La Dolce Vita Orient Express: Siena & The Palio

It is a three-day, two-night round trip from Rome aboard La Dolce Vita Orient Express, timed so that the middle day falls on the Palio di Siena, the bareback horse race run around the Piazza del Campo. You sleep on board both nights and travel out to Siena for the race itself.

The departure currently on sale leaves Rome on 1 July 2027, with the race day falling on day two. Because the Palio is held on fixed dates each year, this itinerary runs only when the race does, which is why the calendar on this page is so short.

Guests take their place in a historic palazzo overlooking the Piazza del Campo, which is the square the race is run around. Watching from a private vantage point above the crowd is a very different experience from standing in the centre of the packed piazza.

It is a bareback horse race between the contrade, the historic districts of Siena, run on a track of earth laid around the Piazza del Campo. It lasts barely ninety seconds but is preceded by a day of drumming, flag-throwing and processions, and it is the centre of civic life in the city.

A private transfer brings you to the La Dolce Vita lounge at Rome Ostiense, and the train leaves the city as evening falls. Dinner follows in the Restaurant Car, with courses built on seasonal produce, and later the Bar Car fills with music from a pianist and vocalist as Tuscany slips by outside.

You wake on board to breakfast in your cabin or the Restaurant Car, and the morning is yours as the train glides through the Tuscan hills. Lunch is served in the Restaurant Car before a private transfer takes you into Siena for the afternoon and the race itself.

After the Palio you return to the train for the night. On the final morning you take breakfast in your cabin or the Restaurant Car as the train runs back down through the hills, arriving at Rome Ostiense by late morning, where the journey finishes in the centre of the city.

The itinerary is offered in Deluxe Cabin and Cabin Suite categories. The train carries 12 Deluxe cabins, 18 suites and one La Dolce Vita Suite, all en-suite with a dedicated steward. On a date as sought after as the Palio, the choice of category narrows early.

Fares open from about EUR 9,440 per person based on two guests sharing a cabin, and vary by cabin category. The exact fare for this departure is shown on this page, which is the figure to rely on for the date and cabin you are considering.

Included are two nights on board in your chosen cabin, all meals with menus curated by three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck, selected beverages including drinks served with meals, the transfer to Siena and the viewing arrangement for the race as described in the itinerary, live music in the Bar Car and dedicated steward service.

Travel to Rome and home again is not part of the fare, nor are personal expenses, gratuities, travel insurance or anything not expressly listed in the itinerary. Hotel nights in Rome before or after the journey can be arranged separately, and we will quote them with transfers.

Siena is very small and completely full on race days, so beds inside the walls are scarce and expensive. Travelling on the train means your accommodation, meals and transfers are settled, you arrive for the afternoon and leave when it suits you, and there is no scramble for a room on the night.

Extremely. Tens of thousands of people fill the city and the Piazza del Campo from the morning onwards, and the streets around the square are closed. That is part of the spectacle, but it means comfortable shoes, light clothing for the July heat, and patience on foot.

A deposit of 30 percent of the tour price confirms your cabin and is non-refundable. The balance is due 125 days before departure, and bookings made within 125 days of departure are payable in full at the time of booking. Your written confirmation shows the exact amounts and the dates they fall due.

Yes, on request and with a supplement over the per-person sharing fare. There are only about thirty cabins on the entire train, so single-use space on a Palio departure is very limited and should be requested as soon as you decide to travel.

Two child bands apply, under 5 and 5 to 12, with the age taken at the departure date. The race day is long, hot and crowded, and the atmosphere on board is an adult one, so this itinerary suits older children rather than young ones. Please speak to us before booking as a family.

For Siena in July, light clothing, a hat and comfortable shoes you can stand in for a few hours. On board, evenings in the Restaurant Car and Bar Car call for smart-casual dress in keeping with the 1960s Italian styling of the train.

Travel to the departure city is not included in the fare. Rome is served by Fiumicino and Ciampino airports and by fast trains from across Italy, and most guests arrive at least a night early. We can book a hotel in Rome and the private transfer to the lounge at Rome Ostiense.

As far ahead as possible. The train has fewer than thirty cabins, the race runs on one fixed date, and demand for it is worldwide, so this is among the first itineraries in the collection to sell out. If the date matters to you, book as soon as it opens.

Email travel@palacetours.com, call 786-408-0610, or message us on WhatsApp at https://wa.me/17864080610, where a travel specialist or our AI assistant will answer. The departure shown on this page can be booked directly, and we can add hotel nights and transfers in Rome at either end.