Best Hotels in Siena: Where to Stay in Tuscany's Medieval Capital

Siena rewards staying overnight. The city transforms after 6pm when day-trippers from Florence leave — the streets empty, the Campo fills with locals, and the city becomes a very different place. Staying one or two nights inside the walls is the right way to experience it.

Historic centre (inside the walls)

Budget (€70–110/night): Limited options but they exist. Small guesthouses and B&Bs in the streets near the Campo or the Duomo. Often family-run, with basic rooms in medieval buildings.

Mid-range (€110–180/night): Good selection of boutique hotels in the historic centre. Many in converted medieval structures — stone vaults, terracotta floors, some with city views. The streets between the Duomo and the Campo are the best location.

Top-end (€200–500/night): Grand Hotel Continental Siena (in a 17th-century palazzo on the main street, Banchi di Sopra, with original baroque frescoes throughout), Palazzo Ravizza (a Renaissance palazzo with garden), and several smaller luxury B&Bs. These are among the better high-end options in Tuscany.

Just outside the walls

The hills immediately outside Siena’s medieval walls have a number of agriturismi and country hotels that are 10–15 minutes’ drive from the centre.

Agriturismo and countryside (€80–200/night): This is often the best value in the area — particularly for dinner-included options where Tuscan farm food (pici pasta, ribollita, wild boar ragù) is served in stone farmhouses. The Chianti Classico and Crete Senesi areas just outside Siena have dozens of options.

Palio dates: booking rules

The Palio runs on 2 July and 16 August each year. Hotels in Siena:

• Fill up 3–6 months ahead for these dates
• Charge significantly elevated prices (often double normal rates)
• May require minimum stays of 2–3 nights

If you want to attend the Palio, start looking at hotel availability in January for the July race, and in March for the August race. The surrounding area (Castelnuovo Berardenga, Monteroni d’Arbia) has cheaper alternatives with a 20-minute drive to Siena.

Parking and access

Siena’s historic centre is ZTL-restricted — no driving unless you have a hotel key that gives temporary access. Most hotels inside the walls have arrangements for loading/unloading luggage and directing guests to parking. Car parks are at Piazza del Sale, Piazza Amendola, and Stadio Artemio Franchi. Electric bus service (Pollicino) runs from the car parks to the centre.

If arriving by train (from Florence or Rome), the station is 2km below the city — take the city bus (no. 3, 10, 17) up the hill; it’s a steep climb on foot.

Booking tips

• Book 4–6 weeks ahead for spring and autumn; 2–3 months for summer. Siena’s hotel stock is limited.
• The area east of the Campo (towards Porta Romana) has less tourism pressure and slightly lower prices than the main streets.
• For more than 2 nights in Siena, consider mixing one or two nights in an agriturismo outside the walls — different experience, better food, equally good value.