The palio races are very crowded – you might be able to snag a standing place (there’s standing room for about 28,000), but reserved seats (33,000) are usually sold out in advance. You can watch the flag twirling from several places in town; one of the best but most crowded places is by the Duomo. Be sure to book a hotel well in advance – here are Top Rated Siena Hotels.
Palio tickets can be bought from Select Italy or you can buy the 3-night Palio Package that includes a reserved ticket to the parade and palio race, contrada banquet dinner, and tour of Siena and a contrada museum. Palio Tours has a palio package that includes pre-race activities, palio tickets, and Siena accommodations for 3 to 7 nights.
