What is the Perugia self-guided walking tour?
The Perugia self-guided walking tour puts a storyteller in your pocket and leaves the pace to you: the World City Trail app guides you between landmarks and, at each of the 10 stops, recounts the history, the legends and the odd surprising fact. Budget around 2 hours for the full route; the 2.3 km of walking take up only about 33 minutes of that time. Expect a short uphill stretch from the arch to the hilltop squares; after that the stops lie close together.
At the Etruscan Arch the narration explains that the gate dates from the 3rd century BC and how the words AUGUSTA PERUSIA came to be carved above it after Octavian took the city in 40 BC. On the unfinished side of the Cathedral of San Lorenzo you see the outdoor pulpit from which Saint Bernardino of Siena preached in 1425, and above the portal of the Palazzo dei Priori stands the bronze griffin, the symbol of Perugia. The Fontana Maggiore, carved by Nicola and Giovanni Pisano, celebrated the arrival of water through a new aqueduct in the 1270s, and on Corso Vannucci you hear about Perugino, who is said to have taught the young Raphael.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 33 min · 2.3 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
The walk, from first stop to last
Hear the story where it happened
As you reach each stop, the narration begins: who built the place and when, which legends grew up around it, and which small detail deserves a second look. If you would rather read, the same text appears on screen.
Let the map lead
Google Maps on your phone shows the next leg each time you set off again. Over 2.3 km that comes to about 33 minutes of walking, at whatever speed you like.
Break off, carry on later
A coffee, a museum or the rest tomorrow: the app keeps track of your progress, and the walk continues from that point.
Local tips on the way
Suggestions for places to eat and independent shops near the route are part of the narration. If the order does not suit you, change it in the app or begin at another stop.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of people. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Walk when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who the walk suits best
History lovers
Who built what, when and why: the narration fills in the background of every square, church and statue.
Couples and families
Legends keep younger listeners interested, the history holds the adults, and nobody hurries you along.
Second-time visitors
Streets you have walked before look different once you know what happened in them.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Groups of up to 5 work best; larger groups split up, one ticket per person.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
From the Etruscan walls to a quiet lane
10 stops · about 33 min walking · start: Etruscan Arch · finish: Via della Viola
From the Etruscan Arch the walk heads uphill, by way of the Teatro Morlacchi and the Baroque façade of San Filippo Neri. Piazza IV Novembre then gathers four stops in one place, with the Cathedral of San Lorenzo, the Palazzo dei Priori, the Fontana Maggiore and, on the palace's upper floors, the National Gallery of Umbria. Corso Vannucci leads on to Piazza della Repubblica, and the walk ends in Via della Viola, a narrow lane on the quieter side of the old town. Reordering the stops takes a moment in the app, and not one of them asks for a ticket.
Open the route map ↗
1Etruscan ArchStart
This massive gate in Perugia's Etruscan walls was built in the 3rd century BC from large blocks of travertine. After Octavian captured the city in 40 BC, the words AUGUSTA PERUSIA were carved above the arch, which is why it is also called the Arch of Augustus. A Renaissance loggia sits on top of its left-hand tower.
Read the full story →
2Teatro Morlacchi
Perugia's historic theatre was built in the late 18th century and was first known as the Teatro del Verzaro. It was later renamed after Francesco Morlacchi, a composer born in Perugia who made his career at the court of Dresden. Behind its plain front lies a traditional horseshoe-shaped auditorium with tiers of boxes.
3Church of San Filippo Neri
This Baroque church was built in the 17th century for the Oratorians, the congregation founded by Saint Philip Neri. Like the order's mother church in Rome, it is often simply called the Chiesa Nuova. Its tall, richly modelled façade rises above a small square in the old town.
4Cathedral of San Lorenzo
Perugia's Gothic cathedral was built between 1345 and 1490, yet its side facing Piazza IV Novembre was never finished and shows only a partial cladding of white and pink marble. On this side you see an outdoor pulpit used by Saint Bernardino of Siena, who preached here in 1425, and a bronze statue of Pope Julius III from 1555.
5Palazzo dei Priori
Built in stages from 1293 into the 15th century, this Gothic palace was the seat of the city's government and is still Perugia's town hall. Above the portal at the top of the stairs stand a bronze griffin, the symbol of Perugia, and a lion. Inside are the Sala dei Notari and the Collegio del Cambio, frescoed by Perugino.
6Fontana Maggiore
Built between 1275 and 1278, this fountain was designed by Fra Bevignate and carved by the sculptors Nicola and Giovanni Pisano. It celebrated the arrival of water from Monte Pacciano through a new aqueduct. Its two marble basins carry reliefs of the months, the liberal arts and biblical scenes, along with statues of saints and other figures.
7National Gallery of Umbria
Umbria's main art museum occupies the upper floors of the Palazzo dei Priori. Its collection traces painting and sculpture in the region from the 13th to the 19th century, with works by Duccio, Fra Angelico, Piero della Francesca, Perugino and Pinturicchio.
8Corso Vannucci
Perugia's main street runs along the hilltop from Piazza IV Novembre to Piazza Italia. It is named after Pietro Vannucci, the painter known as Perugino, who is said to have taught the young Raphael. Lined with palaces and closed to through traffic, it is where locals stroll in the evening.
9Piazza della Repubblica
This small square opens off Corso Vannucci, about halfway between Piazza IV Novembre and Piazza Italia. Its name honours the Italian Republic, created by the referendum of 1946, and it is one of the everyday meeting points of the old town.
10Via della ViolaFinish
This narrow lane in Perugia's historic centre shows the quieter side of the old town, away from the main squares. Old stone and brick houses, arches and small workshops line the street, and it is a good place to see how people still live inside the medieval city.
Read the full story →
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