San Marino is the least visited country in Europe. It was originally this reason why the idea of visiting San Marino looked fascinating to us. Once we reached San Marino, spent an entire day in the country, we failed to understand why San Marino is the least visited country in the continent?

It is a beautiful country situated in the mountains, giving panoramic views from all sides to all the visitors. San Marino has everything you might want on a vacation – A good hotel, a good restaurant or a cafe, few things to see around, panoramic views, friendly people & warm welcome.
How to reach San Marino?

To reach San Marino, first you have to travel to Rimini, Italy. So let’s figure out how to reach Rimini.
Train: You can take trains from major Italian cities to reach Rimini. It takes about 1 hour 40 minutes from Florence, 3 hours 30 minutes from Rome & 3 hours from Venice. All trains go through Bologna. We took a day trip to San Marino from Florence.
If you have a Eurail Pass, you just have to pay for seat reservations! [Read our Trenitalia review here]
Bus: You can take buses from major cities to Rimini as well, but I feel trains are much more comfortable & faster.
Once you are in Rimini, you can take a bus to San Marino here. Check out the bus timetable between Rimini & San Marino here. The return ticket costs about EUR 10 per person.
Taxi & Rental Cars: You can take a taxi or a rental car as well, but they are expensive as hell (Hi, you are in Italy). If you have opted for a taxi or a rental car, you can drive directly up to San Marino.
Fun fact: San Marino has more cars than humans.
What are some things to do in San Marino?
Initially, you might not find anything to do in San Marino. There isn’t much information available on the internet as well. The tourism website of San Marino can guide you through the places. What did we do? Let’s go through those things.
1. Palazzo Pubblico
One of the most famous & the most important buildings of San Marino is Palazzo Pubblico. This building is a seat of the government. The building’s architecture is neo-gothic style & the gallery nearby offers some fascinating views.
2. Basilica di San Marino
Basilica of Saint Marinus (San Marino) is one of the most beautiful basilicas in Europe. The simplicity in this building is something to look out for. It is peaceful & one shouldn’t miss it while visiting San Marino. If you are there on a Sunday, try attending the mass as well.
3. Guaita, Cesta & Montale (3 Towers)
The 3 towers of San Marino – Guaita, Cesta & Montale – are the most important structures of the country. So important that it is also on the flag of the country. The first 2 towers – Guaita & Cesta – are still in a good condition. You can go inside, go on top of these towers to enjoy good views. The third tower – Montale is abandoned & not in great condition. You can not see it from the inside or go on top of it.
The path that connects all the 3 towers is on the edge of a valley. The views from this trail are the highlight of San Marino. If you want to see the 2 towers from the inside, you can buy a ticket from the office of the tourism board. We did not buy those tickets because we didn’t feel like we were missing out on something.
4. Office of The Tourism Board

There is a reason why the office of the tourism board is one of the places to visit in San Marino. You can get an official stamp of San Marino on your passport for a small fee of EUR 5. You will not get this stamp anywhere else in the world. Getting a stamp of
5. Streets & Markets of San Marino

In most of San Marino, cars are not allowed. This makes the country perfect for walking. Walking on the streets is a delight. You can stop by at a cafe, or an open-air market as well. Keep wandering because San Marino is simply perfect for it.

Markets of San Marino are quite popular among Italians. Whatever you get in Italy, you can get the same things at 20% off due to the
Other Monuments
If you are a tourist who loves seeing a lot of things in a day, San Marino might not look that exciting but it has a fair share of attractions. You can visit different museums like
Where to stay?
There are many hotels & apartments available in San Marino. You can look for accommodations here.

We took a day trip to San Marino from Florence & we stayed at this lovely B&B called Martindago. (Check out our review here!)
Watch our complete day trip to San Marino here:
Photos: Awara Diaries
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