Tuscany in One Day (Greve, Siena & San Gimignano)

While staying in Florence, we couldn’t resist a good road trip through the Tuscan countryside. Driving the winding roads, wind blowing in our hair, and sheets of luscious green at every turn. It was really a sight to see! We wished that we had more time to truly explore all of Tuscany, but we made do with the one day we did have.

We rented a little Fiat convertible, which we named Donatella, and zipped around Northern Tuscany. We took the more scenic route from Florence down to Siena, passing through Greve and other small Chianti villages (take route SR222), and then made our way back up towards Florence by way of San Gimignano and some other small stops along the way.

Our trusty little Fiat convertible, Donatella, took us around Tuscany

Our first glimpse of Tuscany. Driving along an industrial road and then all of sudden, you get THIS! Pretty spectacular!

Greve

Our first stop was in Greve, a small village with some churches, museums, shops and restaurants. Parking was a breeze at 9 a.m. in the morning and the streets were so peaceful. The village highlights are the Piazza Matteotti (center of town with shops and restaurants) and Montefioralle (ancient village that makes for a nice view and picnic). We only spent an hour or so here, and as we started to head back down to the car, the tour buses had just begun unloading their passengers. Good thing we were on our way out!

Another view of vineyards at a small viewpoint. Not too many turnoffs and if there were any, they were small, only big enough to fit one car.

Loved the lush green hillsides sprinkled with little houses

Siena

Siena came highly recommended and Phil and I have already made plans to return to stay for a few nights. We think it’s a great base to explore Tuscany with its rich history and architecture that truly transports you back to medieval tuscan times. There also seemed to be plenty of accommodation options in Siena as well. This village was by the far our highlight and favorite and definitely worth a visit!

We had lunch in Siena at Gallo Nero, an amazing local restaurant specializing in Italian peasant food. All their pastas are homemade and they had a wide selection of Italian cheeses and salami. Everything was hearty and so tasty!

With our bellies full, we headed out to explore Siena, starting at the town square, Piazza del Campo and then to the Duomo di Siena, an architecturally stunning church.

Another view of Piazza del Campo. We loved hanging out in the square and people watching.

Loving all the beautiful architecture in Siena

San Gimignano

We then headed to San Gimignano, another Tuscany village worthy of a stop. This village was bustling with people and had so much to do and see. There were towers to climb and so many streets to wander and explore. There were also plenty of restaurants and shops and amazing views to take in.

Winery Stop at Tenuta Barbadoro

After our visit to San Gimignano, we took the winding local roads back to Florence and stopped at Tenuta Barbadoro, a family owned winery and olive plantation along the way in Montespertoli. We did a nice wine tasting and got a tour of their olive groves and vineyard. They were also in the process of building some lodging on the property with the intent of going into the agriturismo industry. Such a beautiful property!

We headed back to Florence as the sun began to set and we could only see the outlines of the rolling Tuscan hills. What an amazing day trip to the Tuscan countryside! We will definitely be back!