The most memorable part of this tour is seeing Montepulciano as Volterra, the Italian home of the Volturi in New Moon. You walk through the steep historic center, visit the square used for Bella’s desperate race to Edward, and see the palace and clock tower that helped create the film’s dark, dramatic setting.

I like two things here: the small maximum of 12 people, which keeps a walking tour manageable, and the finish at a historic restaurant with an aperitif. I also like that the experience brings together film locations, Montepulciano’s story, and Tuscan wine instead of treating the movie as the only reason to visit.

The main caution is the balance between Twilight and local culture. Some guides have offered excellent explanations of the filming locations, while others have spent more time on town history and wine. At $138.21 per person, you should book this for the combined experience, not for a tightly scripted movie-location tour alone.

Key Points at a Glance

• Piazza Grande becomes Volterra: See the square filled with red cloaks in New Moon and the setting for Bella’s race to stop Edward.
• The route is on foot: Expect about 2 hours and 30 minutes walking through Montepulciano’s uphill historic center.
• Wine is a major part of the outing: A cellar visit, tasting, and final aperitif add a distinctly Tuscan layer to the movie theme.
• A small group keeps things personal: The tour is limited to 12 people, useful on narrow streets and inside historic spaces.
• Guide quality matters: Elena has been praised for her conversations about Montepulciano, New Moon, and wine.
• The meeting point is central: Start and finish at Valdichiana Living, Piazza Grande 7, with a 10:00 am departure.

Seeing New Moon in Montepulciano

The clever idea behind this tour is simple: New Moon used Montepulciano to represent Volterra, but the real town is every bit as interesting as its fictional role. Its narrow streets climb through a historic center crowned by Piazza Grande, giving you the same steep, stone-built setting seen in the film.

The tour focuses on the places that gave the movie its Italian look. You are not merely being shown a cinema backdrop. You are walking through a real Tuscan town where the locations still function as part of everyday Montepulciano.

That distinction matters. The movie presents Volterra as the home of the Volturi, a powerful vampire family. Montepulciano itself is a lived-in hill town, with historic buildings, restaurants, wine cellars, and streets that require a little effort to walk. The contrast between fantasy and reality is part of the fun.

You should expect a guided walk rather than a museum-style presentation. The guide leads you through the center and points out the places connected with New Moon, while also explaining the town’s history. The exact emphasis may depend on the guide. Elena, in particular, has been praised for giving useful film information while also making time for personal conversation and questions.

Piazza Grande and Bella’s Race to Edward

Piazza Grande is the emotional center of the tour. In New Moon, the square is filled with red-cloaked figures as Bella races to stop Edward from revealing himself to the Volturi. The scene gives the piazza an urgent, almost theatrical atmosphere.

In person, you can take in the space without the film’s special effects or crowd of cloaks. That makes it easier to notice the architecture and the layout of the square. Your guide can help connect what you see to the movie sequence, so you understand why the filmmakers chose this particular setting.

The palace with the clock tower is another important stop. It forms part of the visual identity of the scene and gives the piazza its strong medieval appearance. For fans, this is likely the clearest point of connection between Montepulciano and the story.

If you are hoping for a long series of behind-the-scenes facts, set your expectations carefully. The available feedback suggests that the amount of New Moon information can vary. One guide may spend generous time on locations and filming, while another may devote roughly 30 minutes to the wider history of Montepulciano before moving to the cellar.

That is not necessarily wasted time. It simply changes the nature of the experience. You are buying a walking tour of a Tuscan town with a Twilight theme, not a dedicated film production tour with guaranteed access to every shooting location.

Walking the Uphill Historic Center

Montepulciano is not flat. The town’s narrow streets run uphill, and the route through the center is part of the experience. You will want comfortable shoes and enough energy for a walk lasting about two and a half hours, including the wine stop and aperitif.

The uphill route helps explain why the movie scenes feel so dramatic. Bella’s rush through the town works on screen because the streets twist, climb, and open suddenly into larger public spaces. When you walk the route yourself, you get a clearer sense of the physical effort behind the scene.

A small group is especially useful here. With no more than 12 people, the guide can keep the group together on narrow streets and speak without having to manage a large crowd. You should still expect the pace of a guided group walk, with time to pause at filming points and historic sites.

Most people can take part, according to the tour information. No special fitness requirement is stated, but the uphill streets are worth considering if walking on slopes is difficult for you. The experience does not list private transport between stops, so plan on walking from the meeting point through the town.

The Wine Cellar Adds More Than a Film Stop

The wine portion gives this experience a second identity. The tour includes a visit to a historic cellar, followed by wine tasting and a special aperitif at the end. De’ Ricci wine cellar and Enoteca Vini Di Toscana have been connected with especially positive experiences on this tour.

This part can be a real strength if you want to understand Montepulciano beyond its movie role. Wine is tied closely to the town’s identity, and a cellar visit gives the day a local focus that a simple photo stop would not provide.

The tasting also changes the pace. After walking through the steep streets and standing in the main filming locations, you get time to sit, taste, and talk. Elena has been singled out for explaining wine clearly and for creating warm, personal conversation. If she is your guide, you may get a particularly well-rounded introduction to the town and its wines.

There is one important point to keep in mind: the cellar is not itself a Twilight location. If you expect every stop to relate directly to New Moon, this may feel like a detour. If you see it as part of a broader Montepulciano visit, the cellar and tasting help justify the tour’s higher price.

The wine experience also means this is not ideal for someone who wants a fast, photo-focused route. You are giving a significant part of the 2 hour 30 minute schedule to local wine and conversation. That is useful for some people and less appealing for others.

Is $138.21 a Fair Price?

At $138.21 per person, this is not a cheap walking tour. The value depends on how many parts of the experience you will use.

For a committed Twilight fan, the cost may make sense if seeing Piazza Grande, the clock-tower palace, and the other Montepulciano locations is a major reason for visiting. The guide adds context, and the small group limit gives you a better chance to ask questions than a large coach excursion would.

For a wine lover, the price includes more than a film-themed walk. You get a historic cellar visit, tasting, and aperitif, along with a guided introduction to Montepulciano. The combination is stronger than either a basic movie walk or a simple tasting on its own.

For someone who only wants exact filming facts, the value is harder to defend. The tour can include a fair amount of local history, and the wine cellar is not connected to Twilight. The experience works best when you enjoy all three elements: the movie, the town, and the wine.

The small group is another part of the value. A maximum of 12 is not a private tour, but it is intimate enough for a guide to speak with the group and respond to questions. You are also paying for a central meeting point and a tour that ends where it begins, which keeps the outing simple to fit into a day in Montepulciano.

What the Morning Schedule Looks Like

The tour starts at 10:00 am at Valdichiana Living, Piazza Grande 7. This is a practical meeting point because the tour begins in the heart of the area connected with the film.

From there, you walk through the historic center with the guide. The route takes in more and less familiar parts of Montepulciano that served as settings for New Moon. The central focus is the area around Piazza Grande, the palace, and the clock tower, along with the streets used for Bella’s rush.

The exact order of the stops is not specified, so you should not expect a fixed list of every scene. The guide may shape the walk around the group, the timing of the cellar visit, or the practical flow through the town.

The second half or final part includes the cellar and tasting, followed by an aperitif at a historic restaurant. The experience ends back at the original meeting point. Since the total duration is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, you should have most of the afternoon available for more sightseeing, lunch, or another wine visit.

A mobile ticket is provided, and booking confirmation arrives at the time of booking. Those details are small but helpful when you are arranging several activities during a trip.

How Much Twilight Content Should You Expect?

This is the key decision point. The tour promises the Italian film set of New Moon, and it does take you to important locations. But the available information does not promise a full behind-the-scenes production talk, cast stories, or access to restricted areas.

You may hear plenty about filming locations, especially with a guide such as Elena. You may also receive a broader explanation of Montepulciano’s past and wine traditions. The balance is not guaranteed, so I would treat the Twilight theme as the thread connecting the walk, not the entire fabric of the tour.

That approach will serve you well. You can enjoy the moment when a familiar film setting turns into a real Tuscan piazza, then appreciate the town on its own terms. The wine stop makes more sense when you see it as a local addition rather than another movie location.

If you want to recreate Bella’s route for photographs, ask the guide to point out the clearest scene connections. The small group should make that easier. If your priority is movie trivia, keep your questions ready and ask early, since some of the walk may focus on local history.

Who Will Get the Most From This Tour?

I would recommend this experience to fans of New Moon who also want a taste of Tuscany. You get the film locations, but you also get a guided walk through Montepulciano and time in a historic wine setting.

It suits couples and small groups who prefer a relaxed morning over a rushed checklist. The wine tasting and aperitif make it a social experience, and the conversations can become as memorable as the set locations.

It is also a good fit if you are already planning to visit Montepulciano and want an organized way to understand the town. The tour gives structure to a historic center that can otherwise feel confusing, especially with its uphill streets and winding lanes.

I would be more cautious if you are paying the price mainly for film details. The mixed score of 3.5 from four ratings reflects the importance of guide style and expectations. One person may find the wine and history a welcome bonus, while another may feel the tour spends too little time on New Moon.

The experience requires good weather, and it may be canceled if poor weather affects the outing or if the minimum number of participants is not reached. In either case, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

Should You Book the Montepulciano New Moon Tour?

Book it if you want Twilight locations plus wine, history, and a local guide. The setting is appealing, the group is limited to 12, and the combination of Piazza Grande, the cellar, tasting, and aperitif gives you a fuller morning than a quick photo walk.

Skip it if you want a strict movie-only itinerary. At $138.21, the price asks you to value the wine and town history as much as the filming sites. Before booking, decide which version sounds better: a fan-focused hunt for scenes, or a Montepulciano walking tour where New Moon provides the theme.

If you choose it, arrive ready to walk uphill, wear sensible shoes, and ask direct questions about the filming locations. If Elena is leading, expect a particularly conversational tour with strong attention to Montepulciano, wine, and the movie. The free cancellation policy gives you flexibility, provided you cancel at least 24 hours before the 10:00 am start time.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

It starts at Valdichiana Living, Piazza Grande 7, 53045 Montepulciano, Italy.

What time does the tour begin?

The scheduled start time is 10:00 am.

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the meeting point at Valdichiana Living.

What does the tour focus on?

It focuses on the Montepulciano filming locations used for New Moon, along with the town’s historic center, a wine cellar visit, wine tasting, and a special aperitif.

Does the tour include Piazza Grande?

Yes. Piazza Grande is one of the main locations connected with the film and is included in the guided walk.

Is wine tasting included?

The experience includes a visit to a historic wine cellar, a tasting, and an aperitif at a historic restaurant in Montepulciano.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 12 people.

Is the ticket mobile?

Yes. The tour provides a mobile ticket.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations made less than 24 hours in advance are not refunded.