Heart of Umbria: Orvieto & Assisi Tour
About this activity
Highlights
- Explore Orvieto's stunning cathedral
- Visit Assisi's Basilica of St. Francis
- Enjoy panoramic views of the Umbrian countryside
- Discover ancient Etruscan sites in Orvieto
- Savor traditional Umbrian cuisine
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Guided tour of Orvieto and Assisi
- Transportation from Florence
- Lunch at a local restaurant
- Hotel accommodations
Itinerary
This tour is perfect for those of you looking for a unique, meaningful, and truly unforgettable day! Meet your friendly and history-loving tour guide at Piazzale Montelungo Bus Terminal. Piazzale Montelungo is located 5-10 minutes walking distance from Santa Maria Novella train station. Find your seat on the comfortable coach bus, and you will depart shortly! During your journey south towards Assisi, your guide will share some interesting information about this gorgeous, hilltop town. The drive will take about 1.5 hours.
Let’s head to the heart of Italy and discover Umbria, often described—together with Tuscany—as the country’s “green heart”, thanks to its rolling hills, medieval towns, and breathtaking landscapes. In the morning, you will board a comfortable, air-conditioned coach and begin your journey accompanied by an expert tour leader, who will assist you throughout the entire day and ensure a smooth, enjoyable experience as you explore Perugia and Assisi.
Perugia, the regional capital of Umbria, is a charming hilltop city rich in history, art, and lively traditions. During your free time, you’ll have the opportunity to explore its most iconic landmarks at your own pace, such as Piazza IV Novembre, with its stunning Fontana Maggiore, the impressive Perugia Cathedral, and the fascinating Rocca Paolina, an underground fortress offering a unique glimpse into the city’s past. Stroll through medieval streets, enjoy the local atmosphere, and soak in the authentic Umbrian charm.
Perugia is also internationally famous for its chocolate and is home to Eurochocolate, Europe’s most important chocolate festival. You can choose to enhance your experience with an optional chocolate tasting at an Eurochocolate Shop, where you’ll discover the history of Perugian chocolate and sample some of its most renowned creations.
Next, you will cross the regional border into Umbria, heading to the mesmerizing town of Assisi. Filled with white buildings and incredible churches, the town also naturally overlooks the green, beautiful valley below. Assisi is known as one of the most sacred places in Italy, as it is the home of Saint Francis and Saint Clare. Before learning more and discovering the city, you will have an hour of free time to indulge in a delicious lunch wherever you would prefer. Assisi is known for its fragrant truffle pastas, hearty vegetable soups, herbed meats, and nut and dried fruit crostini desserts.
Assisi is one of Umbria’s most enchanting towns. Known as the city of Saints Francis and Clare, Assisi rises on a hill once called the “Hill of Hell” (“Colle dell’Inferno”), formerly a burial ground for condemned criminals. The name later changed to “Hill of Paradise” after the foundation stone of the Basilica of Saint Francis was laid.
An expert local guide will lead you through Assisi’s winding medieval streets, unveiling the secrets of this extraordinary town. You will visit the renowned Basilica of Saint Francis, home to remarkably preserved frescoes by Giotto, Pietro Lorenzetti, Simone Martini, and Cimabue.
After the guided visit, enjoy some free time to shop in local artisan stores or relax in the main square with a coffee. You can also visit on your own the Basilica of Saint Clare, dedicated to Saint Francis’ sister and the tomb of the tomb of Carlo Acutis, the first millennial saint.
After discovering the most of Assisi, you will head about ten minutes away to the nearby Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli. It is located about two and a half miles (four kilometers) from the city center. Your guide will lead you into Santa Maria degli Angeli, but it is actually more famous for another much smaller building inside - “Porziuncola.” This very small, stone chapel once housed Saint Francis and his followers, and it is where he started the Franciscan order. Now, you will see the Porziuncola has been decorated in Gothic style frescoes, glorifying the small building. Enjoy some time to appreciate the beauty and importance of “Porziuncola.”
After a day of fascinating sightseeing, beautiful landscapes, and plenty of photos… It will be time to return to Florence. Hop back onto the comfortable coach bus, and the drive will take about 1.5 hours. You will arrive back in the early evening.
Meeting point
Start Location
Unknown location
Important information
Know before you book
- Tour operates rain or shine; dress appropriately for weather conditions.
- Please inform the tour operator of any dietary restrictions in advance.
- Children under 3 years old can join for free if seated on a parent's lap.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable walking shoes for cobblestone streets.
- Bring a hat and sunscreen for sun protection.
- Carry a water bottle to stay hydrated.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Stroller Accessible
- Easy Public Transport
- Infants Required On Laps
- Infant Seats Available
Good to know
- Entrance into churches requires a strict dress code. We cannot be held responsible for entry denied due to improper dress. Please make sure your shoulders and knees are covered
- English and Spanish are always guaranteed. In order to confirm the excursion in Italian, Portuguese or French a minimum of 4 pax is required
- Please note that the given order of the visits may change
Traveler reviews
Underwhelming
Underwhelming!!! Tour guide not interactive. She would rather read from a script instead of touring the city and telling us what each monument or history of Perugia and Assissi was. We were left by ourselves 3 hours in Perugia. For the Assisi portion of the tour, instead of parking in Manjuro parking lot to take the escalator to the Basilica of St Clair to see St. Carlo Acunis tomb, the bus was parked at St John Paul II where there was no escalator and had to walk a steep hike up the hill. We had several elderly people who were unable to walk the hill and had to remain behind. Coming back from the tour, the tour guide fell asleep instead of interacting. One positive, we had an amazing bus driver Giovanni.
Small cramped bus, not English only, long walk from bus to destination, chocolate tasting a waste of money
It is not only in English so information takes a long time. Bus is very small so no leg room. Long uphill walks from where the bus drops you off. The chocolte tasting is just 3 pieces of small chocolates with fruit filling that they choose. No information or tour at all. Do not waste your money. Even the guide was shocked!
Very beautiful towns, but very tiring.
It was a wonderful day. Beatrix was a lovely guide. However there are somethings I would have done differently. If we had gone to Assisi first we wouldn’t have been so tired when we arrived there. My 85 year old friend struggled with the long walk from the entrance of the town to the Church. She was unable to see the crypt where St. Francis was buried. But the biggest dissapointment was the fact that we walked right by the church where San Carlos Acutis was buried. That was a very big part of the resSon we came to Assisi. We had to find it on our own, and my friend wS unable to do it because we hadto retrace our steps almost to the beginning. It would ha evernbetter if we saw Perugia on our way back to Florence. Thankfully Beatrix stopped at the church of Mary of the Angels on our way back to Florence. It was also a very toucg walk for me to retrace my steps to see San Carlos, and then walk vack to the meeting place at the cathedral. However, our driver Guiseppe and Beatrix were both wonderful. Vety helpful and professional. I just wish Beatrix knewnot to pass the church. Thank you.
Time scheduling need to be re considered
Tour Guide Roberto, need more compassion in dealing with tourist, choice of words has to be considered. Perugia stay should have been shorten, tour guides is not familiar it's his first time as he said to be in Perugia, need to do more research, Assisi in Basilica of saint Francis time allocated was Okey, But basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli was 20 minutes, not enough time. Then back to Florence. Driver Alda , five star .
Visit to Perugia and Assisi from Florence
This excursion was very nice - Assisi was amazing. Roberto did a great job of giving us historical information before we got to our destination. He was very knowledgeable about the area. Also our bus driver Alma did a great job of getting us to each destination timely! I would recommend this tour