Montepulciano makes the perfect day trip if you are in Tuscany. It would also be a great place to spend a night. This beautiful city lies on top of a hill in the Tuscan countryside. It is surrounded by vineyards and olive orchards. The city has great food, shopping, and things to do.
How to get to Montepulciano
Montepulciano is a stunning train ride away from other Tuscan towns such as Siena and Florence. Make sure you get a window seat as you will travel through the beautiful Tuscan countryside. Once you arrive at the train station in Montepulciano, you will have to get a taxi. The train station is located outside the city and a taxi to the center is 20 euros. There is a bus that can take you to the center but it is very infrequent. (Check out my guide on navigating the Italian rail system here for some great tips if you are traveling by train.)
If you are able to rent a car I would definitely recommend it, it is much shorter than the train and it saves the 40 euro roundtrip taxi from the train to the center. It would also give you the opportunity to visit more of the small towns in Tuscany quickly.
Where to Eat in Montepulciano
We had an incredible lunch at Porta Di Bacco. We got their gazpacho and a tasting of local meats and cheeses. Both were lovely and the service and atmosphere were fantastic. They have outdoor seating where you can sit for hours and soak up the Tuscan sun and enjoy some great people-watching. If you are in Montepulciano you definitely need to eat here.
Montepulciano had some incredible artisan gelato. We went to Sgarbia Gelato Natur and Salamoia Gelateria Naturale. Both were great. We got a ricotta and orange flavor from Sgarbia Gelato Natura which was so light. From Salamoia Gelateria Naturale we got a gorgonzola and rice flavor that was refreshing and delicious. If you are in Montepulciano you have to try one of these places.
What to do in Montepulciano
Montepulciano is quite a large town. Exploring this city’s corners is a great way to spend the day there. They have parks and lots of churches that you can visit. The most important sites to see are Piazza Grande, as well as Giardino Pubblico Della Fortezza. Giardino Pubblico Della Fortezza was a beautiful garden and walking around it was the perfect afternoon activity. In Montepulciano, there are also many different places to go wine tasting so you can try their local wine.
At Contucci we got to walk through their production area. It was so cool being able to see all of the wine being made. It is a free self-guided tour so you do not get the same experience as if you went to a vineyard and paid for a tour but it was still very cool. After that, we enjoyed tasting some of their wines across the street and it was the perfect way to end this nice day in Tuscany.
I hope that you enjoy exploring this lovely Tuscan town!
Sarah 🙂
