itineraries
Umbria: The Green Heart
6 days — Assisi, Perugia, Spoleto, Orvieto, and Lake Trasimeno.
Curatorial note
The quiet alternative to next-door Tuscany. Assisi for the frescoes, Orvieto for the cathedral, Perugia for a real city, Spoleto, and Lake Trasimeno for a slow afternoon. Landlocked, green, and uncrowded. A car helps.
Region · Umbria
Umbria
Umbria is what Tuscany was twenty years ago: the same hill towns and medieval landscapes, with fewer tourists and lower prices. Assisi for the frescoes, Orvieto for the cathedral on the train line, Perugia for a real university city, and the Valnerina for empty green valleys. It's the best base in central Italy if you want to slow down and radiate by car.
Town · Umbria
Spoleto
Spoleto is worth a half-day if you're touring Umbria. The Romanesque cathedral and the Rocca fortress are the essentials. Go during the Festival dei Due Mondi (June-July) for the atmosphere.
Town · Umbria
Perugia
Perugia is worth a night as a base for Umbria, or a day trip paired with Assisi. It is livelier than Assisi and a real city. The historic center on top of the hill is the part that matters.
Town · Umbria
Orvieto
Orvieto is worth a half-day stop on the Rome–Florence train line. The cathedral facade alone justifies the detour. It is the easiest hill-town addition to a rail-based trip.
Town · Umbria
Assisi
Assisi is worth a half-day for the Basilica frescoes alone, even if you're not pilgrims. It is the most spiritually significant town in Umbria and one of the great fresco sites in Italy.
Ready to plan?
Ready to turn discovery into a trip?
Italy Field Guide helps you decide where to go. When you're ready to build the actual day-by-day itinerary, take your saved places to Travel Itinerary Co — your interests go with you.
Turn your saved Italy places into a trip