How much time for Perugia and other Umbrian towns?

Question

I will be in Umbria for a week, doing the "agroturismo" thing (staying on a farm in the countryside), and we are hoping to do day trips to neat towns in Umbria.

How much time should we allow for Perugia, Assisi, Orvieto, and are there any hidden treasures the guidebooks won't tell me about?

Any suggestions on what the weather will be and what to pack would be great, as well. We'll be arriving Sat., Oct. 6.

Answer 1

The agroturismo experience is great. Unfortunately, it sounds like you'll miss the Eurochocolate Festival in Perugia. That starts on the 13th of October and runs through the 21st. Perugia is a great place to visit anyway and you can visit the Perugina Chocolate Museum. Don't miss the underground city (medieval streets & houses now below ground level) or the art in the National Gallery of Umbria in the Pallazo dei Priori. Just seeing the things in the guide books will fill a day.

One event that will be running while you're in Umbria is the  Palio dell'Oca in the Castello old town from the 4th to the 7th. It's based on medieval jousts and features contests between various sections of the town...and good food.

There's also the Euro bird watch in the nature parks around Perugia on the 10th.

Assisi is definitely worth a day. The guidebooks cover this in detail.

The highlight of Orvieto is the duomo, but the underground tour is worth doing. The citizens have been digging the caves and passages for over 3000 years. You can also go down in St Patrick's Well.

The temperatures should be 65 to 75 during the day and 50 to 55 through the night.