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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
San Quirico d'Orcia
Half a day is enough: see the Horti Leonini, the Collegiata and the medieval walls, then move on to Pienza or Bagno Vignoni.
San Quirico d'Orcia is a small walled town in the Val d'Orcia, a UNESCO landscape of rolling hills, cypress rows and farmhouses. Its main sights—the Horti Leonini garden, the Romanesque Collegiata and the Via Francigena route—can be seen in two to three hours. Most travellers use it as a lunch stop or a quiet base for exploring the valley by car.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, crowded on weekends)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- Police 113 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118 · EU-wide emergency 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a bar | €1.20–1.50 |
| Glass of wine (house) | €3–5 |
| Pasta dish | €10–15 |
| Pizza (margherita) | €7–10 |
| Gelato (two scoops) | €3–4 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi3.1 mi (5 km) taxi | €15–20 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FLR · Florence Airport
- About 1.5 h by car; bus to Siena then change (check)
- PSA · Pisa International Airport
- About 2.5 h by car
- FCO · Rome–Fiumicino
- About 2.5 h by car; train to Chiusi then bus (check)
Typical fares
- Florence → San Quirico by car
- about 1.5 h, toll road A1 then SS2
- Chiusi station → San Quirico by bus
- about 30 min, infrequent (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The historic centre is walkable. For the valley, a car is essential; buses are infrequent (check).
See and do
Known for
- Horti Leonini (Renaissance garden)
- Collegiata di Santa Maria dell'Assunta
- Medieval walls and gates
- Via Francigena pilgrimage route
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Pienza | Car, 10 min; bus (check) | 15 min |
| Bagno Vignoni | Car, 5 min; walkable on a path (about 2 km (1.2 mi))Car, 5 min; walkable on a path (about 1.2 mi (2 km)) | 10 min |
| Bagni San Filippo | Car, 15 min | 20 min |
| Montalcino | Car, 25 min | 30 min |
| Radicofani | Car, 20 min | 25 min |
Sleep
- Within the walls
- Historic centre; quiet at night, limited parking.
- Countryside around San Quirico
- Agriturismi and farmhouses; need a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Goodbye | Ciaochow |
| Thank you | Graziegraht-see-eh |
| Please | Per favorepair fah-voh-reh |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa?kwahn-toh koh-stah |
| Where is the toilet? | Dov'è il bagno?doh-veh eel bahn-yoh |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagare con carta?poh-soh pah-gah-reh kon kar-tah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- ZTL (limited traffic zone) in the centre: check your accommodation's parking instructions.
- Many restaurants close on Monday and Tuesday outside peak season.
- ATMs inside the walls are limited; carry cash.
Very safe. Watch for uneven stone streets and limited street lighting outside the centre. Usual precautions for rural Italy.
One and two days
No timed day plan for San Quirico d'Orcia yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Horti Leonini (Renaissance garden)
- Collegiata di Santa Maria dell'Assunta
- Medieval walls and gates
- Via Francigena pilgrimage route
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: San Quirico d'Orcia, revision 4344613 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4344613
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/san-quirico-dorcia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.