Albergo Le Terme
Why we like it: Thermal hotel in a 15th-century palace next to the water square of Bagno Vignoni, with 36 rooms, a hot-water spa and free parking.
Duration2 nights
From Rome2 h 30 by car
Getting aroundCar
Best timeApril – June · September – October
BringSwimsuit and water shoes
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed for Friday to Sunday, in a hire car from Rome. La Porta is closed on Thursdays, so Saturday is a good day for lunch in Monticchiello. The Cugusi picnic only runs from 28 March to 1 November; the rest of the year, the shop.
Friday
- 108:00Leave Rome
Drive north on the A1. In the valley around 10:30.
- 210:30Bagni San Filippo
Free thermal pools in the woods and the Balena Bianca, free of charge. Water shoes and a towel. Two hours.
- 314:00Bagno Vignoni and check-in
Leave your things at Albergo Le Terme, over the water square. Go down through the Parco dei Mulini to the warm pools.
- 420:00Dinner at Osteria del Leone and a night bath
A few steps from the hotel: handmade pici and cinta senese. Afterwards, the hotel spa is open until 23:45 on Fridays.
Saturday
- 110:00Pecorino at Caseificio Cugusi
Between Pienza and Montepulciano. Buy cheese or, on weekdays, take the guided tasting in Spanish by reservation.
- 213:00Lunch at Osteria La Porta
In Monticchiello, on the terrace over the valley: pici all'aglione, beef cheek in Vino Nobile. Book.
- 316:00Pienza
Stroll around Pope Pius II's city, a few minutes by car, and return to Bagno Vignoni for dinner.
Sunday
- 110:30Sant'Antimo abbey
A Romanesque church in the countryside, with a video guide. Book La Via della Luce if you want to see the crypt and the galleries.
- 212:00Tasting at Castello Banfi
Public tour with a tasting, €60, booking compulsory. Eat something in Montalcino and head back to Rome in the afternoon.
On a day trip from Rome, the Val d'Orcia forces you to choose between hot springs and wine. With two nights everything fits: the free hot water of the woods and that of a spa open until almost midnight, Pienza pecorino at the dairy, a terrace over the valley at Monticchiello, the abbey of Sant'Antimo and a Brunello tasting. You sleep in a fifteenth-century palace overlooking the water square of Bagno Vignoni, in the middle of the valley.
How do you get there from Rome?
By car, about two and a half hours on the A1 northwards and minor roads. If you have flown into Fiumicino, pick up the car there the day you leave Rome; there is almost no public transport between the villages of the valley, so here you do need it.
Where to stay?
| Accommodation | Area | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Albergo Le Terme | Bagno Vignoni, over the water square | Those who come for the water: thermal spa open until night |
| Hotel Corsignano | Pienza, beside the centre | Those who want to dine and stroll in Pienza; free parking |
| Agriturismo Il Rigo | Countryside between San Quirico and Pienza | Those looking for an organic farm with dinner at the house |
Where to eat
Osteria del Leone, in Bagno Vignoni, for dinner without taking the car; Osteria La Porta, in Monticchiello, for lunch with a view; and Caseificio Cugusi for cheese and, from spring to autumn, a pecorino picnic under the trees from €3 a basket.
With children
They will love Bagni San Filippo and the pools of the Parco dei Mulini. The thermal pools at La Posta require ages 14 and over; swap the winery for more water or for the Fiera del Cacio al Fuso if it coincides, at the end of August.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Val d'Orcia, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Val d'Orcia
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
By car around the valley
The Val d'Orcia is explored by car: villages a few kilometres from one another, minor roads between cypresses and wineries in the countryside. The centres of Pienza, Montalcino and San Quirico are visited on foot, parking outside the walls.
90–220 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayAlbergo Le Terme, in Bagno…
- Getting aroundFrom Rome, about two and…
- Where to eatOsteria La Porta, in Monticchiello…
- ServicesElectric car charger at the…
Where to stay
- Albergo Le Terme, in Bagno Vignoni, with free parking
- Hotel Corsignano, next to the centre of Pienza, with free parking and an electric charger
- Agriturismo Il Rigo, in the countryside between San Quirico and Pienza
Getting around
- From Rome, about two and a half hours; from Florence, via Siena and the Cassia
- If you taste wine in Montalcino, the one who does not drink drives
- For the Banfi public visit you follow the guide in your own car to the winery
Where to eat
- Osteria La Porta, in Monticchiello, with a terrace over the valley
- Osteria del Leone, in Bagno Vignoni
- Caseificio Cugusi, pecorino picnic between Pienza and Montepulciano
Services
- Electric car charger at the Hotel Corsignano
Fly to Florence, Pisa or Rome and drive
The Val d'Orcia lies between Florence and Rome, and you reach it by flying to Rome Fiumicino, Florence or Pisa, all three with flights from Spain. From any of the three you need a hire car: the villages are spread over hills and there is almost no public transport between them. From Rome it is about two and a half hours of driving; from Florence, a little less, and from Pisa, a little more.
- Getting thereRome Fiumicino (FCO): A1 motorway…
- Getting aroundHire car at the airport…
- Where to stayAlbergo Le Terme, in Bagno…
- ServicesThermal spa of the Albergo…
Getting there
- Rome Fiumicino (FCO): A1 motorway northwards and minor roads towards Pienza or Bagno Vignoni
- Florence (FLR): motorway to Siena and the Cassia southwards
- Pisa (PSA): motorway to Florence and from there to Siena
Getting around
- Hire car at the airport: essential
- Short distances between villages, but winding roads
- A base in Bagno Vignoni, San Quirico or Pienza leaves almost everything within half an hour
Where to stay
- Albergo Le Terme, in Bagno Vignoni, with a thermal spa for the first night
- Hotel Corsignano, in Pienza, with free parking
Services
- Thermal spa of the Albergo Le Terme, open until late, by reservation
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingif you're flying
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Hotel Corsignano
Why we like it: Four-star hotel a few steps from the centre of Pienza, with free parking, 24-hour reception, a terrace with hydromassage tubs and an electric car charger.
Agriturismo Il Rigo
Why we like it: Organic farm stay of nine generations between San Quirico and Pienza, with rooms in two farmhouses, home-made breakfast and dinner with produce from the farm.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Val d'Orcia
Osteria La Porta
What to order: pici all'aglione della Val d'Orcia on the terrace, and the cheek braised in Vino Nobile
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
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Book the night entry to the spa at Albergo Le Terme if you are not sleeping there: it costs €44 from 19:30.
We'd skip it
Doing San Filippo, Sant'Antimo, Banfi and Monticchiello on the same day: the roads are winding and each place needs its time.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get from Rome to the Val d'Orcia?
About two and a half hours by car.
Where should you stay?
In Bagno Vignoni, at Albergo Le Terme; in Pienza, at Hotel Corsignano, or in the countryside, at Agriturismo Il Rigo.
Are there free hot springs?
Yes: Bagni San Filippo and the pools of the Parco dei Mulini.
Do you need a car?
Yes. There is almost no public transport between the villages.