How to take a day trip from Rome to Assisi
- Aimee Boudreaux MacIver
- May 12
- 7 min read
If you’re ever in or around Rome, give yourself the gift of (at least) a day trip to Assisi. This petite medieval city crowns a soft mountainside above the lush Umbria Valley. Winding streets and storybook buildings carved from the local pink limestone overlook a patchwork of green farms and vineyards. In Assisi, the light falls in a perpetual golden hour that makes everything look like a painting. Of course, the primary attraction to Assisi are the tombs of and other pilgrimage sites associated with St Francis, St Clare, and many other saintly early Franciscans. Bl Carlo Acutis is also buried there. When you go to Assisi, you truly get St Francis’ famed love of creation—Assisi offers a special natural beauty that’s captivating and restorative, and certainly worthy of at least one day, if not a few. If Rome is the eternal city, Assisi is the magical one.
Let’s go!
How to get to Assisi from Rome
Assisi is a two or three hour direct train ride from Rome’s Termini station, depending upon variables like time of day, number of stops along the route. and type of train.
Avoid the confusion of myriad third-party sellers served up by Google and buy train tickets directly on Trenitalia. Choose the English option if necessary, set your dates, departure point, and destination, then choose from available trips. The site is very easy to use.
I recommend an early departure from Rome to Assisi so you can make the most of your day trip. Try to book a departure between 7 and 9 a.m. so you can arrive in Assisi with plenty of time to explore.
Regular-class trips are very affordable—about $15 per person (more during high-traffic times or for first-class seats). You don’t necessarily need to book early to find a seat, but prices and selection do improve when you book in advance.
Tickets are one-way. Don’t forget to book return tickets back to Rome! I recommend choosing a departure time that gives you at least six hours in Assisi. (Pro tip: I have sometimes waited to buy the return tickets until I’m actually in Assisi and can better gauge how much time I want there.)
To get to Rome Termini train station, the most straightforward option is a good old-fashioned taxi (be sure to use the official white city taxis) or Uber (your regular Uber app will work in Rome, or you can use the popular local app Freenow). An Uber from all the way across town will cost about $40. If you’re closer to Termini station, you could walk or use the local Rome metro.
Download tickets from email to your phone. You will scan them to get through the access gates to the train platforms.
To find your train’s departure platform (binario), check the monitors posted around Termini. Assisi is a stop along the line that ends at Perugia. Usually the final destination is the one posted on the monitor. The designated departure platform appears on the monitor about 15 to 20 minutes before departure.
Trains are usually open for boarding well before the departure time. Train seats are not assigned, but you’ll have plenty to choose from. Seats face each other in pairs.
P.S. Termini station has tons of great shops, cafes, coffee shops, pharmacies, and an excellent food court on the top level. You can grab an amazing macchiato or breakfast bowl before you depart, or dinner followed by gelato and espresso upon your return.
P.P.S. The trains do have bathrooms!
How to get from Assisi train station to Assisi city center
The Assisi train station (named Santa Maria degli Angeli) is at the bottom of the small mountain where the city proper is located. From there, you’ll be able to see the ancient city walls and the enormous Basilica di San Francesco d’Assisi. The train station is small, simple, and sweet—don’t expect services or shops.
Buses up to the city gather at the train station every 10 to 15 minutes.
I recommend that before you head up to the basilica, walk over to the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels (Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli). This glorious 16th-century basilica houses the original Portiuncula, the tiny rustic chapel where Francis first renounced the world and embraced poverty. The humble painted stones glow like a heart at the center of the basilica’s beautiful bones. The campus also contains an amazing rose garden and the best gift shop in Assisi, so don’t bother with the souvenir stands lining the street outside (we’ll come back to shopping tips below).
From Santa Maria degli Angeli, take the bus up the mountain to the Basilica of St Francis plaza (Basilica di San Francesco d’Assisi). The bus costs €2 (cash only, exact change required). The bus drops you at the bottom of a gently sloped path that curves upward toward the basilica. Take your time walking up—the views over the valley are absolutely stunning.
Once you’re inside the city walls, everything else is walking distance. Assisi is hilly, but compact.
P.S. At the end of your day, return to the basilica plaza, take the bus back down to the train station, and board your train back to Rome.
What to see and where to pray
Start here near the train station, then take a bus up to the city proper:
The Portiuncula inside the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels (Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli): the rustic chapel where Francis accepted Jesus’ call to embrace poverty and “rebuild the Church” (around 1211, he restored the chapel that had fallen into disrepair).
The altar inside this tiny chapel is the one that St Clare clung to, unmovable, when her family tried to drag her away from following Francis
Note the beautiful frescoes outside and inside the chapel—these depict Francis’ life.
The massive basilica was built literally around the Portiuncula in 1569.
You can also visit the rose garden and creche, which Francis essentially “invented.”
As I mentioned above, the basilica houses Assisi’s best gift shop. Avoid the kiosks lining the plaza outside and the myriad souvenir shops in the city above. I’d devote decent time to this gift shop, where you can buy innumerable Franciscan items, religious articles, ceramic crafts, and local monastic products like excellent fragrances, oils, body care items, and food products. Many of the fragranced items are made with roses from the basilica garden. Pro tip: They also sell great baseball caps!
Once you’re inside the city proper, you can walk from place to place. These are the pilgrimage sites I would prioritize:
The Basilica of St Francis (Basilica di San Francesco d’Assisi) contains the tomb of Francis, plus relics like his tunic, sandals, and rule. It’s truly incredible to behold the visible evidence of his life.
The interior is decorated with glorious frescoes by Giotto, which were considered “modern” at the time he painted them because he gave his subjects emotional expressions.
There is another good gift shop attached to the basilica, but I prefer the one at the Portiuncula.
This is a papal basilica, so you can satisfy your Jubilee year plenary indulgence here.
The Basilica of St Clare (Basilica di Santa Chiara di Assisi) houses Clare’s tomb, relics like habits she made for herself and Francis, her hair, and other stirring mementos.
The main space is a little bare, but the original San Damiano cross connected with Francis’ conversion is located in a beautiful side chapel.
The basilica’s striped facade and fountain plaza offer the most stunning views over the valley—a great spot for photos. It’s also unforgettable at sunset.
Chiesa Nuova is a church built over Francis’ birthplace and home. Original walls and rooms of his home integrated into the church architecture.
The altar is built over Francis’ bedroom.
Note the small stairwell where Francis’ father initially locked him up to prevent what he believed was Francis’ mental collapse.
You can also see the remains of the shop where Francis’ family sold cloth.
Chiesa Santa Maria Maggiore was the original Assisi cathedral and now the tomb of Bl Carlo Acutis. This is a wonderful place to introduce young people to a saint who looks just like them.
If you have extra time, there are more sacred places to visit:
The Cathedral of St Rufino (Cattedrale di San Rufino) was built in 1140 over the remains of very ancient Christian churches and the relics of a 3rd-century bishop martyr. Francis and Clare were both baptized here.
Chiesa di San Damiano is the church where Francis experienced his mystical encounter with the voice of Christ. It became the first monastery used by St Clare and her new order.
The Hermitage (Eremo delle Carceri) is a network of small cells built into the rocky hillside that formed one of the first Franciscan monasteries. Other buildings were added over the centuries. It’s not within the main city area, so you will need a car or taxi.
What to eat and drink
Eating in Assisi is more about avoiding tourist traps than five-star dining. Avoid places that have no name posted or that feature mostly English signage. A few places to try:
For your departure from Rome to Assisi or upon your return, remember that Termini station also has an amazing food court. I like to grab dinner here upon return to Rome.
What to bring and wear
Small tote to carry purchases and water bottle
Any religious articles you would like to have blessed at sacred places (some of the churches even have booths staffed by Franciscan friars for this exact purpose—bring a few euro to donate)
Water bottle
Good shoes for walking the hilly streets
Sunglasses
Wrap or scarf for coverage in sacred places
Items for the train ride (headphones, book, snacks, etc)
What to buy in Assisi
Textiles like scarves, towels, or table linens, one of the local specialties
Limoncello
Olive oil (try this beautiful, charming, and well-priced shop for olive oil, limoncello, and other foodie gifts)
Fragrance oils (don’t miss the entire room dedicated to amazing locally-crafted body care products in the gift shop attached to the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli)
Ceramics
Religious articles, especially Franciscan ones like San Damiano crosses and nativity sets
Olive wood items (this shop is incredible!)
Sandals (what better place to buy Italian leather sandals or Birkenstocks than the home of St Francis?)
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