattorias publish a price list I could verify, so I’d have to make the numbers up – and I don’t do that. Budget extra for it depending on whether you have a sandwich or a three-course lunch.
Distances from the main Tuscan cities:
| From | Distance | Driving time |
|---|---|---|
| Siena | 40 km | about 45 minutes |
| Volterra | 31 km | about 36 minutes |
| Florence | 56 km | about 1 hour |
| Pisa | 77 km | about 1 h 20 min |
San Gimignano combines easily with another stop on your route – half a day is enough, and you can be somewhere else by the afternoon.
It’s possible, but almost always with a change.
Tuscany from Florence: Siena, San Gimignano and Chianti with lunch – 9 hours, small group, lunch with Tuscan wines and priority entry to Siena Cathedral.
Peak season runs from May to September and you can tell. We were there on 23 August 2025 and it was right at the edge – not because of the crowds, but because of the heat.
Circling between car parks. If the upper car park shows zero spaces, it’ll still show zero in ten minutes.
Driving into the ZTL “just for a minute”. The camera doesn’t distinguish between unloading bags and driving through.
Visiting at midday in peak season. Via San Giovanni turns into a slow-moving crowd at that time. In the morning, it’s a different town.
Paying for a view you can get for free. If you’re watching your budget, Rocca di Montestaffoli offers a view of the towers with no admission fee.
Giving yourself only an hour here. Two hours were enough for us to see the town, get gelato and a sandwich – but there was no time left for the tower or the museums.
It’s only fair to say this too:
San Gimignano was one of the surprises of the whole road trip. I expected a pretty hilltop town and a photo of the towers. What I got on top of that was gelato that really was worth it, and a sandwich we went back for.
The only thing I’d do differently next time is the time we arrive – we’d get there two hours earlier. Not because of parking – we solved that by heading down to the lower car parks – but because of how different the town looks before the coaches arrive.
Our recommendation: give San Gimignano half a day, park at P1 Giubileo or down at Bagnaia, climb the Torre Grossa, and then have a sandwich at Vinaino Fiorenza and gelato at Dondoli’s. In that order. 🙂
You’ll find other Tuscan and Italian stops we’ve covered in our guide to Italy.
14 have survived out of an original roughly 72. It’s because of them that the historic centre has been on the UNESCO list since 1990.
Yes, Torre Grossa is the one open to the public for climbing – 54 metres and 218 steps. Admission is €10 and also covers the Palazzo Comunale and the Pinacoteca.
There are five numbered car parks in town. The cheapest is P1 Giubileo (€2/hour, max €7/24h); P3 and P4 Bagnaia below the walls cost €2.50/hour. P5 Santa Lucia is reserved for caravans.
No. The historic centre has a ZTL, camera-enforced from 1 May 2026. Guests staying in the centre need to have their number plate registered with their accommodation.
Two hours were enough for us for the square, the alleyways, a sandwich and gelato. If you’re climbing Torre Grossa, visiting the museums and having lunch, plan for half a day to a full day.
A scoop cost us €3.50 (summer 2025). The place doesn’t publish an official price list.
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