Orvieto sits on its volcanic cliff about halfway between Rome and Florence, and on Viator the best-reviewed day trips from Rome pair it with one of two very different places: Civita di Bagnoregio, the village on a crumbling spur of rock reached by a footbridge, or Assisi, the town of St. Francis. The two tours differ by more than a destination. One is a coach day for about $109 with a wine lunch; the other is a small group with hotel pickup for about $335. Below, we compare two ways to book an Orvieto day trip from Rome, side by side.
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The verdict
The Civita day is a coach tour from Piazza del Popolo: two hours in Civita di Bagnoregio, a three-course lunch at a farmhouse and vineyard with five wines including Brunello di Montalcino, and two hours in Orvieto. The listing points out that there is no direct public transport to the Civita footbridge, which is a good reason to take a tour. The group can reach fifty.
The Assisi day collects you from your hotel in a minivan, gives you two hours in Assisi with a professional guide, including the Basilica of St. Francis with headsets, and includes entrance to Orvieto Cathedral. It is capped at 24, rated 4.9, and costs about three times as much.
Our pick for most people is the Civita day. It is the better value by a wide margin, it includes lunch and wine where the Assisi day includes neither, and Civita is the harder of the two places to reach on your own. Take the Assisi day if Assisi is the reason for the trip: if you are a pilgrim, if St. Francis or St. Carlo Acutis is why you are going, or if you want a guide inside the basilica rather than a coach day with some guidance.
Reviewers are clear about the format. One wrote in June 2026 that “this is not a guided tour but a bus tour with some guidance”; another wished for more time in Orvieto. The guide travels with you, but the two towns are largely yours to explore. If you want a guide walking you through Orvieto Cathedral, the Assisi day includes the cathedral visit; the Civita day does not list it.
Which one is for you?
Take the Civita day if
- You want Civita di Bagnoregio, which is hard to reach without a car.
- You want lunch and wine included: three courses and five wines.
- You want the lower price, about $109 against about $335.
- You are fine meeting at Piazza del Popolo at 7:20 am.
- You are fit enough for the walk up the footbridge to Civita.
Take the Assisi day if
- Assisi is the point: the Basilica of St. Francis, Santa Chiara and Santa Maria degli Angeli.
- You want a professional guide for two hours in Assisi.
- You want pickup from your hotel, apartment or B&B in Rome.
- You want a group of 24 at most, or a private version of the same day.
- You are happy to pay for lunch separately.
What each price covers
The Civita day, from about $109
Included: round-trip transport from Rome in an air-conditioned coach with Wi-Fi; an English-speaking guide for the day; a two-hour visit to Civita di Bagnoregio; a three-course lunch at a Tuscan farmhouse and vineyard with a tasting of five wines, including Brunello di Montalcino; and a two-hour visit to Orvieto.
Not included: hotel pickup and gratuities. Infants are discounted. The listing asks for moderate fitness and excludes travelers with heart problems: Civita is reached on foot over a long, steep footbridge, and reviewers mention a lot of steps.
The Assisi day, from about $335
Included: free pickup and drop-off at your accommodation in Rome in an air-conditioned minivan; a two-hour professional guide in Assisi; entrance to the Basilica of St. Francis with headsets; and entrance to and a visit of Orvieto Cathedral. The Assisi stops listed include Santa Maria degli Angeli and Santa Chiara.
Not included: lunch and drinks, and tips. A private version was quoted at about $498 per person for two travelers on a September date. The provider asks you to give your exact address and phone number with the country code, and to call the day before to confirm the pickup.
Where each one starts
- Civita day: the center of Piazza del Popolo, by the fountain with the lions and the obelisk, at 7:20 am. The nearest metro stop is Flaminio, on line A. It ends on Viale Giorgio Washington, next to the piazza.
- Assisi day: pickup from your accommodation in Rome at 7:00 am.
- Neither is wheelchair accessible. The Assisi day is stroller accessible; a reviewer notes a lot of walking with inclines and stairs.
- Both offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, local time.
Side by side
| With Civita | With Assisi | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.6 from 221 | 4.9 from 110 |
| Recommended by | Not shown | 97% of travelers |
| Price | from about $109 | from about $335 |
| Length | 12 hours | 10 hours |
| Group cap | 50 | 24 |
| Transport | Coach from Piazza del Popolo | Minivan, hotel pickup |
| Guide | English-speaking, for the day | Professional guide in Assisi, 2 hours |
| Lunch | Three courses and five wines | Not included |
| Entrances | None listed | Basilica of St. Francis, Orvieto Cathedral |
| Time in Orvieto | About 2 hours | Cathedral visit |
What travelers say
On the Civita day
Civita was the highlight
Natasha_M, June 2026, via Viator
Be prepared for lots of steps but it is definitely worth the trip
Jacque_B, June 2026, via Viator
On the Assisi day
Since Marie lives in Assisi she knows this area in and out.
Khoa_N, September 2025, via Viator
There is a lot of walking including inclines and stairs. Two members of the group were unable physically to complete the tour.
William_P, September 2025, via Viator
The Civita day’s lower ratings come from the parts that are hard to control at fifty people: one reviewer found lunch service slow, another wanted more time in Orvieto. The Assisi day’s reviews are about guides who live in the town and adjust the day to the group, which is what the extra money buys.
How either fits a Rome trip
Both are full days out of Rome. Compare them with the shorter Tivoli day trip or Pompeii from Rome, and see all the options in the best day trips from Rome. Civita is in Tuscia, the corner of northern Lazio covered in our Tuscia travel guide; Assisi and Orvieto are in the Umbria travel guide, alongside the hot-air balloon over Assisi. Over New Year, Orvieto also hosts Umbria Jazz Winter.
Questions travelers ask
Can you visit Orvieto as a day trip from Rome?
Yes. Both tours here include Orvieto in a day from Rome: the Civita day gives about two hours in the town, and the Assisi day includes a visit to Orvieto Cathedral.
How do you get to Civita di Bagnoregio from Rome?
The Civita day includes the coach from Piazza del Popolo. Its listing notes there is no direct public transport to the footbridge entrance, which is why a tour or a car makes it much easier.
Is lunch included?
On the Civita day, yes: a three-course lunch at a farmhouse and vineyard with five wines, including Brunello di Montalcino. On the Assisi day, lunch and drinks are not included.
Is hotel pickup included?
On the Assisi day, yes, from your accommodation in Rome. On the Civita day, no; it starts at Piazza del Popolo at 7:20 am.
How much walking is involved?
A lot, on both. The Civita day asks for moderate fitness and reviewers mention many steps up to Civita. On the Assisi day a reviewer notes inclines and stairs, and that two members of their group could not complete the walk.
Does the Assisi tour include the Basilica of St. Francis?
Yes. It includes entrance to the basilica with headsets, as part of two hours with a professional guide in Assisi.
Book the Civita day for the village you cannot easily reach alone and a long lunch with wine. Book the Assisi day if St. Francis is the reason you are going. Either way, wear shoes with grip: both days are built on hilltops.
Editorial assessment by Italy2Love, September 2026. Stops and stop lengths, inclusions and exclusions, meals and wines, pickup arrangements, group caps, fitness requirements, meeting points, accessibility, prices on a September 2026 date, ratings, review counts and cancellation terms read on both Viator product pages (product codes 3731P277 and 8515P8), September 2026. Reviews quoted with attribution to their authors and to Viator. Next review March 2027, or sooner on any change to either itinerary.