Umbria, Perugia & Assisi: the Heart of Italy

Well looked after all the time, this was a very good tour and well worth the money. Alan, May 2022 Reevoo

Perugia • Assisi • Cortona • Lake Trasimeno • Spoleto • Gubbio • Orvieto

Umbria, Perugia & Assisi

Journey to the green heart of Italy to discover unspoilt Umbria, with its archaeological treasures, fine art, hearty cuisine and Mediterranean landscape. Experience rolling countryside, as we go up soaring hills topped with time-warp towns, down into the magical Frasassi Caves and onto the sparkling waters of Lake Trasimeno.

Umbria

Your itinerary

DAY 1 – Arrival in Perugia

Arrive at Rome or Perugia airports for your transfer to your hotel.

DAY 2 – Perugia & free afternoon

We take a guided tour of this university city, along the Corso Pietro Vannucci to the Piazza IV Novembre. From the Piazza Italia you can take an escalator down to the streets of medieval Perugia, an underground world hidden within the 16th-century Rocca Paolina fortress. (B) + Included Experience – Guided tour of Perugia

DAY 3 – Assisi

This morning we head for Assisi, dominated by the vast Basilica of St Francis complex, which includes a Franciscan monastery and two churches. Sitting on the green hillside with the town climbing ever higher behind it, this is a UNESCO World Heritage site that attracts pilgrims from around the world. As we wander the flower-hung streets with our local guide, we learn how St Francis came to be so highly revered in Italy, from his early life as the spoilt son of a silk merchant, to his renouncement of riches and founding of the Franciscan Order of monks. We have some free time to explore the old-world town centre with its shuttered stone houses, ‘holein-the-wall’ shops and tiny family-run cafes – the silky ‘strangozzi’ pasta with rich, earthy black truffles is a must-try! A varied collection of churches and cathedrals dots the piazzas, while two medieval castles, Rocca Maggiore and Rocca Minore, jostle for dominance on the skyline. (B) + Included Experience – Guided tour of Assisi

DAY 4 – Cortona & Lake Trasimeno

This morning we travel towards Lake Trasimeno, known as the Sea of Umbria by locals of this landlocked region, a huge splash of azure surrounded by gently sloping green hills covered with olive groves, thick woodlands and the occasional lakeside town. From the lakeside town of Passignano, we take the ferry across the languid waters to Isola Maggiore. As we approach, the 19th-century Guglielmi Castel can be seen nestled into the wooden hillside. Those who wish can climb the shrubby hill path to the simple Church of St Michael the Archangel, a favourite meditation spot of St Francis. We take the ferry back to Casiglione del Lago, enjoying the view of the Castello del Leone or ‘fortress of the lion’, before

We stay in one of two hotels depending on your UK departure date.

Brufani Hotel, Perugia HHHH The hotel sits on the edge of Perugia’s hilltop historic centre, on one end overlooking the lower town towards the surrounding green countryside, and on the other leading onto the smart Piazza Italia. Sangallo Palace Hotel HHHH The four-star Sangallo Hotel is located next to the 15th Century Rocca Paolina Fortress and connected to the old town centre via an escalator, this is a convenient base for our tour of Umbria. Brufani Hotel

Sangallo Palace Hotel

continuing to Cortona. Cortona clutters the hillside with a tight muddle of terracotta rooftops, which hide a maze of narrow alleyways and wide piazzas. The spectacular view from the Piazza del Duomo is a must, leading the eye over the city walls and across the Tuscan countryside. (B) + Included Experience – Visit Cortona and Lake Trasimeno

DAY 5 – Spoleto & wine tasting

This morning we enjoy a guided tour of Spoleto, which sits on a foothill of the Apennines mountain range. The sight of the medieval arched bridge leading to the formidable Rocca Albornoziana fortress will remind you of an epic historical movie, while the city that sits behind it bears the hallmarks of Roman and Lombard rule. The desolate ruins of the ancient Roman amphitheatre are a contrast to the Romanesque cathedral that dazzles in the palest stone on the Piazza del Duomo.

For lunch you may be tempted by the smell of the slow-roasted porchetta that’s stuffed into sandwiches and sold from streetside stalls. Then we set out into the rich tapestry of Umbrian countryside once again to visit a leading

Siena

KEY

Arrive Depart Cortona Gubio

Perugia Assisi Lake Trasimeno

Spoleto

Orvieto

ITALY

ROME producer of Sagrantino di Montefalco wine, made from the black sagrantino grapes indigenous to the region, for a tasting. We’ll also sample the olive oil that this region is revered for worldwide, to complete an afternoon full of the true tastes of Umbria. (B) + Included Experience – Guided tour of Spoleto and wine tasting

DAY 6 – Frasassi Caves & Gubbio

We drive east this morning to the Marche region that lies between Umbria and the Adriatic, to explore the Frasassi Caves, considered to be among the most impressive in Europe. Our tour of these stunning karst caves, which can easily trick the eye with their glistening snowwhite walls and icicle-like stalactites and stalagmites, takes us into the Great Cave of the Wind – large enough to house the Milan cathedral.

This afternoon we return to Umbria to visit ancient Gubbio, which has roots going back to the Bronze Age. For lunch why not try a traditional ‘crescia’, a flaky flatbread stuffed with cheese and meat, before exploring this pretty, pristinely kept town, which climbs the lowest slope of Mount Ingino. The ruins of a Roman amphitheatre sit in the lower town, with the impenetrable-looking Church of St Francis. Gubbio’s medieval core then begins its ascent, the air fragranced by the flower boxes that dot the cobbled streets with splashes of colour, towards the Piazza Grande, a fantastic viewing platform overlooking the town. (B) + Included Experience – Guided tour of the Frasassi Caves and visit Gubbio

DAY 7 – Orvieto & Agriturismo lunch

This morning we end our journey of Etruscan discovery at another of this mysterious civilisation’s 12 key cities, Orvieto, whose ancient ruins lie in eerie underground caves. With the city built from the precipitous chunk of volcanic rock on which it sits, Orvieto looks almost at one with the red-hued rock – although the cathedral is a stand-out feature. After a ride up the tree-lined funicular tracks to the old town, we marvel at the intricate façade of this incredible Gothic building, featuring gilded frescoes that give it the appearance of being illuminated from within. After our discovery of Orvieto we stop at a rural restaurant, known locally as an agriturismo, to sample a menu of traditional fare grown in this fertile land at the heart of Italy. (B,L) + Included Experience – Visit Orvieto and enjoy lunch at an agriturismo

DAY 8 – Return flight

Transfer to the airport for your return flight. (B)

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2023

Your tour includes

• Return flights from a selection of regional airports with hotel transfers • Seven nights in four-star accommodation, inclusive of all local taxes • The services of our experienced and insightful tour manager

(B) Daily Breakfast, (L) 1 Lunch Prices are per person. For departure dates, prices and flights, please call or visit our website.

YOUR EXPERIENCES • 4 guided tours including Perugia,

Assisi, Spoleto and the Frasassi Caves • 4 visits including Cortona, Lake

Trasimeno, Gubbio and Orvieto • Taste traditional fare at a rural restaurant and sample Sagrantino di Montefalco wine

Please note: The use of air-conditioning in hotels in Italy is at the hotel’s discretion and is normally restricted to the summer months (mid-May to mid-September), depending on the temperature. Where hotels feature an outdoor swimming pool, this will be open during the summer months (weather permitting).

Based on 54 reviews