Gratis gids 10 verborgen natuurplekken in Europa. Meld je aan voor onze nieuwsbrief en ontvang inspirerende reistips en routes voor je volgende groene reis.
In addition to its stunning natural beauty, Umbria is best known for its magnificent art cities. Discover the green heart of Italy on foot and visit its beautiful art cities. We describe the hiking route, which you can explore on your own or as part of an organized tour that includes luggage transport and overnight stays. Read more about this beautiful hiking route through nature and art. Scroll down to find out how to book an organized tour.
Highlights of Hiking in Umbria – Art Cities
Overnight stay in Perugia
Visit and Overnight Stay in Assisi
The beautiful village of Spello
The Medieval Villages of Bevagna and Montefalco
Wine Tasting (upon request)
Hiking from Perugia to Montefalco
Your walking tour begins in Perugia, the art capital. With its breathtaking Renaissance marble palazzi and medieval defensive walls, Perugia is a feast for the eyes.
From Perugia, you’ll travel through the hills of Umbria, a region in Italy best known for its unspoiled nature parks with lush forests and waterfalls. Perched atop the cliffs lies Assisi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The birthplace of St. Francis of Assisi boasts breathtaking medieval churches featuring frescoes by the early Renaissance masters: Cimabue, Simone Martini, and Giotto.
After Assisi, the lesser-known town of Spello lies along the route. It features an ancient Roman villa and a long tradition of floral arts and crafts. As you get closer to Montefalco, you’ll pass countless Etruscan and ancient Roman ruins, ranging from amphitheaters to man-made caves.
Day 1: Arrival in Perugia
If you arrive in Perugia by train, a ride on the metro (minimetro) will take you straight to the city center. Perugia is a lively city with charming boutiques, good restaurants, an art gallery featuring a beautiful collection of medieval paintings, and a truly unique underground city.
St. Francis used to travel on foot from Assisi to Gubbio; you’ll follow in his footsteps along the rugged hills. If you take the organized hiking tour, you’ll be transferred from Perugia to the start of the route. The beginning is a bit challenging, but it gets easier. Rolling hills and dense forests, culminating in a spectacular finish with breathtaking views of Assisi.
A relaxing day. If you’d like to go for a walk, you can take a 3-hour loop around Assisi. Start with a climb to the “Eremo delle Carceri,” a peaceful retreat for St. Francis. At the top of the trail, 500 meters from the Eremo, you’ll find a lovely picnic area with tables and benches.
Would you rather visit beautiful Assisi? In addition to the Basilica of St. Francis, with its frescoes by Giotto, there’s so much more to see. For example, the Temple of Minerva, the Duomo di San Rufino, and the Piazza del Comune—which we think is one of the most beautiful squares in Italy.
Day 4: From Assisi to Spello through the Monte Subasio Park
Your hike begins today at your hotel. You’ll walk along a trail through the Parco del Monte Subasio and past olive groves to reach Spello. Spello is a charming village with cobblestone streets and quiet squares. It’s much less touristy and more peaceful than bustling Assisi. You’ll spend the night in a beautiful hotel with a view of the entire valley.
A short transfer takes you from Spello to Collemancio (about 20 minutes by car), where you’ll begin a spectacular hike to Bevagna. You’ll visit the authentic and rustic Dionigi family winery (producer of Sagrantino di Montefalco). Overnight stay in Bevagna at Palazzo Brunamonti.
Today you’ll take a loop through the heart of Umbria’s finest wine region. After visiting Bevagna (known for its medieval market in June), you’ll walk from Bevagna to Montefalco. Enjoy lunch at the enoteca in Montefalco’s main square. Taste some wine at one of the region’s best wineries, and you’ll return to your starting point for the day in Bevagna. Overnight stay at the same hotel.
Day 8: The end of your hiking trip in Umbria
Today marks the end of the “Umbria: Art Cities” walking tour. It’s up to you whether you’d like to extend your stay for a few more days or return to Perugia. Of course, you can plan the walk entirely on your own and tailor it to your preferences.
Practical Tips for Hiking in Umbria Through Art Cities
Transavia flies daily to Perugia from Rotterdam/The Hague
The train ride to Perugia takes about 24 hours
From the Perugia train station, you can take the mini-metro into the city
There is a bus service (Umbria Airlink) from Perugia Airport to the city
From Bevagna, it’s best to take a taxi to Foligno. From Foligno, you can take the train back to Perugia.
Would you like to hike this route and let a local specialist handle the arrangements? If so, you can also book a guided tour. In that case, you’ll just need to book your own trip to Perugia and back.
The price is €1,200 per person, based on 3-star hotels and double rooms.
Included
7 Nights in 3-star hotels
Day 1 in Perugia
Days 2 & 3 in Assisi
Days 4 & 5 in Spello
Days 6 & 7 in Bevagna
Double rooms with private bathrooms in 3-star hotels, boutique B&Bs, or agriturismos
In your welcome package, you’ll receive vouchers for each hotel
Breakfast (dinner available upon request)
24/7 Emergency Number
Luggage transport from hotel to hotel
Transfers on Day 2 and Day 6
GPX routes in a user-friendly app
Not included
Transfer to and from the Perugia airport or train station
Surcharge for 4-star hotels
Dinners
Tip
Wine Tasting
Single Room Surcharge
Prices for groups available upon request
Transfer back to Perugia
Request a quote: Hiking in Umbria Through Art Cities
When you request a quote, we’ll forward it to our local partner, who will confirm it directly with you if approved. You’ll pay the same price as if you were booking directly. You’ll handle the rest of the booking and payment directly with the local provider (with whom we have a good working relationship and established agreements). We’re always available to answer any questions you may have.
With a passion for travel and photography and over 30 years of experience in the travel industry, I love to share my special nature travel tips. Travel is wonderful and important, you meet new people and cultures and it opens your view of the world.
8-day hiking trip Rota Vicentina: the Fishermans trail with local specialist Self-guided, fully taken care of by a local specialist: Fishermen's Trail from Cercal to Odeceixe On day five you board a boat to cross the mouth of the Mira River. No bridge, no timetabled...
Hiking across smoking volcanoes: an organized hiking tour of the Aeolian Islands On Vulcano, you know you’ve arrived before you even set foot on shore. The sulfur already hangs over the harbor. A smell that hovers somewhere between a match and a boiled egg—and one you...
Sleeping in nature in Sardinia: handpicked accommodations, booked directly with the owner A unique place to stay in Sardinia. No nameplate on the door, no reception desk. Instead, an owner who pours you a glass of local wine upon arrival and tells you which trail is...
Peloponnese Hiking Tour
A really beautiful six-day hike from Bologna to Florence. Communication with NatureTravelLab and the local agent was excellent. The information packet was waiting for us at the hotel in Bologna, and the app with the route worked great. Luggage transport was well organized every day, and our bags were waiting for us each time we arrived at our new room! We covered more than 1,400 meters of elevation gain, but unfortunately didn’t always get the views we’d hoped for due to cloud cover and some drizzle. Most days had great hiking weather. It was wonderful to walk into Florence on foot and stay there an extra day.
We experienced the Walk of the Gods as a great adventure. Our start in Bologna didn’t go quite as planned because our app wasn’t working yet and we couldn’t find a single sign for Via degli Dei in the square. Fortunately, we were quickly able to join two young hikers from Florence who were also doing the hike. After a wonderful night’s stay at the beautiful Rio Verde agritourism farm, Day 2 went much better with the help of the hiking app. Along the way, we enjoyed stunning views, met some great fellow hikers, and sampled delicious local dishes. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t always on our side, and we had a day of heavy rain, which made the trail very slippery and required us to be careful. It’s a real treat when, on the last day, you can already see Florence in the distance and walk into this beautiful city a few hours later. Thank you so much for your quick and friendly responses to all our questions.
We enjoyed the trip. We also made some changes to our itinerary, and the email correspondence went very smoothly. We started in Mantera; the next day, our first and only hike was a really beautiful one. The taxi picked us up right on time. Unfortunately, the second day’s route was almost the same when we cycled to Ostuni. The bikes were well-maintained, including panniers and helmets (these were simply included). You could even bring your own water bottle!!! We found the route very scenic and varied. There were charming little villages where we could stop for lunch or coffee. The app worked great. All the hotels ranged from good to excellent, though we didn’t think the hotel in Leuca was worthy of 4 stars. We followed your advice for the two nights we stayed there. We found Leuca a bit underwhelming for a two-day stay. We would have preferred to stay in Gallipoli or Lecce for two days. We took this trip in April and were very lucky with the weather. It’s still a quiet time of year, but we didn’t mind that. We definitely recommend it!!!
Thanks to a great tip from Nature Travel Lab, we had a wonderful week in Italy. Fattoria di Maiano, just outside Florence, was a beautiful and peaceful place. And the suggested road trips were a great guide for exploring the region. We’ll definitely check here for tips for our next vacation, too. Highly recommended!
We spent a divine week in Italy: we walked the Path of the Gods, from Bologna to Florence—about 135 km spread over 6 days of hiking. Challenging distances and climbs, amazing views, nature, and a warm welcome every time we arrived at the agriturismo or albergo/hotel. All of this was perfectly organized by the Italian company Slow Active Tours, entirely in line with Nature Travel Lab’s itinerary proposal: upon arrival in Bologna, an information packet was waiting for us, complete with a hiking map, a booklet, and passports for the stamps. And the hiking app was very practical for along the way! Our luggage was transported every day and was always waiting for us when we arrived at the next location. Communication was smooth and clear. In short, highly recommended, well worth it, and well-organized.
In September, I walked the Cammino Materano. Communicating with Madelon about the booking was a pleasure. To be honest, I was quite nervous because it was my first time doing a multi-day hike—alone and in a region I wasn’t familiar with—but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The hike to Matera was beautiful, and I was able to complete it without any trouble thanks to the clear on-site signage and the routing and advice provided by the GPS app. The rest of the organization was top-notch as well. My luggage always arrived on time at the right destination, and the hotels and B&Bs were of high quality. In addition, the organizers were easy to reach via WhatsApp if I had any questions. Highly recommended!
Slovenia was absolutely amazing. A beautiful country, friendly people, lovely hiking trails, and truly top-notch hotels. The staff at the local organization were also very easy to reach and helpful. The hiking was manageable. As Dutch people, we’re not used to high altitudes, of course, so it was pretty tough at times. But it was also a lot of fun.
We had a wonderful trip. Everything was well organized. Due to an unfortunate fall, I ended up traveling with my luggage for a day, but that was handled well, too. We really liked all the accommodations. Only the Hotel Hebe in St. Piero a Sieve was a little less impressive, but it was still okay.
Looks fantastic! I'm definitely going to book a trip with this company... they're committed to sustainability and personalized advice. Definitely worth it.
Madelon and her team are true experts. Thanks to their years of experience and passion for travel, they manage to surprise us time and time again.
Beautiful hikes, the most picturesque spots—it’s a real treat.
I highly recommend them!
Nature Travel Lab provided us with very helpful and honest assistance!
If you’re looking for travel itineraries, the most beautiful hikes, and destinations, you can find it all here. You’ll find endless inspiration for your next trip. Beautiful cities are interspersed with nature. You’ll find everything you need to know about practical matters. Plus, there are plenty of tips for sustainable travel. That way, you’ll get the most out of your trip.
45
Get inspired
Are you looking for the most beautiful hiking and biking routes? Or do you want information about traveling by train or advice for the most beautiful road trips through nature. Get inspired for your next trip in green; ideas for planning your own trip or opting for an organized trip.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Voorkeuren
De technische opslag of toegang is noodzakelijk voor het legitieme doel voorkeuren op te slaan die niet door de abonnee of gebruiker zijn aangevraagd.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.De technische opslag of toegang die uitsluitend wordt gebruikt voor anonieme statistische doeleinden. Zonder dagvaarding, vrijwillige naleving door je Internet Dienst Provider, of aanvullende gegevens van een derde partij, kan informatie die alleen voor dit doel wordt opgeslagen of opgehaald gewoonlijk niet worden gebruikt om je te identificeren.
Marketing
De technische opslag of toegang is nodig om gebruikersprofielen op te stellen voor het verzenden van reclame, of om de gebruiker op een site of over verschillende sites te volgen voor soortgelijke marketingdoeleinden.
