Assisi, Umbria

Panoramic View of Assisi

Explore the Cities and Towns of Umbria

Our Local Expertise in Assisi

Over 20 years of creating unforgettable experiences

Licensed & Insured

We are a fully licensed Italian tour operator. All our guides hold official regional accreditation, and our drivers are NCC-certified professional chauffeurs.

Local Knowledge

Our team lives and works in Assisi. We don't just know the landmarks — we know the hidden alleys, the best tables, and the stories that make this place unforgettable.

Tailored Experiences

Every itinerary is custom-crafted for you. Whether it's a private guided tour at dawn or a wine tasting in a family vineyard, we design experiences that match your pace and interests.

Overview

Assisi sits on the western slopes of Mount Subasio and offers sublime views over the valley below.  It is a city of about 5,500 full time citizens with another 25,000 in the hills and valley below.  The city draws millions of tourists each year and is considered to be one of the most important religious sites after Vatican City in Italy and pilgrims, mostly monks from the San Franciscan tradition come every year to visit St. Francesco's tomb which is located in the cathedral here.

Very few visitors who come however ever venture into the town of Assisi itself, which is incredibly intriguing, charming, and very beautiful.

When visiting Assisi you may want to start your visit in the valley below with a visit to the Basilica Santa Maria degli Angeli, an imposing structure in a setting that affords one to step back and glimpse the entire front of the edifice.  Inside, there are remarkable frescoes, paintings, and sculptures.  Inside, you will also find a small church, called the Porziuncola, where St. Francis and his followers are said to have founded the Frati Minori (Minor Friars) way back in 1209.

Then make your way to Assisi, by foot (about 2km), car or bus.  You might want to orient yourself by starting (or ending) your visit at the Basilica San Francesco, wherein you will find the tomb of Saint Francis (and various other notables), and numerous objects of art, some of which are quite stunning.  Cimabue and Giotto, among others, painted here.

Afterwards, make your way uphill into the city itself along the medieval Via San Francesco (of course).  You will encounter numerous restaurants, cafes, gelaterias and shops, some of them with very artistic - and inviting - window displays.  Eventually, you will come to a small piazza with a water fountain, where you will be confronted with the choice of following one of several streets.  Better have one of the impeccably wonderful gelatos while pondering your choices.

Generally speaking, we advise you to head uphill...probably along Via Brizi until you come to the Piazza del Commune, where you can catch your breath while marveling at the "works of man" made manifest in every cobblestone and building.

From there, keep moving uphill (yes, more uphill) along the Via San Rufino until you come to the Duomo.  It is very cool inside - in all meanings of the word.

The next part of your journey will take you to Piazza Matteoti and then on to the ruins of a Roman Amphitheatre.  You can sit down and rest your weary bones for awhile and then head east or west to take a look at a couple of ancient forts.  The most impressive is the Rocca Maggiore to the west, although the Rocca Minore is worth seeing too.

Once you have achieved the summit of Assisi, and have quite exhausted yourself physically and emotionally, it will be time to head back to the Basilica of San Francesco.  Do yourself a favor - do not reverse your steps.  You really can't get lost, so just head down in the general direction, taking the unheralded streets and alleys of the city.  It is the best way to transform yourself from tourist into traveler.

Enjoy!

 

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Assisi

Stories That Stay With You

Here's what our guests share about their unforgettable journeys

“I have traveled to Italy 2x with the IVS for my own pleasure trips and 2x for business with IVS. These guys really pay attention and make your trip go like clockwork. Italy is nuts, just saying! There are so many rules and restrictions now, so we did not want to drive ourselves. Having traveled with them many times and done business on several occasions, most definitely USE this company. They know”
[Read More] JoAnne Beaudoin, Retired Nurse
“As a travel agent, but also a traveler to Italy, thee is no other company I would recommend than the Italy Vacation Specialists. Not only do they really care about what they are doing, they also really know Italy and try to educate many people about ways they can best see the country and not fall into tourist traps. I have been on 4 trips with the IVS team, firstly when they did my first 2 trips f”
[Read More] Laura Chomiak, Travel Agent
“This company really knows their stuff and recommended our family to stay longer in each location. We didn't listen to them, but wished we had in every single place we went. They recommended Sestri Levante over the Cinque Terre which was our favourite destination on our entire trip. We visited Rome where we stayed in the outstanding Hotel Locorno where they know the owner there, like in every place”
[Read More] Sean & Veet Chapman, CGA
“Jesse, There are no words to describe the fabulous time we had in Italy. Everything went as you promised. Absolutely no problems! The venues were fabulous. The guides were punctual and helpful. It couldn't have worked out better. You and your staff deserve high praise for the quality and efficiency of your work. BTW, Guiseppe was an absolute delight. We enjoyed his informative and effervescent per”
[Read More] Jo Ann West
“In August 2018, my family of four and myself travelled from Vancouver, BC to Rome Italy and spent 3 weeks touring Italy with IVS. This company had come highly recommended by many friends and associates of ours who had used them before and indeed to say they do an outstanding job is an understatement. You can tell while being in Italy that it is one complicated place to run tours in, just by the sh”
[Read More] Vijaya Sunil CPA, CGA
“I am a travel agent with All About Honeymoons and I would highly recommend Italy Vacation Specialists. Jessica was wonderful in helping us plan in a last minute anniversary vacation during high season without any issues. She even checked on our clients while on vacation to make sure things were going well. I plan on using them again soon for all my future bookings!”
[Read More] Tammy Joyce, All About Honeymoons
“I traveled with JoAnn West through your services, guided by Giuseppe, in July of this year. What a wonderful experience; your service is really top notch! If I return to Italy for a tour, I will absolutely use your services again and recommend you to my friends!”
[Read More] Lucretia Brower
“In September of 2018 I brought a group of 12 from Venice to Sicily and organized all of my services with the Italy Vacation Specialists. Being a travel agent and in the business, I know how complicated organizing travel arrangements can be in Italy and the IVS team took a huge burden off of me! I would like to start of by saying "THANK YOU" both for the amazing job you did on our trip. There was n”
[Read More] Ann Brownell, KHM Travel Group
“Jesse & Giuseppe, Sandy and I have been looking through my slides of our trip to Southern Italy. We had such a good time with you and Giuseppe that we wanted to let you know again. You were the best guides ever.”
[Read More] Bob & Sandy
“The trip was great; we appreciate all the hard work you and your team invested to make our experience a once in a lifetime trip. We appreciate all the attention to the details, in particular Giuseppe spending the time and the focus with us on the road and as we were exploring your great country.”
[Read More] Leon and Michele

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