Hidden Italy: Villages & Valleys

Train to Orvieto

📍 Roma Termini

Board the regional train from Roma Termini to Orvieto, watching the Umbrian countryside unfold outside your window.

Funicular Ride to Old Town

📍 Orvieto Scalo

Take the historic funicular from the train station up the volcanic cliff to Orvieto's medieval center, perched dramatically on its tufa plateau.

Bus to Assisi via Perugia

📍 Orvieto Bus Station

Journey through the green heart of Umbria to the birthplace of St. Francis, with a connection in the regional capital Perugia.

Basilica of San Francesco

📍 Piazza San Francesco, Assisi

Visit the magnificent double-church where St. Francis is buried, adorned with Giotto's revolutionary Life of St. Francis fresco cycle.

Train to Spoleto

📍 Spello Station

Take the regional train south through the Valle Umbra to the culturally rich town of Spoleto, famous for its summer festival.

Roman Theater and Archaeological Museum

📍 Via Sant'Agata, Spoleto

Start at the remarkably preserved 1st-century Roman theater and the museum housing Bronze Age and Roman artifacts.

Train to Pesaro via Foligno and Ancona

📍 Spoleto Station

Travel across the Apennines to the Adriatic coast, then north to Pesaro, the gateway to Urbino.

Bus to Urbino

📍 Pesaro Bus Station

Take the winding bus ride up into the hills to the Renaissance gem of Urbino, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Bus to Rimini

📍 Urbino Bus Station

Take the morning bus back down to the Adriatic coast to connect to San Marino.

Bus to San Marino

📍 Rimini Train Station

Ascend Mount Titano to the tiny republic of San Marino, founded in 301 AD and the world's oldest surviving sovereign state.

Train to Bologna

📍 Rimini Train Station

Take the fast train from Rimini to Bologna, Italy's gastronomic capital and home to the world's oldest university.

Piazza Maggiore and San Petronio

📍 Piazza Maggiore, Bologna

Start in Bologna's grand main square dominated by the massive (intentionally unfinished) Basilica of San Petronio.

High-Speed Train to Bolzano

📍 Bologna Centrale

Board the Frecciarossa or Eurocity for the stunning journey north through the Po Valley and into the Alps.

Arrive in Bolzano/Bozen

📍 Bolzano Train Station

Step into the fascinating cultural crossroads where Italian and Austrian traditions blend seamlessly.

Bus to Siusi/Seis

📍 Bolzano Bus Station

Take the early bus to the village of Siusi, gateway to the spectacular Alpe di Siusi high-altitude meadow.

Cable Car to Alpe di Siusi

📍 Seis Cable Car Station

Ascend to Europe's largest high-altitude Alpine meadow, spreading beneath the jagged Sassolungo and Sassopiatto peaks.

Bus to Riva del Garda

📍 Bolzano Bus Station

Travel south through the spectacular Adige valley as the landscape transitions from Alpine to Mediterranean.

Explore Riva del Garda Old Town

📍 Centro Storico, Riva del Garda

Wander the charming lakefront town where northern mountains meet Italian lakes, with a distinctive Austro-Italian atmosphere.

Bus to Rovereto, then Train to Verona

📍 Riva del Garda Bus Station

Travel south along Lake Garda's western shore before catching the train to romantic Verona.

Verona Arena

📍 Piazza Bra, Verona

Explore the remarkably preserved Roman amphitheater, the third-largest in Italy and still hosting world-class opera.

Train to Mantua

📍 Verona Porta Nuova

Take the regional train to the UNESCO-listed Renaissance city of Mantua, dramatically surrounded by three artificial lakes.

Palazzo Ducale

📍 Piazza Sordello, Mantua

Explore one of Europe's largest palace complexes, home to Mantegna's breathtaking Camera degli Sposi frescoes.

Train to Bologna

📍 Mantua Train Station

Take the early train from Mantua to Bologna to connect with the high-speed train south.

Breakfast at Bologna Station

📍 Bologna Centrale Station

Grab a proper Italian breakfast at one of the excellent cafes in Bologna Centrale before your journey south.

Final Italian Breakfast

📍 Near your hotel, Rome

Enjoy one last cornetto and cappuccino at a neighborhood bar, standing at the counter like a true Roman.

Morning Market or Church Visit

📍 Rome Centro

Depending on your flight time, explore a morning market or slip into a quiet church for a final moment of reflection.