Majestic San Miniato and a special Pasta factory
Day Tours & Activities SAN MINIATO: HISTORY, CULTURE & FOOD!
Join us for an unforgettable day in San Miniato and its surrounding countryside! Explore this charming historic town on a guided walk and visit a local pasta maker, finishing with a delicious pasta lunch.
Discover the hilltop town
San Miniato sits proudly on top of a hill, overlooking the beautiful lower Arno valley. Today, it's famous as the truffle capital of Tuscany, but its history goes much further back. Thanks to its central location along the Via Francigena, the main pilgrimage route across Italy during the Middle Ages, the town has a rich heritage of medieval and Renaissance art.
With our friendly guide, you'll explore the town's charming squares, majestic churches, and historic streets, and learn about its important role through the centuries. You might be surprised to discover that San Miniato is even connected to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte!
San Miniato is the seat of its own diocese and is home to a historic seminary, reflecting the town's long religious tradition. It was also the Tuscan headquarters of Emperor Frederick II during the 13th century.
From the hilltop fortress, enjoy breathtaking views of the entire Valdarno valley, a perfect spot for photos and to fully enjoy the history and beauty of this town.
Before continuing with the day, the guide will treat you to a coffee or a soft drink at a nearby café.
Visit a special pasta factory
Next, we head just 15 minutes away to a family-run pasta factory with a history going back to 1860. Now in its fifth generation, the family continues to produce high-quality Italian pasta from the finest durum wheat, whole wheat, and wheat germ.
This pasta factory we are going to visit is so special because the family is proud and committed to sharing their work with visitors. They opened their production to the public, built a pasta museum, and even created a restaurant where you can taste their pasta. They love welcoming guests and sharing the stories behind their products.
Before lunch, enjoy a tour of the pasta factory and its pasta museum. Watch the machines in action and learn how careful attention to time, temperature, and ingredients, makes all the difference in creating top-quality pasta. You'll also see unique pasta shapes and flavored varieties that make this production truly special.
At the museum, see historical tools, vintage packaging, and old photos that tell the story of pasta-making through the generations.
Pasta based lunch
After the visit, it's time to taste the pasta! Enjoy two different dishes made with the factory's pasta, served with traditional sauces, a glass of local wine, and dessert. It's a delicious way to experience the flavors and traditions of Tuscany firsthand.
Join us for a day full of history, culture, and, of course, amazing food!
What you tasteThis is a list of specialties that you are likely to sample as part of the program of this tour. Please, note that the specialties of the tasting session and/or lunch may vary according to the season and the availability of the products in the day of the tour.
In our tour we like showing you places off the beaten track and introducing you to Tuscan people with their personal stories, careers and characters.
You will have one of our guides with your party during the whole tour. Please, see below all the guides who can be with you.
During this experience you can also meet some of the Tuscan friends involved in the events. Please, see below which friends you are likely to encounter.
The total rate for this activity varies according to the number of people in your party.
Check rates in the table below.
Majestic San Miniato and a special Pasta factory– RATES 2026 – |
|
|---|---|
NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN YOUR PARTY |
TOTAL RATE |
| 2 persons | € 420 |
| 3 persons | € 490 |
| 4 persons | € 560 |
| 5 persons | € 630 |
| 6 persons | € 700 |
| 7 persons | € 770 |
| 8 persons | € 840 |
| Extra Adult | € 70 |
| Extra Teenager (12-17 yrs) | € 60 |
| Extra Child (4-11 yrs) | € 45 |
Rates include
- A private English-speaking guide for the whole tour. Also available in French
- Visit to the town of San Miniato
- Visit to its Cathedral
- Coffee break
- Visit to the pasta factory
- Visit to the pasta museum
- Pasta-based lunch
- Taxes
Rates do NOT include
- Transportation;
- Tips to the staff. Not included, not obligatory but very much appreciated
Transportation is not included in the rates above. For more info on transportation, please see the box "Transportation options".
This tour includes some stairs and a few more challenging stretches. If you have any accessibility needs — whether mobility-related, sensory, cognitive, or any other requirements — please let us know in advance and we will do our best to adapt the itinerary for you.
LOCATION OF ATTRACTIONS:
This tour takes place in the area of San Miniato, about 35 km from Selvatelle, 40 km from Florence, 55 km from Volterra.
MEET-UP LOCATION:
Meeting point and time will be specified during the booking process
DURATION:
This program takes 4,5 hours. Time for transportation not included.
AVAILABILITY:
Available all the year through, from Mondays through Saturdays.
LANGUAGE:
This tour is available in English language. French or Italian are also available with no surcharge.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL:
Easy
CHILD FRIENDLY:
Ideal for children
CLOTHING:
No particular clothing required.
FOOD RESTRICTIONS:
The foods served during this tour might contain gluten, lactose, nuts and alcohol. If you have any food restriction, please inform our personnel during the enquiry process.
TRANSPORTATION:
This program and its rates do not include transportation and are set on a self-driving base. For further information see the box "transportation options".
The destinations reached during this activity are in the Tuscan countryside, in areas off the beaten track that cannot be reached by public transport. We highly recommend renting a car or a scooter in order to reach them. As an alternative, we can offer a valued service by chauffeured car, van or minibus. Any cost of transportation is to be added to the rates displayed on the rate table of this page.
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