Umbria Itinerary: 7 Days by Car, Day by Day

A first week in Umbria works best as a loop with two bases: four nights around Perugia or Assisi, then three nights near Orvieto or Todi. In seven days you can see Perugia, Assisi, Spello and Bevagna, Montefalco’s vineyards, Spoleto, the Valnerina or Norcia, Todi, Orvieto and Lake Trasimeno without packing your bags every morning. The route below assumes a rental car; at the end you will find a version by train and bus.

The route at a glance

Day	Main stops	Overnight
1	Perugia old town	Perugia or Assisi area
2	Assisi	Perugia or Assisi area
3	Spello, Bevagna, Montefalco	Perugia or Assisi area
4	Spoleto, with Trevi on the way	Perugia or Assisi area
5	Valnerina and Norcia, or Gubbio	Move to Orvieto or Todi area
6	Todi and Orvieto	Orvieto or Todi area
7	Lake Trasimeno, then departure	Orvieto or Todi area, or onward

Day by day

Day 1: Perugia

Arrive, park outside the old town and take the escalators or the Minimetrò up. Walk Corso Vannucci to Piazza IV Novembre and the Fontana Maggiore, visit the National Gallery of Umbria and the Collegio del Cambio, and go down into the Rocca Paolina. End with the evening passeggiata and dinner. Our guide to things to do in Perugia gives the details.

Day 2: Assisi

Start early at the Basilica of St Francis, ideally before the day groups arrive. After the basilica, walk through the town to the Piazza del Comune and the Basilica of Santa Chiara, and climb to the Rocca Maggiore for the view. In the late afternoon, Santa Maria degli Angeli in the plain below is worth a stop. See things to do in Assisi.

Day 3: Spello, Bevagna and Montefalco

Three small towns, close together. Spello, with its flower-filled lanes and Pinturicchio’s frescoes, is a morning visit. Bevagna, flat and compact around a beautiful medieval square, is a good lunch stop. In the afternoon, drive up to Montefalco for the views and, if booked ahead, a tasting of Sagrantino. Read our page on Spello and Bevagna for both towns.

Day 4: Spoleto

On the way south, stop briefly in Trevi, a town on a hill surrounded by olive groves, or at the springs of the Fonti del Clitunno. In Spoleto, see the cathedral with Filippo Lippi’s frescoes, the Rocca Albornoziana and the Ponte delle Torri, the high medieval bridge and aqueduct. Our Spoleto guide explains the best order.

Day 5: Valnerina and Norcia, or Gubbio

Two options depending on your interests.

• Mountains: drive through the green Valnerina valley to Norcia, known for its cured meats and for the plateau of Castelluccio above it. Parts of the area are still recovering from the 2016 earthquakes. In early summer, the lentil fields on the plateau bloom. Our Norcia and Castelluccio guide has the details.
• Medieval town: go north instead to Gubbio, a grey stone town at the foot of Monte Ingino with a cable lift to the basilica of Sant’Ubaldo. Our Gubbio guide covers the town.

In the evening, move to your second base near Orvieto or Todi.

Day 6: Todi and Orvieto

Todi’s main square is one of the most harmonious in central Italy, and the town is easily seen in a morning. In the afternoon, continue to Orvieto, on its block of volcanic tufa, to see the cathedral and the San Brizio Chapel and to walk the lanes. If you like, finish with a glass of Orvieto. See our Orvieto guide.

Day 7: Lake Trasimeno

On the last day, head for Lake Trasimeno: Castiglione del Lago for its fortress, or a ferry from Passignano to Isola Maggiore. From here it is a direct drive north towards Florence, or back towards Rome along the motorway.

Where to stay

Two bases keep the trip relaxed.

• First base: Perugia for city life and transport, or a farm stay between Assisi, Spello and Bevagna for countryside quiet.
• Second base: Orvieto for a town atmosphere and trains, or the countryside around Todi for space and views.

An agriturismo is an obvious choice for this kind of trip. Our guide on how to choose an agriturismo explains minimum stays, meals and access roads.

Driving tips

• ZTL: almost every old town has a zona a traffico limitato. Entering without a permit is filmed by cameras, and the fines reach you later through the rental company. Park in the signed car parks outside.
• Parking: several towns have escalators, lifts or a funicular from the car parks to the centre, for example Perugia, Assisi, Spoleto and Orvieto.
• Roads: the main valley roads are good; country lanes can be narrow and some agriturismo access roads are unpaved.
• Fuel and tolls: most of the region’s main roads are toll-free dual carriageways; the A1 motorway near Orvieto has tolls.

Without a car

You can still see a lot by train and bus. Base yourself in Perugia for four nights and in Orvieto for three. From Perugia, regional trains reach Assisi, Spello, Foligno and Spoleto, as well as Passignano on Lake Trasimeno. Orvieto is on the main line between Florence and Rome. Montefalco, Bevagna, Todi and Norcia are harder and depend on buses with limited timetables, so check them before you plan.

When to go

April to June and September to October offer the most comfortable temperatures. July and August are hot but bring festivals such as Umbria Jazz. Winter is quiet and cold, but ideal for truffles and empty museums. Check the dates of the main events with the organisers before you fix your travel dates; regional train timetables are published by Trenitalia.