Small Group Tour of Assisi and St. Francis Basilica
Description
Join a walking tour of Assisi to see the wonderful Basilica of Saint Francis, Saint Rufino’s Cathedral, and Saint Claire's Basilica as well as the lively main city square – Piazza del Comune.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet the guide at 10:30am and visit the old Roman ruins of the local amphitheater, which was reused in the Middle Ages as a quarry for stones to build local houses. You will see how the amphitheater was turned into a private neighborhood. From there, the view toward the Rocca Maggiore medieval castle is one of the best in the city. Through narrow alleys and medieval squares you will reach Saint Rufino’s Cathedral and Saint Claire's Basilica. From there, you will get to the main city square, Piazza del Comune. At the square you will see one of the best-preserved Roman temples in Italy – Minerva's temple – which is surrounded by imposing medieval government buildings. The tour will then head down to the Basilica of Saint Francis which is world-famous for its 13th-14th century frescoes by the best painters of Italy at that time. Among those, the most famous is Giotto.
The Basilica of St. Clare of Assisi, realized with the typical pink stone extracted from the quarry of the Subasio mountain, contains precious frescos dating back to the period from the XIIth to the XIVth century. In the chapel on the right, along the unique nave of St. Clare of Assisi, finishing in transept and polygonal apse, you can admire the Crucifix which, according to tradition, would have invited St. Francesco in the church of St. Damiano in order to "reset up the Church"
Chiesa Nuova. The Chiesa Nuova is a church in Assisi, Italy, built in 1615 on the site of the presumed birthplace of St. Francis, the house of Pietro di Bernardone. It was then called Chiesa Nuova because it was the last church to be built in Assisi at that time.
Assisi Cathedral, dedicated to San Rufino (Rufinus of Assisi) is a major church in Assisi.
The Temple of Minerva is an ancient Roman building in Assisi, Umbria, central Italy. It currently houses a church, Santa Maria sopra Minerva, built in 1539 and renovated in Baroque style in the 17th century.
Recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the basilica of St. Francis was built under the direction of Brother Elias, vicar general and architect of the order, starting in 1228, just two years after the saint's death, as a place designed to receive his remains.
If the solemn and dark lower basilica invites penance and silence, the upper church soars into the sky, airy and bright. In a Gothic style with French influences, the nave has four bays, cross vaulting, and a polygonal transept and apse.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- A dress code is required to enter places of worship and selected museums. No shorts or sleeveless tops allowed. Knees and shoulders MUST be covered for both men and women. You may risk refused entry if you fail to comply with these dress requirements
- On Sundays, major Catholic holidays, national holidays, and on October 3rd and 4th, guided tours inside the Basilica of St. Francis are not permitted. On these dates, your guide will provide an explanation from outside the church, after which you will enter independently and in silence.
- On October 4th, the Basilica of St. Francis is closed to visitors.
Reviews(215)
We had the pleasure of having Marica as our tour guide. She was absolutely the BEST. Her knowledge and passion of Assisi made the tour so enjoyable and fun. She took us down side streets and truly showed us the best parts of this lovely place. She really took her time to explain the back history of every landmark we were seeing. She recommended some of the best places to grab lunch, dinner and where to find the best gelato in town! We had such a good morning and tour with Marica and would recommend her to everyone we know! We have been lucky enough to run into her a few times since the tour and has been the highlight of the trip :) Thank you Marica for making our trip to Assisi one to remember!
Thank you so much for such a heartfelt review! We’re absolutely delighted to hear how much you enjoyed your time in Assisi with Marica. Her passion for the city and her ability to bring its history and hidden corners to life are exactly what make a walking tour truly special. We’re especially happy that you enjoyed discovering the quieter side streets, learning the stories behind the landmarks, and getting some local tips for restaurants and gelato along the way! And what a lovely coincidence to have crossed paths with Marica again during your stay — we’re sure that made your experience in Assisi even more memorable. Thank you for recommending the tour so warmly. We’ll be very happy to share your kind words with Marica!
Great, informative tour! We saw the churches for St Clare and St Francis. My only negative is that there wasn’t any info given on the new Saint Carlo Acutis. Since he is our first modern Saint and there is a lot of excitement around the city about him, would have been great to include him in the tour.
Thank you so much for this thoughtful review! We're glad you enjoyed the visit to the churches of St. Clare and St. Francis. We really appreciate the feedback about Saint Carlo Acutis - it's such a meaningful and timely topic given all the excitement in the city, and we'll be sure to look into including it in our tours going forward. We hope to welcome you back soon to Assisi!
I recommend Viator travel when booking a tour. Based on my experienced, Viator’s tour guides are very knowledgeable…
Thank you so much for this wonderful review! We're delighted Alessandra's deep knowledge of Assisi's history and the Basilica of St. Francis made such an impression on you. We'll be sure to pass along your kind words to her. We hope to welcome you back soon for more adventures in Umbria!
Exceptional knowledge of our tour guide. We loved every moment and worth every cent! I would highly recommend this tour for anybody wanting to visit Assisi you can get so much more out of your trip with the right tour guide
Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We’re thrilled to hear that you loved every moment of the tour and felt it was worth every cent. Having a knowledgeable guide can truly make a difference when exploring a city like Assisi, where every street, church, and artwork has a story behind it. We’re especially happy that the tour added so much to your visit and gave you a deeper appreciation of Assisi and the Basilica of St. Francis. Thank you for your enthusiastic recommendation — it means a great deal to our team!
I took my family who lives in the States to visit Umbria, including a visit to Perugia at the first Perugina factory with an exceptional guide, Alice, who was super prepared, just like the excellent Myriam who accompanied us on the tour of Assisi. In Orvieto, we also had an exceptional guide, Nazzareno, who is also a super professional. We were extremely satisfied.
This tour would have benefited from headsets. Lots of walking which was expected but also a lot of time lost where more information could have been given. The guide was fine but for me I wish there had been more explication.
Antonella was a fabulous tour guide who spoke with enthusiastic energy on the religious history of Assisi. She taught use a things we did not know from this quaint charming and very clean town. She knew the history of St Francis and Churches that influenced the names of American cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco and the early life of hospitals as a not just medical but wear travelers would stop on their travels for meals which derives the term “hospitality”!
Very knowledgeable guide who captivated our attention and kept an easy pace.
For my family of six, we booked a private tour of Assisi, with our delightful guide Marica, taking us through the spectacular town of Assisi and the amazing sights, including visiting St Clare and St Francis’ Basilica and visiting St Carlo too. We had the best experience and our guide Marica was truly inspiring, filled with passion and love for Assisi, St Francis and St Clare and was so incredibly knowledgeable. My family enjoyed every minute of the tour with her. She was warm and took such good care of our whole group. I highly recommend the tour.
The 2.5 Small Group Tour of Assisi was very informative. We loved learning about the saints and the stories of their lives. The tour guide did a fabulous job in letting us experience how the saints lived as real people during those times. The only criticism we have is that the day was extremely hot, and the tour guide never took that into consideration—never asking us to sit in the shade or consider that people could get heat stroke. It was somewhat insensitive. Overall the tour was very informative.
