10 Best Things To Do In Orvieto, Italy - Updated 2024

Dianne
Contributing Writer
Updated
| 3 min read
things to do in Orvieto

Less than 90 minutes from Rome, Orvieto stands majestically above a valley floor and rewards you with views that will stay in your memory, forever. Split into two districts: the old-town hilltop and the new town below, it’s virtually traffic free. You can take a funicular, which will take you up and down from the heart of town.

Use this guide to plan your activities in Orvieto. This region will offer plenty of places to enjoy scenic vistas and historical sights.

Why Trust Trip101?


Over 50,000 articles reviewed and published by our experienced team

Over 50 years of combined experience researching, writing and reviewing travel articles

Over 40,000 hours spent on research and fact-checking from credible sources (last year’s data)

Optimizing content from data-driven insights collected directly from users on our platform

Focus on authentic and up-to-date information by collaborating with local guides, global travelers and other industry experts

Long-standing partnerships with credible brands like Airbnb, Booking.com, Agoda, Expedia, GetYourGuide, Viator, RVShare and more

Full disclosure on any partnerships or sponsored content

Trip101’s team of writers, editors, and content managers oversees the publication of all travel content, including destination guides, accommodation recommendations, and travel tips. They have extensive experience in the travel industry and no content, written or visual, gets published without a review. Many of our team’s work has also been featured in Travel+Leisure, National Today, The Indian Express, The Telegraph (India), Robb Report, The Adventure Handbook, Tripoto, Korea Tourism Organization, and Korean Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Some of them are also members of professional organizations like the Society of American Travel Writers and the International Travel Writers and Photographers Alliance.

Each member of the team follows Trip101's methodology and strict editorial guidelines to ensure accuracy, authenticity, and relevance.

1. Duomo di Orvieto (Orvieto Cathedra)

Orvieto kathedrale 1
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user http://www.reserv... used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Orvieto Cathedral is a large, 14th-century Roman Catholic cathedral, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and it won’t fail to impress you. It’s a fascinating look at early 14th-century Italian sculpture, but the horizontal stripes of black and white marble and the many colorful details of the interior frescoes will leave a vivid impression on you, too.

Duomo di Orvieto

Address: Piazza del Duomo, 26, 05018 Orvieto TR, Italy

Website: Duomo di Orvieto (in Italian)

Visited this place?

2. Orvieto Sotterranea (Orvieto Underground)

#italy #italyiloveyou #umbria #borghitalia #orvieto #igers #igersumbria #grotta #grotte #underground #cave #caves...

Posted by Guido Prosperi - #ilviaggiatoreinstancabile on Sunday, 3 July 2016

Orvieto has a labyrinth of caves hidden underneath it and there are various tours and explorations to be discovered. Going underground and seeing what’s left of the town from this perspective provides captivating insight into the lives of the Etruscans and why they built these spectacular dwellings. Amazingly, they’ve survived many earthquakes and you’ll be told of all kinds of information from the friendly guides who will take you around.

Orvieto Sotterranea

Address: Piazza del Duomo 23, 05018, Orvieto, Italy

Website: Orvieto Sotterranea

Visited this place?

3. Cappella Di San Brizio (Orvieto Cathedral)

Luca signorelli, cappella di san brizio 00
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user see filename or c... used under PUBLIC DOMAIN

Be prepared to spend a long time admiring the colorful and intricate frescoes inside the Cappella Di San Brizio, as they’ll certainly leave a great impression on you, even if you’re not religious. Painted by Signorelli, who inspired Michelangelo, there are five panels of paintings which portray a story and include evocative images of people in heaven and hell.

Cappella Di San Brizio

Address: Piazza del Duomo 26, 05018, Orvieto, Italy

Website: Cappella Di San Brizio (In Italian)

Visited this place?

4. Pozzo di San Patrizio

Pozzo di san patrizio orvieto - panoramio
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Maurizio Ceol used under CC BY 3.0

You may not want to visit this place if you suffer from vertigo! After your arrival, you will need to walk down the first set of steps, before coming back up the next set. The Pozzo di San Patrizio is an amazing piece of engineering, as the helix-like stairs never meet as it goes up. There are fantastic opportunities for taking photos through the arches of the stairs.

Pozzo di San Patrizio

Address: Viale San Gallo, 18038 Orvieto TR, Italy

Website: Pozzo di San Patrizio

Visited this place?

5. Pozzo della Cava (Well of the Cave)

Orvieto, pozzo dela cava 23
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Sailko used under CC BY 3.0

This is a well preserved, prime example of an Etruscan cave and is an excellent way to escape the heat for a while if you’re visiting in the summer months. A plus about this little museum is the numerous information boards, which are all around the cave and are offered in multiple languages. If you go to the restaurant, look out for the glass floor and get a view from above.

Pozzo della Cava

Address: Via della Cava 28, 05018, Orvieto, Italy

Website: Pozzo della Cava (in Italian)

Visited this place?

6. Orvieto Caves

Orvieto Caves #Orvieto Caves a most interesting and informative guide of the some of the caves that were first...

Posted by W L'italia by Andy & Otti on Monday, 23 June 2014

You may never get bored of visiting the caves of Orvieto - its impressive enough to see how an entire city was built in the hollowed out cliffs! The endless cave rooms seemingly go on forever and are connected by winding, narrow passageways and stairs. These lead out into wells, cisterns, remnants of olive oil presses, quarries and cellars and you can hire an inexpensive guide to help you get the most out of learning about the Etruscans and their mastery.

Orvieto Caves

Address: Piazza del Duomo, 23, 05018 Orvieto TR, Italy

Website: Orvieto Caves

Visited this place?

7. Cappella del Corporale

Messa in corso nella Cappella del Corporale del Duomo di Orvieto

Posted by Maria Giulia La Rosa on Saturday, 2 January 2016

A gem inside a gem - this chapel is decorated with fresco paintings, statues and the beautiful painting of Madonna dei Raccomandati, by Lippo Memmi. You don’t have to be religious to be in awe of the artwork, atmosphere, and spirituality that you’ll encounter on a visit here. Don’t forget to get a glimpse of the altar cloth, while you’re here.

Cappella del Corporale

Address: Orvieto, Italy

Website: Cappella del Corporale (in Italian)

Visited this place?

8. Museo Claudio Faina

Posted by Museo Etrusco "Claudio Faina" on Wednesday, 5 July 2017

The Museo Claudio Faina is an astounding building and houses hundreds of well-preserved items, which includes coins, vases, jewelry, and pottery. Walk between the well-organized rooms and peruse the collections of Greek and Etruscan artifacts, and while you’re there, remember to look up to gaze at the striking ceilings. If you make it to the top of the building, you’ll get amazing views of the Duomo, too.

Museo Claudio Faina

Address: Piazza del Duomo 29, 05018, Orvieto, Italy

Website: Museo Claudio Faina

Visited this place?

9. Torre del Moro

Torre del moro 1
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Nioger used under CC BY 3.0

One of the best ways to get a sense of a city is to see it from above and a visit to Torre del Moro will give you just that! Climb to the top of the 200 steps to reach the bell tower, or you can take a lift most of the way up, and gaze down at the maze of rooftops and buildings spread out before you. You can even see where Orvieto starts and ends, the views are that fantastic, just beware when the bells chime while you’re up there!

Torre del Moro

Address: Via Duomo / Corso Cavour, Orvieto, Italy

Website: Torre del Moro

Visited this place?

10. Orvieto private walking tour

Orv
Source: Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Gia2002 used under CC BY-SA 4.0

What better way to learn about a place than to take a tour of the area with an informative local? Enjoy the walk through Orvieto’s charming, narrow alleys, and small squares and visit many of the main sights, in particular, the Orvieto Duomo, one of the most important cathedrals in Europe. Additionally, enjoy the views of the Paglia Valley and then head to the underground network of wine cellars and ancient Etruscan cisterns.

Visited this place?

Orvieto: A culture vulture's heaven

From the high heights of the cathedral and clock tower to the underground labyrinths of the Etruscan caves, Orvieto’s beauty and history are hard to beat. Add the vivid frescoes and stunning architecture, sitting amongst the atmospheric, narrow streets and planning for your visit to this Italian gem is bound to get you excited for your vacation.

Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

History


Get Trip101 in your inbox

Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data

 Want to contribute as a Local Expert?
Register Here
0 Comments
Explore Orvieto
x
Good things are meant to be shared!
Back to top
Visited any of these places? Click this button to activate our "Add a Tip" feature to share your experience.
things to do in Orvieto at night

9 Best Things To Do In Orvieto, Italy At Night