Siena Food Tour: Self-Guided Tasting Route With Kids
Half day · 7 stops
What to eat in Siena: 7 tasting stops in one line through the old town, from ricciarelli and panforte to gelato and hot ciaccino, planned for families with kids.
By Amit Keren3 min walk
1 min walk
2 min walk
2 min walk
5 min walk
1 min walk
Route total: 1.1 km between stops
This self-guided Siena food tour takes you through 7 tasting stops in the old town, almost in a straight line from north to south, with no backtracking. Most stops are grab-and-go: walk in, order, and keep walking.
You'll taste Siena's own specialities: ricciarelli (soft almond biscuits), panforte, local pecorino with honey, budino di riso and ciaccino, the city's crispy filled flatbread. Share one portion per stop so everyone still has room at the end.
Every pick on this route is pork-free, so it suits travellers who don't eat pork. The whole walk is about 1 km and doesn't depend on the weekly market.
7 tasting stops from Via Pianigiani down to Via San Pietro, past Piazza del Campo and the Duomo. About 1 km of walking.
Open route in Google MapsStart here · Shop · Pizza slice and pecorino
Mon to Sat 8:00 to 20:00, Sun 10:00 to 19:00
Siena's farmers' cooperative food store, with a bakery and a quick-food counter selling pizza by the slice, plus local cheese, wine and olive oil.
Tip: Start with a slice of margherita or vegetable pizza from the counter inside, plus a small piece of local pecorino. There's a bakery and a quick-food counter in the store.
Stop 2 · Café & dessert · Budino di riso
Daily 7:30 to 21:00
Siena's best-known pastry shop and café on Banchi di Sopra, famous for ricciarelli, panforte and budino di riso, a small sweet rice pastry.
Tip: Share a budino di riso, a small sweet rice pastry that kids usually love. Don't fill up here.
Stop 3 · Café & dessert · Espresso and brioche
Mon to Fri 7:00 to 19:00, closed Saturday and Sunday
Tiny standing-only coffee roaster and bar on Via di Città, a few steps from Piazza del Campo.
Tip: An espresso or crema di caffè for the grown-ups and a brioche for the kids. It's a tiny standing bar, so it moves fast.
Stop 4 · Shop · Pecorino with honey
Daily 9:30 to 19:30
Historic grocery and deli open since 1879, selling pecorino, local honey and jams, panforte and Tuscan wine.
Tip: This is a historic shop, not a restaurant. Ask for a taste, or buy a small piece of pecorino with local honey or jam.
Stop 5 · Shop · Ricciarelli and panforte
Mon to Sat 8:00 to 19:30, closed Sunday
Traditional bakery behind the Duomo, one of the best places in Siena to taste soft almond ricciarelli and panforte.
Tip: One soft almond ricciarello and a small piece of panforte. This is one of the best places to taste Siena's original sweets.
Stop 6 · Café & dessert · Gelato
Daily 12:00 to 20:00
Small takeaway gelato shop on Via San Pietro making ice cream from fresh milk, with no seating and usually a quick queue.
Tip: Try pistachio, chocolate or lemon. It's a small takeaway shop with no seating, and service is usually quick.
Stop 7 · Restaurant · Hot ciaccino
Mon to Sat 10:30 to 21:30, Sun 11:30 to 22:30
Takeaway counter for ciaccino, Siena's thin, crispy flatbread filled hot with mozzarella and toppings.
Tip: To finish: a hot ciaccino with mozzarella and vegetables, four cheeses or margherita. It's Siena street food, around €3 to €5, and you don't need to sit down.
Route total: 1.1 km between stops
Recommended hotels
Banchi di Sopra
Best for: Splurge
Five-star hotel in a 17th-century palazzo with frescoed rooms, next to Piazza Salimbeni.
Near San Domenico
Best for: Romantic stay
Small historic residence with a terrace looking across to the Duomo and the Torre del Mangia.
Old town, near the Campo
Best for: Views
Family-run hotel since 1922 with a garden overlooking the Tuscan hills and private parking.
Near Porta Tufi
Best for: Views
Hotel inside the walls with a panoramic terrace over the Tuscan hills, about 10 minutes on foot from the Campo.
Old town, near the Campo
Best for: Atmosphere
Guesthouse in a medieval building with frescoed rooms, a two minute walk from Piazza del Campo.
Near the Duomo
Best for: Location
Small hotel in a historic building a short walk from the cathedral, with rooms looking over the rooftops.
Viale Cavour
Best for: Pool
Modern hotel with an outdoor pool just outside Porta Camollia, about 15 minutes on foot from the Campo.
Near San Domenico
Best for: Value
Neoclassical villa with a garden by the bus terminal, about 10 minutes on foot from the Campo.
Piazza La Lizza
Best for: Arriving by bus
Modern chain hotel by the Fortezza Medicea and the bus station, a 10 minute walk from the Campo.
Near the station escalators
Best for: Arriving by train
Hotel at the north edge of the old town with views over the city, close to the escalators from the train station.
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BookBefore you go
spotz.guide is a collection of travel maps and step-by-step routes, made to be opened on your phone and followed on the ground. Every guide is put together and checked by founder and editor Amit Keren.
Spots come from time on the ground and strong recommendations, and each one is checked before it goes on the map.
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