Our vacation in Umbria felt as if we’d discovered Italy’s best-kept secret! It borders the busy region of Tuscany, but we couldn’t believe how little tourism there is here. Yes, there’s no coast, but it more than makes up for it with its incredible towns, festivals, rivers, and lakes. We even discovered one of the biggest waterfalls in Europe! Here are all our favorite things to do in Umbria, Italy.
1. Gubbio and its Festa dei Ceri
We visited Gubbio because we’d heard of its famous annual event, the Festa dei Ceri (Candle Race), held on May 15th. To celebrate the patron saints, local teams race through the streets to the Basilica — carrying huge (!) wooden monuments. It’s one of the craziest festivals we’ve ever seen; it was so cool to see the crowds cheering, local musicians, and the banquets that follow the event.
If you can’t visit during Festa dei Ceri, there are still many things to see in this charming town.
- The ancient Roman Theatre
- Piazza Grande
- Iguvine tablets (bronze artifacts dating to the 3rd century BC!)
- Walk through the terraced streets up Mount Ingino
- The Basilica at the top of Mount Ingino
- Or take the town table car if you don’t want to walk ;)
2. Lago Trasimeno, Umbria
Umbria’s answer to Lake Como is the remarkable Lago Trasimeno, a vast lake with 3 islands and small medieval towns on its edges. The lake sits close to the border of Tuscany and the hilltop town of Cortona and is surrounded by rolling green hills, sunflower fields, and woodland.
We did a boat tour of the small islands (Isola Maggiore and Isola Polvese. Isola Minore is private), which was fantastic. During the day, you can stop to do watersports like wakeboarding or kayaking, and at night, have dinner on one of the islands for a magical lake sunset.
Isola Maggiore
One of our favorite stops on our Lago Trasimeno tour was Maggiore Island. The island is home to only 12 people, one ancient street, a small beach, and a few restaurants. We walked to the other side of the island through the olive groves and found a beautiful, abandoned castle overlooking the lake (here is the location).
Tip: We had a delicious dinner at Da Sauro, a fresh fish restaurant. We didn’t stay overnight, but in the summer, some campsites are open if you want to extend your visit.
3. Marmore Waterfall
We really weren’t expecting to find a waterfall like this in Umbria!
- Marmore is one of the highest waterfalls in Europe, at 165 meters
- Manmade by the Romans
- Used today to generate electricity
- Note: When the waterfall generates electricity for the power plant, you cannot access it
- It’s most powerful between 10 AM and 5 PM. Check this timetable for the power schedule
- You can’t swim at Marmore Waterfall
Tickets cost 10 EUR (11 USD), and you can buy them here.
How to get to Marmore Waterfall
To get to Marmore Waterfall, we first walked through the stunning surrounding parkland before entering a unique walkway. Here, we were able to access multiple viewpoints close to the waterfall.
4. Visit Spoleto: Top Thing to do in Umbria
Spoleto is often thought of as one of the most beautiful cities in Umbria, and we have to agree! Our favorite spot was the beautiful aqueduct, Ponte delle Torri. The bridge is 80 meters high and 230 meters long, and has seriously impressive views. We headed to the Church of San Pietro, which offers the best viewpoint of the bridge.
Some other must-see spots in town:
- Duomo Spoleto (check out the frescoes inside by Filippo Lippi)
- San Salvatore Basilica
- Gelateria Crispini (we recommend the pistachio gelato — out of this world!)
5. Explore Rasiglia
Rasiglia is an ancient stone village that sits at the foot of the beautiful Apennine Mountains, surrounded by green woodland. It’s most famous for all the waterways that flow through the town, earning it the nickname ‘Venice of Umbria’.
- Cross the sweet wooden and stone bridges
- Visit one of the museums inside the restored mills (and learn about hydropower)
- We spent 1 hour in the village, and that was plenty to see everything
- Best to visit on a weekday, as on the weekend, it gets busy with locals
- (Read our Rasiglia, Italy Travel Guide here)
6. Go for a Hot Air Balloon Ride
Going on a hot air balloon ride was definitely one of the best activities we did in Umbria. We woke up in time for sunrise, so we could see the region above the clouds, including cities like Assisi and Perugia!
Good to know: Our hot air balloon tour took around 1-2 hours and included a delicious Italian breakfast after the flight.
7. Visit a Winery
Just like Tuscany, Umbria has fantastic wine. We visited Lungarotti in Torgiano (they also have another winery in Montefalco), and it was one of the most impressive wineries we’ve ever seen! We learned all about the process from grape to glass, with fantastic explanations from very knowledgeable winemakers.
Once we finished our tour through the vineyards, we got to taste the wine and olive oil made here. They are also known as the producers of Italy’s best red wine (2016)!
8. Assisi
Assisi is an important pilgrimage site, and as we drove towards the town, we were both speechless watching the sun hitting the warm stone of the houses.
Also read: Assisi, Italy: Best Things To Do
Our favorite things to do in town were:
- St Francis Basilica: two cathedrals built on top of each other, with one of the most mind-blowing interiors we’ve ever seen. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to take photos inside, so it’ll be a nice surprise for your trip!
- Take a tuk-tuk through the narrow streets.
- Grab a gelato or drink on one of the pretty squares.
- Visiting in May? Check out the medieval Calendimaggio festival, where locals dress up in costumes to celebrate the arrival of Spring.
Best time to visit: Out of season, Assisi is truly one of the most peaceful cities, so visit outside of the summer months to see it at its absolute best.
9. Assisi Viewpoint + Horses
After our day in Assisi, we drove to this beautiful viewpoint that overlooks the city and the rest of Umbria. At a height of 1200 meters, this has to be one of the most fantastic views in the region.
Best of all, at the top, we found lots of wild horses roaming free across the lands and roads (apparently they’re not always there, but you might get lucky!
We recommend to rent a car in Italy through Sunny Cars with free cancellation and insurance included. Book your rental car here.
Tip: On our way back, we stopped at the village of Collepino, where we saw the remains of a medieval castle. It’s also another great viewpoint of the valley below.
10. Gorges of Nera & Vasca Profonda
The Gorges of Nera is an incredible hidden gem in Umbria! We followed a 5-km walking path along a former railway track that runs along the River Nera, passing through fairy-tale woodland and lush green meadows.
We started the route from the Augustus Bridge at Narni, which has been painted by many impressionists. Narni also inspired the film The Chronicles of Narnia.
Stifone, Umbria (Italy)
Along the trail, we stopped at the small village of Stifone, home to crystal clear waters and the ruins of old water mills in the Vasca Profonda (‘deep tub’). There are even remains of an ancient Roman port and shipyard.
Note: Bathing’s not allowed, but there are plenty of other pools nearby to swim in. We also recommend visiting during the week if you can, as the weekends get busy with local walkers.
11. Visit Perugia
Perugia is the capital city of Umbria, but it’s also a student city, so we found it to be one of the livelier spots on our trip. There are plenty of great restaurants and bars (our favorite for an aperitif with a great view is Punto di Vista).
We had no idea that Perugia is also known as the city of chocolate! It’s home to the famous Perugina chocolate factory and the ‘Euro Chocolate’ festival, which is held here every October.
Read more about: Things to do in Perugia, Italy.
We also explored the underground streets from medieval times. There is even an underground escalator system that allows you to pass through the buried city and escape the summer heat.
12. Taste Truffles
We’re big truffle fans, and Umbria is one of the most famous regions in Italy to taste them. If we’d had more time, we would have joined one of the countryside tours led by expert truffle hunters. They teach you how to find truffles and the different varieties, with a tasting at the end.
13. Spello
Spello is another beautiful hilltop town nestled in Umbria. However, this gorgeous stone town has a twist; it’s known as the ‘city of flowers’!
Make sure to also check out the beautiful Roman ruins at the edge of the town. Here is the location.
14. Italian Cooking Class
Every time we visit Italy, we try to do a cooking class, and Umbria would be a great spot for it. There are lots of country estates that offer this experience, using local ingredients, and you’ll get to eat everything at the end!
15. Orvieto
Set on a cliff overlooking the valley below, Orvieto is one of Italy’s most important historic cities (dating back to the Etruscan era). Much of this history is buried among the city’s 1200 underground caves!
Read everything about the things to do in Orvieto, Italy.
We particularly loved:
- The stunning Duomo (mesmerizing stonework and mosaics)
- Albornoz Fortress (which has a beautiful viewpoint overlooking the countryside)
- The steep city streets (and the funicular/escalator that took us to the top!)
16. Rafting on the Nera River
Rafting on the Nera River was a real highlight for us; we got to see some beautiful scenery, fall down rapids, and jump into the river from the rocky gorge above.
The tour we did took about 2-hours with all the gear provided. All we needed to bring was swimwear, a towel, and our waterproof camera or GoPro for some fun photos.
Where to Stay in Umbria
We stayed at Borgobrufa in Brufa, a beautiful resort with a pool overlooking the countryside (super relaxing after a day of sightseeing!). From here, we took day trips in our Italian rental car, which were never more than a 1-hour drive.
If you want to stay somewhere a bit livelier, the bigger cities and towns of Assisi, Spello, and Perugia all look like great options.
How to Visit Umbria
We flew into Perugia airport (Rotterdam and Barcelona both have direct flights this summer season). However, you can also fly to a larger airport, like Rome or Florence, and take the train or rental car to Umbria.
Another large city in Umbria is Terni, which also has a small airport. However, it only offers domestic flights to other cities in Italy, such as Rome. For more information about getting to Umbria, check out this page.
Getting Around Umbria
The main thing we noticed about Umbria is that it’s still very untouched; there are fewer tourists than places like Tuscany a less-developed infrastructure. We personally loved this, but it does mean there are very few public transport options, so we recommend renting a car in Italy.
We rented ours from the airport in Perugia, and from here, all destinations in the region were within a 1-hour drive.
We recommend to rent a car in Italy through Sunny Cars with free cancellation and insurance included. Book your rental car here.
How Much Does Umbria Cost?
Because Umbria still remains off the radar for most tourists, it’s far cheaper than other places, like Tuscany or Venice. We loved that most things were free, even many of the historical sites, and it’s a reasonable price for activities and tours (although this may change in the high season).
Best Time to Visit Umbria
We visited Umbria in May to see the Festa dei Ceri, and it was the perfect month! It was still warm, but very peaceful. In general, Umbria is relatively quiet year-round, though it does get much busier in the summer when Italians are on holiday.
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This is fabulous! Thank you.
Planning a week in Umbria in May. Just wanted to clarify that you made Brufa your base and covered all the places mentioned in the blog (from Orvieto/Spello/Assisi /Gubbio etc) in one hour day trips? Thanks,
Hi Paromita, yes that’s correct! You can base yourself anywhere central in the region (Assisi, Spello, Brufa, Perugia, etc.) and travel to the locations mentioned in our guide in max ~1 hour drive.