Assisi from Florence in a day

Is Assisi doable as a day trip from Florence?

Yes, but it is a long day: about 5.5 to 6 hours of travel round trip by train or coach, leaving five or six hours in town.

Assisi lies about 170 km south-east of Florence by road, and every option takes roughly as long: the train 2 h 40 to 2 h 55, the coach and the private car about 2.5 hours each way according to guests. The difference is what you do with the hours in between.

Five hours in Assisi covers the essentials: the basilica with a guide, Santa Chiara, the Piazza del Comune and a proper lunch. What it does not cover is a second town as well, unless you accept a quick look at both. That is the central trade-off of every tour on this route.

If you have the flexibility, one night in Assisi changes everything: the town empties after 6 p.m. when the coaches leave. For a day trip, go on a weekday, since guides cannot explain inside the basilica on Sundays and holidays.

How do you get from Florence to Assisi by train?

A direct Regionale Veloce from Firenze Santa Maria Novella runs via Terontola and Perugia to Assisi in about 2 h 40 to 2 h 55. Fare 17.60 euro, fixed.

No change needed. Our October 2026 query on Trenitalia's planner showed direct departures from Santa Maria Novella at 08:02 (arriving 10:55), 12:14 and 14:14, so only the first one is useful for a day trip. Coming back, trains left Assisi at 15:04 (into Florence 17:57), 17:13 (19:52) and 19:06 (21:50).

Like all regional fares, the 17.60 euro price is the same whether you buy today or next month. Look up the exact train numbers the day before: regional timetables shift a little each December.

At Assisi station, add the 1.30 euro bus to the old town; Trenitalia sells it with your train ticket as Assisi Link. The bus leaves from the station forecourt and ends at Piazza Matteotti at the top of town.

What is the Assisi and Perugia day tour from Florence like?

A cheap, long coach day: $107 with a tour leader, a local guide in Assisi and time in Perugia. Guests praise the guides and say Assisi feels rushed.

The Ciao Florence Tours day (our review of the Assisi and Perugia tour) leaves from the kiosk at Piazzale Montelungo, a 5 to 10 minute walk from Santa Maria Novella; look for staff in fuchsia jackets. The 11-hour itinerary gives about an hour in Perugia with the Duomo and the Eurochocolate store (a chocolate tasting is an option), then Assisi with a local guide through the Basilica of St Francis, free time for Santa Chiara and the Carlo Acutis tomb, and a last stop at Santa Maria degli Angeli. It is rated 4.2 and costs from $107; food is extra and groups go up to 30.

The good reviews focus on the guides and on seeing Umbria at all: "Our time in Assisi was great too! The basilica is awesome!" one October 2026 guest wrote. The weak ones follow a pattern:

• Not enough Assisi. "Would like more time in Assisi than in Perugia", and from another guest, "Everything felt rushed. Needed more time in Assisi."
• Long days. Guests report 12 to 13 hours door to door, more than the 11 on the listing.
• Two languages. English and Spanish are guaranteed, which means commentary in both: "It is not only in English so information takes a long time."
• The walk in. Coaches park below the walls; one guest reports parking at the Giovanni Paolo II car park, with no escalator up. Assisi is steep, and an 85-year-old in one group struggled.

Older reviews describe an Orvieto and Assisi version; the current listing runs via Perugia. At $107 for transport, two guides and a full day, it is fair value if you accept the pace.

Coach from beside Santa Maria Novella, a local guide in Assisi and Perugia on the way, for about the price of a nice dinner. A long day, fully handled.

★ 4.2 · 11 hours · from $107

Explore the Assisi and Perugia day from Florence → Tour details

Can you combine Assisi and Perugia in one day?

Yes, easily by train: Perugia sits on the same line, about 20 minutes from Assisi. Give Assisi the morning and Perugia an hour or two.

The Florence train passes through Perugia's main station, Fontivegge, before reaching Assisi. Perugia's old town is on a hill too; the Minimetrò runs from beside the station up to Pincetto in the centre in about 10 minutes (a single ticket is 1.50 euro). From there, Corso Vannucci, the Fontana Maggiore and the cathedral are a short walk.

A DIY version: take the 08:02, stay on to Assisi, spend the main part of the day there, then catch a train back towards Perugia (around 20 minutes) for a late-afternoon walk and an aperitivo before the evening train to Florence. Doing Assisi first matters. A guest on the coach tour, which visits Perugia first, wrote: "If we had gone to Assisi first we wouldn't have been so tired when we arrived there."

Honestly, though, two hill towns in one long day is a lot. If Assisi is the reason you are going, keep Perugia for another trip.

Is the private Assisi and Cortona tour from Florence worth it?

For a small group that values comfort, yes; for a couple watching costs, no. You get a driver, about three hours in Assisi and two in Cortona.

The private day (our review of the private Assisi and Cortona day) is run by the same operator as the coach. A driver collects you at your Florence hotel in a Mercedes, drives about 2.5 hours to Assisi (guests' figure), gives you free time there, often with a stop at Santa Maria degli Angeli, then about two hours in Cortona on the way back. It is rated 4.7 and priced from $624 per person, with the price per person depending on party size (1 to 8 travellers).

The key choice at booking is the option. The basic version is a driver only. The "English + Assisi Guided Tour" option adds a 2-hour guide in Assisi, and guests who took it are glad they did: "We opted for the two hour guided tour of Assisi and that was the best decision." Without it, one reviewer felt the day was "not worth the price for driving service". Cortona splits opinion too; one five-star review is titled "Fabulous Assisi Tour, Cortona added on top was a bit much."

Cortona by public transport on the same day as Assisi is not practical: its station, Camucia, is below the town and connections are thin. That is the one thing this car does that the train cannot.

Hotel pickup in Florence, your own driver and two hill towns at your pace. Pick the option with the Assisi guide.

★ 4.7 · 10 hours · from $624

Explore the private Assisi and Cortona day → Tour details

Train or tour from Florence: which should you choose?

Train if Assisi is the point and you are fine with a 7 a.m. alarm. Coach if you want Perugia too and no logistics. Private car for groups who want comfort.

Laid side by side, the figures make the choice fairly clear:

What should you see in Assisi with only five hours?

The basilica with a guide, Santa Chiara and the Piazza del Comune, plus lunch. Leave the Rocca and San Damiano for another time.

From the bus at Piazza Matteotti, walk down: San Rufino cathedral (5 minutes), Santa Chiara with the San Damiano crucifix and the saint's body in the crypt, the Temple of Minerva on the Piazza del Comune, lunch, then the Basilica of St Francis for the afternoon. A guided walk such as the small-group Assisi walk follows almost exactly this line in 2.5 hours, leaving you time for lunch and a look at the Carlo Acutis tomb in Santa Maria Maggiore.

Entry to the basilica is free; you only pay for a guide and headsets (2.50 to 3 euro). Cover knees and shoulders. Photos are not allowed inside. Catch the bus down by about 16:30 for the 17:13 train, or by 15:30 if you want Santa Maria degli Angeli first. Our one-day Assisi itinerary has the full timed route.

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