Assisi is a hill town of around 28,000 people in Umbria, sitting at 424 metres on the lower slopes of Monte Subasio above the broad Spoleto valley. Its significance in the Christian world is out of all proportion to its size: it was the birthplace of Francesco Bernardone — St Francis of Assisi — in 1181 or 1182, and the town he and his followers built here in the decades after his death in 1226 represents one of the most concentrated accumulations of medieval religious art anywhere in Europe.
The Basilica di San Francesco was begun in 1228, two years after Francis’s canonisation, and consecrated in 1253. It is actually two superimposed churches: the Lower Church (begun first, Romanesque in character, dark and intimate) and the Upper Church (Gothic, higher and lighter), built one on top of the other on a steep hillside at the western end of the town. Beneath both is the crypt where Francis is buried. The decoration of these two churches involved most of the major Italian painters of the late 13th and early 14th century: Cimabue, Pietro Lorenzetti, and Simone Martini worked in the Lower Church; the Upper Church’s nave contains the 28-scene fresco cycle of the Life of Saint Francis attributed to Giotto, which is among the foundational works of Western art — the first sustained narrative fresco programme to present figures as physically present in space rather than as flat symbolic icons.
Assisi draws approximately five million visitors annually, making it one of the most visited cities in central Italy. The majority come for pilgrimage purposes rather than art tourism, which gives the town a distinctive character: it functions simultaneously as an active religious site and as a major destination for travellers interested in medieval history and art.
This guide covers the best-rated tours in Assisi, from Basilica orientation walks to full-day Umbrian excursions.
Quick Comparison: Top Assisi Tours at a Glance
| Tour | Duration | From | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assisi: 2-Hour Walking Tour of the Historic Centre | 2 hrs | €15 | First-timers, overview |
| Assisi: Basilica di San Francesco Guided Tour | 2 hrs | €20 | Art history lovers |
| Assisi: Full Historic Centre Walking Tour | 3 hrs | €28 | Deep history seekers |
| Assisi: Private Walking Tour with Local Guide | 3 hrs | €85 | Couples, private groups |
| Assisi and Eremo delle Carceri Hiking Tour | 4 hrs | €35 | Active travellers |
| Rome: Day Trip to Assisi | 10 hrs | €55 | Day trippers from Rome |
| Florence: Day Trip to Assisi and Perugia | 10 hrs | €60 | Umbrian overview |
| Assisi: Sunset & Panoramic Views Walk | 2 hrs | €18 | Photography, romance |
For First-Timers
Assisi: 2-Hour Walking Tour of the Historic Centre
Duration: 2 hours | From: approximately €15 per person
The standard Assisi introduction, meeting at Piazza del Comune — the Roman forum of the ancient town of Asisium, still clearly legible in the raised temple of Minerva (1st century BC) that now functions as a church — and walking through the medieval streets to the major sites. The guide covers the Roman foundation, the medieval development of the town under the Commune of Assisi, and the biography of Francis and Clare in the context of 13th-century Italy: the social upheaval of the rise of the merchant class, the reform movements within the Church, and why the Franciscan message of radical poverty spread so rapidly.
The route takes in the exterior of the Basilica di San Francesco, the Basilica di Santa Chiara (built 1257–1265 over an earlier church to house the relics of St Clare, co-founder of the Poor Clares, and containing the original San Damiano cross before which Francis prayed), and the Piazza del Comune with its Palazzo dei Priori. For visitors with limited time, this two-hour format establishes the essential geography and narrative.
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Assisi: Sunset and Panoramic Views Walk
Duration: 2 hours | From: approximately €18 per person
Assisi sits on the western face of Monte Subasio and looks out over the Spoleto valley towards Perugia. In the late afternoon, as the light falls across the pink-and-white Subasio stone of the buildings and the plain below turns gold, the town is at its most photographic. This tour uses the late afternoon and sunset timing deliberately, moving through the least-visited lanes of the upper town and stopping at the viewpoints — particularly the terrace above the Basilica di San Francesco, the belvedere near the Rocca Maggiore, and the quieter gardens near the city walls — where the panorama across to Perugia and the Tiber valley is unobstructed.
The guide covers Assisi’s physical setting — why the Romans chose this hillside, how the medieval walls evolved, and how the landscape visible from the walls was used and organised in Francis’s time — while making the most of the light. This tour is aimed at photographers and travellers who have already covered the basilicas during the day and want a different relationship with the town in the evening.
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For Art and History Lovers
Assisi: Basilica di San Francesco Guided Tour
Duration: 2 hours | From: approximately €20 per person
A focused tour of the Basilica di San Francesco that covers both the Upper and Lower Churches with a guide specialising in Italian medieval art. The guide explains the structure of the building before entering — the extraordinary engineering achievement of constructing a two-storey church on a steep hillside using a massive platform of arches and foundations — and then works through the decoration systematically.
In the Lower Church: the frescoes of Pietro Lorenzetti in the left transept (the Crucifixion, the Deposition, and the Entombment, painted around 1315–1320, notable for their emotional intensity and compositional boldness) and the scenes attributed to Cimabue and the Roman school. In the Upper Church: Giotto’s Life of Saint Francis, running in 28 scenes around the nave walls. The guide explains the iconographic programme — what each scene depicts, how it departs from the earlier Life written by Thomas of Celano, and how the physical treatment of figures, space, and light in these frescoes differs from everything that came before in Italian painting. The crypt with Francis’s tomb is visited at the end.
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Assisi: Full Historic Centre Walking Tour
Duration: 3 hours | From: approximately €28 per person
The most comprehensive walking tour of Assisi’s historic centre, covering sites that the two-hour format omits: the Roman Amphitheatre (whose elliptical outline is still clearly visible in the ring of medieval houses built over it), the Rocca Maggiore (the 14th-century fortress on the highest point of the hill, rebuilt by Cardinal Albornoz in 1367, with views over the entire valley), the Oratorio dei Pellegrini (a small 15th-century pilgrim hospice with well-preserved frescoes by Matteo da Gualdo), and the Palazzo dei Priori.
The three-hour format also allows the guide to address the history of Assisi beyond the Franciscan story: the Roman city of Asisium (one of the most prosperous municipalities of Roman Umbria, birthplace of the poet Propertius), the medieval commune and its conflicts with Perugia, and the development of the town’s economy around pilgrimage from the late 13th century onward. Entry to the Rocca Maggiore (approximately €5.50) is typically included.
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For Active Travellers
Assisi and Eremo delle Carceri Hiking Tour
Duration: 4 hours | From: approximately €35 per person
The Eremo delle Carceri is a hermitage built into the rock face of Monte Subasio at about 800 metres, 4km above Assisi, in a narrow wooded ravine. Francis used this site as a place of solitary prayer and retreat; the caves in the rock where he and his early companions slept are still visible, and the ravine retains a profound sense of quiet even with visitors present. An active Franciscan community has maintained the hermitage continuously since Francis’s time, and the friars can sometimes be seen moving between the medieval buildings and the forest.
This tour walks from the city walls of Assisi up the Monte Subasio slope through ilex oak forest — a gradual ascent of approximately 400 metres over 4km — with the guide covering the landscape, the ecology of Monte Subasio (a protected natural park), and the history of the hermitage. The descent returns via a different path with views across the valley. Good walking shoes are required; the path is well-maintained but uneven. The tour is not suitable for visitors with significant mobility limitations.
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For Day Trippers
Rome: Day Trip to Assisi
Duration: 10 hours | From: approximately €55 per person
Assisi is 175km north of Rome — approximately 2 hours by fast train to Foligno then onward, or by coach. This day trip by minibus from Rome provides return transport and a guided tour of the basilicas and historic centre, with lunch at a local Umbrian restaurant. The itinerary typically covers the Basilica di San Francesco (both churches), the Piazza del Comune, and a walk through the medieval streets, with free time in the afternoon.
The guided component focuses on the basilica’s art and the Franciscan story; the historical context of Rome’s relationship with Umbria and with the Franciscan order is woven in. Given the distances, this is a long day — departure from Rome is typically around 7am and return around 8–9pm — but the full-day format is necessary to make the journey worthwhile.
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Florence: Day Trip to Assisi and Perugia
Duration: 10 hours | From: approximately €60 per person
Florence to Assisi is 150km southeast via Perugia, making a combined Umbrian day trip logical. This tour departs from Florence, stops in Perugia (the regional capital, with an Etruscan city gate, a notable National Gallery of Umbria, and a remarkable medieval covered street, the Corso Vannucci) for approximately two hours, then continues to Assisi for the afternoon. The guide covers both cities and explains the relationship between Florentine and Umbrian painting traditions — the Umbrian school (Perugino, Pinturicchio) that trained Raphael, and its connection to the art programme of the Assisi basilicas.
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Practical Information
Getting to Assisi: The closest mainline train station is Santa Maria degli Angeli (also signed as Assisi), 4km below the hill town, on the Foligno–Perugia line. From there, a local bus (Line C) runs up to Piazza del Comune every 30 minutes; taxis are available. From Rome: approximately 2.5 hours by train via Foligno. From Florence: approximately 2 hours by train via Terontola. From Perugia: 25km, approximately 30 minutes by train or car.
When to visit: Assisi is a year-round destination, but April, May, September, and October are the most comfortable months. The Feast of St Francis on 4 October draws large crowds and is a significant pilgrimage event. The Calendimaggio in early May (a medieval pageant festival) is atmospheric but brings very high accommodation demand. Midsummer (July–August) is hot and busy; January and February are quiet with good availability.
Terrain: Assisi is built on a steep hillside; the streets between Piazza del Comune and the Basilica di San Francesco involve a significant downhill walk of about 500 metres (much steeper on the return). The Basilica itself is accessible by lift from the lower piazza.
Entry fees: The Basilica di San Francesco and Basilica di Santa Chiara are free to enter; a donation is requested. The Rocca Maggiore charges approximately €5.50. The Eremo delle Carceri is free.