Itineraries for Your Trip to Perugia
3 Days in Perugia for First Timers
I've lived up the road from Perugia since settling in the nearby hill town of Assisi in the 1990s. The staid yet lively provincial capital of Perugia is where I head for shopping, dining, culture, and nightlife. Its handsome medieval old town is the backdrop to several famous events each year—including the world-class Umbria Jazz and Eurochocolate festivals—and the students at the city’s historic university fuel a hopping aperitivo scene.
Assisi may be the biggest tourist destination in Umbria, but Perugia is where you can get a taste of the region’s authentic side and explore a “lived-in” historic center where locals far outnumber visitors. Here are my tips for visiting the town and outlying region in three days.
Perugia’s hilltop perch cools significantly on summer evenings, and there is often a breeze. Bring a wrap or light jacket when dining al fresco.
If you only have time for one thing, make it Corso Vannucci—walk from the panoramic public gardens to wedding cake-like Fontana Maggiore.
Begin by exploring the elegant old town, famous for its striking Etruscan ruins and home to the historic Perugina chocolate factory. Explore the medieval quarter (hidden underground inside the Rocca Paolina) and the National Gallery. Dine at one of the tables lining buzzy Corso Vannucci.
Next, go beyond the city walls to explore nearby Lake Trasimeno. Circle the lake and explore the pretty villages along its shores, including Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno. For sweeping views, head to the panoramic hamlet of Panicale. Lake Trasimeno is famous for its sunset—visit San Feliciano for a drink or dinner at dusk.
No trip to Umbria is complete without a stop in Assisi, the birthplace of St. Francis and the region’s most famous destination. Begin at the UNESCO-listed Basilica of St. Francis in the morning to beat the crowds and admire frescoes by Giotto and Cimabue and St. Francis’ crypt.
Next, explore the picturesque hill town, home to Roman ruins, Romanesque churches, and an imposing fortress—all walkable. You can also drive to the Franciscan sanctuaries and chapels outside Assisi’s historic center. Prioritize the Hermitage on Mt. Subasio above Assisi and the Porziuncola in Santa Maria degli Angeli in the valley below.
Discover Umbria’s less famous but no less atmospheric hill towns, all within an hour’s drive or train ride from Perugia. Spello, Spoleto, and Montefalco villages are scattered through the Umbrian Valley—postcard-perfect combinations of winding cobblestoned lanes, Romanesque churches, ancient ruins, and medieval frescoes.
Otherwise, visit Orvieto to the south. This historic town with a Gothic cathedral sits on a clifftop above the valley. The warren of historic tunnels and caverns below the city streets is worth exploring, as are the Pozzo di San Patrizio and Pozzo della Cava, two wells dug in the Middle Ages.
