16 Essential Things to Do in Perugia, Italy

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I don’t know why I was intrigued by the idea of visiting Perugia, a city in the Umbria region of Italy. But because of how close the city is to Rome, I decided to visit it and a few other places in Italy when I had a flight out of Rome. Perugia was the first place on my list and it didn’t disappoint.

Having not visited the region of Umbria before then, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect there. I wondered whether how it differed from nearby regions like Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna.

Apart from one recommendation from a friend, I knew next to nothing of the things to do in Perugia. That didn’t stop me from having a good time, but knowing what to do in Perugia in advance should surely help.

How to get to Perugia

Perugia is located in central Italy, roughly the same distance from Rome and Florence. That should tell you how easy it is to get to.

The city is connected with cities like Florence and Rome by train often with a single transit stop, as well as nearer destinations such as Assisi and Arezzo. Buses also run from a whole lot of Italian cities and towns to Perugia, so you can rely on public transport for your trip, as is often the case in Italy.

However, there’s always the option of renting a car for your Italy trip to provide you with a little more independence. With your own wheels, you have total freedom to go anywhere you want, from Spoleto to San Marino.

How to get around Perugia

The people of Perugia must hate the grind of climbing all of the city’s hills. This is obvious as escalators are almost public transport in Perugia. In the Old Town centre, you’ll find several series of escalators that link up the upper and lower parts of Perugia.

But it doesn’t stop there. The city introduced a cable car/monorail/metro line called the MiniMetro. It runs from the very bottom of the hill beyond the city’s main train station and goes up into the heart of the old town. A ticket only costs 1.5€ so it’s an inexpensive way to save yourself a steep walk, either up or down.

While the MiniMetro is great if you arrive in Perugia by train, it can be useful if you drive to Perugia. Just park at the bottom of the hill outside the Old Town and take the monorail up to avoid trying to navigate its razor-thin streets.

Where to stay in Perugia

When staying in Perugia, the historic centre is the obvious area of the city to look at. You want to be close to the attractions and experience its old-fashioned atmosphere as much as possible. Apartments, B&Bs and guesthouses vastly outnumber hotels in Perugia, so keep that in mind when looking. Unfortunately, it’s the most budget-friendly destination.

Highly rated options in the historic centre of Perugia include:

• Locanda della Posta Boutique Hotel
• Hotel Priori Secret Garden
• Times Suites
• Hotel Morlacchi (budget-friendly option)

Useful Perugia tours

Even an independent traveller like me likes to take tours now and then. They not only make it easier to visit destinations on day trips, but they also take all the hard parts out of sightseeing in a destination.

Tours in Perugia mostly focus on walking tours of the historic centre and food tours/activities that dive into Umbria’s special cuisine. The most popular tours are:

• Perugia Walking Tour with Licensed Guide
• Taste Perugia Food Tour Led by Local
• Hands on Italian Cooking Classes

The best things to do in Perugia

One to two days in Perugia feels like the right amount of time to spend in the city. Except for day trips, you should find you can cover these places to visit in Perugia in that time.

1. Admire the Palazzo dei Priori

Why not start with probably the most striking building in all of Perugia? The Palazzo dei Priori is situated in the centre of the old town of Perugia and was home to the civilian magistrate and later the local governor. Over the Grand Portal seen above were the symbols of the city, a Griffin and a Lion, not to mention the keys to the city of Siena upon a chain, for a time.

2. Visit the Perugia Cathedral

Across the Palazzo is the Perugia Cathedral of San Lorenzo and a rather uncommon cathedral at that. From its unconventional pattern along its side to its orientation away from the main square, the Perugia Cathedral is just a little different. Also along its side are numerous statues, a pulpit and the Braccio Lodge, a notable Renaissance structure.

3. Take a seat in Piazza IV Novembre

For a break, take a seat on the stairs outside the Palazzo dei Priori or Cathedral and watch people pass through the central square of Piazza IV Novembre. A major feature of the square is the ornate fountain Fontana Maggiore, which looks even more special at night. During Christmas time, the square also hosts a small Christmas Market and is a popular meeting point for locals year-round. Certainly one of the easiest things to do in Perugia.

4. Walk along Corso Pietro Vannucci

The main pedestrian street passing through the heart of Perugia is the Corso Pietro Vannucci, which is festively decorated around Christmas time. This artery of the city is lined with bars, cafes and plenty of clothes shops, not to mention some worn, but elegant buildings.

It’s here that you’ll find many of the best things to see in Perugia. Corso Pietro Vannucci reflects both the wear and tear found throughout Perugia, but also its architectural splendour.

5. Admire the artwork in Via della Viola

Down an unsuspecting backstreet out behind the main centre of Perugia, I came across all these unusual art installations up and down Via della Viola. Whatever the reason, they certainly made this one, kooky and unique street stand out amongst the historic, traditional city centre.

6. Watch over Perugia at the Porta Sole

After chatting with a friendly gentleman outside a nearby church, he suggested I head up to the lookout at Porta Sole, the highest point in town. I’m quite glad he did because, with the fog lifting, I could not only see heaps of the city but also out across the beautiful Umbrian hillside.

From the viewpoint you almost have a 180° view from the north to south, seeing how Perugia was shaped by its terrain. The best viewpoint in the city in my opinion and a must when visiting Perugia.

7. Wander through the Backstreets

What comes with an old town with a messy maze of streets is the opportunity to deviate from the main parts and venture into the unknown. Much of what I loved about Perugia was the way its labyrinthine layout encourages you to wander down random alleys and explore its backstreets, whether deliberately or accidentally.

There’s a certain elegance in the way the streets and stairways piece together in Perugia. It’s truly a place where you can be lost one moment and then realise you’ve somehow arrived above where you were by going downhill, in something straight out of an Escher print.

8. Savour some delicious porchetta

Perugia and wider Umbria are known for their love of meat and the most popular sandwich throughout is with the local Porchetta. Slices of fatty, salty, roast pork, Porchetta are crazy delicious and I would have eaten it for every meal were it socially acceptable.

Each place I went to prepared it slightly differently, with different cuts of meat, so I recommend trying multiple places if you eat meat and love delicious flavour. Another way to explore the local cuisine is by joining one of the Perugia food tours on offer.

9. See the Arco Etrusco o di Augusto gate

Quite possibly the most imposing of the entrances into the upper reaches of Perugia’s old town, the Etruscan Gate is a thick and solid gate on the city’s northern end.

The gate is one of five that allows access into Perugia Old Town through the thick walls built by the Etruscans between 600 and 300 BC when they inhabited the city. It’s worth exploring around the walls to see each of the different gates but the Arco Etrusco o di Augusto is by far the most dramatic.

10. Walk along the aqueduct

An unexpected find as I ventured away from the centre of Perugia was the long path atop the aqueduct stretching away. I instantly realised how unusual it looked from above and decided that I had to walk on top of it.

What’s bizarre to me is that there are houses along the Via dell’Acquedotto – people literally live along an aqueduct by their front door. Imagine having your front door lead out onto the top of an aqueduct.

11. Visit the markets inside Rocca Paolina Fortress

Visiting a market is fine and all, but visiting a market in the subterranean tunnels beneath a medieval fortress? That’s just plain cool. At the southern end of Perugia Old Town is the Rocca Paolina Fortress and a series of tunnels that lead from below up to the old town.

Inside these tunnels, you’ll find many of the souvenir and craft stalls that you’d expect to see above ground but I was too busy taking in the whole scene. Coolest market I think I’ve been to.

12. Visit the Oratory of San Bernardino

The Oratory of San Bernardino is a small attraction that I wasn’t aware of as I wandered around Perugia. This small private chapel is in the gardens of Piazza San Francesco and its facade is sure to catch your notice. Not only is it decorated in Renaissance reliefs, but the almost-pastel colours of the facade make it an unusual landmark, especially in Perugia. Between the chapel and the adjoining church, you’ll find MusA, a small art museum that seems to belong to the city university.

13. Head to the Basilica di San Domenico and San Pietro

While many of the main sights to see are located in and around the centre of town, there are some areas outside the gates of Perugia Old Town. One of these leads along the Corso Cavour, first stopping at the Basilica of Saint Dominic, before heading out to the Basilica of Saint Peter.

Both are quite different, with the Basilica of Saint Dominic housing a museum and the Basilica of Saint Peter part of the university I believe and sitting by a pleasant park. It’s a nice stretch of town if you want to escape the stone maze of the old town.

14. Watch the sunset from Giardini Carducci

Who doesn’t like watching a good sunset when they’re travelling? Well, Perugia has the perfect sunset viewing point in the gardens of Giardini Carducci. From this viewpoint, you can not only look out towards the Saint Peter and Saint Dominic basilicas, but you see out to the gorgeous Umbrian countryside as the sun sets behind it. What a view, huh?

15. See Perugia by night

Some places are just made to be explored at night and Perugia is one of them. It’s as if the worn, historic atmosphere of the city is just amplified by the fall of darkness and yet it doesn’t feel unwelcoming or spooky, ok maybe a little.

There’s something about the cold light on the ever-present stone among its narrow streets that is equal parts romantic and gothic. Or maybe I’m just a little nuts for Perugia.

16.  Do a day trip to Assisi

As Perugia is the capital of the Umbria region, it does make sense to base yourself here to explore more of Umbria.

One of the easiest day trips from Perugia is to the hilltop town of Assisi. The town is famous for St Francis of Assisi and sees many people make a pilgrimage to visit the town and pay respects at the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.

You don’t have to be a devout Catholic to enjoy Assisi though. The town is gorgeous, with stone streets, old houses, and countless bell towers popping out of its rooftops. Above it all, there’s also a fortress with phenomenal panoramic views that you can admire.

Related: A Pilgrimage Day Trip to Assisi, Italy

Have you had a chance to visit Perugia before and what were your favourite things to do? If not, which of the above would you do first? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

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