Tuscany

Montepulciano in Italy is a popular tourist destination in Tuscany and a true paradise for connoisseurs and wine lovers. This medieval town offers exceptionally charming scenery and is beautiful on a hill in the Val d’Orcia region, surrounded by green vineyards and olive groves.  Walking through the old town you will be amazed by the abundance of historic buildings, impressive churches and picturesque squares. A real highlight is that Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Rosso di Montepulciano are two amazing red wines that are famous worldwide and can be tasted locally.

In this guide, we cover all the best things to do, how to get there, where to stay, restaurants and dining, and how much time you need here.

Plan Your Adventure

These are our favorite companies we use when planning a trip, they consistently have the best prices, great customer service, and overall, are better than their competitors.

SKYSCANNER – we always start here and usually always finish here. TRAINLINE – this site is very reliable and easy to use. ROME2RIO – the website allows you to travel from city to city the best and cheapest way. FLIXBUS – Flixbus has routes between 20 European countries, with usually the best deals. CAR RENTAL – We recommend using Discover Cars or RentalCars.com to compare rate BOOKING.com – is our go to for hotel searches around the world, we find they always have the cheapest rates. HOSTELWORLD – is great if you’re traveling on a budget, and if you need a cheap place to stay. ARC’TERYX– is a go-to reliable brand for outdoor adventure and travel, their wide range includes lightweight, durable, easy to clean travel gear. SIGHTSEEING TOURS – Get Your Guide is our favourite; they have stacks of tours and excursions available in cities all over the world.

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MONTEPULCIANO

Montepulciano, nestled in the rolling hills of Tuscany, Italy, is a picturesque medieval hilltop town renowned for its breath taking landscapes and exceptional wines. The loftiest of all Tuscan hill towns, Montepulciano sits atop a volcanic ridge almost 600 metres above vineyard-carpeted valleys far below. Montepulciano offers stunning views of Val d’Orcia and Val di Chiana, both UNESCO world heritage sites. The heart of the town is the historic centre, surrounded by a medieval wall, where you can visit numerous attractions.

Montepulciano is globally famous for Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, a prestigious red wine produced from the Sangiovese grape.

Visitors can explore local wineries and wine cellars, many of which are carved into the town’s ancient stone foundations, to sample and learn about this acclaimed wine.

It’s a steep uphill climb, but the medieval alleyways, Renaissance palaces and the friendly buzz of a small-town life, makes it a pleasure to be here. When its time to move on, the beautiful landscapes of the Val d’orcia are just beyond the town gates, and Siena, Cortona and many of Tuscany’s other great hillside towns are just a short drive away.

Best things to do in Montepulciano

ID 2052632822 or ID1043797474  Phone photos.

Stroll the streets of the old town

Montepulciano and its charming streets are best explored by walking around the town on your own. Especially impressive are the historic townhouses and palaces that line the medieval streets.

Take it slow as you pass through Porta al Prato and begin to climb the Corso, the steep main street, which is also known for the many good delicatessen stores where you can taste and buy fine wines, cheeses and specialities made of wild boar.

PIAZZA GRANDE

Piazza Grande is the main square in Montepulciano. This large open space is lined with some of the most important buildings in Montepulciano, including the town hall, the cathedral of the assumption, Contucci Palace and the well of the Grifi and the lions.

Also unique are the cozy cafes at the Piazza Grande, where you can take a break from sightseeing and watch the hustle and bustle.

Climb the clock tower on Palazzo Comunale.

A must do attraction in Montepulciano is the Palazzo Comunale, the town hall of the city. This stunning 14th century palace has an enchanting facade and an imposing fortified tower almost identical to the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. For one of the best views of Montepulciano, climb to the top of the clock tower on the Palazzo Comunale. You have option to take the stairs or take the elevator to the terrace and walk the remaining 52 steps to the top.

VISIT AN UNDERGROUND WINE CELLAR

Visiting an underground wine cellar is one of the best things to do in Montepulciano. Some can be visited on a tour, or you can simple do a tasting on your own.

De’ricci Cantine Storiclle is one of the most popular and well-known wine cellars in Montepulciano. With high vaulted ceilings enormous barrels of wine, this is one to put on your list. For the best experience, book a tour and tasting, which you can do in advance on the official website.

CANTINA CONTUCCI

A visit to Cantina contucci is very interesting and a real insider tip. Especially for wine lovers. It is located in a 16th century palace and has a wine cellar that can be visited free of charge.  During a tour, you will be amazed by the huge barrels in which the famous vino Nobile di Montepulciano is aged.

Afterwards, there is a free wine tasting and, if you wish, a shop where you can buy this excellent wine.

LINK wine tour         Link wine tour

VISIT FORTEZZA MEDICEA

(GO WINE TASTING)

This Medici fortress sits on the south end of Montepulciano, there are no walls to walk or towers to climb, but you can stroll through a botanical garden and go wine tasting.

It is here that you can taste Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano, Rosso di Montepulciano, and Vin santo Montepulciano wines.

When you first enter, pick up a credit card. This card gets inserted into the wine dispensary and you get changed for each wine you taste. The cost of the tasting and the cost of each bottle of wine is listed on the bottle.  Once you have your wine, exit out of the back of the shop. Have a seat and enjoy the view and the wine of course.

Church of the Madonna di San Biagio at the gates of Montepulciano. View of the church Madonna di San Biagio and of the hilltop town of Montepulciano in Tuscany, Italy

MONTEPULCIANO, ITALY – JUNE 25, 2015: Interior of Madonna di San Biagio church in Montepulciano, Italy

CHURCH OF MADONNADI SAN BIAGIO

One of the most beautiful attractions of Montepulciano is the church Madonna Di San Biago located just below the old town, It is one of the most impressive central buildings of the Tuscan Renaissance. It was built between 1518 and 1548 from travertine stone according to a design by Antonio da Sangallo il Vecchio.

The interior is also worth a visit because of the impressive frescoes

That can still be admired today. The highlights is the Madonna on the throne with the child, an interesting work of art that is even said to have miraculous powers.

Take a tour of Montepulciano

There are several great tours that you can take, including wine tastings, cellar visits, and food tastings.

Get your Guide

*** On this tour ***   Taste the wines of Montalcino Chura Wine Cellar and learn about the history of winemaking in the area.

***This tour*** includes a wine tasting and lunch in a wine cellar.

***In this small group class***, learn how to make churro Tiramisu and several pasta dishes.

How long to spend in Montepulciano

To visit the main highlights of Montepulciano, you need about half a day in Montepulciano. This gives you enough time to stroll the city streets, go shopping, climb the clock tower, and go wine tasting at one of the two places. With a full day, you can thoroughly explore Montepulciano and go wine tasting several different cellars.

Restaurant and dining.

Montepulciano pairs its excellent red wines with a hearty Tuscan fare with a focus on pasta topped with a meaty sauce and steak from beef raised in the Valdictiana below the town.

Acquacheta – A vaulted dining room in the cities top spot for steaks from the Valdichiano.

Cafe Poliziano

A venerable 19th century presence on the Corso serves local ham and cheeses, accompanied Montepulciano Reds and excellent meals as well.

La bottega del Nobile.

Hearty Tuscan pastas accompanying a huge choice of local wines served in Vaulted Cellars.

Osteria del Conte

Home cooking is served in welcoming dining rooms near Piazza Grande.

La Grotta

Is probably Montepulciano best restaurant. The interior garden offers a shady and lovely place to serve a leisurely meal, and the dishes are elegant, refined, light and always exceeding fresh.

How to get to Montepulciano

By car.

The best way to get to Montepulciano is by rental car, the drive from Florence takes about an hour and a half. Almost the entire drive is on Italy’s main highway, so it’s an easy drive. You’ll probably want to bring a car with you too Montepulciano so you can easily visit wineries, nearby towns and scenic spots in the Val’d Orcia.

Where to find a car rental.

If you’re flying to Rome before heading to Tuscany, then picking up a car rental at Flumicino Airport when you land makes far the most sense. If you’re coming from elsewhere in Italy, you’re likely entry points to Tuscany will be Pisa airport or Florence airport. Florence Santa Maria Novelles train station or maybe Ornieto train Station. Luckily you have rental agencies in all of these.

If you want to get a car close to Montepulciano, the closest place to go is the train station of Chivsi – Chianciano Terme (30min away) where you have a few rental agencies.

To compare prices and book, I recommend using the following two car rental websites.

***Discover Cars*** Includes offerings from all the major international rental companies as well as lots of smaller local agencies.

*** Rental cars*** are very similar, although they tend to list mostly larger companies. It’s now owned by booking.com so is backed by a familiar and reputable brand. Their prices are very good.

BY TRAIN

There are no trains in Montepulciano, getting here using train or bus is complicated and takes a bit of time.

If you are travelling by public transportation, it is possible to take a train from Siena to the Montepulciano train station. But this train station is located several kilometres from the historic city centre. From here, take a bus or taxi into town.

The Chiusi train station, which is further away from Montepulciano, sits on a major trainline, so if you are coming from Rome, Florence or another Italian city, this will be the station for Montepulciano. From here take a bus to Montepulciano. Check ‘train’ times and prices.

BY BUS

Buses connect Siena and Montepulciano you can check the bus timetable *** here***

Where to stay in Montepulciano

In Montepulciano, both in the historical centre and the surrounding countryside, there is a wide range of beautiful accommodations. He are our recommendations for the best accommodation in Montepulciano.

***Palazzo Nobile San Donato.***

An elegant Renaissance palace provides Montepulciano classiest accommodations, and suits overlooks Piazza Grande and the countryside below.

***MEUBLE IL RICCO.***

The Caroti family houses guests in comfort in their 800 year old palace off Piazza Grande.

***Albergo Il  Marzocco.***

One of the oldest palaces in town has been an inn for 150 years, housing guests in atmosphere, old world charm.

***Cugusi BnB***

Is a beautiful pension with a fantastic view of Montepulciano. Here the excellent breakfast and beautiful rooms will captivate you.

***L’olmo***

This charming renovated farmhouse with eight luxurious rooms sits 25 minutes from Montepulciano and just.10 minutes from Pienza. It has a beautiful pool that offers sweeping views over the valley and Monte Amita Mountain on one side and Pienza on the other.

***Osteria del Borgo.***

Stylish rustic accommodation in the highest precincts of town comes with two perks – amazing views over the countryside and homey Tuscan cuisine in the in house restaurant.

Tours of Montepulciano.

If you don’t plan on renting a car while in Tuscany, you can visit Montepulciano on a tour. This takes care of your transportation to and from Montepulciano, which can save you a lot of time. Here are several tours that start from nearby towns.

****                                        ******                      *****

Pienza and                       private tours                      chianti

Montepulciano                   florence                            Montalcino

Sml group tour                  cortona                             Montepulciano

                                        Montepulciano                   tours

                                        Tours

Link                                  link                                   link

        MORE PLACES TO VISIT IN TUSCANY

*Volterra, Italy

*Cortona, Italy

*Siena, Italy

*Lucca