The Best Time to Visit Siena, Month by Month

The best time to visit Siena is May, June or September, when days are warm, with highs in the 70s°F, evenings are long and the countryside is at its most beautiful. The Palio horse race is run in the Piazza del Campo on July 2 and August 16, the most exciting and most crowded days of the year. October and November are best for food and wine, and January to March are the quietest months.

Siena changes with the seasons more than almost any city in Tuscany. In spring the hills of the Crete Senesi glow green, in summer the whole city holds its breath for the Palio, in the fall the vineyards turn gold and the first truffles appear, and in winter the Campo belongs to the Sienese. Here is our month-by-month guide to Siena and the villa country around it.

When is the best time to visit Siena?

• Best overall: May, June and September, for warm days, long evenings and the countryside at its prettiest.
• Best for the Palio: late June to July 2, and mid-August to August 16.
• Best for food and wine lovers: October and November, for the grape harvest, new olive oil and white truffles.
• Quietest: January to March, when you can have the cathedral almost to yourself.

What is Siena like in spring?

Spring is when the Crete Senesi earn their fame. The wheat fields on the clay hills turn an intense green, poppies line the roads in May, and the cypress avenues of the Val d’Orcia look exactly like the paintings. Average highs climb from the high 50s°F in March to the low 70s°F in May, perfect for walking the city’s steep lanes.

Siena honors its patron saint, Catherine, with the Feste Cateriniane around her feast day at the end of April, with processions, flag-wavers from every contrada and the city dressed in banners. By late May the villa pools are warming up and the outdoor tables are back in the Campo.

Is summer a good time to visit Siena?

June is our favorite summer month: the hills are still green, the evenings are long and the heat is gentle. July and August are hot, with highs in the mid-80s°F and often warmer, which is exactly when a villa with a pool earns its keep. See Siena in the morning, take a long lunch in the shade and come back for the golden hour.

Summer is Palio season, and nothing else in Italy compares:

• The Palio di Provenzano, July 2. The first race of the year, in honor of the Madonna of Provenzano.
• The Palio dell’Assunta, August 16. The second race, dedicated to the Virgin of the Assumption.

Each race is three laps of the Piazza del Campo, bareback, and lasts about a minute and a half. The days before are as memorable: the drawing of the horses, six trial races in the Campo and outdoor contrada dinners on the eve of the race. Read the Palio di Siena explained for how it all works, and book early: the best villas within reach of Siena are taken a year ahead for Palio weeks.

Summer is also music season. The Accademia Chigiana, one of Italy’s great music schools, holds its international festival in July and August, with concerts in palaces, churches and abbeys around the city.

Why is September a good month for Siena?

September may be the loveliest month of all. The heat breaks, the pools are still warm, the stubble fields of the Crete turn the color of honey and the grape harvest begins across Chianti, Montalcino and Montepulciano. It is the ideal month for a tasting day; start with our guide to wine country near Siena.

If you love art, check whether your dates coincide with the uncovering of the cathedral floor. Siena Cathedral’s marble inlaid floor, made over two centuries by some forty artists, is protected most of the year and fully revealed for several weeks, usually in summer and early fall. The dates change each year, so ask us or check with the Opera del Duomo.

What is Siena like in October and November?

Autumn is for the table. Porcini appear on menus, the olive harvest begins and peppery new oil is poured over grilled bread, and chestnuts roast on street corners. In November, the village of San Giovanni d’Asso in the Crete Senesi holds its white truffle fair over two weekends, a lovely excuse for a long lunch. Plan your meals with what to eat in Siena, and read our guide to renting a villa in Tuscany in October or November.

Is Siena worth visiting in winter?

Winter in Siena is quiet and crisp, with highs around 50°F. Bakeries fill their windows with panforte and ricciarelli for the holidays, and in early December a market of Tuscan food and crafts fills the Piazza del Campo. Museums are calm, restaurants are local and the light on the brick in the late afternoon is beautiful. Pack a warm coat and good shoes, and enjoy a city that feels entirely yours. Snow is rare in the city itself, though a light dusting on the towers happens some winters, and the hills to the south may see more.

What happens in Siena all year round?

• Wednesday market. Siena’s big weekly market sets up on Wednesday mornings near the Medici fortress, with food, clothes and household goods.
• Thermal springs. The warm pools of the Val d’Orcia are a joy in every season, and best of all on a cool day. See the best thermal springs in Tuscany.

Plan your dates with us

The best villas around Siena book up a year ahead for June, the Palio weeks and September. Tell us your dates and your group, and we will tell you what is happening while you are there. Start planning with a Doorways advisor, or browse our villas in and around Siena.

Wondering where to base yourself? Read where to stay in Siena.