Terme di Chianciano (Piscine Termali Theia)

What to expect

Chianciano Terme is a hill town in the province of Siena, between the Val di Chiana and the Val d’Orcia, and one of Tuscany’s best-known spa towns. Terme di Chianciano, the company that runs the thermal complex, works with four springs: Acqua Santa, Fucoli, Sillene and Santissima. Each has its own use. Acqua Santa and Fucoli are drunk as part of digestive and liver cures, Santissima is used for inhalations, and Sillene is the bathing water.

For a visitor who just wants to get in warm water, the place to go is Piscine Termali Theia. These pools are fed by Sillene, which the operator says rises naturally at about 102°F39°C and is rich in carbon dioxide, bicarbonates, sulphates and calcium. The water runs through the pools continuously and is kept at 91-97°F33-36°C. That is warm and comfortable for a long stay, not scalding.

Visit Tuscany counts seven pools, four outdoor and three indoor, and the indoor and outdoor pools connect, so in winter you can swim out into cold air without leaving the water. The pools have hydromassage jets and “swan neck” water spouts. Around them are a lawn with umbrellas and loungers, a bistro and free Wi-Fi.

Theia also has an adults’ wellness area with a Finnish sauna, Turkish bath, rasul, sensory showers and a cold bucket shower, and a separate children’s wellness area with gentler dry and steam rooms. The feel is relaxed and unfussy: you change, then move between pools, lawn and café as you like.

The other parts of the complex

• Terme Sensoriali (Piazza Martiri Perugini 1): an adults-only (14+) circuit of saunas, a Turkish bath, a calidarium, a salt room, a Kneipp path and relaxation rooms. Its pools are fresh and salt water at 97°F36°C, not spring water. Open Friday to Sunday, 10am to 7pm (9:30am on holidays). In 2026, 3 hours cost €49 and 5 hours €59, or €55 and €65 on holidays.
• Cure centre and Acqua Santa park: where the drinking cures and medical treatments happen. Visit Tuscany notes that Acqua Santa emerges at 91°F33°C.
• Institute for Health: the medical and diagnostic centre on Viale Roma.

Getting there

The Theia pools are at Piazza Guglielmo Marconi in Chianciano Terme. The company’s main office is at Viale Roma 103.

• By car: take the A1 Autostrada del Sole and leave at Chiusi-Chianciano Terme. The operator puts the town about 9 km (5.6 miles) from the exit. There is parking close to all the facilities.
• By train: the nearest station is Chiusi-Chianciano Terme, on the Florence to Rome line, about 17 km (10.6 miles) away. A regular bus runs from the station to the spa, and a taxi takes about 20 minutes.

Chianciano is a good base for this corner of Tuscany. Montepulciano is just to the north. To the south are the free white travertine cascades at Bagni San Filippo and the hotel spa at Fonteverde in San Casciano dei Bagni. Saturnia’s Cascate del Mulino and Antica Querciolaia at Rapolano Terme are within a day trip.

When to go

Theia is open all year, outdoor pools included, so there is no off-season closure. Regular hours:

• Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: 10am to 7pm
• Tuesday: closed
• Saturday: 9:30am to midnight, with Bagni di Notte (night bathing with live music) from 7:30pm, for ages 14 and over
• Sunday: 9:30am to 8pm

Public holidays have their own hours. The pools sometimes close early for private events (for example at 4pm on September 27, 2026), so check the booking page the day before.

Late autumn to spring is the nicest time for the outdoor pools: steam rises off the water and the town is quiet. Summer weekends and August are the busiest. The operator strongly recommends booking for weekends, holidays and Saturday nights.

Prices and booking

Theia sells timed entries online, and prices vary by day. The 2026 “from” prices were:

• 4 hours, weekday: €29
• 4 hours, weekend and holidays: €32
• Full day, weekday: €39
• Full day, weekend and holidays: €45
• Children aged 1 to 12: €12, single rate
• Bagni di Notte (Saturday night): from €35; with buffet dinner and music from €55

Packages add a buffet lunch (€23 for adults), massages (from €39 for 25 minutes) or an aperitif. Hotels in town often give a discount code for Theia, so ask where you are staying before you book.

What to bring: a swimsuit. A swim cap and pool slippers are compulsory. You can use your own robe and towel or rent a Wellness Kit. Entry includes an electronic locker.

Children: kids aged 1 to 12 pay the reduced rate. Under-3s use the children’s pool; from age 3 they can use all the pools with an adult. They cannot enter the adult saunas but have their own wellness area.

Cures: Terme di Chianciano offers drinking cures, mud therapy, inhalations and baths for circulation problems, most of them covered by Italy’s national health service with a prescription. A cycle usually lasts 12 consecutive days and starts with a medical visit. Visitors without SSN cover can pay privately.

Where to stay nearby

Chianciano Terme has a large stock of hotels from its long history as a cure town. The hotels and agriturismi of the Consorzio Chianciasì are the spa’s official hospitality partner: they sell stays that include Theia and Terme Sensoriali entry, treatments and weekend packages, and the operator says all of them are a few minutes from the spa. Montepulciano and Chiusi are close alternatives if you prefer a historic centre.

Safety notes

• Heat: 91-97°F33-36°C water is gentle, but the saunas and steam rooms are not. Take breaks, drink water and get out if you feel light-headed.
• Pregnancy and health conditions: the operator advises checking with your doctor first. Some hot rooms may not be suitable in pregnancy.
• Slippery floors: wear the required slippers between pools and on wet stone outside.
• Children: children need an adult with them in the main pools, and the adult saunas and steam rooms are off limits to them.