Montepulciano, Pienza & Montalcino all in 1 day...too much??

Not with an early start and a good map or GPS. Of course, lingering to enjoy wine will make the schedule more demanding - but enjoyable.

we did all 3 in 1 day with lingering and lunch no problem. good luck :):)

I agree that it can be done. For comparison, last summer my wife and I stayed in Siena with a car and a GPS, and in one day we went a little overboard. We visited:
1) Cortona
2) Montepulciano
3) Pienza
4) BACK to Montepulciano for a very brief stop to retrieve my Rick Steves guidebook that I had accidentally left there!
5) A stop to soak our tired feet in the hot springs at Bagno Vignole.

And we were back in Siena before dark. Granted, we spent on average about 2-3 hours at each location, but we thoroughly enjoyed our day.

Thanks so much for this feedback. I was told by someone that I was trying to do too much in 1 day & to cut one of those towns from my itinerary so I'm glad to hear that it can be done because I really want to see all 3 places.

Hi Sheron,
We did the same towns in one day, but in the opposite direction. We too had our home base in Siena.

We did actually find this day to be a little hectic and tiring.....even tho we didn't stay very long in Montalcino at all (maybe a 1/2 hour - 1 hr at the most). We were quite disappointed in Montalcino and honestly now wished we hadn't spent the extra time driving there...altho the scenery enroute was beautiful like it is driving anywhere in Tuscany!

We arrived in Pienza by late morning and loved it there but didn't get a chance to see some of the sights before they closed for the afternoon Italian "siesta".
Beware, parking in Pienza was not easy to find!

Consequently, we rushed off to Montepulciano and again felt very rushed to see many things before they closed around 5-6pm.

As you said these are fairly small towns so their operational hours are limited.
You might want to look into this before you go. We were there in Sept 2008 so the number of other tourists and traffic might also be a factor depending on when you are traveling.
Enjoy your holiday!

While all three towns are very, very close and you COULD see all of them in one day, I'm not sure why you would want to? You'd spend too much rushing around and not enough time enjoying them (like a temporary local...)

Pienza is very, very small so you only need a few hours there (IMO). They have many lovely stores, but most of them are similar so you only need to visit a couple to get all the pecorino, wine, prosciutto you need. Pienza is touristy so the stores are open all afternoon. It's a fabulous spot for lunch overlooking the valley.

Montepulciano is a wonderful town full of treasures and you can EASILY spend the whole day there.(Um, we spent a week there...) Many shops are open in the afternoon and Sunday, but of course it's quieter during those times. Be sure to visit the coppersmith who makes lovely copper kitchenware by hand. If you stay for dinner, try Aquachetta --a favorite of locals and tourists alike. Reservations are a must. But, the other restaurants are just as good.

I was a bit disappointed with our visit to Montalcino because I was interested in sampling Brunello and I thought the wine shops and enotecas would be open during Chiuso-- but unlike Montepulciano and Pienza everything was shut down tight after lunch. Our fault-- we got a late start that day. I'm not an expert, but I found Montepulciano more interesting than Montalcino, but that could be my fault because we were really tired that day. Maybe I'll find the magic next time..

So, my recommendation is to combine Montalcino, Pienza, and a visit to the Abbey in one day, then visit Montepulciano another day. There's a LOT to do there.

Are you going in the warmer months when there is more daylight? With a good early start this can be done especially since you are mainly interested in walking around, taking photos and seeing the basic sights. Some of the filming of the movie "The English Patient" was filmed around Pienza. A nice place to eat in Pienza is the Latte di Luna. Not far from Montalcino is the 9th century Abbey, "Abbazia di Sant Antimo" set in the Tuscan country side. Worth a stop and if you can time it when the sunlight is shining through the window located high in the abbey as you are inside you can get a wonderful photo. You can google the abbey for additional information. The gps will serve you well.

are you simply trying to "see the sights", or would you prefer to feel some of that "tuscan hilltown experience"? because while siena is cool, it is not a "typical tuscan hilltown". my suggestion...

choose one. spend the entire day, walking the streets, visiting shops, drinking vino, sitting in the piazzas, trying to meet the people. stay for dinner, and enjoy it. then, slowly drive back to siena, and savor that day.

Tony, Sheron was asking about traveling from Siena. The smaller towns don't have multiples of piazze and backstreets to explore, so I still don't think a day trip to see the three of them is a crime against good tourism.

Oh, Doug, but they do! And, there's more to towns than piazzas and duomos. I just don't understand how you could run out of things to do or see. I could write three paragraphs of things to do, but I'll restrain myself....

I think Tony is absolutely right. That's the recipe for a perfect day you will remember for years.

Thanks everyone for your input. I think I'll set out to see 2 towns for sure & if time permits, well see the 3rd town. We like to travel at a moderate pace...we're not the linger-all-day type but by the same token, I don't want to go at such a frantic fast pace that it's not enjoyable. My main goal is to walk around & take photos and just take in the town on foot, have a meal or a gelato, etc. If I were to choose 2 towns to definitely see, what is everyone's advice in terms of which 2 to choose? Thanks again for all your input.

I would go to Montepulciano first as you will probably spend the most time there. We parked in the big lot at the bottom of the hill and took the shuttle up to the main piazza where we climbed the tower (fantastic view),visited the church, and then walked back down the hill enjoying the town as we went. Next I would go to Pienza. We found a place to park right outside the town gate near the main piazza. Be sure and tour the ducal palace, the talk is very informative and it has beautiful furnishings, plus a beautiful view from the balcony. If time permits I would see Montalcino. As a couple of other people have commented, we were not impressed either. I don't think you will have any problem fitting all three in if you want to see them. We stayed near Orvieto (which is further than you will be near Siena) and on a day trip saw both Montepulciano and Pienza and we were still back in Orvieto for dinner. We combined Montalcino with a trip to Abbey Monte Olivetti.

We did all 3 in one day, no problem, we tasted wine and cheese and had plenty of time. The only problem was the siesta, most stores were closing at 12:30 and would not be returning till 2-3, so plan according.