Things to do in San Marino
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit San Marino
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best all round: mild, green, manageable crowds and everything open, apart from Easter week.
Good: warm with long evenings, before the worst of the day trip surge.
Medieval Days fill the old town in late July, and summer music programming clusters here. Crowded but festive.
Worst for crowds: peak Italian holidays plus peak coast day trippers, fullest around Ferragosto in mid August.
Best jointly with spring: September keeps the warmth without the crowds, October adds autumn colour and wine season menus.
Quiet to very quiet outside Christmas, with shorter hours, cold ridge wind and a real chance of fog.
The Christmas of Wonders runs from late November on selected days and daily from about 20 December to 6 January.
What's on
- Medieval Days (Giornate Medioevali) late July, 26 to 28 July in the most recent published edition
Three days of re-enactment, crafts and evening shows in Cava dei Balestrieri, ending with the Challenge of the Tricorniolo.
- Foundation Day (Feast of San Marino) 3 September
The national day: ceremony, historic crossbow competition, flag throwing, military band concert and fireworks.
- Christmas of Wonders (Natale delle Meraviglie) late November to 6 January
Christmas markets, lights on the basilica and the Ice Park rink in Cava dei Balestrieri.
Best things to do in San Marino
Guaita Tower
The oldest of the Three Towers, with ramparts and the definitive view over the ridge, the Apennines and the Adriatic.
Cesta Tower
The second tower on the highest peak, housing the ancient weapons museum and the best view back to Guaita.
Passo delle Streghe
The free cobbled ridge path between Guaita and Cesta, with walls on one side and a sheer drop on the other.
Palazzo Pubblico
The neo Gothic town hall and working seat of government, visitable when the council is not sitting.
Piazza della Libertà
The main square and great free viewpoint, transformed at sunset after the day trip coaches have left.
Basilica di San Marino
The neoclassical basilica holding the relics of Saint Marinus, worth a quiet quarter hour on an old town walk.
Museo di Stato
The small state museum that gives context to the towers, from Neolithic finds to the story of independence.
Museo del Francobollo e della Moneta
A small museum of the stamps and coins through which this microstate projected itself to the world.
Where to stay in San Marino
Old Town (Citta di San Marino)
sunset and dawn, events, the one night stay
Sleeping inside the walls buys the quiet evening and early morning hours when the old town is at its best.
Rimini, Italy
most visitors, choice and value
Thirty minutes away with hundreds of hotels, the beach, the station and the bus up to San Marino.
Think twice about
- Serravalle and Dogana
The modern commercial strip on the Rimini road has cheaper modern rooms but no charm, no evening life and a car or bus dependency. Not unsafe, just a worse base.
- Borgo Maggiore as a sightseeing base
A pleasant local town, but every sight needs the cable car or a drive up the hill. Fine for a local stay, poor as a base for the old town.
Best restaurants in San Marino
La Terrazza
The best table in town as it stands, traditional cooking on a terrace with the finest restaurant view in the republic.
Ristorante Pizzeria agli Antichi Orti
Handmade pasta and wood fired pizza on the old friars garden site, with the most local feel of the sit down rooms.
Strapizzati
Pizza by the slice, piadine and cassoni done properly at a small counter, the best cheap lunch in the old town.
L'Angela Veste Piada
Piadine and cassoni made in front of you below the old town, at prices that undercut the lanes above.
Bar Piadineria La Capanna
A piadina stop on a rocky plateau below the towers, where the honest draw is the view rather than the cooking.
Outdoor things to do in San Marino
Monte Titano
Signed ridge and woodland trails beyond the paved path, with one to three hours of view filled walking.
Funivia di San Marino
The two minute cable car between Borgo Maggiore and the old town, both transport and a small attraction.
San Marino Experience
Guided e-bike and e-MTB tours through the republic parks and quiet back roads, the best supported active pick.
San Marino Adventures
A large treetop adventure park in the Monte Cerreto pines, with courses for children and adults and long zip lines.
Rimini - Verucchio Golf Club
The nearest real golf, an 18 hole par 72 course in Italy looking up at San Marino, since the republic has none.
San Leo
A dramatic fortress town in Italy about 35 minutes by car, the natural second half day pairing with San Marino.
Best hotels in San Marino
Grand Hotel San Marino
The flagship old town hotel with a wellness centre and valley views, the closest the republic gets to luxury.
Hotel Titano
The classic address since 1894 in the heart of the old town, steps from the basilica and the public palace.
Hotel Rosa
A small three star near the centre whose guest scores across thousands of reviews beat the flagship hotels.
Hotel Joli
The value base near the bus terminus, with hill views, half board options and the tourist card at check in.
Is San Marino expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €60 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €110 a person |
| Splurge | €230 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- San Marino Experience: a few days ahead
- San Marino Adventures: a few days ahead
- Rimini - Verucchio Golf Club: a few days ahead
- Grand Hotel San Marino: weeks ahead
- Hotel Titano: weeks ahead
- Hotel Rosa: weeks ahead
- Hotel Joli: a few days ahead
- La Terrazza: a few days ahead
- Book old town hotels weeks ahead for summer and event weekends, as there are only a handful.
- Reserve the La Terrazza terrace days ahead in season, and e-bike tours and golf a day or more ahead.
- Towers and state museums are walk up on the combined ticket, with no booking needed.
Is San Marino safe?
- Crime is very low and the old town feels safe on foot at night. There is no area to avoid on safety grounds.
- Watch your footing on steep cobbles, especially when wet, and expect wind and fog to erase the view quickly.
- Emergency number is 112.
San Marino travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The 5 euro passport stamp is a souvenir sticker and ink stamp, not an entry stamp, as there are no border formalities.
- The private torture, curiosity and wax museums are rainy day filler, not a reason to come.
- Arriving at midday in August with the coach groups is the biggest trap. Arrive by 9.30 or stay past 18.00.
- Old guides recommend the starred Righi, which is listed as permanently closed. Rebuild any plan built around it.
Getting around San Marino: public transport and more
- There is no airport or station in San Marino. Take the Benedettini Bonelli bus from outside Rimini station, about 50 to 60 minutes to the P2 terminus.
- The bus is roughly hourly, thins on Sundays and holidays and does not run late. Check the last bus back or you will need a taxi.
- Ride the Funivia cable car between Borgo Maggiore and the old town, about two minutes, and walk the pedestrian old town on foot.
- By car, use the numbered parks below the walls or park at Borgo Maggiore and ride up. Arrive before mid morning in July and August.
Who San Marino suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | OK |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make San Marino your trip
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