La Locanda del Cardinale
What to order: seasonal Umbrian cooking and something from the wine cellar, which the Michelin Guide highlights
geocalia
Day itinerary · 43.07° N · 12.62° E
A Sunday in Assisi, from the hermitage in the woods to the saint's tomb.
Two and a half hours from Rome: the Porziuncola chapel, St Francis's hermitage in the woods, lunch above a Roman domus and the basilica once the groups have left.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Roma fromBarcelona 1 h 45Alicante 2 h 15Bilbao 2 h 15Valencia 2 h 15Zaragoza 2 h 15Madrid 2 h 30Asturias 2 h 45Málaga 2 h 45Sevilla 2 h 45Fuerteventura 4 h 30
Part of Assisi
Add to my trip
Total time11 h
By car2 h 30 each way
From Rome2 h 30 by car
ParkingOutside the historic centre
WalkingAbout 2 h
DifficultyEasy
Best timeApril – June · September – October
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Rome 2 h 30 by car
Along the A1 and the Umbrian dual carriageways to the Assisi exit
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1
Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Porziuncola
The Porziuncola chapel under the dome · free
- 15 min by car9,9 km
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2
Hike from Assisi to the Eremo delle Carceri and the Croce di Sassopiano
Drive up to the hermitage and walk a while in the woods; the full route from Assisi is 5 h
- 15 min by car3,5 km
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3
La Locanda del Cardinale
Roman remains under the floor · book on TheFork · at midday, Thursday to Sunday
Piazza del Vescovado, 8, 06081 Assisi · +39 075 815245
Restaurant €€€Book - 12 min on foot
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4
Basilica of St Francis, the two churches and the crypt
Lower church, crypt and frescoes of the upper one · free
- 12 min on foot
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5
Pasticceria Sensi
Rocciata for the journey
Corso Giuseppe Mazzini, 14, 06081 Assisi · +39 075 812529
Bakery €Book -
Back home
In Rome around eight
Approximate cost
About €45–80 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Santa Maria degli Angeli and the Porziuncola
With a car, Assisi makes a full day from Rome and lets you reach what the train does not: the Eremo delle Carceri, the hermitage in the woods of Monte Subasio where St Francis and his companions retired to pray. The plan goes from the plain to the mountain and back to the town, so you can enter the basilica in the afternoon, when the groups have gone.
The day, hour by hour
7:45 · Leave Rome. About two and a half hours along the A1 and the Umbrian dual carriageways to the Assisi exit.
10:15 · The Porziuncola. It starts on the plain, at Santa Maria degli Angeli: under the dome of an enormous basilica stands the tiny chapel of the Porziuncola. It opens from 7:30 to 12:30 in the morning. Allow 45 minutes.
11:15 · The Eremo delle Carceri. Drive up the Subasio road to the hermitage, set in a holm-oak wood. Visit the little church of Santa Maria delle Carceri and walk a while along the woodland paths. If you walk well and have the whole day, the full route on foot from Assisi, with the Croce di Sassopiano, takes about five hours: keep it for another visit.
13:15 · Lunch at La Locanda del Cardinale. Go down to the town, leave the car in an outer car park and walk to Piazza del Vescovado. Under the glass floor you can see the remains of a Roman house from the 1st century BC. Umbrian and modern cooking. Book on TheFork: at lunchtime it is open Thursday to Sunday.
15:15 · The Basilica of St Francis. Lower church, crypt with the saint's tomb and upper church with the frescoes of his life. In mid-afternoon, with fewer people. Free.
16:45 · Rocciata at Sensi. On Corso Mazzini, a slice of Assisi's pastry or a whole one for the journey.
17:30 · Return. In Rome at around eight.
With children
The Eremo, with the wood, works better than a third church. If they are little, swap the Eremo for the Rocca Maggiore, which has towers and a wall walk. At the Locanda, better with children who can sit through a long lunch.
Time45 min
Change the route
Monday to Wednesday, when the Locanda is not open at midday (Pallotta is closed on Tuesdays):
Trattoria Pallotta
If you do not want to drive up to the Eremo: the fortress above the city, €8:
Rocca Maggiore, the fortress above Assisi
If you have two days: 13.5 km on foot to Spello and back by train:
Walking from Assisi to Spello on the Via di Francesco
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Trattoria Pallotta
What to order: strangozzi alla Pallotta and, as a main course, pigeon alla ghiotta or rabbit cacciatore with torta al testo
Takeaway and markets
Pasticceria Sensi, Assisi
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Assisi
Designed for a day from Thursday to Sunday, when La Locanda del Cardinale is open at lunchtime. Spring and autumn are best; in August, heat and many people.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the Locanda
Especially at weekends.
- 2Shoes for the woods
At the Eremo there is a path of earth and stone.
- 3The basilica, in the afternoon
The upper church closes at 18:00.
We'd skip it
Monday to Wednesday with this lunch: La Locanda del Cardinale opens only in the evening on those days, and on Tuesday it is closed.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Rome to Assisi by car?
About two and a half hours.
Can you drive up to the Eremo delle Carceri?
Yes, along the Subasio road; walking from Assisi is prettier, by path 350.
Where do you park in Assisi?
Outside the historic centre; the most convenient for the upper part is the one at Piazza Matteotti.
Is the Locanda open on Sunday?
Yes, at lunchtime and in the evening.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/italy/umbria/assisi/itineraries/rome-assisi-car-day-trip-hermitage-basilica
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.