IT · Tuscany · 43.32°N 11.33°E

siena

A shell-shaped piazza, striped marble cathedral and steep lanes through medieval Tuscany.

Best time
April–June and September–October are good for walking the hills. July–August is hot, and on Palio days (2 July and 16 August) the centre is packed and fenced off; winter is quiet and chilly.
How long
2 days
Getting there
Fly with one stop to Rome, usually via Dubai, Doha or Istanbul, about 16–18 hours all in. Coaches from Rome reach Siena in about 3 hours; from Florence it's about 1.5 hours by coach or train. Italy is 6 hours behind KL in summer and 7 in winter.
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IT · Tuscanysiena43.32°N 11.33°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,A shell-shaped piazza, striped marble cathedral and steep lanes through medieval Tuscany.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingSienaIT, Tuscany
KLsiena
≈ 9,797 km from KL, as the crow flies
View from the new Cathedral to the Field Square, Siena, Province of Siena, Region of Tuscany, Italy

Photo: Zairon · CC BY 4.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A brick-red medieval city on three hills, with streets that all seem to tip you into Piazza del Campo. Its 17 neighbourhoods, the contrade, still race horses round the square in the Palio every summer.

Makan

  1. Pici all'aglioneThick, hand-rolled spaghetti in a garlicky tomato sauce.Map ↗
  2. RicciarelliSoft, chewy almond biscuits dusted with icing sugar.Map ↗
  3. PanforteA dense, spiced slab of nuts, honey and candied fruit, made here since the Middle Ages.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Piazza del CampoThe sloping, shell-shaped square where Siena meets, with the Torre del Mangia rising above the town hall.Map ↗
  2. Siena CathedralBlack-and-white striped marble inside and out, an inlaid marble floor and the painted Piccolomini Library.Map ↗
  3. Santa Maria della ScalaA medieval hospital opposite the cathedral, now a museum, with frescoes of its own wards.Map ↗
  4. The contradeEach district has its own animal emblem, fountain and flags, which you'll spot on street corners as you walk.Map ↗

Good to know

  • The station is at the bottom of the hill; escalators from the shopping centre opposite carry you most of the way up.
  • The cathedral's marble floor is mostly covered to protect it and fully on show only for a few weeks a year, usually in summer and early autumn.
  • Halal food is limited in the old town; pici with garlic and tomato and the almond sweets are easy meat-free choices.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.