Osteria La Porta
What to order: pici all'aglione della Val d'Orcia on the terrace, and the cheek braised in Vino Nobile
geocalia
Day itinerary · 43.08° N · 11.68° E
A Sunday of hot water, pici on a terrace and cheese from Pienza.
Two and a half hours from Rome: a free swim in the white pools in the woods, pici on the terrace in Monticchiello and a stop at a Pienza pecorino dairy.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Florencia fromBarcelona 1 h 45San Sebastián 2 hBilbao 2 h 15Madrid 2 h 15Asturias 2 h 30
Part of Val d'OrciaFilm locations
Add to my trip
Total time11 h
By car2 h 30 each way
From Rome2 h 30 by car
BringSwimming costume, towel and water shoes
Hot springsOpen and free
DifficultyEasy; slippery stone
Best timeAll year; best outside August
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Rome 2 h 30 by car
Along the A1 northwards and minor roads towards Monte Amiata
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1
Free hot springs of Bagni San Filippo and the White Whale
Thermal pools in the woods and the Balena Bianca · free · no changing rooms
- 45 min by car23,9 km
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2
Osteria La Porta
Pici all'aglione on the terrace · booking · closed on Thursdays
Via del Piano, 1, 53026 Monticchiello, Pienza · +39 0578 755163
RestaurantBook - 15 min by car9,3 km
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3
Caseificio Cugusi
Pienza pecorino shop, open every day; picnic from March to November
Via della Boccia, 8, 53045 Montepulciano · +39 0578 757558
Market €Book -
Back home
In Rome around seven
Approximate cost
About €10–20 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Free hot springs of Bagni San Filippo and the White Whale
The Val d'Orcia is two and a half hours from Rome, at the limit for a day, but this plan makes good use of it: it starts at the southern end of the valley, the closest to the motorway, with a swim in the free thermal pools of Bagni San Filippo, goes up to eat on the terrace in Monticchiello and returns stopping at a Pienza pecorino dairy. Bring a swimming costume, towel, water shoes and a bag for wet clothes.
The day, hour by hour
7:30 · Leave Rome. On the A1 northwards and minor roads towards the slopes of Monte Amiata.
10:00 · Bagni San Filippo. The thermal water runs down a gully in the woods and leaves waterfalls, stepped pools and a great mass of white limestone, the Balena Bianca. It is free and open, with no changing rooms or opening hours. Allow two and a half hours. The stone is slippery: water shoes, and no soap in the water.
13:00 · Lunch at the Osteria La Porta. In Monticchiello, beside the village's medieval gate. Ask for the terrace when you book: the hills of the valley in front. Pici all'aglione or with ragù, bread gnocchi with sage, beef cheek in Vino Nobile. Closed on Thursdays.
15:30 · Pecorino at the Caseificio Cugusi. In the countryside between Pienza and Montepulciano, a family dairy since 1962. The shop is open every day: take pecorino home. From 28 March to 1 November, if you have eaten lightly, you can have a cheese picnic as an afternoon snack under the trees; book it.
16:30 · Return. Via Montepulciano towards the A1. In Rome at about seven.
With children
They love the pools: the walk is short and the lower ones are shallow, but watch the slippery stone and do not let them climb on the limestone edges. At the dairy, the picnic with several cheeses and bread is an easy snack.
Time2 h 30
Change the route
If you prefer water with changing rooms and sunbeds: paid thermal pools at Bagno Vignoni, from age 14:
La Posta thermal pools in Bagno Vignoni
On the way: the water square and the Parco dei Mulini, free, a few minutes from San Quirico:
Bagno Vignoni and the Parco dei Mulini
At the end of August or early September: the Pienza pecorino festival:
Fiera del Cacio al Fuso, the Pienza pecorino festival
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Osteria del Leone
What to order: hand-made pici with piennolo tomato and pecorino, and the Cinta Senese shoulder with saba
Takeaway and markets
Caseificio Cugusi, Montepulciano
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Val d'Orcia
All year except Thursday, when the Osteria La Porta is closed. The pools have fewer people on weekdays and outside August; in winter, hot water with the cold outside is the best part.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Water shoes and towel
The pools have no facilities.
- 2Book the terrace
At La Porta, ask for it expressly.
- 3Take the cheese home
The aged ones stand the journey back well.
If it rains
Swap the pools for the thermal pools of La Posta in Bagno Vignoni, with changing rooms; hot water in the rain is also enjoyable.
We'd skip it
Thursday, if you want to eat at La Porta: it is its closing day.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Rome to the Val d'Orcia?
About two and a half hours by car.
Is Bagni San Filippo free?
Yes, they are free hot springs in the woods, with no changing rooms or opening hours.
Is La Porta open on Sunday?
Yes, at lunchtime and in the evening. It is closed on Thursdays.
Can it be done with children?
Yes, with water shoes and watching the slippery stone.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/italy/tuscany/val-d-orcia/itineraries/rome-val-d-orcia-springs-day-bagni-san-filippo-monticchiello
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.