The Day Trip from Rome I Can’t Recommend Enough: Orvieto
Italy is blessed with many picturesque hilltop towns, and I’ve been to many, but Orvieto is one of the best for its sweeping views of the surrounding valley and incredible history and beauty of the attractions in town.
It’s an easy day trip from Rome by train, which is how I visited. Even gazing up at the walled town from the bottom of the funicular when you arrive, Orvieto is distinctive and breathtaking, and doesn’t disappoint when you ascend to the top.
READ MORE: Where to Eat in Rome
My favorite day trips in Italy in general involve having enough interesting sights to fill the time (although not too many to be overwhelming), beautiful views, and great food options.
Orvieto has all of this, and millenia of history that is visible seemingly everywhere you turn. Read on for all of the wonderful attractions I was able to squeeze into my single day there.
Things to Do
Around Town
One of the more stunning cathedrals I’ve seen in all of Italy, the Orvieto Duomo is the main draw to the city for many.
The outer facade is incredibly intricate, mixing different styles of sculpture, mosaics, and design. Its beauty is evident when you first venture inside as well, in particular visiting the frescoes of the adjacent San Brizio chapel.
If you read my Naples Cheat Sheet, you know that I find underground passageways intriguing.
This is especially dramatic in Orvieto, as the underground rooms and passageways extend underneath nearly the entire city, dating back to several hundred years before Christ. Of course, you’ll only see a section of the underground areas on the approximately hour-long tour that begins close to the Duomo, but these include areas for raising pigeons and the location of the olive press, with beautiful views over the valley.
It’s worth climbing the tower’s 250 steps for the views at the top across Orvieto and the surrounding countryside, and the tower is located right in town. On the September day when I visited, there were quite a lot of bugs milling about at the top, but walk around to find a comfortable viewing spot as they tend to congregate toward just one side of the viewing platform.
The church itself is nice and includes a distinctive multi-sided bell tower, but the real treasure is its extensive underground to see with a guide.
It is well worth the extra fee for the friendly, bilingual tour guide who walks you through the history underneath the main level, including fabulous mosaics and ancient roads.
A series of caves with history going back nearly 3,000 years, this attraction is privately owned and very tourist-friendly with explanatory signs in several languages.
I found it helpful to visit after the ‘Orvieto Underground’ tour, which helped me put into better context some of the areas I was seeing. And be sure to pop into the restaurant, stand on the clear section of plexiglass in the floor, and look down if you dare.
Off the Beaten Path
The church is Orvieto’s oldest and contains some beautiful artwork. It’s worth stopping into on this end of town, which is a lovely area to explore on foot.
Town Walls
Orvieto is a walled city on a hill, and some of the best views you’ll have of the surrounding valley is by strolling across them on foot.
I strolled into this site right by the funicular by accident, but was so glad I did because it offers lookout points and great views of the valley below Orvieto.
This was one of the few spots in town where I saw more locals than tourists.
TIP! The opening hours change by season, so be sure to leave enough time at the beginning or end of your day to spend some time here.
This well was constructed as a backup water source in the 1500s when Pope Clement VII was hiding out in Orvieto.
Today it’s a beautiful architectural remnant from that period located on the other side of the funicular than the Communal Gardens, behind the remains of an Etruscan Temple.
Where to Eat – Best Bites
I had done a bunch of research about restaurants in town serving the local fare, and even walked past a few and checked out their menus on my walk into the center, but somehow I overlooked this restaurant that is the single place I’d recommend to anyone visiting.
How did this restaurant make such a deep impression on this self-proclaimed foodie?
Well for one, a lot of their recipes are from local families dating back to the 1500s!! (No, that is not a typo. When was the last time you dined on 16th-century specialties?)
A lot of the dishes take many hours or even days to prepare, so you’ll be hard-pressed to find them anywhere else in town. And the result is incredibly rich and delicious.
I enjoyed a local pasta cooked in red wine for many hours and a beef dish slow cooked with pears and nothing else.
The locals know that this is the spot to go, as I was the only non-Italian on my visit, and even the local police officers took their lunch break here.
Definitely not to be missed! If you’re not sure what to order, rest assured, the staff is wonderful and will steer you in the right direction.
(More) Practical Tips for Visiting
If you are coming to Orvieto as a day trip from Rome, your best bet is to arrive by train. There are many trains making the journey, so you’ll have several choices to find the schedule that works best for you.
I definitely recommend getting an early start if you can, so you can maximize the time you’re in Orvieto during tourism hours.
You can search for trains between ‘Roma’ and ‘Orvieto’ on TrenItalia’s English website here, including the cost and traveling time for each option.
So your transiting goes smoothly, there are a few things to keep in mind:
TRAVEL SAVVY TIP! There is always the danger of a train strike (sciopero) in Italy, and these happen more often than you’d think. Ask at your accommodations or do an internet search before choosing which day you’ll visit Orvieto.
TRAVEL SAVVY TIP! Most trains from Rome to Orvieto leave from platforms at the far end of the station, so leave extra time to walk there to avoid missing your train.
TRAVEL SAVVY TIP! As the day goes on, trains can become progressively more delayed, so you may want to see when you’re ready to leave the city before committing to a timed train ticket.
TRAVEL SAVVY TIP! When you arrive in Orvieto, you will be in the lower part of town while the main attractions are all on the hilltop. Fortunately, the funicular station is immediately across the street from the Orvieto train station, and it runs relatively frequently, so you’ll never be waiting for long in either direction.
TRAVEL SAVVY TIP! If you’re planning on a full day in Orvieto, take a picture of the return funicular schedule, especially if there’s a specific train you’re trying to catch back to Rome in the evening.
I spent a really delightful day in Orvieto and felt like I had pretty thoroughly explored the town in that time.
It would certainly be a good spot to make a home base for a few days as well, and I met some tourists who were doing just that, with leisurely days sightseeing in town and on other days driving a rental car to other nearby attractions and wineries.
However you fit it into your Italy itinerary, this is a spot that is definitely worth a visit!
Any sights in Orvieto that I missed? What other day trips from Rome would you recommend?
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