Tips and tours for explorers and travellers
Assisi City Guide
Ciceru climbs Assisi from the frescoed Basilica di San Francesco through Piazza del Comune, where a Roman temple front still stands, up to the Rocca Maggiore keeping watch over the valley and Santa Maria degli Angeli below.
- Country
- Italy
- Language
- Italian
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Plug
- type L
- Time zone
- Europe/Rome
- Emergency
- 112
- Tap water
- Generally safe
- Dialling code
- +39
The stops
Things to do in Assisi
Our Assisi route concentrates on the Franciscan heart of town, the Basilica di San Francesco and Chiesa Nuova, then climbs past Piazza del Comune and San Rufino to the Rocca Maggiore, with a detour toward Santa Maria degli Angeli in the valley.
Chiesa di San Pietro
L'oratorio dei pellegrini
Piazza del comune
Chiesa Nuova
La basilica di Santa Chiara
Cattedrale di San Rufino
Rocca Maggiore
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Weather & crowds
Best time to visit
Late April to early June and September give warm days without August's 31°C peak. November is the wettest month at 94.7mm and January the coldest at 1°C. Come for Calendimaggio in early May or 3 to 4 October for the Feast of St Francis, when the town is fullest but at its most Franciscan.
Winter
Dec–Feb1–11°C/ 35–51°F
Few visitorsOccasional rain
- Basilica without queues
- Quiet cobbled streets
- Near freezing nights, icy cobbles
Spring
Mar–May7–19°C/ 44–66°F
Getting busierOccasional rain
- Calendimaggio pageant
- Mild hillside walks
- Rain most likely in May, 75.6mm
Don't miss
Calendimaggio (Wednesday to Saturday after 1 May)
Summer
Jun–Aug16–30°C/ 61–85°F
Peak seasonDry
- Long evening light
- August highs near 31°C, little shade uphill
Early autumn
Sep–Oct12–23°C/ 53–73°F
BusyWet
- Feast of St Francis
- Wettest stretch: 86 to 88mm in Sept and Oct
Don't miss
Feast of St Francis (3 to 4 October)
Late autumn
Nov6–15°C/ 43–58°F
Few visitorsWet
- November is the wettest month at 94.7mm
Transport
How to get to & around Assisi
Perugia San Francesco Airport
| Umbria Airlink bus to Piazza Matteotti | 29 min | €5.00 |
|---|
Roma Termini
| Regionale train, some via Foligno | about 2h15 | €14.00 |
|---|
Firenze S.M. Novella
| Regionale train, some via Terontola | about 2h45 | €18.00 |
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Santa Maria degli Angeli
| Urban bus to centre, pre-purchased | 10 min | €1.30 |
|---|---|---|
| Same bus, paid to the driver | 10 min | €2.00 |
Walking
The only way uphillThe historic centre is a pedestrian hill town. Piazza del Comune to the Rocca Maggiore is a 15 to 20 minute climb on stepped stone lanes, and cars cannot use most of the old town's streets.
Urban bus
Station to townThe Busitalia bus from Santa Maria degli Angeli station to the centre takes about 10 minutes, roughly every 30 minutes. It is €1.30 pre-purchased against €2.00 if you pay the driver, valid 90 minutes.
Regional bus
Day trips outBusitalia's extraurban buses run to Perugia (from €4.20, €5.00 on board) and Foligno (from €3.00, €4.00 on board). Buy the ticket at a tabaccheria first; boarding without one costs more.
Driving
Centre is car freeThe walled centre is a limited traffic zone. Five electronic gates have fined cars without a resident permit since 16 September 2026. Park at Porta Nuova, Piazza Matteotti or Santa Chiara and walk in.
Cycling
Too steep to enjoyAssisi climbs steeply from the valley floor to the Rocca Maggiore on cobbled gradients. A bike is a burden inside the walls; save cycling for the flatter valley around Santa Maria degli Angeli.
Walk the old town, since nothing else can enter it. Buy your bus ticket before boarding, since the driver charges more, and treat a car as something you park outside the walls, not inside them.
Budget
How much does it cost to visit Assisi?
Assisi is cheap to move around if you buy the bus ticket before boarding, since the driver charges more. Food and drink track the wider Umbria average. The tourist tax, €2.00 to €5.00 per person per night by category, stops after the third consecutive night.
| Coffee at a bar | €1.30–€2.50 |
|---|---|
| Simple lunch, tourist menu | €12.00–€20.00 |
| Draught beer, 0.4 to 0.5L | €3.00–€6.00 |
| Urban bus, single ticket | €1.30–€2.00 |
| Urban bus, weekly pass | €12.00 |
| Busitalia bus to Perugia | €4.20–€5.00 |
| Busitalia bus to Foligno | €3.00–€4.00 |
| Taxi across the historic centre | ~€7.00–~€12.00 |
| Tourist tax, per person per night | €2.00–€5.00 |
Cash or card?
Cards are accepted in most cafes, restaurants and ticket offices. Small family run bars near the Basilica may prefer cash for amounts under €10. Keep coins for the offering boxes inside the churches, which do not take cards.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Assisi
Piazza del Comune and the upper town
First visit, monumentsMost of Ciceru's route sits within 15 minutes of here: the Basilica, San Rufino and the Rocca Maggiore, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Steep, and busy with groups by late morning.
Around San Pietro
Quieter, still centralThe western end of town around Chiesa di San Pietro, one of Ciceru's own stops, close to Porta San Pietro and the car parks below the walls. Fewer restaurants stay open late than in the centre.
Santa Maria degli Angeli
Budget, easy transportThe modern valley town around the station and the huge basilica housing the Porziuncola. Cheaper and flatter, 5km below the walled town, but you need the bus or a taxi to reach the centre's sights.
Near Rocca Maggiore
Views, quiet nightsThe highest, steepest part of the walled town at around 424 metres, with the widest views over the Umbrian valley. The climb from the main piazza is real, and few places serve dinner much past ten.
The tours
Assisi, one story at a time
€72 hours
Assisi: In the Footsteps of St. Francis and Clare
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Safety
Is Assisi safe?
Assisi is a small hill town built around a major pilgrimage site, and violent crime against visitors is rare. The everyday risks are physical rather than criminal: steep stone streets, uneven paving on the climb to the Rocca Maggiore, and narrow lanes shared with delivery vehicles even inside the pedestrian zone. A resident population under 28,000 sees far more day trippers on a normal afternoon.
Steep, uneven streets
Via San Francesco, Via San Rufino and the climb to Rocca Maggiore are stepped stone lanes, slippery when wet or icy in winter. Wear shoes with grip, not sandals, once you leave the main piazzas.
Traffic in the pedestrian zone
Cars mostly cannot enter the historic centre, but residents' vehicles, delivery vans and scooters are allowed at set hours. Keep to the sides of narrow lanes even where there is no pavement.
Reporting a theft
Insurance claims need a police report, the denuncia. File it the same day at the Carabinieri station in town or a Polizia station in Perugia; a claim without one is usually refused.
Medical help
Call 112 for any emergency, which reaches police, fire and ambulance across Umbria. For a non critical problem, ask your accommodation for the nearest Guardia Medica out of hours doctor point.
Crowds on feast days
The Basilica is at its most crowded around Calendimaggio in early May and the Feast of St Francis on 3 to 4 October. Watch belongings in the dense processions and queues on those days.
Good to know
Good to know
The Basilica keeps three sets of hours
Lower Church 06:00 to 19:00, closing at 18:00 on Wednesdays; Upper Church 08:30 to 18:45; the Tomb 06:00 to 18:15, plus Friday and Saturday nights 21:00 to 22:00 for personal prayer.
Buy the bus ticket before you board
A single urban ticket is €1.30 from a tabaccheria or machine, valid 90 minutes, but €2.00 if you pay the driver directly. The same rule applies on Busitalia's regional buses.
Calendimaggio takes over the town
From the Wednesday to the Saturday after 1 May, the rival factions Parte de Sopra and Parte de Sotto stage a medieval pageant judged by an outside jury, with processions and torchlit scenes. Book months ahead.
4 October is a normal working day
The Feast of St Francis, patron saint of Italy, brings liturgical ceremonies and civic events to the Basilica on 3 and 4 October, but it stopped being a national public holiday in 2008.
Questions
Assisi FAQ
Assisi's railway station is at Santa Maria degli Angeli, about 5km below the walled town. Busitalia's urban bus takes about 10 minutes up to the centre, roughly every 30 minutes. Buy the ticket first at a tabaccheria or machine for €1.30; paying the driver costs €2.00 instead.
For short stays, the single urban ticket at €1.30 pre-purchased, valid 90 minutes, covers the station-to-centre bus and any onward hop. If you are staying a week and taking day trips, the weekly pass at €12.00 usually works out cheaper than buying singles each day.
Yes. The comune charges €2.00 to €5.00 per person per night depending on the accommodation category, added by your hotel or host on top of the room rate. Most categories went up from 1 January 2026, and the tax stops applying after the third consecutive night.
Yes, and it has to be: most of the historic centre is closed to private cars. The trade off is gradient rather than distance. Piazza del Comune to the Rocca Maggiore is a genuine climb on stepped stone lanes, so wear proper shoes rather than sandals.
Yes. Violent crime against visitors is rare and the town is small enough that most streets are quiet rather than empty. The real risk after dark is the terrain: steep, unevenly lit stone lanes, so keep to routes you already know and wear shoes with grip.
Late April to early June or September, which give warm days without August's highs near 31°C. November is the wettest month at 94.7mm and January the coldest at around 1°C. Early May brings Calendimaggio, and 3 to 4 October the Feast of St Francis, both busy but distinctive times to be here.
Cards are widely accepted in cafes, restaurants and ticket offices. A few small, family run bars near the Basilica prefer cash for small amounts. The offering boxes inside the churches are cash or nothing, so keep some coins.
Yes. Italian mains water meets EU drinking water standards, and Assisi's public fountains run from the same supply unless a sign reads acqua non potabile. Refilling a bottle at a street fountain in the historic centre is normal practice here.