HV10668
Umbria
Umbria
Our pick in Umbria
The Hidden Voyage guide
Umbria
The green heart of Italy: Assisi, hill towns, truffles and Lake Trasimeno.
Best months
May, Jun, Sep, Oct
Ideal stay
7 nights
Fly into
PEG · FCO · FLR · CIA
Getting around
Car essential, driver advised for wine days
Our villas here
26 private villas
Why go
Why choose Umbria
Umbria is Italy's green heart: a landlocked region of wooded hills, olive terraces and stone towns that seem carved from the hillsides they sit on. Here Saint Francis walked, Perugino painted and truffle hunters still head out at dawn. A restored farmhouse or hilltop villa lets you settle into a gentle rhythm of morning markets, long lunches and sunsets over the valley.
It suits travellers who prefer depth to spectacle: wine lovers drawn to Sagrantino, families wanting space and a pool, walkers and cyclists, and anyone curious about medieval art and spiritual places. Umbria is quieter than neighbouring Tuscany, yet just as rich in beauty and flavour.
Ideal for: Families, Food and wine, Spiritual and cultural travel · Slow, from hill town to hill town
Our villas of the month · October 2026
Chosen this month by our team
Getting there
Airports and arrivals
PEG
Perugia San Francesco d'Assisi, Umbria International
about 20 minutes by car to Perugia, about 15 minutes to Assisi
The region's own airport, with a limited, mainly European and seasonal schedule
FCO
Rome Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci)
about 1h45 by car to Orvieto, about 2h30 to Perugia
Main intercontinental gateway, best for southern Umbria
FLR
Florence Peretola (Amerigo Vespucci)
about 2h by car to Perugia
Convenient for Lake Trasimeno and northern Umbria
CIA
Rome Ciampino (G. B. Pastine)
about 1h45 by car to Orvieto
European flights, useful for Orvieto and Narni
- Orvieto lies on the Rome to Florence railway, with regional and Intercity trains from Roma Termini in about 1h15.
- Perugia, Assisi, Foligno and Spoleto are linked by regional and Intercity trains to Rome and Florence; a car is still needed to reach countryside villas.
- A car with driver from Rome takes about 2h to Todi and about 2h30 to Perugia.
We arrange private transfers, drivers, boats and helicopters for every villa.
Where to stay
Choosing your base
Perugia
Culture, food lovers
The lively regional capital, a university city with a grand Corso, fine museums and views across the valley.
Assisi and Spello
Couples, spiritual travellers
Pink stone towns on the slopes of Monte Subasio, steeped in Franciscan history and flowers.
Todi
Couples, villa stays
An elegant hilltop town with one of Italy's most harmonious medieval squares, surrounded by villas in the Tiber valley.
Orvieto
Combining with Rome, families
A dramatic city on a volcanic rock, close to Rome and Lazio's lakes.
Montefalco and Bevagna
Wine lovers, groups
Wine country around the Sagrantino vineyards, with small, beautifully kept towns.
Lake Trasimeno
Families, cycling
A wide, shallow lake framed by castles and hill villages, near the Tuscan border.
Positions are approximate: the exact address is shared once your stay is confirmed.
What to see
The highlights
01
Basilica of San Francesco, Assisi
A double church covered in frescoes by Giotto, Cimabue and Simone Martini. Part of the Assisi UNESCO World Heritage site.
02
Orvieto Cathedral
Its gleaming Gothic facade is one of the most beautiful in Italy. Inside, Luca Signorelli's frescoes of the Last Judgement fill the Cappella di San Brizio.
03
Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria, Perugia
The finest collection of Umbrian painting, with works by Perugino and Piero della Francesca, in the Palazzo dei Priori.
04
Gubbio
A stern medieval town of grey stone climbing Monte Ingino, with the imposing Palazzo dei Consoli. A small open cage cable car rises to the basilica above.
05
Spoleto
An elegant town with a Romanesque cathedral and the vertiginous Ponte delle Torri aqueduct bridge.
06
Cascata delle Marmore
Among the tallest man made waterfalls in Europe, created by the Romans. The flow is controlled and runs fully at scheduled times.
07
Piano Grande of Castelluccio
A vast upland plain in the Monti Sibillini, carpeted with lentil and wildflower blooms in early summer.
08
Bevagna
A tiny walled town with a Roman mosaic, artisan workshops and a perfect Romanesque square.
What to do
Experiences worth planning for
Truffle hunting
Join a truffle hunter and dog in the woods, then taste the find over fresh pasta.
Sagrantino tasting in Montefalco
Visit family estates and modern cellars producing one of Italy's most powerful reds.
Cycling the old Spoleto to Norcia railway
A scenic former railway route of tunnels and viaducts through the Valnerina.
Hot air balloon flight
Float at sunrise over the Tiber valley and its hill towns.
Rafting on the Nera river
Gentle white water below the Marmore falls, suitable for families.
Cooking class in a villa
Learn to make strangozzi and torta al testo with a local cook.
Outdoors
Nature and walks
Lake Trasimeno and Isola Maggiore
Ferries reach the car free island with its fishing village and lakeside paths.
Monte Subasio
Walking trails above Assisi lead to the Eremo delle Carceri and open summit meadows.
Fonti del Clitunno
Crystal clear springs and willow lined pools beloved by poets since Roman times.
Monti Sibillini National Park
High mountains, beech forests and wide plateaux for hiking and wildflowers.
Cascata delle Marmore trails
Paths climb beside the falls to viewpoints drenched in spray.
Where to stay
Private villas in Umbria
At the table
Food and wine
What to eat
Black truffle of Norcia
Umbria's prized tartufo nero, shaved over eggs, pasta and meat.
Lenticchia di Castelluccio IGP
Tiny, tender mountain lentils that need no soaking.
Prosciutto di Norcia IGP
Savoury, robust ham from the town famed for its pork butchers.
Strangozzi
Hand rolled square pasta, often served with truffle or tomato and garlic.
Torta al testo
A flatbread cooked on a hot stone and filled with greens and sausage.
Olio Umbria DOP
Green, peppery olive oil from the slopes between Assisi and Spoleto.
What to drink
Montefalco Sagrantino DOCG
A deep, tannic red with great ageing potential, Umbria's signature wine.
Orvieto DOC
A historic white, from fresh and dry to gently sweet.
Torgiano Rosso Riserva DOCG
A refined Sangiovese based red from the hills near Perugia.
Trebbiano Spoletino
A characterful local white grape enjoying a revival around Spoleto and Montefalco.
Beyond the villa
Day trips
Cortona
about 45 minutes by car from Perugia
A Tuscan hill town of steep lanes and Etruscan origins overlooking the Val di Chiana.
Montepulciano
about 1h by car from Perugia
Renaissance palaces, wine cellars and Vino Nobile tastings.
Civita di Bagnoregio
about 30 minutes by car from Orvieto
The famous village on a crumbling crag, just over the border in Lazio.
Siena
about 1h20 by car from Perugia
The Piazza del Campo and Gothic cathedral make an easy and rewarding day.
Rome
about 1h15 by train from Orvieto
An easy day in the capital from southern Umbria.
When to go
The year, season by season
May to June and September to October.
Spring
Green hills, blossom and festivals make spring a delight. It is ideal for walking and gardens.
Summer
Hot days, cool evenings in the hills and a busy festival calendar. A villa with a pool is the perfect retreat.
Autumn
Harvest time for grapes, olives and truffles, with markets and food fairs. Colours and light are beautiful.
Winter
Quiet and atmospheric, with crisp days, black truffle season and wood fires. Some countryside restaurants close.
Weather month by month
Bars: hours of sunshine a day. Above: average daytime high. Shaded: the best months.
Full weather table
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime high, °C | 10 | 12 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 28 | 31 | 31 | 25 | 21 | 15 | 10 |
| Night low, °C | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 2 |
| Rainy days | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Dry days | 24 | 21 | 24 | 21 | 23 | 23 | 26 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 23 |
Air: averages 1991 to 2020, Perugia Sant'Egidio weather station. Dry days have less than 1 mm of rain.
Events through the year
15 May
Corsa dei Ceri, Gubbio
Three huge wooden towers topped with saints are raced up the mountain in an exhilarating medieval festival.
Early May
Calendimaggio, Assisi
A spring festival of medieval costumes, music and contests between the town's two halves.
Late June to mid July
Festival dei Due Mondi, Spoleto
An international festival of music, theatre and dance in historic venues.
July
Umbria Jazz, Perugia
One of Europe's great jazz festivals, with free concerts in the streets and headline shows.
Late December to early January
Umbria Jazz Winter, Orvieto
The festive edition of the jazz festival, around New Year.
Autumn
Eurochocolate, Perugia
The home of Baci chocolates hosts a large chocolate festival in the historic centre.
Planning Umbria?
Tell us your dates and the group: we reply with availability and the full price, usually within one working day, and arrange transfers, chefs and boats.
Good to know
Practical tips
- Hill towns such as Perugia, Assisi and Orvieto have ZTL zones; use car parks below the walls with escalators, lifts or the Orvieto funicular.
- Assisi's basilicas require modest dress, with shoulders and knees covered.
- The Cascata delle Marmore runs at full flow only at set times, which change with the season; check the official timetable before going.
- The flowering of the Piano Grande at Castelluccio usually peaks from June to early July.
- Book wine estates in Montefalco ahead, and use a driver for tasting days.
- Many Umbrian museums and restaurants close one day a week, often Monday.
Questions
Umbria: frequently asked
Is Umbria worth visiting instead of Tuscany?
Umbria offers similar landscapes, art and food with fewer crowds and often better value. It is easy to combine with southern Tuscany.
What is the closest airport to Umbria?
Perugia San Francesco d'Assisi (PEG) is the region's own airport. For more connections, Rome Fiumicino and Florence are about 2 to 2h30 away by car.
Do you need a car in Umbria?
Yes, to reach villas and smaller villages. Trains link the main towns, but countryside travel is far easier by car or with a driver.
When is truffle season in Umbria?
The prized black winter truffle is gathered from late autumn into early spring, while the white truffle season runs through autumn. Summer truffles are available from late spring.
How many days do you need in Umbria?
A week allows you to see Assisi, Perugia, Orvieto and Spoleto at a gentle pace. Ten days lets you add the Valnerina and Monti Sibillini.
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