Assisi Walking Tour: St. Francis Basilica with Guide

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.92 (132 reviews) 94% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/9

Duration2h 30m

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN · DE +2

Mobile ticketAccepted

Walk through two basilicas and a medieval square, guided by someone who explains what you're standing in front of.

A private walking tour of Assisi with an official guide that covers the Basilica of St. Francis (a UNESCO World Heritage site built starting in 1228), the Basilica of St. Clare, and the city's main landmarks over 2.5 hours. The guide provides admission to the Basilica of St. Francis and leads you through both the solemn lower church and the bright upper church in Gothic style. Dress code required: knees and shoulders must be covered. On Sundays, Catholic holidays and national holidays, tours inside the Basilica of St. Francis are not permitted; your guide will explain from outside and you'll enter alone.

2h 30m

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Assisi's religious landmarks

Meet guide at 10:30am
Visit Basilica of St. Clare
See Chiesa Nuova church
Explore Temple of Minerva
Tour lower Basilica of St. Francis
Visit upper Basilica of St. Francis

The Experience

You meet your guide at 10:30am and start at the Basilica of St. Clare, a church built to hold the remains of Saint Clare of Assisi, who founded the Order of Poor Ladies and followed Saint Francis. From there the walk moves to the Chiesa Nuova, a 1615 church built on the site where Saint Francis was born, then to the Temple of Minerva—an ancient Roman building that now houses a church renovated in Baroque style in the 17th century.

The Basilica of St. Francis is the centerpiece. Built starting in 1228, just two years after the saint's death, under the direction of Brother Elias, it was designed to receive his remains and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Your guide takes you through both levels: the lower basilica, solemn and dark, built for penance and silence, and the upper church, which soars upward in bright Gothic style with French influences, cross vaulting, and a polygonal transept. Admission is included; the guide explains what each space means and what you're looking at.

The tour covers the main square and other highlights of the city as you walk. Your guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, or German depending on which you choose at booking. The whole tour runs 2.5 hours and is suitable for all fitness levels. Note that on Sundays, Catholic holidays and national holidays, guided tours inside the Basilica of St. Francis are not allowed—your guide will explain the church from outside, and you'll enter alone. From February 15 to April 6, 2026, tours are also suspended due to the exposition of St. Francis's remains; the guide will provide explanation from outside, then you'll enter on your own.

What’s included

Admission tickets to the Basilica of St. Francis; private official guide in your choice of English, Spanish, Italian, or German.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearby

Operated by ARTexplorer Italy

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you speak English, Spanish, Italian, or German and want a guide who explains the history and meaning of what you're seeing as you walk—the commentary is what makes the difference between standing in front of these churches and understanding why they were built and what they contain.