Arezzo is the most unfairly overlooked city in Tuscany. It lacks Florence’s global magnetism and Siena’s architectural crescendo, but it has something both of those cities don’t: the Basilica di San Francesco, where Piero della Francesca’s Legend of the True Cross fresco cycle (1452–1466) covers the main apse — perhaps the greatest single painted wall in Italian art. Arezzo also has the Piazza Grande (used for Bernardo Bertolucci’s Life is Beautiful), one of the largest antique markets in Italy on the first Sunday of every month, a Roman amphitheatre, and proximity to Cortona, Monte San Savino, and the Val di Chiana wine country. Below are the tours that take proper advantage of what Arezzo offers.
We have mapped 8 top-rated Arezzo tours by traveller type. Prices are approximate in EUR as of 2026.
Top Arezzo Tours at a Glance
| Tour | Duration | Approx. Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piero della Francesca Frescoes Guided Tour | 2.5 hrs | From €30 | Art lovers |
| Arezzo Old Town Walking Tour | 2 hrs | From €20 | First-timers, history |
| Cortona Day Trip from Arezzo | Full day | From €50 | Culture, views |
| Arezzo Antique Market and Piazza Grande Tour | 3 hrs | From €35 | Shopping, culture |
| Val di Chiana Wine and Farm Tour | Full day | From €85 | Wine lovers |
| Monte San Savino and Lucignano Villages Tour | Full day | From €55 | Culture, photography |
| Arezzo Giostra del Saracino Medieval Festival | Half day | From €40 | Festivals (seasonal) |
| Cooking Class: Arezzo and Valdarnese Cuisine | 3 hrs | From €75 | Foodies |
For Art Lovers
Piero della Francesca Frescoes Guided Tour
The Legend of the True Cross by Piero della Francesca fills the main apse of the Basilica di San Francesco in 12 episodes, from the death of Adam (the original tree of the Cross) through the Finding of the True Cross by Constantine’s mother Helena, to the Battle of Heraclius. The cycle was painted between 1452 and 1466 and is considered the greatest expression of Renaissance perspective and light — Piero’s geometry is mathematically exact, his colours (Arezzo blue, white lead, raw sienna) are still intense after six centuries.
This 2.5-hour guided fresco tour requires advance booking of the apse viewing session (access is time-limited to 30 minutes maximum, 25 people per slot). The guide interprets the iconographic programme panel by panel, explains Piero’s use of reverse perspective in the Annunciation panel, and compares the cycle to the artist’s other surviving works. The guide also covers the Piazza Grande and the Romanesque apse of the Pieve di Santa Maria, which faces the piazza.
Duration: 2.5 hours | Price: from approximately €30 | Includes: guide, apse booking fee | Booking note: The apse reservation is separate from general church access — book at least a week in advance
For First-Timers
Arezzo Old Town Walking Tour
The 2-hour old town walk covers the four distinct architectural periods that make Arezzo’s centre distinctive: the Roman forum (now the Piazza Grande), the Romanesque church of Santa Maria della Pieve (12th-century, with an arcade facade of different-width arches and a 40-metre campanile), the Gothic Duomo (unfinished facade — still medieval bare stone) with the Piero della Francesca fresco of Mary Magdalene inside, the Vasari Loggia (designed by Giorgio Vasari, born in Arezzo, who also designed the Uffizi corridor in Florence), and the medieval lanes of the upper town.
Duration: 2 hours | Price: from approximately €20 | Includes: guide | Context tip: Arezzo was prosperous from the gold and jewellery trade (it still is — Arezzo is Europe’s largest gold jewellery manufacturing centre). Much of the old town wealth came from this industry
For Culture Lovers
Cortona Day Trip from Arezzo
Cortona sits on a hillside 28 km south of Arezzo with views across Lake Trasimeno and the Val di Chiana. It has two significant art museums — the Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca (Etruscan bronze lamp chandelier, among the finest Etruscan pieces in existence) and the Museo Diocesano (Fra Angelico’s Annunciation, one of the finest works by the Florentine Dominican friar). The town’s steep lanes and terraced gardens are the setting for Frances Mayes’ Under the Tuscan Sun.
This full-day Cortona day trip includes transport from Arezzo, a guided walk through the old town (Piazza della Repubblica, Piazza Signorelli, the Etruscan walls), museum visits, and lunch at a restaurant in the town centre before the return journey.
Duration: Full day | Price: from approximately €50 | Includes: transport, guide, museum entries | Fra Angelico note: The Annunciation in Cortona is one of five versions — the most famous is in San Marco, Florence, but this one, in a smaller and quieter museum, is seen without crowds
For Shopping and Culture
Arezzo Antique Market and Piazza Grande Tour
The Arezzo Antique Market (Fiera Antiquaria) runs on the first Sunday of every month and the preceding Saturday in the Piazza Grande and surrounding streets — approximately 600 dealers selling furniture, prints, ceramics, silver, fabrics, and miscellaneous collectibles from across Italy. It’s been running since 1968 and is one of the largest and most respected antique markets in Italy.
This 3-hour market tour includes a guided briefing on how to navigate the market, what to look for by period and origin, how to authenticate pieces, and the legal procedure for exporting antiques from Italy. The guide identifies the legitimate dealers versus tourist-trade reproductions and advises on realistic price ranges.
Duration: 3 hours | Price: from approximately €35 | Includes: guide | Dates: First Sunday of every month + preceding Saturday; confirm dates at booking
For Wine Lovers
Val di Chiana Wine and Farm Tour
The Val di Chiana, the wide flat valley between Arezzo and Chiusi, produces Cortona DOC wines (Syrah and Sangiovese-based reds), Chardonnay, and Vin Santo. The valley floor is Tuscany’s most fertile agricultural land — the Chianina cattle breed originated here (the base for authentic bistecca alla Fiorentina) and the valley’s farms produce sunflowers, durum wheat, and tobacco alongside wine.
This full-day wine and farm tour visits two estates: a Chianina cattle farm for a breeding demonstration and bistecca tasting at lunch, and a wine estate in the Cortona DOC for a cellar tour and 5-wine vertical tasting. Transport from Arezzo included.
Duration: Full day | Price: from approximately €85 | Includes: transport, guide, both cellar tours, tastings, lunch | Bistecca note: Authentic Chianina bistecca alla Fiorentina is served by weight, minimum 800g, at approximately €50–70 per kg as of 2026
For Foodies
Cooking Class: Arezzo and Valdarnese Cuisine
The Valdarno and Val di Chiana around Arezzo have a distinct food identity — different from Florence or Siena. The key dishes: acquacotta (a peasant soup of stale bread, wild mushrooms, and poached egg), tortelli di patate aretini (pasta filled with potato and ricotta, dressed with butter and sage or ragù), and scottiglia (a mixed-meat braise). These dishes rarely appear on tourist menus outside the province.
This 3-hour cooking class runs in a farmhouse kitchen 5 km from Arezzo, covering two or three dishes from the Aretine tradition, a tasting of local wines, and a recipe booklet. Groups of maximum 10.
Duration: 3 hours | Price: from approximately €75 | Includes: ingredients, wine, lunch of what you cook
Practical Information
Getting to Arezzo: Arezzo station is on the main Florence–Rome fast line — approximately 35 minutes from Florence by regional train. From Rome Termini: approximately 2 hours. The town centre is a 15-minute walk uphill from the station (or take local buses 2 and 4).
Antique market dates 2026: First Sunday of every month plus the preceding Saturday. The market is held in all weather — bring an umbrella in autumn and winter.
Piero della Francesca Itinerary: Arezzo is one stop on the Piero della Francesca Trail, which also includes Sansepolcro (Piero’s birthplace, Museo Civico — the Resurrection and Polyptych of the Misericordia), Monterchi (the Madonna del Parto), and Urbino (Piero’s Flagellation, in the Ducal Palace). A dedicated 2-day circuit is feasible by car.