There’s something truly special about the magic of a hilltop town that makes you work a little to reach it–and that’s what you’ll find when visiting beautiful Volterra, Italy.
Featuring all the standard Tuscan tourism highlights with far fewer crowds than you’ll find in more well-trodden cities, exploring the best things to do in Volterra is a delightful way to spend a day (or longer).
This ancient Etruscan city is said to have been continuously inhabited since roughly 800 BCE — in other words, people have been living here for so long that the entire existence of the United States can be wrapped up into an amount of time that would be considered an inconsequential rounding error to Volterra.
Planning a trip to this magical Tuscan town soon?
Here’s what to do in Volterra–plus how to get there and the details behind the Twilight-Volterra connection that put it unexpectedly on the tourism map for vampire fans in the mid-to-late-2000s.
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10 Best Things to Do in Volterra, Italy
Stroll through the Piazza dei Priori.
What’s a beautiful town in Tuscany without a central piazza?
Dominated by the towering Palazzo dei Priori with its beautiful clock tower, there’s no better place to kick off exploring the best things to do in Volterra than in this piazza.
Less crowded than many central piazzas in Tuscany, Volterra’s Piazza dei Priori is a great place to slow down and enjoy the (many) sublime architectural details around its edges.
Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
… and check out the Palazzo dei Priori.
The oldest municipal building in all of Tuscany stands in Volterra–which is quite impressive given the stiff competition that the region offers up!
Construction started in 1208, and if you’re up for ascending a mere 52 steps, you can enjoy stunning views from the top of the tower.
(And it’s worth noting that 52 steps is a bargain for a Tuscan viewpoint–the Leaning Tower of Pisa has just under 300, for example, and Florence’s Duomo has more than 400!).
Explore the Roman Theatre.
Dating back 2000 years, the Roman Amphitheater in Volterra is worth a quick peek!
You can also see the remains of a Roman Forum and of some Roman Baths at the same location.
If you happen to be visiting in the off-season, keep in mind that these sites are only open on weekends over the winter.
Visit the Guarnacci Etruscan Museum.
Looking for a unique Tuscan museum?
Considering that this one boasts thousands of Etruscan urns, it’s hard to imagine finding another museum quite like it!
The interior is gorgeous, too.
Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Get a peak of Volterra’s Etruscan past at the Porto all’Arco.
Not much remains of Volterra’s 5th-century walls–but at the Porto all’Arco, you can find a small slice of what predates them!
The Porto all’Arco, which is found on the south side of the city, was incorporated into Volterra’s city walls, but the gate itself (one form of it, anyway) dates to the Etruscans.
If you visit the Etruscan museum, you can see an urn with a representation of the Porto all’Arco on it that dates back to the 1st century BCE!
Browse beautiful alabaster.
Alabaster has a long history in Volterra, and if you’re inclined to shop during your trip, you can pick up beautiful pieces here.
Want to learn more about the craft but not interested in making a purchase?
Head to the Museum of Alabaster!
Admire stunning views of Tuscany.
One of the best parts of hilltop villages, in general, is their fantastic views, and Volterra is no exception.
Standing on the edges of town, you can enjoy absolutely magnificent views of the rolling hills of the Tuscan countryside, with vineyards and roads visible in the distance.
Simply admiring these views is one of my favorite memories from visiting Volterra!
Pay a visit to the Duomo.
The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, also known as Volterra’s Duomo, dates to the 12th century, though it was built on the site of a previous church that was destroyed in an earthquake.
As you walk inside, be sure to look up!
The gilded ceiling is incredibly gorgeous and is quite different from the typical Tuscan Duomo interior.
A ticket to enter includes an audio guide as well as entrance to a handful of other sites, including the Baptistery (this isn’t the same as the Volterra card–more on that in a bit).
Monica Rondoni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Explore the Pinacoteca.
While world-famous museums like the Uffizi are absolutely magnificent, they’re also overwhelming to visit (we loved taking this Uffizi tour… but we also love visiting less chaotic museums without tours).
There’s another kind of charm to exploring some of Tuscany’s smaller museums: with far fewer crowds, we often find ourselves slowing down to savor the art.
Volterra’s Pinacoteca, housed in the gorgeous Palazzo Minucci-Solaini, focuses on local artists from the 14th to 17th centuries.
GualdimG, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Get lost in hilltop streets.
Without a doubt, one of the best things to do in Volterra is simply to get lost in it!
With a dizzying maze of tiny streets and alleys set inside towering town walls that mean you can’t get too far away from your intended destination, exploring Volterra on foot is an absolute blast.
While the museums, churches, shops, and restaurants are all worthy of a bit of attention on any visit to Volterra, it’s the joy of wandering through a Tuscan hilltop village that is, if not deserted, dramatically less crowded than cities like Florence, Pisa, and Siena that gives a trip here its magic.
When I close my eyes and picture myself in Volterra, it’s always on a tiny cobblestone street or overlooking a view of the Tuscan hills (or both).
Is the Volterra Card Worth It?
Here’s a very broad rule that we find generally holds true when it comes to purchasing city cards and museum passes: the smaller the town or city, the more likely it is that the card is worth the money.
In major cities, we find that purchasing a city card often means that you have to go far out of your way to get your money’s worth–but in bite-sized places like Orvieto and, yes, Volterra, it can absolutely be worth it.
As of the time of updating this blog post in 2025, if you plan to visit 3 or more of the paid attractions included with the Volterra Card (which includes the Etruscan Museum, the Pinacoteca, and the Priori Palace, among others) within a 3 day period, it’s a good buy.
You can check updated prices and inclusions here.
How to Get to Volterra from Florence (Or Anywhere Else)
Here’s the deal: traveling from Florence to Volterra is not quite as simple as getting to towns like Pisa, Lucca, or Siena (in other words, towns with train stations right next to the historic center)… but on the flip side, this keeps the crowds down and is part of what gives Volterra its magic.
That being said, at the heart of it, the four standard ways to get around Tuscany apply to Volterra: you can arrive by train, bus, car, or tour.
If you choose the train, you’ll want to head to the Volterra Saline-Pomarance station, which is the closest train station to town (but still 10km away).
Keep in mind that routes are limited, so you’ll want to plan carefully.
Alternatively, you could take a series of buses–more information on that here.
There are also a handful of tours available, including this well-reviewed one that leaves from Siena–the only downside is that most tend to combine at least two towns, so your time in Volterra will be limited.
That leaves traveling by car, which is our preferred option for visiting Volterra!
If you’re comfortable driving in Tuscany, Volterra makes a wonderful road trip stop, and the drive to town will take you past plenty of vineyards, hilltop villages, and rolling hills.
If you plan to drive in Tuscany, we recommend renting a small car through Discover Cars, which will allow you to compare prices and inclusions of multiple companies at the same time and choose the best car for you from there.
Keep in mind that visitors are not permitted to drive inside the town walls, so you’ll need to park outside of the town center and walk in (as is standard in Italy–historic centers are generally ZTL zones where only authorized cars can drive).
Nervous about driving in Italy? We have lots of tips for driving in Tuscany in this blog post!
You’ll need to be prepared for a bit of a leg workout, but that’s more or less a requirement for spending a day in Volterra, Italy, regardless!
Check rates and book your rental car to visit Volterra today!
Volterra + Twilight: What’s the Story?
Like many millennial women, I first heard of Volterra not while researching hilltop towns in Tuscany but while reading New Moon, the second installment of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series that was all the rage with teenage girls in the late 2000s (and from what I can tell browsing bookshops these days, it’s having a bit of a resurgence!).
Volterra itself isn’t described in depth in New Moon, but a few details stick out: the clock tower on the Palazzo dei Priori is mentioned as Bella races to find Edward in the square, and the Piazza dei Priori is mentioned several times, starting when Alice gives Bella directions to it.
The fictional Volterra, like the real one, is described as walled, and as someone who has struggled to find parking in many Tuscan towns over the years, it makes me laugh that even supernatural Alice failed to bribe her way into a ZTL zone (though in real life you’ll just get a ticket in the mail if you drive into it, not have an argument with a stubborn security guard).
Stephenie Meyer reportedly initially planned to house the Volturi in a fictional Tuscan hilltop town, but changed her mind when she saw that Volterra met all of her needs.
In New Moon, Volterra is also celebrating St. Marcus Day when Bella arrives on March 19. This is a fictional holiday, and you won’t find it in Volterra (there is a Feast of St. Mark that is celebrated on April 25, however, it has nothing to do with vampires).
Fast forward to the movie adaptation of New Moon featuring Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, and you’ll find that filming did take place in Tuscany… but not in Volterra.
Twilight’s movie franchise instead filmed in Montepulciano (which, incidentally, is also absolutely worth visiting).
The biggest difference between Volterra and Twilight beyond those?
Neither Volterra nor Montepulciano has a fountain in its square, which, in the book and movie, played a role in the climax when Bella ran through it.
While visiting Volterra by car, do you have to book stops at Wineries or just drop in?
It completely depends on the winery!
Some require appointments, but many are also open to drop-ins, especially if they’re large enough to have a formal tasting room and store on-site.
If you want to book ahead, you can guarantee a tasting by booking with a larger winery online, signing up for a day trip through the area, or asking your hotel concierge to call on your behalf.