Walking in Umbria Short Break
- A walking short break in Italy’s green heart, Umbria
- Full-bodied Sagrantino wines and the rich earthiness of tartufo (truffles)
- Stay in the remarkable hilltop towns of Montefalco and Spello
- Assisi, the birthplace of Italy’s premier saint, St Francis
- An unspoiled region of old-world traditions and architectural treasures
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in Montefalco and overnightAn included transfer brings you from Foligno Train Station to Montefalco (20 minutes). Be sure to arrive early if you can and take advantage of sightseeing opportunities before embarking on your first day of walking in Umbria tomorrow or perhaps consider adding an extra night here to explore.
Known as the “balcony of Umbria” because of its lofty position overlooking the plain below which is covered with vineyards. This town is the centre of the Sagrantino wine region, as testified by the beautiful frescoes painted by Benozzo Gozzoli in the apse of St. Francis Church.
A 12th century town, 5 gates lead to paths up into the central piazza. There is plenty to see here and you will have a whole day to browse, perhaps starting with the Museo di San Francesco, which is part of the St Francis Church and where you can admire many fresco paintings from the Renaissance.
Round off your day with a glass of Sagrantino wine on the terrace of a restaurant which surrounds the main piazza.
The Oro Rosso Hotel and Restaurant is a small, traditional hotel in the historic centre of Montefalco. It is situated on a hill from where you can enjoy a great view of the surrounding countryside.
La Rocca Guest House & Spa is located in the historic centre of Montefalco, within the old town walls.
The Hotel Degli Affreschi is characterised by its original stone walls and decorative frescoes from the 16th and 19th centuries and yet modern rooms. The hotel is located in the heart of Montefalco, just a two-minute walk from the main piazza.
Today make your way down from Montefalco to the valley. Walking mostly on rural roads (and the occasional dirt track) with fields of sunflowers (in season), vineyards, olive groves and pretty farmland around you.
Then walk along the riverside path of the Fuime Clitunno for a while before reaching Bevagna, a medieval walled town that is distinguished for its abundance of monuments and its well-known gastronomic and wine traditions.
Some essential sights to see here are the San Michele Arcangelo and San Silvestro, two Romanesque churches that face each other across the lovely medieval main square, Piazza Silvestri. Make sure to enter the Museo di Bevagna where you can see an amazing marine-themed Roman mosaic and the Francesco Tort Theatre. Bevagna is a charming and delightful town and one of Umbria’s well-kept secrets.
As Bevagna has excellent local cuisine. Enjoy dinner this evening in one of the many excellent restaurants. There is one actually situated in the basement of the Roman Theatre!
Ascent/Descent: 20m/320m
Residenza Porta Guelfa is located in Umbria and offers free Wi-Fi, free parking, a spa, an outdoor pool and a transfer service. Each flat is elegantly furnished and offers a comfortable and luxurious experience.
This family-run hotel is located in a historic building in the medieval centre of Bevagna.
Leave historic Bevagna behind and make your way through bountiful farmland to Spello. Again, you will walk along a quiet riverside path for a while before following rural roads and tracks all the way into Spello. The Apennine Mountains are in view on the horizon and you can see both Spello and Assisi in the distance.
Spello is a charming and vibrant town built on the slopes of Monte Subasio. Originally a Roman settlement and famous for its flower festival that has been held for over 150 years, Spello also has two dozen medieval churches and the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre on the north side of the town.
Ascent/Descent: 90m/15m
The Hotel La Bastiglia, with its peaceful location in the centre of the Umbrian valley, offers a magnificent view of Assisi. The renovated hotel in the centre of Spello features antique furniture, ceramics and paintings from the 17th century, combining sophistication and modern design.
Today you have a choice of two walks. You can either take an easier route to Assisi or a more challenging one. The easier route takes you alongside the valley with higher ground to your right and the harder route takes you further up the hillside close to Monte Civitelle with breath-taking views from the rock promontories.
Assisi gets closer and closer as you walk and you can admire its very dramatic position on a rocky promontory. This city is steeped in the spirit of its most prominent and well-known resident, St Francis.
Consider an extra day here as there is so much to see; the Basilica di San Francesco, being the most famous. The lower Romanesque level holds St Francis’s tomb and you can also visit the Chapel of the Relics, which houses his sandals and tunic. The Upper Basilica has a high altar with frescoes by Giotto and Cavallini adorning the walls of the Gothic-style nave.
Easier walk: 12kms/8mi, Ascent/Descent: 300m/170m
Harder optional walk: 17kms/11mi, Ascent/Descent: 1030m/895m. This walk is a moderate graded walk.
The Hotel Giotto is located in the medieval quarter of Assisi, just 200 metres from the Basilica of St. Francis and with fantastic panoramic views as far as Spoleto and Perugia.
Hotel Fontebella is in Renaissance style and offers a marvellous view of the beautiful Umbrian valley.
Hotel Umbra is a three-star hotel in the heart of historic Assisi, offering views of both the city and the plain. The Umbra offers free Wi-Fi, an active bar and cafeteria and communal indoor and outdoor areas.
Take your onward journey by train to Perugia (20-30 minutes), or Rome (2 hours 30 to 3 hours).
This trip has a carbon score of 8kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our greenest trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 8kg is equivalent to 12 pints of local beer at a bar. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?This short break offers a mix of easy and easy to moderate walks following routes through the Umbrian countryside, staying in hand-picked accommodations in historical and very appealing towns. It will be of particular interest to those who love architecture, art (oh those frescoes!), the delicious local cuisine (oh those truffles!) and of course, world-class wines. It also includes some walks on the famed Way of St Francis pilgrimage route and finishes in St Francis's birthplace Assisi. The walking distances are manageable with the longest walk being 16kms (10mi). It's perfect for anyone who walks regularly and wants to explore at their own pace. It’s best ahead of time to do some practice walks including distances like those you will experience on the trip whilst carrying your day bag. If time allows, then we’d suggest adding an additional day at the end of the trip in historic Assisi to soak up the atmosphere of this important pilgrimage stop on the Way of St Francis, and rejuvenate before continuing with onward travel.
Slower Adventures | Where walking and cycling meet easy-going exploring, our Slower Adventures are the perfect combination. Most days are filled with picturesque journeys with some free time to dive into the destination and experience the people, local food and culture as you go.
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This trip is graded ‘easy to moderate’ overall with walking days of up to 16kms (10 mi). None of the walks are particularly hilly. The walk on day 2 is the longest on the tour, and is just shy of 16kms in distance. On day 4 there are two walks and we have based the trip grading and distances on the easier option. If you choose to take the longer and harder walking option this day, this is a moderate graded walk. This trip is suitable for those with a good level of fitness and it is advisable that you have had previous walking experience. Most of the route follows either gravel or dirt tracks and trails, and you will also be walking on quiet rural roads. It’s best ahead of time to do some practice walks including ascents and descents like those you will experience on the trip whilst carrying your day bag. Should you wish to skip a walk between towns then you will be responsible for taking a taxi or bus (if possible) to the next place.
The routes are waymarked in some areas, especially when you are walking on the Way of St Francis, but not in others. However, we provide the Macs Adventure Smartphone App making it simple to follow the route using a smartphone. Rest assured that by downloading the route maps in our app, that this will continue to work even in areas without any mobile or internet reception. For extra reassurance there are turn-by-turn route notes within the app too for the majority of walks.
- Accommodation in en suite rooms in charming hotels, guesthouses and agriturismos on a twin share basis
- Daily breakfasts
- Door to door baggage transfers as per your itinerary
- Transfers as per your itinerary including from Foligno Train Station to Montefalco on day 1
- Access to maps, GPX tracks and daily route information with the Macs Adventure smartphone navigation app
- All your trip documents including a detailed information pack provided digitally through your online Macs “My Account”
- Telephone support from our offices and local partners in the event of a problem
- Travel insurance (required) and personal equipment
- Travel to starting point/from finish point
- Lunches, dinners, drinks, and snacks
- Public transport (e.g train fares)
- Tourist taxes (charged locally at hotels)
- Taxi transfers or public transport should you need to skip a stage
- Additional nights before, during or after the walk
This tour is available to start anytime between April to October.
Peak Season Availability
Umbria is a popular destination, so we suggest booking as soon as possible to ensure availability for specific dates. Availability in Spoleto is challenging around the time of the Festival di Spoleto which is held each year, normally in the first two weeks of July. There may also be a supplement to pay if you wish to go during this time.
Time of Year
The spring months of April, May and June offer warm sunshine, fewer crowds, and pleasant walking conditions. May is when most wildflowers are coming into bloom. The autumn months of September and October are also a favourable time of year, boasting cooler weather and a striking landscape made up of autumnal colours. June, July and August are good months to go but can be very hot for walking and therefore aren’t best suited for everyone. You will have to start early to miss the heat of the day, rest in the shade during the height of the heat of the day, and carry a lot of water (additional weight) with you. You also need to ensure you dress appropriately and have sun protection with you including a sun hat that protects your head and neck, and high factor sun tan cream. The towns and villages are buzzing at this time of year which is great to see. It's worth noting that the later in the year you choose to travel the higher the likelihood of rain (October-March is when the rainfall is more likely). Also before Easter and in late October some local shops, and restaurants may have reduced opening times or have closed for the winter.
Since Assisi Train Station is located about 3 kms from central Assisi, you will need to take either a bus or taxi to get to it. Once at the train station, Assisi is on the main train line between Perugia and Rome, therefore Umbria Airport in Perugia or either of the Rome Airports are easily accessible. It will take only 20 minutes to Perugia and just over 2 hours to get to Rome, not taking into account the shuttles to the airports from the centre of both cities (see getting to the start for further information about these).
It is also possible to get a direct bus (E007) from the centre of Assisi to Umbria Airport. It runs twice daily (morning and evening service) and takes about 50 minutes.
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