travel around turin

Getting around in Turin without a car: trade traffic for top sights

Apr 28, 2022 • 5 min read

Fiats are best for day trips from Turin with the central limited traffic zone reducing unnecessary car trips © claudiodivizia / Getty Images

As the birthplace of Fiat, Turin is one of Italy’s great car cities. But you don’t need a sporty Italian auto to get around town.

Its historic center can easily be covered on foot and there’s an excellent public transport system for reaching its various neighborhoods. To strike out on your own, two wheels are generally better than four, so grab yourself a bike and hit the cycle lanes.

See the historic sights on foot

Part and parcel of a trip to Turin is strolling its historic center. This is where you’ll find the city’s great showpiece piazzas and headline museums such as the Palazzo Reale and Museo Egizio . Distances are not huge and with some 18km (11mi) of porticoes to protect you from the elements – rain and snow in winter, the unforgiving sun in summer – you’re guaranteed a smooth passage.

To ensure maximum comfort, make sure to bring some robust walking shoes – cobblestones can be murder on the feet.

Reach outlying neighborhoods by bus or tram

To venture out of the center, your best bet is to jump on a bus or tram. The city’s public transport company, GTT , operates more than 80 lines covering every inch of the city. Services, many of which pass the main train station, Stazione Porta Nuova, generally run from around 5am to midnight.

For short hops in the center, the Star electric shuttle bus is a useful option while weekend nighthawks will appreciate the Night Buster bus service, which operates from midnight to 5am on Fridays and Saturdays. These nocturnal buses pass by popular nightspots as they run to the city’s outlying districts.

Beat the traffic, take the metro

Italy’s first fully automated metro, Turin’s subway is the fastest way of getting around town. But with only one line, it’s of limited use to visitors. Useful stops include Porta Nuova and Porta Susa, Turin’s two main train stations, and Lingotto near the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli , an intimate art gallery in the former Fiat headquarters.

Public transport tickets

Public transport tickets come in various forms, all listed on the GTT website. The standard is a single ticket (less than €2), which is valid for 100 minutes on all city buses and trams and includes one metro ride. Then there are day cards (€4) and passes for 48-/72-hours (around €7.50/€10).

Once you’ve got your ticket you’ll need to validate it on board the bus or tram. To do this, simply insert it into the onboard validating machine or, if you’ve got a smart ticket, hold it up to the contactless reader.

Tickets can be bought at authorized newsstands and bars, as well as automatic vending machines. You can also get smart tickets through the free-to-download TO Move app .

Cars are best for day trips out of town

A car is often more hassle than it’s worth in Turin. Sure, you can use an app for navigation but you’ll still have to deal with narrow streets, aggressive traffic and fierce competition for parking. There’s also the fact that the historic center is off-limits to unauthorized traffic.

The central limited traffic zone ( ZTL ) is active between 7.30am and 10.30am every weekday morning. Furthermore, certain central streets are limited to public transport while others are pedestrian-only. All-seeing cameras monitor ZTL entry points, so unless you have permission to enter, it pays to keep out. If you’ve booked accommodation inside the ZTL, ask your hotel or B&B for advice.

Street-side parking spaces are marked in blue and require a ticket from a meter or newsstand: expect around €1.30 to €2.50 per hour from 8am to 7.30pm Monday to Saturday. There are also several car parks dotted around the center.

Hiring a car is only really useful if you plan to head out of town or visit outlying sights such as the Reggia di Venaria Reale or Castello di Rivoli .

Take a taxi late at night

Taxis are a good bet if you’ve got luggage or need to get around late at night. But don’t try to hail one: either head to a taxi stand or call for one. Try Taxi Torino or apps such as Wetaxi or Free Now .

As a rule of thumb, always go with a metered rate. Minimum fares start at €3.50, rising to €6 at night and on Sundays and holidays. Large bags cost an extra €0.50 each.

There’s no set fare to/from the airport but the city council has imposed a maximum charge of €36. You can generally pay in cash, by credit card or increasingly through apps such as Paypal.

Pedal the streets by bike

In Turin, two wheels are often better than four. The city has around 175km (109mi) of cycle lanes and pedaling around the center is an efficient and environmentally friendly way of getting around. The city runs an excellent bike-sharing service, [TO]Bike , for which you can buy special tourist passes at the main tourist office on Piazza Castello.

With a smartphone, you can also access the free-floating Mobike network, which has hundreds of bikes across the city.

In recent years, e-scooters have started appearing on the city’s streets. There are several companies offering scooter hire, including Dott and Voi . As a rough guide, you’ll pay €1 to unlock the scooter, then €0.15 to €0.20 for every minute on the road.

Accessible travel in Turin

Turin’s historic streets can be challenging for travelers with disabilities. However, efforts have been made to improve accessibility to public transport. Many newer buses are wheelchair accessible with a designated space inside, and stops are often announced prior to arrival. Check GTT's website  for a list of bus lines with wheelchair access, identified with a symbol.

Turin’s metro stations have wheelchair-accessible lifts and tactile paths for people with visual impairments.

TaxiTorino has wheelchair-accessible vehicles, though these must be booked in advance.

Why I love Turin’s trams

Sure, they’re not the quickest form of transport but Turin’s trams are such a civilized way of getting around. I love the way they glide sedately around the historic streets, their large windows offering a live stream of the city outside. They’re also greener, smoother, and generally roomier inside than their bus rivals.

You might also like: The 5 best day trips from Turin 15 free things to do in Turin Insider tips for the best things to do in Italy

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Turin Travel Information

By Denise Otero

Getting Around Turin

Turin is very easy to get around on foot and this is definitely the best way to explore and discover the different areas and neighbourhoods so there really is no need for a car (especially since parking is hard to find and can be expensive). The city also offers many forms of public transportation with local buses, trams and the metro running very frequently from 5am to midnight. Here’s some useful Turin travel information and travel trips for your trip…

Public Transport Tickets: tickets for the bus, tram and metro can be purchased at news-stands or at a local Tabaccherie (tobacco shop). You can also buy tickets for the metro at the metro station.

Urban + suburban ticket – € 1.70 Valid for 90 minutes from the first validation (only punch the ticket once, on the first boarded vehicle) both on urban and suburban lines. It is also valid for a metro trip within the 90 minutes validity. It can only be used by one person.

Urban and suburban carnet of tickets A carnet of 5 and 15 tickets provide a considerable saving on purchasing one single ticket.

• 5- carnet – € 6.50
• 15-carnet – € 17.50

Note: When boarding public transportation you should punch your ticket immediately or at least before the first stop to avoid potential fines. If you have individual tickets, you should punch the ticket at the appropriate machine – usually grey or orange in colour. With cards, you can swipe the card against the blue machine provided. If you find yourself without a ticket, some trams (for example number 4 tram) provide a separate red machine from which to buy tickets at a cost of € 2.50. But it is best to avoid this option if possible and always carry a spare ticket in your wallet.

For more on public transport & fares:  http://www.gtt.to.it/en/fares/

Turin ‘s main railway stations:

Porta Nuova –   (routes from/to Rome, Milan, Genoa, Florence, Bologna, Venice, France) Torino Porta Nuova is Italy’s third largest train station Address:  Corso Vittorio Emanuele II

Lingotto  – (intermediate stop from/to Rome, Genoa, Florence) Address: via Pannunzio, 1 – map Stazione Dora (from/to Turin’s International Airport “Sandro Pertini”, every 30 minutes) Address: Piazza Baldissera For more info on train services and timetables visit:

• www.trenitalia.com
• www.italotreno.it

Coach Services/Airport Shuttle Bus Services:

Coach services to national and international destinations depart at the bus terminal in Corso Inghilterra and at the Porta Nuova and Porta Susa railway stations. A shuttle bus service, which links Turin’s city center with Turin’s International Airport, known as Turin-Caselle Airport , departs from Porta Nuova and Porta Susa railway stations. Turin’s airport is 16 km (10 miles) north of Turin’s city center.

Shuttle buses to Milano Malpensa Airport depart and arrive at the bus Terminal in Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 131and at Porta Susa train station.

Journey time: 1.5-2 hours

How to get from Turin Airport to City Centre

TAXI: The taxi rank is located on the left at the exit of the Arrivals level.

Fare: a fixed fare of about 30-35 EUR to reach Turin’s city centre. Prices vary on number of passengers and number of bags. Journey time: approximately 25-30 minutes.

More information here about  how to arrive Turin from Turin’s airport by taxi

For Taxi Info: Pronto Taxi: ph. +39. 011.5737

Radio Taxi: ph. +39. 011.5730 – 011.3399

SHUTTLE BUSES:

From/to TURIN SADEM BUS SERVICE:

• One-way fare: Euro 6.50 (+1.00 € aboard). Euro 5.00 with TORINO+PIEMONTE CARD
• Journey time: 45-50 minutes.
• Passengers are asked to buy their ticket before getting on the bus.

Visit the SADEM website for more information on Turin Airport-Turin bus shuttle and timetables .

or call ph. +39 011.3000611

TURIN CITY TO AIRPORT Departure locations: Porta Nuova Railway Station, corso Vittorio Emanuele II n. 57/A Porta Susa Railway Station, corso Bolzano in front D Exit of the station

How to buy Tickets: at cafes/bars close to the bus terminal and onboard the bus (+ Euro 0.50 extra-charge).

TURIN AIRPORT TO CITY Hours of operation:  from 6.10 AM to midnight

How to buy tickets: The ticket office (Ricevitoria) and ticket machine in the Arrivals lounge or aboard the bus (+ Euro 0.50 extra-charge)

• Turin Lingotto Railway Station.
• Via G. Bruno 29.
• Torino Esposizioni.
• C.so Casale 42.
• Via Botticelli 217.
• Via Botticelli/angolo Piazza Rebaudengo.
• Turin Airport – Arrival level

Journey time :  approximately 1 hour Fares Adults – One-way Euro 5.50 Return Euro 9.50 Children (5-12 years) – One-way Euro 4.00  Return Euro 8.00 Young Children (0-4 years) – FREE

Departure times: frequent departures all day. For more timetables and more info visit www.terravision.eu

TRAIN SHUTTLE FROM TURIN AIRPORT: a train links Turin airport to Turin “GTT Dora Railway Station” in 19 minutes. The airport railway station is located few metres away from the air terminal. Train departures are every 30 minutes: from 5:03am to 23:08pm to the airport and from 5:04am to 21:03pm to Turin.  

Turin GTT Dora Railway Station is connected to the city centre by bus:

• Fare: 3 EUR
• Journey time: 19 minutes
• Tickets are sold at the ticket office (Ricevitoria) in the Arrivals lounge

For more info and timetable: GTT: Telephone – (0039) 011.2165352 or  or 800/019152 or  www.gtt.to.it

TURIN AIRPORT WEBSITE: http://www.aeroportoditorino.it/en/hp_en.html

OTHER USEFUL TURIN TRAVEL INFORMATION:

TURIN TOURIST OFFICE Info Point Locations: Turin, Piazza Castello / via Garibaldi Porta Nuova Train Station Turin International Airport

• free admission to more than 190 cultural sites in Torino and Piemonte
• free rides on tourist services in Torino (panoramic lift in the Mole Antonelliana, Sassi-Superga rack tramway, boats on the river Po, shuttle bus “Venaria Express”)
• free admission to the company visits of “Made in Torino”
• special fare on City Sightseeing Torino open-top bus
• discounts on guided tours, adventure parks and outdoor activities
• discounts on theatre, opera and concerts seasons all over the region
• reduced ticket for to the main events of the area such as International Book Fair (May), the biannual International “Salone del Gusto” (October), the Torino Film Festival (November), “Artissima” (November) and the regional shows of “Piemonte dal Vivo”.

The Torino+Piemonte Card is valid for an adult and a child under age 12. The Torino+Piemonte Card Junior is valid for one person under 18. PRICES: 2 days € 25.00; 3 days € 29.00; 5 days € 34.00; 2-day Junior Card: € 12.00.

HOW TO BUY: Buy your Torino+Piemonte Card at Turismo Torino e Provincia Tourist Information Centres and at the participating retailers listed online.

Exclusive discounts valid only with purchase at www.turismotorino.org/en/online_shopping

For further info contact: (0039) 011.535181 or  800.329329 or  (Italy) – 00.800.11133300 (International) [email protected] www.turismotorino.org/card

EMERGENCY NUMBERS Carabinieri: 112 Police: 113 Medical emergency: 118

MUSEUMS AND MONUMENTS IN TURIN General info: Tel: 800.333444 or  (from Italy)

We hope you have found this section about Turin travel information useful and we wish you a memorable trip to Turin!

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The 10 Most Beautiful Day Trips from Turin, Italy

It always amazes me that Turin, Italy isn’t more famous.  Besides being the first capital of Italy, and besides having a rich royal heritage, and besides being a global culinary hot spot, there are so many spectacular day trips from Turin that you could literally never get bored of spending time in the largest city in the Piemonte region.

I think you could spend a month in Turin and not get bored ( read my guide to spending a weekend in Turin here ), but for those who are staying in the city a bit longer and are looking for a change of scenery, there really are just countless great day trips from Turin.

Nearby destinations include cities like Alba, Asti and Bra, that are world-famous for their local culinary delights.  Of course, if you like ancient ruins and adventure sports, you’ll probably want to head to the Alps west and north of the city, in Susa and Aosta, respectively.

It’s even possible to do a day trip to Milan from Turin, thanks to the high-speed trains that travel this route in less than an hour.  Yes, you can wake up in Turin and be looking at Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” before lunch, if you properly plan your day trip from Turin!

Keep reading to see my Top 10 Turin day trip recommendations (plus one bonus that really only requires half a day), and let me know in the comments if you’ve visited any of these Italian travel destinations!

Looking for a Guided Tour from Turin?

If you don’t have time to organize your own day trip from Turin, there are some great guided tour options of Piemonte and the surrounding areas.  Here are my top three recommendations:

• Half-Day Trip to Medieval Sacra de San Michele 🏔️
• Full-Day Langhe Region Tour with Wine-Tasting 🍷
• Food, Wine & Castle Tour in Canavese (Italian Alps) 🏰

Day Trip to Alba

As I wrote this post I went back and looked at all of my old photos from my own day trip to Alba… and most of them were of food. Alba’s charming historic center is worth on its own, but when you add in the fact that Alba is the birthplace of Nutella and the unofficial home of white truffles, well… you can’t skip this day trip from Turin!

Alba’s compact city center is ideal for a day spent exploring by foot.  The heart of the city is Piazza Duomo (shown above) with the 11th-centry Cathedral of San Lorenzo.  Alba is known for its many medieval towers, so why not ascend San Lorenzo’s forty-meter tower for views of the historic center?

Nearby, at the Centro Culturale San Giuseppe, you can descend into the basement to see ancient Roman archeological remains.  At times, temporary art exhibits are set up among the ruins.

Make sure to leave some time to shop for food and wine.  Although the Ferrero factory (where they make Nutella) is closed to the public, shops in Alba sell gianduja , the typical Piemontese chocolate-hazelnut spread that inspired Nutella.  You can also sample the region’s sumptuous red wines, including Barbera d’Alba, Dolcetto d’Alba and Nebbiolo d’Alba.

For lunch, check out La Piola (dishing up traditional Piemontese food, including at least one vegetarian pasta dish) and Voglia di Vino (vegetarian items clearly labeled on the menu).  If you visit Alba in the autumn, during the annual International White Truffle Fair, you can expect to find restaurants packed on the weekends as travelers from around the world come to sample white truffles on special tasting menus.  Reserve restaurants in advance if your visit is during the fair!

Getting to Alba from Turin

There is hourly train service between Turin and Alba.  The train from Turin to Alba takes about 70 minutes.  Train depart from Torino Lingotto station, which is accessible by metro from the historic center.  Tickets start around €6.

By car, the trip also takes about 70 minutes on highway A6.

Day Trip to Asti

The most iconic landmark in Asti is the Torre Troyana, an antique bell tower that was constructed in the late 1200s.  This is the only tower in the city that you can still climb, so consider heading here first to get a bird’s eye view of the city.

Asti has a selection of museums that cover art, architecture and history.  The most popular museum to visit on a day trip from Turin is Palazzo Mazzetti, a complex that evolved over time from several medieval houses into today’s grand palazzo . The interior is beautiful, and the opulent Baroque rooms feature exhibits on topics including archeology, local art and contemporary art.  You can purchase a €10 “complete ticket” here that also gives you access to fifteen other historical sites across the city.

Like Alba, Asti bustles in the autumn with festivals.  The Palio d’Asti is a traditional bareback horse race that dates back to the Middle Ages.  The Festival Delle Sagre D’Asti is a weekend fair celebrating pastoral, countryside traditions.  Finally, the Douja d’Or is an annual wine competition inviting vineyards from across Italy to present their best offerings.  If your day trip to Asti takes place during September, be prepared for crowds!

On my day trip to Asti I had lunch at Restaurante Convivio Vini e Cucina, which has unfortunately since closed.  A great alternative is Brasserie Pompa Magna, where there’s almost always at least one vegetarian pasta dish on the menu (cheesy gnocchi? yes please!) and more wine than you could sample in your lifetime.

Getting to Asti from Turin

Fast trains link Turin and Asti in only 35 minutes (the trains then continue on to Genoa).  Tickets start around €6.  These fast trains leave Porta Nuova station once an hour.

By car, it’s less than an hour from Turin to Asti if you take highway E70.

Looking for more Europe travel tips?

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Day Trip to Bra

Every other year, Bra hosts a cheese festival (fittingly called “Cheese”) in which 200,000 people descend upon this town (population 30,000) to celebrate artisan cheese from around the world.  If you like cheese, add this festival to your calendar now, and thank me later.

If you visit Bra at any other time, you may find that you’re the only tourist walking around this charming town in the Province of Cuneo. You can start by exploring Bra’s two most famous churches. The Church of Sant’Andrea (visible in the photo above, on the left) has a facade designed by none other than Bernini.  Nearby, the Church of Santa Chiara is well-known for its pretty interior dome.

If you need a day trip from Turin that’s perfect for kids, Bra could definitely be a contender!  It has a Toy Museum (Museo del Giocattolo) where a guided tour features a short theatre performance.  Kids also love Villa La Zizzola (open seasonally), where they can get panoramic views of the city, hear open-air concerts and go inside this small 19th-century villa.

Personally, I visited Bra during Cheese, and the only food I ate was the cheese being sold by vendors at stalls in the street.  If you want a real meal, check out the Slow Food-inspired Osteria del Boccondivino. They have vegetarian-friendly starters and pasta dishes, but omnivores will want to choose one of their affordable tasting menus based on traditional Piemontese cuisine.

Getting to Bra from Turin

Trains from Torino Lingotto to Bra take about 45 minutes and cost €5.  Departures are at least once an hour.

By car, it takes just under an hour to drive from Turin to Bra on highway E717.

Day Trip to Lake Orta

Most travelers have heard of Lake Como and Lake Garda, but Lake Orta (Lago d’Orta) is still something of a hidden gem… making it the perfect day trip from Turin!

Your home base for the day should be Orta San Giulio, on the east shore of the lake.  Try to arrive early so you can walk along the shore of the lake as the fog rises to reveal the picturesque landscape.

If the water looks inviting you can walk over to Orta Beach Club.  There, you can rent a beach chair and umbrella for relaxing between dips in the protected waters out front.  Similar beach clubs are dotted along the water to the north and south of Orta San Giulio town.

From the dock at Orta San Giulio it’s a ten-minute boat ride to Isola San Giulio.  Most of the houses on this little island are now abandoned, but it’s still possible to visit the Benedictine Monastery. Dine at the restaurant on island for a once-in-a-lifetime lunch.  They have a vegetarian pasta option, or tasting menus based on “land” and “sea”.

If you’re worried that you’ll end up paying George Clooney prices for a McDonalds-quality lunch, learn more about avoiding tourist trap restaurants in Italy .

Getting to Lake Orta from Turin

This is one of the few day trips from Turin that requires a car. It will take just under two hours to drive from Turin to Orta San Giulio.  Driving is recommended, as train service is inconvenient and infrequent.

Day Trip to Ivrea

Ivrea is most famous for its early-spring Carnival, one of the world’s largest food fights. Once a year, townspeople dress up as aranceri (orange throwers).  Those on foot represent the common folk, while those in the carts passing by represent a historical tyrant (historians disagree on exactly which one).  Approximately 100,000 people arrive in Ivrea each year to watch the “Battle of the Oranges”, which takes place in the days leading up to Lent.

If your visit happens to fall at any other time of year, Ivrea is still a lovely day trip from Turin.  The city is especially proud of the recently-renovated Museo Civico Pier Alessandro Garda, which houses collections of Eastern Art, local archeological history and a rotating selection of works from the wealthy Croff family.

It’s also enjoyable to wander around the historic center of Ivrea, where you’ll find some quiet piazzas, churches with bell towers and a fourteenth-century Savoy castle.

There are lots of restaurants where you can have lunch in Ivrea, but there’s only one bakery where you can taste Ivrea’s home-grown delicacy: “Torta 900”.  Torta 900 is a cake with chocolate cream sandwiched between two layers of chocolate sponge cake, then sprinkled with icing sugar.  To try this trademarked dessert for yourself, head to Pasticceria Balla, near the Giardini Giusiana.

Getting to Ivrea from Turin

Trains from Turin to Ivrea depart from Torino Porta Nuova station, approximately once per hour.  Tickets cost about €6 and the trip takes between 60 and 75 minutes.

It takes about 50 minutes to drive to Ivrea from Turin, along highway A5.

Day Trip to Milan

In my opinion, Milan is one of the best day trips from Turin. Most people look at things the other way, thinking Turin is a nice day trip from Milan, but if I had to choose one city to base myself in for an extended stay, I would choose Turin every time.

From the train station in Milan, the #3 metro line runs directly to Piazza del Duomo (shown above).  This is where your day trip from Turin should begin.  Ascend from the metro station into the expansive piazza and have your mind absolutely blown by the awe-inspiring facade of the Duomo church in front of you.  I highly recommend you buy a combined ticket including admission to the interior of the church and to the rooftops above (accessible via elevator, or at a discounted rate via the stairs).

After you’ve visited the Duomo, cross the piazza to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Italy’s most beautiful indoor shopping gallery (it puts the ones in Rome to shame!).  If you’re a high roller you can stop for a coffee at one of the historic cafes here, but you’ll want to caffeinate elsewhere if you’re on a budget!

From here, you can either take the metro over to Santa Maria della Grazie to see Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” (it’s essential to book tickets well in advance!) or you can just walk to Castello Sforzesco, a Renaissance-era fortress with several museums and pleasant gardens.

Read more about things to do in Milan in 1, 2 or 3 days.

Dining out in central Milan can be quite expensive, so I always like to stop for a quick lunch at Flower Burger. This vegan burger chain has restaurants in several Italian cities, with a convenient location near Milan’s Lanza metro station.

Getting to Milan from Turin

Milan and Turin are linked by high-speed trains. The trip from Torino Porta Nuova to Milano Centrale station can take as little as one hour, though these high-speed tickets come at a cost of €36.  If you’re willing to take a slower train, you can take the train from Turin to Milan in two hours for about €12.

It will take about two hours to drive from the city center of Turin to the center of Milan.

Sacra de San Michele

Day Trip to Sacra di San Michele

Completed in the thirteenth century, the Sacra di San Michele abbey is perched atop a hill at the entrance to the Val de Susa. This spectacular religious site was the inspiration for Umberto Eco’s “The Name of the Rose”, and today it is one of the most popular day trips from Turin for amateur hikers.

From either of the two train stations near the Sacra di San Michele, it’s possible to hike up to the abbey in approximately ninety minutes. For very adventurous day trippers, there is also a via ferrata route. If you choose to hike or use via ferrata , make sure you have the correct gear and equipment to make the trek safely.

The abbey is usually open daily, with guided tours on the weekend.  However, there are sporadic mid-day, seasonal and holiday closures, so check their website before you plan your day trip. For me, the highlight of my interior visit was seeing the Great Staircase of the Dead (a massive stone staircase that used to have the skeletons of monks lining its walls) and the mysterious Portal of the Zodiac.

For lunch, I recommend the fun Birrificio San Michele in the town of Sant’Ambrogio.  This brewery produces award-winning craft beers and has a typical brewpub-style menu (vegetarian options were available in the version I saw online).

Getting to Sacra di San Michele from Turin

You can take the train to either S. Ambrogio or Condove Chiusa S. Michele stations for €4.  There are departures hourly from Porta Nuova and the trip takes just over half an hour.  From the station, you can hike up or take a taxi.

By car, it takes about 45 minutes to drive from Turin to the parking lot at Sacra di San Michele.

Day Trip to Susa

Susa, in the Val de Susa, is the gateway to the Italian Alps and just a few minutes away from the French border.

In the first century BCE Susa chose to join the Roman Empire, and numerous relics from that era can be found around town.  The marble Arch of Augustus (shown above) is more than two thousand years old, and there are also remains of an ancient Roman ampitheatre and aqueduct.

From slightly-more-recent history, Susa has a monolithic stone cathedral dating back to the 1000s and the equally-hulking hilltop Castello della Contessa Adelaide.

Of course, Susa’s location at the base of the Alps makes it a prime destination for hiking and winter sports.  The town is surrounded by ski resorts, and the tourist information office in town can give you advice on day hikes at various difficulty levels.

If you work up an appetite, Ristorante della Torre has both an a la carte menu and a Piemontese tasting menu (with wine included!).

Getting to Susa from Turin

The same trains that go to Sacra di San Michele continue on to Susa, which is 40 kilometers down the road.  Again, prices are about €5 and departures are usually hourly from Porta Nuova.

By car, the drive from Turin to Susa takes about an hour, depending on traffic.

Day Trip to Aosta

Speaking of ancient Roman ruins, day hikes and ski resorts, have you heard of Aosta?

While Susa is to the west of Turin, Aosta is reached by traveling north. Again, though, it’s at the foot of the Alps and close to the Italian-French border.

The Roman ruins of Aosta are remarkably well-preserved.  The historic town walls still stand six meters tall, and six of the tower fortifications along these walls are still in good shape.  Around town you can also find a Roman theater, triumphal arches and several ancient Roman stone bridges.

For the best hikes, you’ll have to head outside the town to some of the nearby villages around the Aosta Valley.  For example, the La Thuile First Rutor Waterfall trail is a family-friendly four-kilometer loop from the nearby town of La Thuile.  It also offers hikers the chance to continue exploring past the first waterfall, on to two more.

At lunch, choose a restaurant (such as Osteria d’Oca or Osteria da Nando) offering fonduta , Italy’s version of fondue.  Here, it’s made with Fontina cheese, a regional specialty.

Getting to Aosta from Turin

Trains from Turin to Aosta depart from Porta Nuova station, approximately once per hour.  The trip takes about two hours and tickets start at €10.

If you have good luck with the traffic, the drive from Turin to Aosta will take about 90 minutes.  In heavy traffic, it may take just over two hours.  The best highway is A5 (you’ll pass through Ivrea on the way).

Venaria Reale

Day Trip to Venaria Reale

This one is barely a day trip from Turin, but I’m putting it on the list for anyone looking for an easy half-day trip from Turin.

Venaria Reale is a suburb of Turin that is located about ten kilometers north of the city center.  It is best known for its majestic Savoy Palace, shown above.  One of the largest palaces in the world, this huge castle is surrounded by beautifully-manicured gardens and full of opulent furnishings.  A UNESCO World Heritage site, visits to the royal palaces (“La Reggia”) must be booked in advance on the official website.

Behind the main palace, the Savoy’s old hunting grounds have been preserved as a regional park.  Inside the park there is a second, smaller palace, along with scenic walking and biking trails. You can rent bicycles at several locations near the park entrance (confirm availability online before showing up!).

Inside La Reggia there is a Michelin-starred restaurant called Dolce Stil Novo (“the sweet new style”).  Reservations are required for this fine dining restaurant.  If you’re on a more casual day trip from Turin, Il Bergamotto is a popular pizzeria with indoor and outdoor seating, right on the main square.

Getting to Venaria Reale from Turin

City bus #11 runs from the center of Turin to Venaria Reale on weekdays.  On the weekend, you may have to transfer onto Bus #72; where you do this depends on your departure time.  This route is covered by the GTT Daily Ticket, which is €4 and sold at both tobacconists and from vending machines in metro stations.

By car, the drive from Turin to Venaria Reale is only about 20 minutes.

Bonus: Half-Day Trip from Turin to Rivoli

Rivoli Half-Day Trip from Turin

One of my favorite day trips from Turin really only takes half a day, so I’ll just mention it briefly here.  Rivoli is a quaint, hillside historic town that, over the years, has become a suburb of Turin.  Easily accessible by bus from Porta Nuova, Rivoli has winding cobblestone streets, panoramic views of the mountains and a world-class contemporary art museum.  To read more about visiting Rivoli, including how to get there from Turin, read my complete guide to visiting Rivoli from Turin .

Thinking of visiting Italy’s original capital city?

Don’t miss my guide to visiting Turin over two or three days (make it a long weekend!) and my guide to avoiding common Italy travel mistakes . 

Traveling to Turin?  Pin this post for later!

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Visit Turin: Top 20 Things To Do and Must-See Attractions

Things to do in turin: the 20 best places to visit + highlights.

Turin, in Italy , is a former industrial city that was completely redesigned for the 2006 Olympics. It’s now one of the most pleasant Italian cities to visit!

Just like other more visited Italian cities such as Rome or Venice , Turin clearly deserves to be visited for a weekend or a few more days.

With its world-class museums such as the National Cinema Museum and National Automobile Museums, royal residences , magnificent squares and churches you will find in Turin everything that makes Italy charming.

In order to help you plan your stay , I have created this guide of the best things to do in Turin. You will find all the activities and points of interest you need to see during your stay in town!

And at the end of the article, I will give you itineraries to visit Turin in 1, 2, 3 or 4 days as well as a list of the best accommodations in town depending on your budget.

So, what are the best places to visit in Turin? Where to stay? Let’s find out!

1. Piazza Castello

2. palazzo reale, 3. palazzo madama, 4. the cinema museum / mole antonelliana, 5. palazzo carignano, 6. museo egizio (egyptian museum), 7. piazza san carlo, 8. museo dell’automobile, 9. cattedrale di san giovanni battista, 10. porta palatina, 11. mercato di porta palazzo, 12. santuario della consolata, 13. parco del valentino, 14. borgo medievale de torino, 15. castello del valentino, 16. piazza vittorio veneto, 17. chiesa della gran madre di dio, 18. monte dei capuccini, 19. villa della regina, 20. basilica of superga, 1 day in turin, 2 days in turin, 3 days in turin, 4 days in turin, where to stay in turin, where to eat in turin, my impressions of turin, you’re traveling in italy these articles will help you, visit turin: the 20 must-see attractions.

Before starting my list of the top things to see in Turin, I’ll give you THE best tip to visit the city and save money: purchase the Torino + Piemonte card.

Depending on the duration of your stay in Turin, you can choose the 1, 2, 3 or 5 days version. They will grant you access to almost all cultural sites free of charge and to promotional offers for some of them.

it costed me 35€ for 3 days. As museum entrance fees are all around 10€, it was really worth it, as I didn’t have to pay a single euro for all the visits I did!

The card’s validity time will begin the first time you will use it.

If you visit your first museum on Monday at 2 pm., you can use the card until 2pm on Thursday for a 3-day card. This card isn’t a “skip the line” ticket.

You can buy the 2 days card here   and the 3 days card there .

Let’s start with the famous Piazza Castello square and the historical monuments surrounding it. You simply can’t miss it during your stay in Turin, as it’s where some of the must-see monuments like the palazzo Madama or the Palazzo Reale are located.

In summer, this square is also popular for its refreshing water jets or as a great place to enjoy a good Italian ice cream. There are numerous gelateria (ice cream shops) around the square and in the nearby streets.

On the other side of Piazza Castello , where the towers of the Palazzo Madama are located, you can see the First World War mermorial , in tribute to Emanuele Filiberto, 2nd Duke of Aosta.

The main entrance of the Palazzo Reale is on Piazza Castello. Built in 1646, it served as a royal residence until 1865. Today, you can visit various sections of the palace:

• The king’s apartments, with gilded luxurious decoration everywhere.
• The Royal Library and its 200,000 books, including masterpieces such as the self-portrait or the Codex on the Flight of Birds by Leonardo da Vinci.
• The Royal Armory and its impressive collection of stuffed horses with their armored riders.
• The galleria Sabauda, which exhibits paintings from the 14th century to the 20th century
• The Royal gardens (free entrance)

This magnificent palace is clearly a must-see during your stay in Turin. I really loved the Royal Armory, it’s the most impressive I have seen to date.

Another palace located on Piazza Castello is the palazzo Madama, a building with an atypical architecture. It was first a medieval castle before becoming a palace with a baroque façade!

Inside, there is the  Turin City Museum of Ancient Art, housing a nice collection of ceramics, drawings and sculptures. During the visit, you can go in the small garden to admire the walls and towers of the palace from the inside .

In addition to the museum, the highlight of the visit is for sure the stunning view from the top of the towers!

By taking the elevator or the stairs, you will reach the top of the tower and will be able to admire a very nice panorama of the city of Turin and its iconic monument: the Mole Antonelliana. I tell you more about it just below!

Located in the Mole Antonelliana , the National Museum of Cinema is for many the best museum of the city. Very few people know this: Turin is the birthplace of Italian cinema! It’s no wonder that the city needed to have an amazing museum dedicated to the 7th art.

The exhibitions are very well done and retrace the history of cinema with all kinds of objects, from the first cameras to the helmets of the Star Wars saga.

In the huge main room, cinema seats are even arranged to watch movies displayed on 2 giant screens on the ceiling.

But if so many people visit the museum, it’s above all for its unique attraction: the panoramic elevator with transparent walls that will take you to the Mole platform. The perfect place to enjoy a 360° view of Turin.

Be patient because the waiting line is often several hours long! But it’s really a unique experience to live during a stay in Italy.

if you want to take the elevator, you will need to pay an additional fee to the museum entrance. The Torino card gives you a discount.

All the information about Turin Cinema museum is on the official site.

If you don’t take the Torino Card, I recommend you to buy the Skip the line tickets for the Cinema Museum + panoramic elevator . You will save a lot of time!

The Carignan Palace is the third palace-museum to visit, after the Palazzo Reale and the palazzo Madama. It houses the Italian Risorgimento Museum and presents the history of Italy through numerous texts, documents, films and superb paintings.

Don’t miss the hall where the first Italian parliament met.

Just behind the Carignan Palace , at the entrance of the Risorgimento museum , you can also see the Carlo Alberto square , with the equestrian statue of Charles Albert of Sardinia . This square is very photogenic thanks to the beautiful facade of the museum in the background.

As in every squares of Turin, you will also find food and drinks there.

You’re going to Turin?

You probably know it: the hardest part of planning your trip is to find an hotel offering a good value for money!

The closer you get to your travel dates, the harder it will be to get a good deal. Lots of people will be visiting Turin on the same dates as you , so you can be sure that the best deals are booked extremely quickly!

Hopefully, there is a pretty simple solution to this problem: do like me and book your hotel as early as possible!

So, my best advice is to take 5 minutes (now) to have a look at the list of travelers’ favorite hotels in Turin.

And if you see a good offer, book it!

Most hotels offer free cancellation, so it’s quick, easy, and you will avoid the the inconvenience of finding nothing but mediocre rooms at exorbitant prices.

To check the current best deals for your hotel in Turin, simply click on the green button below 😎:

Once you’ve booked your hotel, it will be time to continue reading this guide and find out more about the best things to do in Turin!

Not far from the Carignan Palace is one of Turin’s greatest museums. With its 4 floors and numerous exposition rooms, this recently renovated Egyptian museum is the second largest in the world, after the one in Cairo!

The collection includes statues, sarcophagi and mummies, so you can immerse yourself in ancient Egypt for at least 2 hours.

If you don’t purchase the Torino Card and want to visit the museum, you should buy skip the line tickets in advance by clicking here .

And if you want to learn everything aout Ancient Egypt, you should definitely book this guided tour in English. It’s just perfect!

To book it, simply click on the button below:

Piazza San Carlo (San Carlo Square) is one of Turin’s main squares. This large and elegant square is my favorite in the city.

With its arcades, its 2 twin churches (the church of Santa Cristina and the San Carlo Borromeo church) and the equestrian statue of Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy, it’s extremely photogenic! Under the arcades, you can go shopping or have a coffee in one of the peaceful coffee shops. No noise, it’s a pedestrian only area.

The Piazza San Carlo also often hosts cultural events.

The Automobile Museum is the other famous museum in Turin. According to The Times magazine, it’s one of the 50 best museums in the world.

With nearly 200 cars from 80 different brands ranging from steam cars to the latest models, the museum presents one of the world’s finest collections of rare vehicles.

The Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista is the main church of Turin. It’s especially famous for housing the holy shroud, that is said to have enveloped the body of Christ. Its authenticity is of course questioned, but this does not prevent visitors from rushing into the cathedral.

It should be noted, however, that the relic rests under a watertight seal and is covered by a sheet, so you won’t have the pleasure to admire it.

Porta palatina, located not far from the cathedral and the palazzo Reale , was one of the 4 entrances of Turin during the Roman period.

The building is composed of a central door with 2 entrances for chariots, 2 pedestrian entrances dating from the Roman period and 2 towers with battlements added during the medieval period.

It’s one of Turin’s oldest monuments.

The Porta Palazzo market is located close to the Porta Palatina and occupies almost all the piazza della Repubblica, which is almost 50,000 square meters. It’s the largest open-air market in Europe.

With about 1,000 stalls, you can find everything: fruit and vegetable, deli meats, cheese, but also clothes, pots, pans and all sorts of household items. And all this at very attractive prices, especially for food!

The Santuario della Consolata ( Church of the Virgin of the Consolation ) , a masterpiece of Baroque art, is one of the oldest churches in Turin.

In its bell tower, you can find the largest bell in Piedmont and a saint is buried there. The sanctuary is especially devoted to the worship of the Virgin Mary, with a procession and ceremony dedicated to her every year in June.

Spreading over 42 hectares, the Valentino Park is a popular picnic or stroll spot for Turinese families. For you it will be an opportunity for a nice walk in the shades , or along the Po river. Perfect to enjoy a bit of freshness!

Don’t miss the Fontana di Dodici Mesi (Fountain of the Twelve Months) and the Arco del Valentino there.

The medieval village of Turin is located in the heart of Valentino Park. It was created in 1884 for the general Italian exhibition that took place in Turin. It recreates the atmosphere of a typical 15th century Piedmontese town: you can see a drawbridge, craft shops and even a chapel.

You can also visit the fortress , a reconstruction of a Seigneurial residence. Inside, you can see the weapons room, the dining room, the kitchens and undergrounds housing the prison.

Built in 1620 by Duke Emmanuel Philibert of Savoy, the Valentino castle today houses the University of Architecture and isn’t open to visitors.

When walking in the park, you will however be able to admire the outside facade and walk around it. The facade on the city’s side is inspired from French castles while the one overlooking the river, all in red bricks, is Italian style architecture.

Another beautiful place to see in Turin: the Vittorio Veneto square . It offers a very nice view of the river, the Gran Madre di Dio church and Turin surrounding hills.

It’s also the ideal place for an ”aperitivo” or a meal in one of the good restaurants located on the square.

The Gran Madre di Dio Church was built in tribute to Victor Emmanuel I, for his victory over Napoleon in 1814.

It was built in neoclassical style , directly inspired from the pantheon of Rome. The interior is entirely dedicated to the Virgin Mary, with bas-reliefs depicting her life.

Anecdote : the Holy Grail would be buried outside the church, between the two statues representing Faith and Religion.

On the right side of the Gran Madre di Dio church, you can take the road leading to the Monte dei Capuccini. The hill’s name comes from the fact it was given to the Capuchins by the house of Savoy to build a church and a convent.

At the top, you will find the most famous view of Turin and enjoy a beautiful scenery overlooking the city and the Alps on the horizon. You can also enter the Santa Maria Church, and visit the recently renovated Museo della Montagna .

Don’t hesitate to do it, especially if you have the Torino card: you will not pay anything and you will have access to the roof panoramic terrace for an even better view of the city.

The Villa della Regina (Queen’s villa in english) is worth a visit, especially for its great location on a hill overlooking the city and the Po river. A great place to admire a beautiful view of Turin

It was built in 1615, following the Roman model, to serve as a residence for Savoyan queens .

To see inside: the magnificent Chinese cabinet and the main living room featuring frescoes and paintings. It’s also famous for its amphitheatre-shaped garden with a beautiful fountain, small waterfalls, the vineyard (still in activity) and the panorama of the city.

You can see it from afar when walking in Turin: the 670m heigh hill with the basilica di Superga built at the top catches the eye. From there, the view over the city and the Alps is breathtaking!

To get there, I advise you to go by car or by funicular for a more typical experience. If you want to go up there on foot, no problem, but I’m warning you, the climb will not be easy!

The basilica is remarkable for its huge circular facade with a dome . Inside there is the crypt with the House of Savoy king’s tombs as well as those of princes and princesses.

You can also go up a narrow spiral staircase to access the balcony at the top of the dome and enjoy a view of the surrounding hill.

The basilica is also sadly famous for the tragedy that took place there in 1949. The plane that carried the Turin football team (Torino football club), crashed on the hill, demolishing a part of the convent.

Since then, a funerary monument has been erected and Turinese people come to visit it every year on the anniversary of the tragedy.

If you only have one day in Turin,   you have 2 options:

Take a stroll through the city and admire the monuments from the outside:

• Discover the historical centre, from San Carlo Square to Castello Square , around the palazzo Reale and the palazzo Madama .
• Then head to the the Vittorio Veneto square to cross the bridge, passing in front of the church of Gran Madre di Dio and climbing the Monte dei Capuccini for a panoramic view of Turin.
• Stroll in the Valentino park, the medieval village and along the Po river.

Focus on the 2 or 3 main attractions of Turin. I would suggest:

• Palazzo Reale
• The cinema museum  and the  Mole Antonelliana
• Or the Museo dell’Automobile if you are a car lover.
• When you arrive in Turin or on your departure, you should go to the basilica of Superga and at the Monte dei Capuccini to enjoy the view of the city.

If you will be in Turin for 2 days, it is worth taking the Torino Card. Here is my suggested itinerary.

• Start with Piazza San Carlo and its 2 twin churches, go up to Piazza Castello , stopping at the San Federico gallery on the left of Via Roma.
• Visit the Palazzo Reale with its armoury and royal library
• Lunch break
• Visit the Cinema Museum located in the Mole Antonelliana . You will have the possibility to take the panoramic elevator.
• Go to Piazza Vittorio Veneto, cross the Emanuele I bridge and admire the church of the Gran Madre di Dio,  go up the hill to the Monte dei Capuccini.

Second day:

• Start the day by going to the Catedrale di San Giovanni Battista, where the Shroud of Turin is located.
• Go through Porta Palatina to reach the piazza della repubblica and the market . It’s open every morning.
• End the morning with a visit to the Consolata sanctuary
• Visit the Palazzo Carignano and its Risorgimento museum
• Visit Turin’s Egyptian museum and immerse yourself in the Egyptian civilization.

For the beginning of your 3 days stay in Turin, take the program of the first 2 days.

• Visit the Museo dell’Automobile
• Relaxing afternoon in the Valentino park with a walk along the river and the visit of Turin medieval village.
• Climb up to the basilica of  Superga, a jewel of baroque architecture.

In 3 days in Turin, you’ve had time to discover the main points of interest.

For this fourth day, you can visit the other museums of the city as it has no less than 40 museums. 4 days in Turin can also be a good choice if you travel with your family, as the pace will necessarily be slower.

An excellent idea for this 4th day can be to go on a day trip to Milan , less than 1 hour away by express train. One day in Milan is enough to see the 3 main attractions of the city: the cathedral of Milan, the Vittorio Emanuel II gallery and the Sforza castle.

If you plan to visit Milan, you should read my article: The 10 best things to do in Milan .

• Attic Hostel Torino : Youth hostel located about 15 minutes walk from the Palazzo Reale. Bed in dormitory from 24€. Strong points: welcoming managers, location, cleanliness and comfort of the rooms.
• Torino 1854 Affittacamere : Located 700 meters away from the Egyptian museum, this hotel is brand new. Colorful and comfortable double room from 65€ per night. Strong points: its excellent location, quiet and close to the city centre, the modernity of the hotel. It’s the best value for money in Turin!
• Matteotti 25 : Located at 10 minutes on foot from the Egyptian Museum. Large modern and bright room from 95€ per night, breakfast included. Strong points: its location, the copious breakfast.
• NH Collection Torino Piazza Carlina: Located in the historical center of Turin. Elegant and comfortable double room from 200€ per night, breakfast included. Strong points: The friendly abd very helpful staff, the interior design, the perfect quietness, the amazing breakfast and the ideal location to visit Turin on foot. The view from the terrace is also amazing! It’s the best choice for a luxury stay in Turin!

If you prefer to rent a full apartment to get more space and be able to cook a bit, I highly suggest you to have a look at Apart Hôtel Torino . They are located at 500 meters from Valentino Park. The apartments are modern, well equipped and the interior design is amazing. Starting at only 100€ per night. The best apartments in town!

• Porto di Savona : Located on the Vittorio Veneto square, this restaurant offers typical Piedmontese cuisine at an affordable price. I had a great time and I highly recommend the gorgonzola gnocchi, they melts in the mouth and are just delicious. Everything is home made, pasta and desserts. Booking is strongly recommended.
• La Taverna dei Mercanti : Located in a street adjacent to the Consolata sanctuary, amazing typical Piedmontese dishes. Very warm welcome from the boss. After diner drink offered at the end of the meal.
• Pescheria Ristorante Gallina : Located in front of the market, on the piazza della Repubblica. This fish shop-restaurant offers dishes based on fresh and succulent fish. Fixed menu for lunch at 15€ including dish + bottle of water + glass of wine + service. Reservations are not possible.

Visiting Turin was a beautiful discovery and a nice surprise. The museums have all been recently renovated, so they are modern, very well done and impressive.

The royal residences are also magnificent and very well maintained.

We can see that the city of Turin has invested in tourism while respecting as much as possible its history and highlighting its cultural heritage.

And, of course, as everywhere in Italy, the food is super good!

And you, what do you plan to visit during your stay in Turin?

Italy travel Guides

• Buy the Lonely Planet Italy guide on Amazon.com or on Amazon.co.uk
• Buy the Rick Steves Italy guide on Amazon.com or on Amazon.co.uk

Discover all my articles about Italy : All my articles to help you plan your trip to Italy are listed there.

• The 20 Best Things to do in Italy – All the must-see places!
• Cinque Terre: The definitive guide to plan your visit
• Florence: The 27 best things to do and must-see attractions
• Milan: The Top 15 things to do in the city and around
• Pisa: Top 21 must-see attractions + Tips
• Rome: The 25 best things to do and see
• Siena: Top 20 best places to visit
• Turin: The 20 must-see attractions
• Venice: The 31 best things to do (+ Tips)
• 2 days in Florence
• 3 days in Florence
• 4 days in Florence
• 5 days in Florence
• 2 days in Milan
• 3 days in Milan
• 4 days in Milan
• 2 Days in Rome – How to visit Rome in 48h
• 3 Days in Rome – The best itinerary to visit Rome in 72h
• 4 Days in Rome – The best places to visit in 4 days
• 5 Days in Rome – How to spend 5 days in Rome
• 6 Days in Rome – The ultimate Itinerary + Where to stay
• One week in Rome – The perfect 7-day itinerary
• 2 Days in Venice – An Epic 48h itinerary
• 3 Days in Venice – The perfect 72h itinerary
• 4 Days in Venice – Itinerary + Best Things to do + Tips
• Where to stay in Milan? My guide to the best areas and hotels for a perfect stay
• Where to stay in Rome? – The definitive guide of the best areas!
• Where to stay in Venice? My selection of the best hotels and districts for an epic stay
• Omnia Card: The definitive guide
• Colosseum: The 7 best skip the line tickets
• Trevi Fountain: History, Secrets and Facts
• Rome’s Hidden Gems : The Definitive Guide with 17 secret spots!
• The 20 Best museums in Rome – With all my best tips!
• Rome in May: The definitive guide to plan your visit: weather, things to do, itineraries and more!
• Rome in June: Guide + All my best tips

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Creator of the Voyage Tips blog, travel and photography lover. I give you all my best tips to plan your next trip.

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Discussion 2 comments.

Hi Vincent,

First of all, thank you for your city guide, it’s very detailed and will allow me to easily prepare my stay in Turin.

However, there is something I am still not sure about: I will be in Italy for 3 weeks in September and I am hesitating between staying 3 days in Turin and 2 in Milan or the contrary.

What would you recommend?

You’re welcome, I am very happy my guide of Turin is helping you to prepare your trip!

About Turin and Milan, it’s a question I hear quite often, and the answer can be a bit surprising to some people: There is actually more things to do in Turin than in Milan. Thus, my suggestion would be to spend 3 days in Turin and 2 in Milan. It would be the perfect duration to see each city’s best places to visit.

Enjoy your stay in Italy!

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Things to do in Turin: a 4-day itinerary

Read on to learn about all the best things to do in Turin with this detailed 4-day itinerary packed with great experiences.

• 1 If you’re looking for a cool city break in Italy, then Piedmont’s capital is a fantastic option to consider. Read on to learn about all the best things to do in Turin with this detailed 4-day itinerary.
• 2 Day 1 in Turin
• 3 Day 2 in Turin
• 4 Day 3 in Turin
• 5 Day 4 in Turin
• 6 Torino Card

If you’re looking for a cool city break in Italy, then Piedmont’s capital is a fantastic option to consider. Read on to learn about all the best things to do in Turin with this detailed 4-day itinerary.

With a past as the seat of the royal Savoy family and Italy’s first capital , Turin is jam-packed with grandiose palaces, fascinating museums, and elegant squares. It has plenty on offer when it comes to food, too, with a wealth of local specialties that are guaranteed to impress your taste buds.  And all of that without the crowds that we are used to seeing in Italy’s big three (i.e. Rome, Florence, and Venice).

Turin is also home to some of Italy’s most iconic brands , from Fiat to Lavazza, each with a cool corporate museum to explore. What’s more, the city’s strong industrial vocation and pivotal role in promoting Italian creativity and innovation worldwide even had Turin recognized as a UNESCO Creative City in 2014 .

So, here’s an itinerary based on my recent trip , covering pretty much all of the best things to do in Turin. It’s designed to explore by foot, so pack your comfy shoes and be ready to walk well over 25,000 steps a day! And if you’re not a walker, don’t worry, the city is well served by trams and has even a metro line.

One last thing: since food is one of the best parts of any trip to Italy, you can find my recommendations about restaurants in Turin here.

Day 1 in Turin

Start your exploration of Turin from Piazza Castello, one of the city’s main gathering points and a great spot to enjoy some people watching. At its core stands Palazzo Madama , a key site in Turin’s history. Originally created as a Roman gate, in 1848 it became the seat of the first Senate of the Italian Kingdom and today it houses the Civic Museum of Ancient Art.

Expect to spend at least a good couple of hours in the palace and try to arrive around lunchtime to avoid the crowds. At the end of the visit, take a break at the Royal Café , hidden under an arcade in the Court of Honor, where you can linger over a drink surrounded by beautiful antique porcelain from the royal collections. Then, follow the locals walking through the arcades and into the splendid Royal Gardens , which extends over an area of five hectares.

A quick walk from the Royal Palace will take you to the Cathedral of St John the Baptist , Turin’s key religious center. Although its marble facade may look a little plain, the church boasts a series of precious chapels inside, including that of the Holy Shroud , which is believed to be the linen cloth in which Jesus’ body was wrapped.

Roughly on the opposite side of the Cathedral stands Porta Palatina , a beautifully preserved red-brick Roman gate guarded by the statues of Augustus and Caesar. Together with the remains of a 1st-century amphitheater, the gate is part of a little archeological park that reminds of the city’s history as a Roman military colony.

The Quadrilatero Romano is close to another interesting corner of Turin, the market of Porta Palazzo , Europe’s largest open-air market with hundreds of colorful stalls selling anything from food to clothes. You’ll find it every day from Monday to Friday between 7 am and 2 pm and on Saturdays from 7 am to 7:30 pm (better to go there in the morning).

Day 2 in Turin

Your first stop for the day is Piazza Carignano , one of the most beautiful squares in town, ringed with some of Turin’s oldest establishments. These include Pepino 1884 , which patented the world’s first chocolate-covered gelato on a stick (the ‘Pinguino’) in 1939, and the fascinating Del Cambio Restaurant , patronized by the likes of Cavour, Casanova, Puccini, and Nietzsche.

Here I suggest splurging on a nice breakfast or aperitivo at Farmacia del Cambio , a charming café housed inside a former pharmacy dating from 1833. Its outdoor tables face the magnificent Carignano Palace, whose architecture is reminiscent of the first drawings of the Louvre that Bernini had prepared for Louis XIV. The building is home to the National Museum of Italian Risorgimento , whose extraordinary collection offers an incredible history lesson about the unification of Italy in the 19th century (the Risorgimento) and the creation of a modern state. Visiting this museum is definitely one of my favorite things to do in Turin!

Palazzo Carignano itself played a key role in Italian history. It served as the official residence of the Savoy family for over 150 years, Carlo Alberto and Vittorio Emanuele II were born here and then became the seat of Italy’s first parliament. One of the highlights of the visit is precisely the original parliamentary room , which is the only one still completely intact among those that were born in Europe with the revolutions of 1848!

The square is ringed by elegant porticoes that house a number of splendid historical establishments. These include the Belle Époque-style Caffè Torino , with a cool Martini sign flashing above its outdoor tables, the ancient confectionary Stratta  specialized in a variety of artisanal sweet treats, and the splendid Caffè San Carlo , where you can treat yourselves to a special lunch in the beautiful dehors.

By the way, there’s a golden bull embedded in the pavement right at the entrance of Café Torino and it’s said that rubbing it with your shoe brings good luck – exactly like the bull mosaic in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, minus the queues!

If you’ve got some money to burn, enjoy some shopping in via Garibaldi , where you’ll find all the major high-street brands, and via Roma , a delightful porticoed street filled with elegant boutiques and opening on one side onto Galleria San Federico , one of the city’s beautiful covered passages.

Plan to reach the Egyptian Museum of Turin  around mid-afternoon, in order to have enough time to browse the outstanding exhibition with no rush. This is one of the most popular places to visit in Turin and for a good reason. Founded in 1824, it’s the world’s oldest museum devoted to Egyptian art and culture and its collection of over 40,000 Egyptian antiquities is second only to the one in Cairo. The items on display throughout the museum’s 15 rooms include anything from everyday items and precious scrolls to mummified bodies and impressive sarcophagi.

Day 3 in Turin

The third day of your Turin city break will be all about enchanting views and cool stuff. First off, head to the Mole Antonelliana , the iconic symbol of Turin that catches the eye pretty much from any point in town.

The elevator passes right through the middle of the building, offering a really cool perspective of the National Museum of Cinema  housed inside the Mole. This is a fabulous museum that I recommend checking out when in Turin because it’s great fun for both kids and adults. The exhibition takes you on a journey through the history of cinema and the various phases of making a movie. I’m sure the items on display will spark your memories of movie scenes and actors at every turn due to the richness of the collection, from the original Darth Vader and Chewbacca masks to the script of Psycho.

Stretching from the end of Via Po down to the river is  Piazza Vittorio Veneto , the largest porticoed square in Europe , dotted with countless shops and cafés. The best viewpoint to appreciate the grandeur of this piazza is the Church of Gran Madre di Dio standing right across the Vittorio Emanuele I bridge (see the cover photo of this article). By the way, legend has it that this church is the place where the Holy Grail is kept!

From there, Monte dei Cappuccini is a 10 minutes’ walk away up a shady road. It’s a bit steep, but once you get to the top you’ll be rewarded with some truly beautiful views of Turin and the Alps. While you’re up there, you can pop into the Church of Santa Maria del Monte, check out the National Museum of Mountains , or simply enjoy a peaceful break away from the hustle and bustle of the city center.

Day 4 in Turin

If you have an extra day in Turin, head out of town to the Royal Palace of Venaria , the stunning estate of the Savoy family located on the outskirts of the city. Catch the Venaria Express shuttle bus from Piazza Castello and after a 30 minutes’ ride, you’ll reach this grandiose baroque palace that became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

Each room is richly decorated with countless works of art, including precious paintings, tapestries, sculptures, and silverware. The most famous spot inside the palace is the Great Gallery , which is even more spectacular than the photos you normally see on the web. It’s an 80-meter long covered passage built to connect the King’s apartments to those of his son, lined with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the gardens creating amazing light effects.

When booking your tickets online (which I highly recommend doing as queues are super long), you have the option to visit also the Castle of La Mandria , which served as the personal retreat of King Vittorio Emanuele II in 1859. There are 20 rooms to explore there, each offering an interesting insight into the king’s life and personal tastes. The castle is about 2 km away from the palace and is surrounded by a beautiful park, so you will need a full day out to visit also this area.

Other great day trips from Turin include the  Castle of Moncalieri , the  Stupinigi Hunting Lodge,  and the ancient Sacra di San Michele . Oh, and if you’re in need of some retail therapy, the Torino Outlet Village is a great destination for a shopping spree!

If you have a bit more time, consider exploring Piedmont’s Langhe wine region or treat yourself to an authentic farm stay in Alta Langa .

Torino Card

If you’re planning to visit lots of sites during your trip to Turin, then you should consider getting a Torino + Piemonte Card . It’s valid for 1, 2, 3, or 5 consecutive days and grants free admission to all the top museums, castles, and royal residences in Turin and around Piedmont, as well as reductions for the panoramic lift of Mole Antonelliana, the Sassi – Superga rack tramway and the Venaria Express shuttle bus. On top of this, you’ll also get discounts on various cultural sites and events in the region. You can easily buy it in the online shop of Turismo Torino .

So, that’s it, guys! I hope this guide will help you plan your next trip to Turin and as usual, if you have any questions or would like to share any tips about this city, just leave a message in the comments below 🙂

Ciao for now,

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23 thoughts on “things to do in turin: a 4-day itinerary”.

I love the photos of the museum most of all! Turin is now going on my bucketlist! Thanks so much for a comprehensive guide. <3

Oh my god what a gorgeous city- the architecture has me drooling. Marked to be consulted whenever I plan a trip to this beautiful Italian heaven.

I’ve flown to Turin a few times but I’ll admit I’ve never stopped by the city itself. What a mistake! It looks fantastic – and packed with things to do. I’m absolutely adding Turin to my city break wish list, and dreaming of coffee on it’s cobbled streets already.

Wow the architecture in Turin is just incredible. I had no idea that this was the first capital of Italy. It is surprising to me that it does not receive as many tourists for that reason. I would love to add Turin as a destination, especially the Royal Palace!

The Royal Palace in Turin is what added this to my wish list! SO beautiful. I kept going back to that. The food definitely looks very interesting. Also, your photos are absolutely incredible!

Stunning indeed!Thanks so much for stopping by

That Mole building is gorgeous and the museum within sounds great. Your itinerary is so useful and inclusive. I would love to visit Turin.

Aw, thank you Melinda!

You seemed to have explored Turin to the fullest! I love the Royal Palace and it reminded me of Doge’s Palace interiors in Venice. The Egyptian Museum of Turin would definitely be on my list, more than 40k Egyptian antiquities is a lot! I can imagine myself getting lost there for hours. Valentino Park looks lush green and a great place for a quiet evening walk.

I spent hours in the Egyptian Museum, soooo beautifully interesting!

You had me at Darth Vader mask. Turin has been cropping up in my feed a lot so excited to discover what to do there. Love the idea of visiting one of the car museums. great tip about the tower – I love taking in the view of a city before exploring. But I’ll have to pass on the shopping and spending more on bunets. :)


Ah, those bunets! 😀

I have not made it to Turin yet. It is high on my list of to-see-‘s in Italy. I have to say though your vivid photos make me feel as if I am there. That is some awesome skills you got there. The Royal Palace and the Museum of Cinema are now on my list and so is this blog!

Thank you Adele!!

I had no idea there is so much to see and do in Turin. What a wonderful city, I’d love to visit it someday. The Egyptian Museum seems particularly interesting, but my favorite place from your itinerary is the Royal Palace, with its stunning Baroque staircases. Good to know that Torino Card would save you some money.

Oh Anda, Turin is so beautiful!

Yum! The bunet sounds amazing. I’ve never had it. Also, these photos make me LONG for Europe so much. The deep history and amazing buildings and palaces. Ahhhh!! I do hope to get back there someday soon. Thanks for the tour – I really needed the mental escape today.

Thanks for your kind words Jennifer, I hope you can visit Italy soon!

I loved this blog! Really great tips that I’ll definitely keep in mind one day!

Thanks so much dear x

Turin is a spot in Italy we have not yet visited. Stunning architecture is definitely a reason to visit. I certainly would love to enjoy that visual wonderland. Italian history is fascinating so I could see us spending many hours in the National Museum of Italian Risorgimento. Interesting to read that the Mole was originally a synagogue. We would absolutely want to go to the top for panoramic views. This sounds like a city where getting the city card is a great idea.

My husband and I are now in Turin for 5 days. I’m using your tips to plan our days here. You’ve given a lot of info about the places we need to see and I’m already excited! Thanks so much! P.S. There are not many tourists right now so it’s wonderful to enjoy Turin without the huge crowds.

Thanks so much for your kind words Liza, you made my day! Turin is a beautiful city and I’m sure you’ll have a great time. Get in touch if you need anything while you’re there, have a great holiday!

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An Italian travel writer in love with my country. Having travelled widely across the globe, I realized there was more to explore closer to home. My Italian Diaries is the place where I share itineraries, activities and off-the-beaten-path places to help you experience the best of Italy like a local!

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A local’s guide to Turin: five great things to do

Slow food expert Silvia Ceriani celebrates the industrial past and sustainable future of ‘Italy’s Detroit’, with gourmet markets, grand palazzos and kitsch cocktail bars

Silvia Ceriani lives in Turin and works for the Slow Food movement on events such as Terra Madre , Slow Cheese and the Slow Wine Fair

Nothing in Turin compares to the spectacle put on each Saturday at Porta Palazzo market . Out in the main square, outside the two covered markets, are raucous fishmongers and the cheapest fruit and vegetables stalls. My advice is to forget the modern Mercato Centrale – it’s more a trumped-up restaurant mall trying to look like Barcelona’s famous Boqueria – and head for the Antica Tettoia dell’Orologio , perfect for cheeses, salami and even white truffles. Then carry on out the back for the outdoor farmers’ market, where contadini sell incredible vegetables and wild herbs.

Turin is terrific for discovering Piedmont cuisine. My two favourite restaurants are in the centre. Consorzio is for adventurous offal enthusiasts: veal sweetbreads and heart roasted with cherries and wild herbs, and ravioli filled with Turin’s classic finanziera – a sweet-and-sour stew which includes veal brain and rooster crests among other scary ingredients.

Vegetarians needn’t despair though – at Antonio Chiodi Latini the chef cooks sublimely creative vegan fare: even the simplest dish, insalata mista , is a stupendous mix of ingredients, colours and aromas.

Green space

Turin has many green spaces, from huge parks to romantic squares. But during lockdowns I found a signposted walk from Isabella Bridge over the Po, following Corso Moncalieri on the right bank into Parco Leopardi, then winding up to the Faro della Vittoria – a bronze statue at the highest point. The views over Turin are wonderful. The statue is a first world war memorial and the path is lined with tributes to fallen soldiers. I found it quite emotional during the Covid period.

Inspiration

Far from the crowds that visit our most famous cultural spots – the Egyptian Museum and the avant garde OGR arts hub – my inspiring place is the Museo dell’Uomo on Corso Massimo d’Azeglio. It’s actually three 19th-century museums in an immense palazzo, dedicated to, respectively, the weird and wonderful worlds of human anatomy , criminal anthropology and exotic wax fruits . They immerse me in the ambience of 19th-century Turin – a dark, macabre city of fanatical collectors, and a perfect contrast with the outside world, where everyone is glued to their smartphones.

Neighbourhood

To get a feel for Turin’s unique industrial history – we were the Detroit of Italy – take the metro to Lingotto. It’s 10 minutes from the grandiose city centre, but feels like another world, created around early-20th-century factories. The former Fiat factory that gives the neighbourhood its name is forging a new identity, with the Agnelli collection art gallery, and its mythical rooftop – a colossal racetrack where cars were tested – is about to open to the public, filled with flowers, plants and herbs. The factory that used to make Carpano vermouth now houses Eataly , showcasing Slow Food produce, and next door is the newly opened Green Pea , a futuristic, 100%-sustainable mall. Lingotto is quiet at night, but don’t miss a cocktail at my favourite watering hole, the utterly kitsch Il Coguaro (Cougar) bar.

Turin is the home of the aperitvo. Unfortunately, this has mushroomed into the trend of apericena (formed by adding cena – dinner – to aperitivo), where the price of the drink rises to about €10, accompanied by a buffet of pasta, salads and pizza. It sounds great but I avoid it as the quality of the food is poor, and not even that cheap as you inevitably order a second drink. Much better is a genuine bar with great music like Lanificio San Salvatore , where they make their own vermouth – a big trend here – inspired by a recipe invented in India by an eccentric 19th-century Piedmontese entrepreneur.

Near the Porta Palazzo market, the hip rooms of the 1820 San Giors hotel (doubles from €84 room-only) are all decorated by local artists.

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Top Things To Do In Turin (Italy Travel Guide)

From tucking into incredible food and drink (including truffles and Barolo), to enjoying stunning orange-roofed cityscapes, and exploring historic palaces and museums, there are plenty of things to do in Turin, Italy.

Fanfare please! Lonely Planet crowned Italy’s Piedmont region as its No.1 Best In Travel region.

Despite Italy being one of my favourite countries, I’d never been to this region. I had three days in Turin, and couldn’t wait to explore all that the city had to offer.

Where Is Turin, Italy?

Turin, or Torino to the natives, is in a unique location, at the base of the Alps in the northwestern corner of Italy. The Swiss and French borders are close by, and it’s a few hours from the coast at Genoa.

Being so close to the borders, Turin has experienced some interesting relationships with its neighbours, as well as its southern Italian counterparts. On this map I’ve marked all the spots I’d recommend visiting, so save this link and treat me as your personal tour guide once you arrive in the city!

When Is The Best Time To Visit Turin?

Turin makes a great city break all year round. Winters are reasonably dry but chilly with average temperatures around 3 degrees. Summers are lovely, but can get pretty warm, with highs around 27 degrees. Usually I’d recommend springtime or early summer, but it’s worth noting that May tends to be the rainiest month, followed by August. I’d recommend visiting Turin in June or September.

I visited in September and the weather was lovely. It’s one of the driest months and temperatures still tend to be between 18-21 degrees. As you’ll see from my photos, it was warm enough to walk around without a jacket during the daytime, and there was plenty of sunshine and blue skies.

While I could go into tonnes of detail about all the amazing and unusual things to do in Turin, I wanted to help by giving an overview of my favourite experiences from my time there.

Lots of people visit Turin for 24 or 48 hours, so in this Turin guide I’ll show you where to go to uncover the city’s history and art, where to sample the local cuisine, where to go shopping in Turin, plus show you the best views and teach you about the all-important aperitivo!

So come with me as I show all the exciting things to do in Turin!

Enjoy The Best View Of Turin At Mont Des Capucins  

Before visiting Turin I’d seen beautiful photos of the city with the snowy Alps in the background. While many travel guides will suggest you take the lift up Mole Antonelliana, I’d recommend heading to Mont Des Capucins. Just the other side of the River Po, this is THE spot to get the view of the entire city (Mole Antonelliana included) with that stunning mountain backdrop.

Tuck Into The Local Pasta I n  Turin, Italy

There are plenty of Piedmontese delicacies to sample, but you absolutely HAVE to try the city’s fresh pasta. On my first night I enjoyed a delicious bowl of agnolotti – a Piedmontese style of ravioli filled with roasted meat and served in a sauce called sugo d’arrosto (similar to a tasty gravy).

You’ll also see ‘plin’ on menus across Turin, which is a smaller type of ravioli, in a pinched shape. Plus there’s tajarin – delicate ribbons of fresh egg pasta, similar to tagliatelle.

Try it at Casa Broglia , Via Torquato Tasso, 13, 10122 Torino.  

Sample Black And White Truffles In Truffle Season  In Turin, Italy

The Piedmont region is famous for this delicacy! Not far away is Alba, a town synonymous with truffles. In fact there’s a whole festival dedicated to the indulgent delicacy every October and November. I was desperate to squeeze some truffle eating into my Turin trip, but I knew that this would come at a price.

Solferino, one of the city’s top restaurants, serves a tasty ravioli del plin topped with grated black truffle for 15 EUR. For those visiting during white truffle season, you can order off their special menu, with dishes starting at 30 EUR that include a generous table side grating of white truffle!

Try it at Risorante Solferino , Piazza Solferino, 3/B, 10121 Torino.

Learn About Egyptian History At Museo Egezio (Egyptian Museum Turin)

This museum is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Turin, and showcases the largest collection of Egyptian artefacts outside of Cairo. With 24 human mummies, an important statue of Ramses II and the intact tomb of Kha and Merit, it’s a fascinating place to learn about ancient civilisations.

Address: Museo Egizio , Via Accademia delle Scienze, 6, 10123 Torino  

TOP TIP There are sometimes long queues at Museo Egezio, so I’d 100% recommend booking a skip-the-line ticket in advance. Click here to check latest prices. 

Try Bicerin – Turin’s Most Famous Drink

Looking for a sweet pick me up after a busy day of exploring? Then head to Turin’s oldest cafe, Caffe Al Bicerin, and order the drink of the same name. Bicerin is a combination of espresso, chocolate and cream or whole milk. While you’ll find the drink on menus across Turin, they’ve been serving them here since the 18 th Century.

Stepping foot in the historic café is just like going back in time, with flicking candles on the tables and wood panelling adorning the walls. One glass will set you back over 6 EUR but you have to try it so you know what the fuss is about!

Try it at Caffe Al Bicerin , Piazza della Consolata, 5, 10122 Torino.  

Admire The Baroque Architecture Of Palazzo Real And Palazzo Madama  I n  Turin, Italy

I loved wandering through Turin’s beautiful skinny streets, getting lost in the maze of archways, tiny restaurants and boutiques. Every now and then I emerged at a beautiful piazza like Piazza San Carlo. One of the most striking was Piazza Castello, home to some of the city’s most impressive and important historic buildings.

Palazzo Reale is the former royal palace, constructed in the 16 th Century, and now preserved as a museum and gallery of ancient art. Meanwhile, moments away is Palazzo Madama, a design of Italian architect Filippo Juvarra, and where you’ll now find the Turin City Museum of Ancient Art.

Also close by is the famous Chapel of the Holy Shroud, where you’ll find the Shroud of Turin – a piece of linen bearing an image of a man, which some believe is Jesus of Nazareth.

Explore Italy’s Liberty Architecture  

As a total contrast, around twenty minutes away from Piazza Castello you’ll reach a part of the city with some incredible Art Nouveau architecture (known as The Liberty Style in Italy). I discovered this part of the city on a free Turin walking tour with local Daniele, who was full of interesting information.

Eat Like A King For Under 10 Euros

A few of you have asked me “Is Turin expensive to visit?” Well… no! It can be if you dine at gourmet restaurants night after night, but this is a city you can enjoy on a budget too.

It turns out this is a city that LOVES a set lunch! Most restaurants offer a set menu for 10 EUR, or single courses for 5-6 EUR. It was amazing value, and a great opportunity to try items I might not have thought of ordering otherwise. So what does 10 EUR get you? A pasta dish, a main course plus bread, water and a coffee.

Try it at Fiori e Caffe, Via Milano, 16, 10122 Torino and Trattoria Caprese, Via del Carmine, 2, 10122 Torino

Shop For Fresh Produce At Porta Palazzo Market

Turin’s main market happens to also be the biggest open-air market in the whole of Europe. I LOVED it! It was so much fun weaving in and out of the stalls and looking at the local produce, which included everything from fennel and colourful tomatoes, to herbs, green veg and citrus fruits straight from Sicily.

There was also cheese, ham, raw meat, clothes, flowers, and a whole heap of random things too! It was a really fun place to spend the morning, and it’s definitely one of my top free things to do in Turin. It’s also a short walk from Porta Palatina – Turin’s famous city gates.

Address: Porta Palazzo Market , Piazza della Repubblica, 10152 Torino. Open til 2pm.

Marvel At Mole Antonelliana

What an incredible building! The tower of Mole Antonelliana is visible all over Turin, and has become the landmark of the city. It was initially designed as a synagogue, but was later updated as a monument to national unity. For a small fee you can take the lift up to the 85m platform for views of the city. Just next to it, you’ll find the National Cinema Museum.

Address: Mole Antonelliana, 10124 Turin, Torino  

Enjoy Turin’s Modern Art Scene  

Turin is a really arty, cultural city, so I’d definitely add a gallery or two to your list if you have time. GAM is the modern and contemporary art gallery in the city. There were a few exhibitions on when we visited, one showing Turin’s artists over the decades, while another highlighted artists throughout the last few hundred years, with some of the most fun pieces by Andy Warhol and Lichtenstein.  

Address: Galleria Civica d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea , Via Magenta, 31, 10128 Torino

Experience Turin’s Aperitivo Scene  

Looking for fun things to do in Turin? Well, in Turin, an aperitivo isn’t just a drink, it’s a social occasion! As with Milan, ‘appy hour’ is big in Turin, with many bars offering a drink plus buffet access for a set price. Some are better than others, so it’s definitely worth having a look around until you find one serving things you fancy.

One of the best we found was at Caffe Lobelix where we paid 12 EUR for a cocktail and unlimited access to an enormous constantly-replenishing buffet, that included tasty meatballs, broccoli, roast aubergine, cod with peppers, fried potatoes, mozzarella and tomato salad and plenty more. If you fill up somewhere like this, you can save your Euros to spend on chocolate to take home! If you only have one night in Turin – this is an experience you just have to have!

Try it at Caffe Lobelix, Piazza Savoia, 4, 10122 Torino

Visit Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile

Cars and Turin go hand in hand – in fact the T in FIAT is for Turin! So if you’re a petrol head, definitely find time to visit Turin’s famous automobile museum. It has a collection of around 200 cars from 80 different car brands, so there’s plenty to look at!

Enjoy Turin’s Shopping Scene  

In terms of shopping in Turin, the city has a mix of everything. Wander along pedestrianised Via Garibaldi (the city’s most famous shopping street) and you’ll find brands you know and love. Then there are the picturesque gallerias – elegant covered shopping streets, generally housing high-end brands. Personally I loved venturing off the beaten track and exploring the independent boutiques on Turin’s tiny side streets. That was when I discovered Muta – a jewellery store run by two talented jewellery makers, who use interesting materials and geometric shapes in their work.

Address: Muta, Via San Domenico, 18/e, 10122 Torino

Indulge Your Sweet Tooth

Chocolate and Turin go way back! Along with bicerin, the city has made a name for itself with its delicious hazelnut chocolates called gianduja. You’ll see the chocolates for sale across the city, but THE place to go is Guido Gobino. In fact, you can’t travel to Turin and not try it!

That choc-hazelnut combo might sound more familiar in its form as the spread, Nutella, and interestingly the history of Nutella also starts nearby. Invented in nearby Alba by Pietro Ferrero, it started off with the name Giandujot, before being renamed Nutella by the mid-1960s. I’ve heard you can still visit the original factory, and some of the surrounding area smells like Nutella too – sounds like a reason to take a day trip from Turin!

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, add GROM to your list too. It’s where you’ll find the best gelato in the city, and with several branches across Turin, you’re never far away from your next ice cream.

Enjoy Pizza In Turin Where The Locals Eat

Well, you can’t come to Italy and not have a pizza! I booked a lovely little apartment in the city centre and asked the owner where to eat in Turin. The owner recommended Ristorante Sicomoro , saying it’s where she goes every Sunday for a big family lunch. Well, when a local recommends a pizza place, you know it must be the real deal!

I enjoyed lunch there on my final day in Turin, and can confirm that the pizza was absolutely incredible!! I can’t say whether it’s the best pizza in Turin as I didn’t try any others… but I’d return in a heartbeat to eat it again!

Address: Ristorante Sicomoro, Via Stampatori, 6, 10122 Torino

Check out what happened when I went to Seville – Lonely Planet’s Best In Travel No.1 City for 2018.

Where to stay in turin.

There are plenty of hotels in Turin, but personally I preferred the charm and character of the city’s apartments.

I stayed at Suite Bellezia , a beautifully decorated one-bedroom apartment in a historic building, right in the heart of the city. It was moments from all the main Turin attractions, and was a really comfortable base for my time in the city. Plus, host Carlotta gave me lots of recommendations for the best things to do in Turin, places to eat and plenty of real local tips!

I hope you’ve enjoyed my Turin travel blog. A big thanks to Lonely Planet for introducing me to the gorgeous region of Piedmont. As always, all opinions are my own.

Looking to travel around the region? How about travelling from Milan to Turin, or adding Turin to a road trip through northern Italy ? 

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Chloe Gunning

With a passion for food, fun and adventure, Chloe is the content creator behind one of the UK's top travel blogs Wanderlust Chloe. From volcano boarding in Nicaragua, to sailing around Sicily and eating her way around Japan, her travels have taken her to some of the coolest spots on the planet. Named Travel Influencer of the Year in 2022, Chloe regularly works with a number of tourism boards, producing inspirational travel content across multiple platforms. Find out more about Chloe here.

9 thoughts on “Top Things To Do In Turin (Italy Travel Guide)”

Fantastic guide, thanks so much for sharing! I’m really hoping to get to Turin this year…I’ve travelled to so many places in Italy but this one region has remained elusive. And I am always up for a set lunch too 🙂

Thanks Kristen – it’s such a gorgeous city. I hope you have a lovely time if you make it there. And yes, I’m a sucker for a great set lunch too!

Thank You SO MUCH! My kids and I will be traveling to Italy in 2 weeks, and Turin was not in our itinerary until today. I do not know much about Turin except the soccer team Juventus through my son. YES, we are going there because of the Juventus match on August 14. We have only one full day to tour the city. Now I have your tips to go by.

Hi Agnes – so happy you found my blog! There’s tonnes to do in Turin so I’m sire you’ll have a great day out there. Try some truffle if you get the chance!

Great guide and info. Definitely going …!!!!

Thanks Cloe I am an original “turineis” (local native) living now abroad Italy and appreciated very much your local guide that brought me back to the place I belonging. Grazie, thanks well done.

Hi I enjoyed the article What airport would you recommend that’s near Turin

You can fly into Turin-Caselle Airport, which is just outside the city centre.

Grazie for this! Leaving in a few days to vacation in Turin – we live in Aix-en-Provence, France. Thanks for this guide, Chloe!!

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36 Hours in Turin, Italy

By Seth Sherwood Updated Feb. 1, 2024

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With the Alps as a background, Turin, Italy’s fourth-largest city, is elegant, photogenic and rich with history. Grand squares and former royal palaces abound in this northern Italian crossroads, nicknamed Little Paris, which was briefly Italy’s first capital after the country’s unification in 1861. And despite housing one of Christianity’s most solemn relics — a shroud believed by some to be the burial cloth of Jesus — the city is awash in earthly pleasures. Both gianduja chocolate and vermouth were invented there, and can be sampled among the historic coffeehouses, chocolate shops and aperitivo bars that line the city’s arcaded shopping boulevards. And especially important in the winter, an ever-expanding buffet of galleries and museums — including one of the world’s largest collections of Egyptian antiquities , a museum of fake fruit and a new contemporary art hub on a rooftop racetrack — offer respite from the cold and food for the spirit.

Recommendations

• Gallerie d’Italia , a museum that opened in 2022 in a renovated Baroque palazzo, has a collection ranging from medieval panel paintings to contemporary video art.
• Magazzino 52 offers contemporary takes on Piedmontese cuisine — like a silky veal tartare — and a wine list featuring hundreds of bottles, along with by-the-glass options.
• Caffè Fiorio , a former haunt of Friedrich Nietzsche, serves excellent hot chocolate in plush rooms of chandeliers and gilded mirrors.
• La Pista 500 , an oval walkway that was once a rooftop test track for a Fiat factory, offers plants, art installations and Alpine vistas.
• Piazza San Giovanni , a public square, is adjacent to several historic sites, including Roman ruins, a royal collection of art at Galleria Sabauda and the cathedral housing the Shroud of Turin.
• Monte dei Cappuccini , a hill with a Baroque church on top, offers photo-perfect views of the cityscape and Alps.
• Scannabue serves classic Piedmontese comfort food, like tajarin, a local type of pasta, and wines in a homey, lively environment.
• Fondoo specializes in, yes, fondue (and raclette) in a Scandinavian-minimalist room.
• Pasticceria Ghigo dal 1870 , an old-fashioned pastry shop, pours thick hot chocolate to drink at the counter.
• Isola is a bar that displays shelves of vinyl albums and bottles of natural wines, all of which are for sale to enjoy on site or at home.
• La Cuite is a cozy bar in which to try regional wines next to a wood-burning fireplace.
• Nikkei , a bar half hidden at the back of Azotea restaurant, serves some of the city’s finest cocktails.
• Mercato di Porta Palazzo , an amalgam of markets in Piazza della Repubblica, is a lively, fun spot to pick up produce, inexpensive clothing, Italian delicacies, street food and more.
• Il Balon , near the Mercato di Porta Palazzo, is an outdoor market known for its vintage treasures, from military surplus to cinema seats.
• Danpol is a contemporary store with elegant, mostly Italian-made clothing.
• San Carlo dal 1973 seeks out edgy and avant-garde designers of women’s wear and accessories.
• Agora Boutique Stays , a newcomer from last year, offers nine stylish, individually designed apartments on the atrium-like ground floor of a 17th-century palazzo next to Piazza San Carlo. Apartments in February start at 185 euros, or about $200.
• Hotel Victoria , also in the center, has an old-world British feel — pale hues, floral-print fabrics, antique knickknacks — and offers two cozy winter amenities: a lobby fireplace and a spa with a sauna and a heated swimming pool. Rooms in February start at €161.
• Combo is a hostel in a former firehouse. The soaring industrial-chic lobby contains a coffee shop, a cocktail bar and a concert stage, while the mixed private and dorm-style rooms convey a minimalist Zen aesthetic. Private rooms in February start at around €53.
• For short-term rentals , the Centro, or city center, is your most practical base for historical sites, museums, cafes and shopping. Nearby, to the east, the classy Vanchiglia residential district runs alongside the Po River and offers refined dining and drinking options. Historically working-class San Salvario, south of the center and close to the main train station, is now filled with trattorias, wine bars, cocktail bars and coffee shops.
• The central neighborhoods, clustered together, are easily walkable. The southern districts like San Salvario and Lingotto are along the city’s lone metro line, which only skirts the periphery of the central historic and commercial areas, making it somewhat impractical. Buses and trams connect much of the city, while taxis can be hired at designated stands or via the app Freenow .

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Travel Guide To Turin

Known as 'Torino' in Italian, Turin rests beside a scenic stretch of the River Po in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Although it is the birthplace and centre of Italian industry, mostly closely associated with giants such as FIAT, it is nevertheless a graceful city of wide boulevards, elegant arcades and grand public buildings. Seen as Europe's capital of Baroque, the city has a diverse choice of museums, restaurants and lovely public gardens.

Where to stay in Turin

AI SAVOIA Via del Carmine 1b (00 339 125 7711; fax: 011 662 3318; www.aisavoia.it ): Quadrilatero area. This charming three-room B&B is housed inside the 18th-century Palazzo Saluzzo di Paesana, one of the city's most impressive aristocratic townhouses. (It was too impressive for Vittorio Amedeo II, who ordered one of the two entrances to be bricked up, claiming that double gates were a Savoy privilege.) The courtly elegance of the exterior continues inside in a delightfully restrained mood, with Empire-style furniture, padded and gilded bedheads, and Murano chandeliers hanging from exposed beams. The three rooms are named after Savoy queens (no doubt to pacify the spirit of Vittorio Amedeo II), and Sr Armando (uncle of owners Roberto and Matilde Pavone) is a helpful and knowledgeable host. Breakfast, served in a lovely, antique-strewn salotto, is usually enlivened by one of Roberto's homemade cakes. There is a small library of guidebooks available for use by guests, plus a good selection of freebie maps, brochures and leaflets. ££ GRAND HOTEL SITEA Via Carlo Alberto 35 (00 39 011 517 0171; fax: 548 090; www.grandhotelsitea.it ). Porta Nuova area. The best of the traditional four-stars is probably the 120-room Grand Hotel Sitea, which is efficiently run, well placed and entirely unremarkable. Rooms are panelled, carpeted and cosy, though some might find the low ceilings oppressive. On the upside, the Sitea has the Carignano, a Piedmontese restaurant that is good enough to attract plenty of outside custom. £££££ HOTEL BOSTON Via Massena 70 (00 39 011 500359; fax: 599358; www.hotelbostontorino.it ): Porta Nuova area. The Hotel Boston also stands out from the unimaginative Turin pack, in this case because of its single-minded devotion to modern art and contemporary design. Housed in a building with a striking façade in Liberty style (the Italian equivalent of Art Nouveau), the hotel boasts a collection of original artworks and prints by artists from Warhol via Lichtenstein to Boetti. The lobby and communal spaces are peppered with the kind of design-classic furniture that you might find in a Taschen coffee-table book. But the sum is not quite as good as the parts: most of the bedrooms go for a bright, ethnic look, space is not a strong point and single travellers should book a double unless they like to be very cosy. ££££ HOTEL VICTORIA Via Nino Costa 4 (00 39 011 561 1909; fax: 561 1806; www.hotelvictoria.com ): Castello area. A bright and pleasant three-star in a cul-de-sac halfway between via Po and Porta Nuova train station. The Victoria is a charming, eclectic mix of English country cottage, Oriental teahouse and Mediterranean villa, with English-style antiques, Japanese screens and a profusion of floral motifs on wallpaper, fabrics and murals. The verdant theme continues in the breakfast room, with its conservatory windows and garden view. There are 100 bedrooms classified as Standard and Deluxe. By the end of 2005, the hotel should have its own pool, sauna and Turkish bath, and probably higher room rates. £££££ NH LINGOTTO NH Lingotto, via Nizza 262 (00 39 011 664 2000; fax: 664 2001; http://www.nh-hotels.com ) South area. NH Lingotto is the only hotel in the world whose guests get to use a former car-testing track as a jogging path. What's more, it's on the roof. Fiat's banked track was built as the crowning flourish of the company's main assembly line in the Lingotto complex, south of the city centre. Today, Fiat has moved out and the trade fairs have moved in, backed up by a shopping centre, the Giovanni and Marella Agnelli Art Gallery (which is suspended like a futuristic James Bond penthouse pad above the test track), and NH Lingotto. What's really lacking in Turin is a good upscale option in the city centre. ££ PRINCIPE DI PIEMONTE Via Gobetti, 15 - 10123 Torino, Italy (00 39 011 55151; fax: 011 5185870; www.atahotels.it ). Built by the Agnelli family in 1930, the Principi di Piemonte is located in Via Gobetti, close to the shops of Via Roma. Refurbished before the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, there are now 99 modern, spacious rooms on the top eight floors of the building, all with state-of-the-art technology, and views over the city. The hotel restaurant, Casa Savoia, serves refined local cuisine, the sumptuous Salone delle Feste has 1930s Murano chandeliers and mosaics. Primarily a business hotel, every room and meeting facility is Internet, A/V equipment including IP cameras for internet streaming purposes and overhead projectors. ££££ THE GOLDEN PALACE Via dell'Arcivescovado 18 (00 39 011 55 12 111; fax: 011 55 12 800; www.thi.it ). Central Turin's first true five-star hotel opened just in time for the Winter Olympic Games in 2006. Housed in two geometric buildings, Golden One and Golden Two, the décor is contemporary yet luxurious. One hundred and ninety-five rooms feature sophisticated wooden furniture with details in burnished brass and black lacquer. Rooms have huge plasma TVs, electrically-controlled curtains, exclusive reproductions of works by the painter Giovanni Lombardini and marble bathrooms. There are 15 suites and a 90sq-metre Presidential Apartment. Winner restaurant is under the guidance of chef Giuseppe Zuccaro. The Golden Spa has a pool, Turkish bath and sauna. There is also a Personal Shopper service. ££££ TOWN HOUSE 70 Via XX Settembre, 70 (09 39 11 19700003; fax: 11 19700188; www.townhouse.it ). The Town House hotel group have four boutique hotels, three in Milan and one in Turin, all located in the city centres. Town House 70 is situated in Turin's historic centre, behind Piazza Castello and close to Via Roma. There are 16 double rooms, 4 single rooms and 27 suites. Rooms have workspaces, modern seating areas and bathrooms. All have high-speed internet access, air conditioning and climate control, and LCD screen TV with Video on Demand. There is no restaurant, instead a complimentary breakfast is laid out on a long table and snacks are available throughout the day. £££

B&B VIA STAMPATORI A real gem housed in a 16th-century palazzo, but with each room an enchanting realm of modern Italian design; you can take breakfast on a private terrace overlooking the frescoed courtyard.Via Stampatori 4 (00 39 339 258 1330; www.viastampatori.com ). ££

Where to eat out in Turin

BARRIQUE Corso Dante 53 (00 39 011 657900). Opened in 1999 by Stefano Gallo, this formal restaurant with striped wall coverings of taupe and cream incorporates raw ingredients in its dishes. Hand-chopped Langhe veal with crunchy vegetables in curry and egg sauce, dried salted cod cooked in two different ways with chickpea cream and turnip tops with tarragon-flavoured pesto sauce, Ligurian 'Besugo' fish with calamari and saffron and an unbelievably tasty rabbit, plump and with perfectly crisp skin. COMBAL.O Castello di Rivoli (00 39 011 956 5225): 12km west of Turin. Don't be put off by the pretentious name, pronounced 'Combal zero': this is a serious restaurant in a cool, modern setting. Chef Davide Scabin is fast becoming the Ferran Adrià of the Italian restaurant scene, forcing carefully sourced ingredients into unusual and sometimes bizarre combinations, such as lobster carpaccio with Gorgonzola and sea lettuce. Scabin's most famous creation is the 'cyberegg', a cellophane sphere containing a cocktail of egg yolk, vodka, caviar, shallots and black pepper. Guests are provided with a scalpel - not to attack the chef with but to cut the top off the cyberegg and drink the contents in one gulp. This is not a place for a quick business lunch: like the provocative, sometimes over-the-top contemporary art on view in the rest of the castle, Scabin's creations demand considerable attention. Closed Mon, Tues. IL ROSPETTO Piazza Madama Cristina 5 (00 39 011 669 8221): Valentino area. For some reason, via Madama Cristina, an unremarkable suburban street a couple of blocks back from the Parco del Valentino, has become Turin's pizza avenue. The action starts at the north end of the street in piazza Madama Cristina, where Il Rospetto ('the baby toad') serves up thin and crunchy Roman-style pizzas and high-rise Ligurian focaccia (try the stracchino cheese-and-rocket version). Soya-flour pizzas can also be had on request. Book ahead or be prepared to queue, as space is tight. Km5 Via San Domenico 14-16 (00 39 0114310032). This specialises in thick parmesan and porcini mushroom risotto, and offers a huge selection of affettati (slices of handmade salami and lardo). LA MONTAGNA IN VETRINA Piazza Emanuele Filiberto 3a (00 39 011 521 7882): Quadrilatero area. Another favourite Torinese quick stop for lunch or dinner is this eat-in deli that offers a range of gastronomic treats from the Piedmontese Alps and the Valle d'Aosta, to be nibbled tapas-style. Cheeses, cured meats and sott'oli (vegetables preserved in oil) are complemented by a small and daily changing selection of hot dishes: the soups are particularly good. One of the neat things about the place is its dual shop/restaurant function: if you fall in love with the stuffed peppers, you can buy a jar of them to take home. It is wise to book ahead. LA PISTA via Nizza 294 (00 39 011 6313523; fax: 011 6313708; www.lapista.to.it./eng/index_eng.htm ). Situated at the top of the Lingotto building, chef Massimo Guzzone's philosophy is based on raw materials, and seasonal produce. LE VITEL ETONNE Via San Francesco da Paola 4 (00 39 011 812 4621): Po area. The centrally located Le Vitel Etonné is run by three friends who share duties in the kitchen, the wine cellar and front-of-house. The name alludes to a classic Piedmontese dish, vitel tonne (vitello tonnato in standard Italian), which is slices of braised veal served cold with a sauce of mayonnaise, tuna, anchovies and capers. There are generally three antipasti on offer (one of which may or may not be vitel tonné), three pasta dishes and three secondi, all solid, regional dishes done without frills. There's usually at least one gourmet salad and an excellent cheese board. Wine is a strong point and the restaurant's latest finds are posted on the website, www.leviteletonne.com . Open Mon-Sat for lunch and dinner, Sun lunch only. It is wise to book ahead. PASTIS Piazza Emanuele Filiberto 9 (00 39 01 1521 1085). A traditional French-inspired trattoria popular with actors, artists and intellectuals, located in a small pretty pizza, with an outdoor area in summer. Its garlic-steeped l'albese (similar to steak tartare) is typically Piedmontese. PEPINO Piazza Carignano 8 (00 39 011 542 009): Castello area. Open daily, 8am-midnight. When Signor Pepino came up with the idea in 1937, it must have seemed revolutionary: an ice cream on a stick that could be eaten on one's evening walk. The ice lolly's original Italian name was gelato da passeggio, or 'strolling ice cream', but Pepino dubbed his creation il pinguino (the penguin), and it can still be purchased in the elegant bar that bears his name, on piazza Carignano. Vanilla, hazelnut and chocolate are the classic flavours; violet and lemon sorbets are among the more exotic variations. Pepino also does standard gelato, good coffee, a tempting range of cakes and an excellent lunch buffet, which is very popular with la Torino bene, the city's pearls-and-twinset brigade. PIZZERIA DESSI Via Madama Cristina 63 (00 39 011 668 7138): Valentino area. This specialises in farinata, a kind of chick-pea pizza similar to the socca of Nice, which is a legacy of Turin's historical and regal links with Liguria and Sardinia. Dessi also does pizza al padellino and castagnaccio, a dessert-bread made of chestnut flour. PIZZERIA E GELATERIA CECCHI Via Madama Cristina 92 (00 39 011 650 7030): Valentino area. Closed Mon. Further down the street, heading away from the centre, Pizzeria e Gelateria Cecchi specialises in Tuscan-style pizza al padellino, stretched-oval pizzas made from slow-leavened dough, which are fed into the oven on long-handled oars. Cecchi also makes great ice cream. RISTORANTE DEL CAMBIO Piazza Carignano 2 (00 39 011 546 690): Castello area. Closed Sun. In any other Italian city, Ristorante del Cambio would have become a museum by now. But in Turin this venerable establishment, which oozes noblesse oblige from every stuccoed, chandeliered and mirrored pore, is still an essential lifestyle accessory for the local upper class. Counts and marchesas, pearl-draped heiresses and captains of industry pile in here in the evenings to eat in the favourite restaurant of Risorgimento mastermind Count Cavour, whose table commanded a view of Palazzo Carignano opposite - then home to the Savoy parliament. Until recently you could be sure that the high-class comfort food served in the gilded, mirror-lined main salone would be as unremarkable as the waiters were impeccable. But recently the cuisine has become lighter and more creative. Classics such as risotto al Barolo are now flanked by more innovative dishes, for example sottofiletto di fassone (fillet of Piedmontese ox) roasted in juniper with crunchy herbs. The waiters, thank goodness, are still impeccable. While the Cambio has taken a foodie turn, it has a long way to go before it can compete with Combal.0, the gastronomic offshoot of the out-of-town Castello di Rivoli modern-art complex (see What to See). RISTORANTE MINA Via Ellero 86 (00 39 0116963608). This serves a rich truffle-stuffed chicken with deep-fried artichokes. RISTORANTE MORENO Corso Unione Sovietica 244 (00 39 0113179657). Specialises in truffles. The simplest and tastiest way to eat them is grated over pasta. TRE GALLINE Via Bellezia 37d (00 39 011 436 6553; www.3galline.it) . An informal restaurant where you often see politcians and journalists eating lunch. It's still going strong after nearly 450 years and is the spot for traditional Piedmontese fare - delectable truffle dishes, or bollito misto, a meaty boil-up with various sauces. Try the vitello tonnato, a multi-layered dish of veal topped with capers and tuna in home-made mayonnaise. The bue brasato (braised ox) is marinaded in red wine and herbs for several days before being roasted, producing a delicious sauce. In winter, it offers a rich primo piatto of ravioli stuffed with black truffle paste. In season, white truffles, a precious and rare produce of the Piedmont region, are shaved onto undressed pasta and weighed to determine how much to charge. €80 for three courses without wine. VINERIA TRE GALLI Via Sant'Agostino 25 (00 39 011521 6027; www.3galli.com ). It's an offshoot of Tre Galline that attracts a hipper crowd with such new-wave dishes as octopus with stewed spring onions. This upmarket vineria is the place to try wines from all over Italy accompanied by excellent food. Try the bagna calda, a thick garlic, milk and anchovy dip served with raw vegetables and toasted focaccia. €70 for three courses without wine. CAFE CULTURE Francophile Turin has the most deep-rooted café culture of any Italian city. Anyone who wants to go straight to the soul of the place should head for one of the classic establishments that still service the demand for elegant social intercourse over bone-china coffee cups and plates piled high with pasticceria mignon. (Mini-cakes are designed so that respectable matrons can eat lots of them without appearing greedy). Other northern Italian cities - Milan, Padua, Trieste - have a thriving bar and café scene. What marks Turin out is the sheer number of period interiors that have been lovingly preserved. BARATTI & MILANO Piazza Castello 29 (00 39 011 440 7138; www.barattiemilano.it ). Open 8am-9pm, closed Mondays. The delights of this belle-époque bar begin outside, in themed confectionery-filled window displays that are veritable works of art. Inside, there's hardly a square inch which isn't filled with Baratti & Milano's signature pastries and chocolates. Messrs Baratti and Milano applied for permission to open their emporium on the corner of piazza Castello and the then-new Subalpina gallery - a belle-époque shopping mall - in 1874. As the confectionery shop expanded to include a café and tea house, sculptor Edoardo Rubino and architect Giulio Casanova were called in to oversee the decoration, their original design is still in place today. Admire it as you sample the bignoli - glazed pastry cases filled with flavoured cream - or the gianduiotto, soft wedges of chocolate and hazelnut paste. CAFFE AL BICERIN Piazza della Consolata 5 (00 39 011 436 9325; www.bicerin.it ). Open 8.30am-7.30pm, closed Wed and Sat. If the ghost of a Grand Tourist rustled in and squeezed her crinoline onto a red plush bench behind one of Caffè Al Bicerin's marble tables, she wouldn't look out of place. Filled with boiserie panelling, this café opposite the church of La Consolata has changed little since a major makeover in the early-19th century. When it first opened the café was patronised by politicians, philosophers and writers - Alexandre Dumas and Friedrich Nietzsche liked to pen their works here. Nowadays, the crowd is less elite but no less committed to this café's trademark bicerin, a steaming coffee, chocolate and cream concoction guaranteed to stave off the Piedmontese chills. Behind the marble-topped counter, glass jars hold confetti sweets in pastel colours; inside the glass-topped display case beneath the counter are Al Bicerin's exquisite home-made chocolates. CAFFE ELENA Piazza Vittorio Veneto 5 (00 39 011 812 3341). Open 8am-1am, closed Wednesdays. Caffè Elena lacks the lavish trappings of most of Turin's caffè storici but it doesn't lack in atmosphere. Its two rooms do have wood panelling, and its marble-topped tables bear witness to generations of Campari spillage; but there are no gleaming glass cases filled with showy bonbons, and the whole place has a somewhat lived-in feel. Which explains, perhaps, why this is the café of choice for a laid-back, bohemian crowd - crowd being the operative word around seven in the evening. Earnest intellectuals lean their elbows on the same tables at which Nietzsche went extravagantly mad, while the constantly-replenished table laden with delicious - and deliciously free - aperitivo-hour snacks. CAFFE FIORIO Via Po 8 (00 39 011 817 3225). Open daily 7am-midnight. In early-20th-century Turin, snacking on the street was seriously frowned upon. In order to break the taboo, the owner of Fiorio hired a gaggle of beautiful girls to stroll along arcaded via Po eating ice cream from cones - a recent Italian invention launched on a sceptical world at the 1900 Paris Expo. In business since 1780, it had been the political heart of pre-Unification Piedmont, the place where the liberal movers and shakers met, drank and decided the fate of the nation. Fiorio's cone with gianduia ice cream and whipped cream is superb; but all the gelato is good. The recipes are secret, but the owner will reveal that all the eggs he uses are free-range, all the fruit is squeezed on the premises, and that he still uses a 30-year-old Carpigiani Cattabriga gelatiera - the Ferrari of ice-cream machines. CAFFE PLATTI Corso Vittorio Emanuele II 72 (00 39 011 506 9056; www.platti.it/stampa.html). Open daily 7.30am-9pm. A little outside the centre, in the tree-lined Crocetta neighbourhood, Caffè Platti has been the haunt of Turin's alta borghesia since it opened in 1870. The striking shop-front beneath the arcades in corso Vittorio Emanuele II is made from a single cast-iron block, a tribute to Turin's industrial heritage. Inside, Louis XVI-style chairs and marble-topped tables on spindly cast-iron legs blend with gold and cream plaster mouldings and huge mirrors to create an atmosphere of refined opulence. Since it opened, Platti has been most famous for its draguées, chocolate-dipped hazelnuts, coffee beans and candied fruits, and for the Torta Platti - a calorific cylinder of chocolate and gianduia (a creamy mixture of chocolate and hazelnuts). CAFFE SAN CARLO Piazza San Carlo 156 (00 39 011 532 586; www.caffesancarlo.it). Open daily 8am-midnight. An immense chandelier in Murano glass sets the tone in the main room of this Turin institution. With its empire chairs, gilded boiseries and stiffly attentive service, Caffè San Carlo has an elegance which might be almost off-putting were it not for the superb quality of the food and drinks on offer. Much of the San Carlo's sumptuous mid-19th-century decor was destroyed in World War II; but the reconstruction is so faithful that you can't see the joins between old and new. Spread over a main and smaller room, both filled with the obligatory white marble-topped tables, plus a Chinese salon (this last spared by the bombs), the café is well-known for attention to detail, even making its own bread for the delicious sandwiches and rolls on offer in its very popular lunchtime snacks spread. CAFFÈ TORINO Piazza San Carlo 204 (00 39 011 545 118). Open daily 7am-midnight. In the same stately square as the Caffè San Carlo, the Caffè Torino is the neo-baroque fruit of a Fascist-era makeover received after a move from its original site just across the piazza, where it opened in 1903. The ornate cash register by the front door was made in Ohio in the early-20th century but the cakes and chocolates it serves products of today's Piedmontese specialists. Early spring and winter are busy times, with fur-coated matrons jostling for a box of Christmas gianduiotti or a huge Easter egg. In its early years the Torino attracted a clique of writers, among them Italo Calvino's literary guru, Cesare Pavese. The tables outside provide a great spot for observing city life. HAFA CAFÉ 23C Via Sant'Agostino (00 39 011436 7091). Cooler than the city's traditional cafés, the Hafa Café is a trendy place for an aperitif. Set out in endless quantities, you can also eat as many snacks as you like for a small fee. MULASSANO Piazza Castello 15 (00 39 011 547 990). Open daily 7.30am-9pm. This tiny centro storico bar is an exercise in floor-to-ceiling opulence. From its elegant wooden shopfront through a stunningly decadent bar counter in Piedmontese purple marble to the mirror-encrusted boiseries, the Mulassano leaves no square centimetre unadorned. Inaugurated in 1907, this jewel box of a café was painstakingly restored to its original glory in 1978. Its location right across the square from the Teatro Regio makes it a favourite with theatre-goers - who stop off here for a pre-show cocktail. Although it's not the only bar in Italy to advance the claim, Mulassano's boast that it invented the tramezzino (Italian for sandwich) is at least backed up by present-day evidence: the bar's lightly toasted sandwiches are delicious. PASTIS Piazza Emanuele Filiberto 9 (00 39 011 521 1085). The artsy, 1950s-style Pastis which does a roaring aperitivo trade. Though herb-flavoured wines can be traced back as far as Ancient Greece, Italian-style vermouth (a corruption of the German Wermut, which became 'wormwood' in English) was, according to the local tradition, created in the mid-18th century under the arcades of piazza Castello. The creator was a waiter called Benedetto Carpano who used monastic recipes from his native Biella. A huge hit with the Savoy court, vermouth gradually spread to other Italian cities, and the Carpano brand was challenged by a host of arrivistes, from Cinzano to Gancia. But purists can still find Carpano in three forms: Classico, Bianco and Punt e Mes. The latter, a dry version of the blend, means 'a shot and a half' in Torinese dialect. It was first produced in 1870 to a formula suggested by a local banker who liked his Carpano Classico with a dash of quinine. Served liscio - just with ice and a slice of orange - it is still a popular drink in the bars of Turin, and to order it will gain you local kudos. BASSO 30 Via Sant'Agostino 30 (00 39 011 578 8288; www.basso30.it ). The restaurant sources ingredients from surrounding farms for its fine cuisine. €55 for three courses without wine. OSTERIA DELLA CIMA Via Sant'Agostino 6 (00 39 011 436 5091). Osteria della Cima uses its daytime focaccia ovens to make delicious lasagne in the evening. Dishes from €7. LA GASTRONOMIA DEL QUADRILATERO Via San Dalmazzo 7 (00 39 011 547367). A deli-cum-bistro that offers a cheap lunch. Lunch menus between €4-€7. EATALY Via Nizza 230 (00 39 011 1950 6801; www.eataly.it ). A selection of in-house restaurants which sells delicacies from all over Italy. L'ARTE DEL PANE Via Po 25 (00 39 011 885 580). A traditional family bakery with the best fresh grissini. GUIDO GOBINO Via Giuseppe Luigi Lagrange 1 (00 39 011 566 0707; www.guidogobino.it ). Offers chocolate delights, including unusual flavours, such as rosemary.

The best nightlife in Turin

HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR Via Bossoli 83 (00 39 011 317 6636; www.hiroshimamonamour.org ): South area. Hiroshima Mon Amour has been a stalwart of the Turin club scene since 1986. Now in new premises not far from the Lingotto complex (see Where to Stay), this multi-faceted cultural centre organises live concerts, exhibitions, avant-garde theatrical happenings as well as Friday and Saturday club nights. Any given week there might be a Russian performance artist interacting with an old 386Mhz computer, an UK indie-rock group, a gypsy brass band, a poetry slam, a ska and reggae night, an exhibition of fumetti (strip cartoons); pretty much anything goes. Concerts begin at 10.30pm. Open Tues-Sat, 9.30pm-2am. LAB Piazza Vittorio Veneto 13 (00 39 011 817 0669). It serves an especially imaginative selection of titbits for the early-evening aperitivo (when the Torinesi hit the cafés around the Piazza Vittorio Veneto for cocktails and snacks). LA DROGHERIA Piazza Vittorio Veneto 18 (00 39011 812 2414; www.la-drogheria.it ). Comes with indie music and a hip crowd. €7-€9 will cover your first drink and access to the buffet. PASTIS Piazza Emanuele Filiberto 9 (00 39 011 521 1085). With its corner terrace, is a great place for a ringside seat for revels in the Quadrilatero Romano till late. CASA MAD Via Santa Chiara 24 (00 39 011 1970 1970). Attracts a cheerfully bohemian crowd of all ages as the evening draws on.

What to see in Turin

BAROQUE ARCHITECTURE In the seven decades between 1666 and 1736, two court architects left an indelible impression on the fabric of the city and together defined the style referred to as Barocco torinese. Multi-talented Guarino Guarini, whose soaring architectural creations are both geometrically precise and theatrically exuberant, was also a mathematician, astronomer and philosopher. He designed the Cappella della Santa Sindone (finished in 1694 after his death), created to provide a fittingly elaborate showcase for the city's prize relic, the Holy Shroud. Heavily damaged by a fire in 1997, the chapel is still being restored. But Guarini's real masterpiece is an earlier commission, the royal church of San Lorenzo, a tasteful clutter of coloured marble, stucco, fresco, intarsia and canvas, topped by a confectioner's dome. Turin's other baroque genius, Sicilian architect Filippo Juvarra, arrived in the city in 1714 as court architect to Vittorio Amedeo II, and immediately began to provide the freshling king (the Savoys had been mere dukes until the previous year) with the sort of grandiose but elegant palaces that befitted his new title. He left his mark on the huge work-in-progress that was Palazzo Reale, and designed - from scratch - two magnificent out-of-town hunting lodges, the Venaria Reale and Stupinigi, and the votive basilica of Superga. But Juvarra's most audacious and airily Sicilian contribution to Turin's renewed centro storico was his work on the forbidding medieval fortress of Palazzo Madama. Between 1718 and 1721 Juvarrra cloaked this rude military pile in elegant baroque clothes - at least on the western side, which faced the Savoy power hub of piazza Reale. The real treat is just behind the façade: an airy, monumental staircase that makes the swivelling stairs in Harry Potter look positively mundane. CASTELLO DI MASINO (00 39 0125 778 100): 30km north-east of Turin. Take a day out to visit the Castello di Masino, a marvellously preserved stately home that rises above the Canavese plain about 30km north-east of Turin. The castle belonged to the Valperga di Masino family, a local dynasty whose fortune came from the hemp fields that once covered this fertile plain. The wacky weed (which was woven, rather than smoked) even ended up in the family's coat of arms. More a country house than a proper castle, the rooms here are decorated in styles that vary from medieval to rococo. The castle and grounds are now owned by the FAI (Italy's equivalent of the National Trust) and run in exemplary fashion, with the money from admissions and donations ploughed back into restoration. One of the decorative peaks of the castle is the suite of rooms kitted out for Madama Giovanna Battista di Savoia, aka 'Madama Reale'. She was the queen-regent whose love affair in the 1680s with the much younger Carlo Francesco I Valperga di Masino gave the family the foothold (or rather handhold) it needed in the Savoy court. It also provided the pretext for the makeover of what up until then had been a fairly rustic country pad. The castello's second high-water mark, at the end of the 18th century, is most fully represented by the Galleria dei Poeti, a long literary hallway with medallions of illustrious poets frescoed in pastel pinks and yellows. It was the creation of Tommaso Valperga, Abbot of Caluso, an Enlightenment tour de force who spoke six languages and distinguished himself both as mathematician and poet. Masino is most easily reached by car, but is also accessible by public transport, except on Sundays. Take the train to Ivrea from Turin's Porta Nuova station (the 9.25am is the best morning option), then change for the SATTI bus to Caravino; the castle is a pleasant 20-minute walk from here. Open Feb-Sept 10am-1pm, 2pm-5pm; Oct to mid-Dec 10am-noon, 2pm-4pm (times are those of latest permitted entry); closed Mon and mid-Dec to end Jan. CASTELLO DI RIVOLI MUSEO DI ARTE CONTEMPORANEA Piazza Malfalda di Savoia Rivoli (00 39 011 956 5222; www.castellodirivoli.org ): 20km east of Turin, in the castle town of Rivoli. Turin has been engaged in a major image makeover in recent years and much of the effort has gone into stressing the Piedmontese regional capital's vibrant contemporary art scene. Although the city lacks anything with the shock value of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, it does have a constellation of public and private galleries that together justify Turin's claim to be a major contemporary art hub, in cultural if not commercial terms. Leader of the pack is the Castello di Rivoli Museo di Arte Contemporanea, which occupies a Savoy hunting lodge 20km east of the city centre. Damaged by French troops in 1690 and never rebuilt, this ravaged sovereign residence ­provides a satisfyingly bizarre showcase for a satisfyingly bizarre collection. The finely restored Settecento interior of the main palazzo houses the permanent collection, which includes works by Sol LeWitt, Tony Cragg, Bruce Nauman, Rebecca Horn, local artist Maurizio Cattelan (if you've ever wondered where his notorious dangling horse is stabled, it's here), and others. The complex also includes Davide Scabin's equally contemporary Michelin-starred Combal.0 restaurant (see Where to Eat). Open Tues-Thurs 10am-5pm, Fri-Sun 10am-9pm. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS At the beginning of November every year, Turin's Christmas lights go on. But these are not your common or garden snowflake-and-Santa illuminations. They are part of Luci d'artista, an initiative launched in 1997 by the city council to extend Turin's growing role as a collector and promoter of contemporary art into the ephemeral sphere of winter illuminations. Each year, one or two new artists (most recently Jenny Holzer and Jan Vercruysse) are asked to come up with an installation in the medium of electric light; there are now more than 20 of these. Some, like Rebecca Horn's eerie blue haloes circling the hilltop Cappuccini church on the east bank of the Po, are site-specific; others move location from year to year. The tourist office inside the futuristic new Atrium pavilion in piazza Solferino provides free Luci d'artista maps for those who want to do the rounds of the illuminations; it also organises weekend guided tours. GAM (GALLERIA CIVICA D'ARTE MODERNA E CONTEMPORANEA Via Magenta 31 (00 39 011 4429518; fax: 011 4429550; www.gamtorino.it ). Houses an impressive collection of 19th and 20th century art, with over 15,000 works, including paintings, sculptures, installations and photographs, in addition to a large collection of drawings and engravings. The collections mainly document Italian art, in addition to pieces by Andy Warhol and Antony Gormley. Open Tues-Sun 10am-6pm; €7.50 entry. IL LINGOTTO (FIAT FACTORY) Via Nizza 230. Built in 1920, the enormous Fiat (Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino) factory is a modernist masterpiece. The building itself was designed as a machine - the cars would be pushed upwards floor-by-floor during each stage of assembly, until the finished models arrived on the roof for a test drive. Fiat was owned by the late Gianni Agnelli, seen as the most powerful man in Italy. Il Lingotto has now been remodelled by the architect Renzo Piano into a hotel and leisure complex, with a rooftop restaurant, La Pista (see Where to eat). It also houses the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli art collection (see below). SANTUARIO DELLA CONSOLATA Piazza della Consolata (00 39 0 11 4363235). This is Turin's most elaborate church and worth a visit, housing a series of paintings known as 'the sorrows', in which parishioners depict life-threatening scenes from which they have been saved. THE BASILICA DI SUPERGA (00 39 011 8997456; www.basilicadisuperga.com/en/index.htm). The Basilica di Superga is the classic Sunday outing from Turin. This mini St Peter's, which stands on a wooded ridge 10km north-east of the centre, was erected by Vittorio Amedeo II after the Madonna had answered his plea for victory in an important battle against the French, during the War of Spanish Succession. Built by court architect Filippo Juvarra between 1716 and 1731, the church lacks the sheer brio and audacity of Juvarra's work on Palazzo Madama, though its refined urbanity is set off to good effect by the dense oak forests that surround it. The classic way of ascending to it is on the tramvia a dentiera (rack tramway) from the Sassi stop in piazza Modena. The restored 1930s electric trams leave every hour on the hour between 9am and 8pm, and until midnight on Tuesdays. THE MOLE ANTONELLIANA Via Montebello 20 (00 39 011 813 8560; www.museocinema.it ): Po area. 'A poem should not mean but be,' said Archibald MacLeish. Turin's most important landmark, the Mole Antonelliana, applies that maxim to architecture. The purpose of this soaring dome and spire, which rises high above the rooftops of the centro storico, and is the tallest brick building in Europe, has always been unclear. But boy, does it have presence. Designed by eccentric engineer-architect Alessandro Antonelli, the Mole (a word that means, among other things, 'big pile') was supposed to be Turin's new synagogue. Structural problems and lack of funds caused work to grind to a halt soon after it began in 1862, and the tower was completed only in 1897. By this time the city's Jewish community had made alternative arrangements and it wasn't until 2000 that the Mole, finally more than an expensive white elephant, was chosen to house Italy's Museo Nazionale del Cinema. This showy but not always rewarding collection of cinema paraphernalia (posters, sets, costumes) is at its most absorbing in the 'archaeology of cinema' section, with its collection of peepshows, optical trickery, magic lanterns and primitive projection equipment. Movie buffs will love the museum's brilliant collection of posters and other memorabilia, including props from films ranging from Cecil B DeMille's The Ten Commandments to Star Wars, the alien from Aliens, Federico Fellini's sketches and the original script from Godfather Part II. The Mole's other function is to support the viewing platform at the base of the spire, reached via a lift that shoots daringly up through the centre of the building. The platform affords a magnificent 360-degree over the city and its surroundings. On clear days the snow-capped Alps seem just an arm's length away. Open Tues-Fri & Sun 9am-8pm, Sat 9am-11pm; museum €7; museum & lift €9. THE MUSEO EGIZIO Via Accademia delle Scienze 6 (00 39 011 561 7776; www.museoegizio.it ): Castello area. The Museo Egizio is the surprise trump card in Turin's sightseeing hand. The Savoy family had been dabbling in Ancient Egyptian knick-knacks since the 16th century when it acquired the Mensa Isiaca, a bronze tablet with hieroglyphic inscriptions that stirred up the Renaissance appetite for mummy lore (though it was later revealed to be a Roman copy). The fledgling collection was given a huge boost in 1824 when Carlo Felice bought up the Egyptian hoard of Bernardino Drovetti, a resourceful piemontese who had used his position as French consul in Cairo to amass the world's biggest private collection of Egyptian artefacts. Later Italian expeditions plumped out the museum's holdings, which today consist of around 30,000 items. It's an atmospheric cultural storehouse, and while some will lament the lack of hands-on 'interactive experiences', the museum's air of fusty studiousness is somehow just right for Turin. Mummies lie sliced into suspended sections, and in the reconstructed tomb of Ini (from 2100BC) clay serfs make beer and bread to keep their master going in the afterlife. An upstairs room houses an entire rock-hewn temple, brought here in blocks to save it from the rising waters of the Aswan Dam. The display - and the labels - may not be as impressive as those in the Egyptian rooms of the British Museum or the Louvre, but for sheer completeness, Turin wins hands down. Open daily 8.30am-7.30pm. Closed Mon. Entry €7.50. THE PARCO DEL VALENTINO Orto Botanico, viale PA Mattioli 25 (00 39 011 661 2447). The Parco del Valentino is Turin's Hyde Park: the place where this most grid-planned and car-dependent of Italian cities comes to sprawl on the grass, canoodle, jog, walk the dog or just get a breath of fresh air. Its centrepiece, the handsome Castello del Valentino, a 16th-century Savoy residence, is off limits to visitors because it now houses the Architecture Faculty of the Politecnico di Torino. But there are plenty of other corners of this riverside park that are worth exploring, from the Orto Botanico, founded by Vittorio Amedeo II in 1729 as a garden of medicinal herbs, to the Giardino Roccioso, a green declivity which in 1961 was turned into an Alpine-style area of rocky rills spanned by little wooden bridges. The park's highlight, if only for its curiosity value, is the bizarre Borgo Medievale. This is a life-size reconstruction of a rural Piedmontese village from the 15th century, complete with drawbridges and crenellated towers, which has provided a wedding-photo backdrop for generations of torinesi. It was built for a long-forgotten Expo in 1884 and houses some surprisingly worthwhile craft workshops. Open Sat, Sun, April-Sept, 9am-1pm, 3pm-7pm. Borgo Medievale, viale Virgilio 107 (011 443 1701). Open 9am-8pm daily. THE PINACOTECA GIOVANNI E MARELLA AGNELLI Via Nizza 230 (00 39 011 0062713; fax: 011 0062712; www.pinacoteca-agnelli.it ). The Fiat Factory now houses this art collection, showcasing the Angelli family's works of art collection. There are only 18 pieces on display, but they include masterpieces by Canaletto, Renoir, Gauguin, Picasso, Matisse and appropriately, Italian futurist Gino Severini, who like the Agnellis, loved machines. Open Tues-Sun 10am-7pm; €4 entry. TURIN'S HOLY SHROUD Museo della Sindone, via San Domenico 28 (00 39 011 436 5832; www.shroud.com ): Quadrilatero area. Beware of getting into an argument with a shroudie. Those who champion the authenticity of the Turin Shroud have all the figures, dates and favourable scientific data at their fingertips, and they trade them with passion and avidity on the Internet. The plain fact of the matter is that Turin's biggest tourist attraction, and the world's most famous linen sheet, can only be traced back as far as the mid-14th century. Radio carbon dating tends to support a medieval origin for the cloth on which this miraculous image of Jesus Christ is supposedly imprinted. The official story has it that the Shroud (la Sacra Sindone in Italian) was brought back from the Holy Land by a crusader and found its way into the hands of a French aristocrat, who donated it to the House of Savoy in the 15th century. It became a sort of Savoy lucky mascot and accompanied the dukes from Chambéry to Turin, their new capital, in 1578. It was given pride of place in the Duomo, in a chapel designed by Guarino Guarini. Today the Holy Shroud is displayed only on special occasions (the last was the Jubilee year of 2000). Those interested in the history and significance of this contested relic can visit the Museo della Sindone, under the church of the Santissimo Sudario. As might be expected in such a setting, the display is heavily believer-oriented. Open daily 9am-11am, 3pm-7pm. MUSEO NAZIONALE DELL'AUTOMOBILE Corso Unita d'Italia 40 (00 39 011 677 666; www.museoauto.it ). After a recent revamp, this museum houses a fascinating collection of cars - from a steam-driven landau to zooty modern racers, often displayed as part of art installations. Open Mon 10am-2pm, Tues 2pm-7pm, Wed, Thurs & Sun 10am-7pm; Fri & Sat 10am-9pm; €8 entry. GALLERIA SABAUDA Via Accademia delle Scienze 6 (00 39 011 440 6903; www.museitorino.it ). The gallery offers centuries of fine art in a collection started by the House of Savoy. Open Tues & Fri-Sun 8.30am-2pm, Wed& Thurs 2pm-7.30pm; €4 entry. FONDAZIONE MERZ Via Limone 24 (00 39 011 1971 9437; www.fondazionemerz.org ). It holds paintings and sculptures by Mario Merz and hosts shows by exciting contemporary artists in a former heating plant for the Lancia factory. Open Tues-Sun 11am-7pm; €5 entry. FONDAZIONE SANDRETTO RE REBAUDENGO A cavernous space with ample room for installations by the very hottest of the avant-garde.Via Modane 16 (00 39 011 379 7600; www.fondsrr.org ). Open Tues, Wed & Fri-Sun 2pm-7pm, Thur 2pm-7.30pm & 8pm-11pm; €5 entry.

Where to shop in Turin

Ask most Italians what they associate with Turin, and after getting Fiat, Juventus and the Mole Antonelliana out of the way, they will almost certainly plump for gianduia (also spelled gianduja). This chocolate-and-hazelnut paste has achieved international commercial outreach in the form of Nutella, a brand owned and marketed by Piedmontese food company Ferrero. But it is at its most exquisitely more-ish in the solid, wedge-shaped gianduiotti handmade by a number of the city's top chocolatiers. A good place to start the search for the perfect gianduiotto is Confetteria Stratta, a historic confectioner in the city centre and a chocolate box in itself. It also does great pralines and candied fruit creations. Another ultra-traditional temple of chocolate is Peyrano, worth a visit on Sunday morning just to see Turin's upper crust stocking up on beautifully wrapped packages to take along to that important lunch party. Among Peyrano's specialities are 'alpine' - cuplets of gianduia filled with a liqueur made to a secret recipe. Confetteria Stratta, piazza San Carlo 191 (011 547920): Castello area. Open Mon 3pm-7.30pm, Tues–Sat 9.30am-7.30pm. Peyrano, corso Vittorio Emanuele II 76 (011 538 765, www.peyrano.com ): Crocetta area. Open Tues-Sat 9.30am-8pm, Sun 9.30am-1pm.

The elegant, arcaded via Roma in the Castello area is the name-brand fashion strip of Turin, lined with all the usual suspects such as Ferragamo, Max Mara and Timberland. You can even take a virtual stroll from shop to shop (much better for the bank balance) by clicking on its website, www.torino-viaroma.com . For something a little different, head for Autopsie Vestimentaire, the atelier-boutique of Torinese designer Alice Capelli, in a small street just east of the Consolata church. Capelli's unstructured dresses, skirts, blouses and coats (each comes in four sizes) are original but also highly wearable. Autopsie Vestimentaire, via Bonelli 6b (00 39 011 436 0641; www.autopsievestimentaire.com ): Quadrilatero area. Open Mon-Sat, 3pm-7.30pm.

THE BORGIATTINO SHOPFRONT

Via Cernaia 32 (00 39 011 535237): Cittadella area. Open daily 8.30am-1pm, 4pm-7.30pm, closed Wed afternoon, Sun. Italian delicatessen window displays are things of great beauty. Take the Borgiattino shopfront in via Cernaia. There's nothing showy or pretentious about the way this venerable family of cheese and wine purveyors set out their stall: it's basically about cramming as many good things to eat and drink as possible into a small space. Soft Alpine toma and robiola cheeses are flanked by a detachment of jams and preserves, and the way they build to grander, more imposing rounds of smoky fontina or tangy parmesan on the top shelves, framed by some serious bottles of Gavi, Barolo and Gattinara. It is the sort of display that makes you want to step inside and let family patriarch Giuseppe Borgiattino assemble a bundle of Piedmontese treats to take home. This, of course, is exactly what you should do.

THE GRAN BALON MARKET

( www.balon.it ). One of Italy's great antique and bric-a-brac markets, the Gran Balôn takes place on the morning of the second Sunday of every month in a warren of streets around via Borgo Dora, north of Porta Palazzo. More than 200 dealers pitch their stalls here; some even make the journey from France. Come early, around 8am, for the cream of the crop. The same streets host the Balôn flea market every Saturday - a less exalted but equally enjoyable version of the Gran Balôn. Via Borgo Dora also has a good scatter of permanent antique shops, most of them friendlier and more bargain-oriented than their often forbidding ring-the-doorbell cousins in the centro storico.

The best way to get around Turin

Driving in Turin is chaotic and parking in the city is to be avoided at all costs. It's quite acceptable to abandon your vehicle in the middle of certain streets or on the pavement. Much quicker and cheaper is to use the city's dense network of buses, trams and a funicular, run by Azienda Torinese Mobilita (ATM; 00 39 800 019 152; email: [email protected] ).

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Things to do and see in wonderful Turin, Italy

A full city guide to Turin (Torino) in Italy – Points of interest, things to do and see, museums, palaces, guided tours, plus info on hotels and transport.

• Post date November 26, 2018
• Post categories In Cultural Travel , Italy , Turin

Turin is a gem of a city that you shouldn’t miss when you visit Italy. 

With gorgeous palaces, wonderful museums, impressive architecture and beautiful urban nature, Turin is a perfect place for a city break or a relaxing holiday.

Turin (in Italian: Torino) is in the north west of Italy, close to the Alps, and you can use it as a great base for trips around the region of Piedmont.

Other cities in Italy, including Milan, Verona and Genoa, are not too far and you can easily include all of them alongside Turin when you plan your route around the north of Italy.

This guide includes some useful information on how to get to Turin, how to get around the city and where to stay. The rest of the guide includes the best highlights and points of interest in Turin.

How to get to turin – by plane, train or bus

Flying to turin.

You can reach Turin by plane with Lufthansa, Air France, Turkish Airlines and Alitalia. Search SkyScanner   or Google Flights to find the cheapest flights.

Caselle Airport is connected to Turin by bus and train. It takes between 45 minutes to an hour to reach the centre on the SADEM bus from the airport.

Trains to turin

The city’s main train stations are Porta Susa or Porta Nuova. It has two other stations that are a bit farther from the city centre – Lingotto FS and Porta Dora.

You can reach Turin by train from Italy’s major cities like Milan, Venice, Bologna, Rome and Florence. You can also take a train from Paris directly to Turin.

Use  Omio to find the best prices. It’s a European search engine for trains and other modes of transport that makes your search fast and easy and has an English language interface.

Getting to turin by bus

You can travel to Turin by bus from other cities in Italy and France.

Again,  Omio makes it simple to search for bus tickets across Europe.

How to get around turin – public transport in turin

It’s easy to get around on foot in Turin.  The city is perfectly walkable , and the grid design of the streets makes it very easy to navigate.

Public transport in Turin includes  buses, trams and metro.

There are ticket machines at metro stations, and you can also buy them from newsagents, tobacconists, and bars around the city. You cannot, however, buy tickets on the bus or tram, so  remember to get them in advance .

You can buy a ticket for 100 minutes, a daily ticket, or 48 / 72 hour passes.

Validate your ticket when you get on the bus or tram before the first stop by placing it on the yellow machine. On the metro, scan the ticket to open the barrier.

You can use Google Maps for transit directions in Turin. The schedules may not always be up to date, but the directions are correct.

An extra tip: Bus and tram stops have numbers on them.  Those numbers will appear in your Google Maps directions. Use them to know if you’re in the right place.

Where to stay in turin

When you visit Turin, plan to stay in the city centre.

This way, the vast majority of the attractions, as well as the train station, will be within walking distance.

Turin has a good selection of hotels, vacation rentals and B&Bs to choose from. Here are some of the best ones:

B&B Via Stampatori  is at a perfect central location, housed in a beautiful historical building and offers good value for money.

Torino 1854 Affittacamere  is a centrally located modern guest house, close to Porta Nuova train station.

Hotel Victoria   is a stylish hotel close to some of Turin’s main attractions – The Egyptian Museum and the Mole Antonelliana (Cinema Museum).

NH Collection Torino Piazza Carlina  is a hotel in the city centre, with en suite rooms, inside an elegant historic building.

Tours in Turin

Turin guided walking tours.

You can take a free walking tour in Turin that will give you a great introduction to the city.

I joined an introductory tour a few days after arriving in the city and it gave me a very good and much-needed overview of the history, the main points of interest and the most important buildings in Turin.

This is very different from the City Sightseeing bus tour because buses cannot enter all the small, cobbled streets.

The guide took us through beautiful medieval streets and showed us the main squares, palaces, churches and historical cafes in the city.

Turin has so much to offer to tourists that it might be a bit overwhelming at first. This tour is invaluable if you want to get to know the city within a couple of hours.

Take a bike tour of Turin

Go sightseeing on an electric bike! The Turin E-bike Tour  will take you to the city’s landmarks in a small group with a local guide.

This is a time-effective way to see several different parts of the city in one tour.

You ride the e-bike through the historical centre, but also reach Valentino Park which is a bit farther away, and cross the river to end the tour with a beautiful panoramic view of the city.

Turin self-guided tour

You can take walking tours in Turin by yourself with an audio guide. 

Self-guided audio tours are a budget-friendly option for exploring the city and covering all the highlights on a flexible schedule.

City sightseeing hop on hop off bus

Turin’s City Sightseeing bus  takes you around the city to see some of its points of interest, departing from a very central spot at Piazza Castello.

This is very different from a guided walking tour – the bus can take you across the river and can travel long distances.

It’s a hop on off bus, meaning you can get off at any stop that interests you and explore the area, and then hop on the next bus (Line A comes round once an hour and line B every 90 minutes). You can get a 24 or 48 hour ticket.

Turin’s beautiful architecture and views are best seen from the upper deck. I suggest you sit on the top deck on the right –  it’s the best position in order to take photos along the way.

You’ll get a map showing all the points of interest and earphones to plug into the panel next to your seat.

The commentary is available in 8 languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian and Chinese. There’s also commentary for kids in English and Italian on Line A.

Line A is one of three different lines to choose from – A, B and C. I recommend you start with Line A, which will take you to some of the highlights.

You’ll pass through Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Villa della Regina, Monte dei Cappuccini, Parco del Valentino, Piazza Carlo Felice and some more sites. It will give you a great introduction to Turin.

You can combine it with Line B, which will take you outside the city centre to more remote points of interest.

I travelled on both lines A and B on the same day. It’s doable unless you want to get off at each and every stop, in which case you may want to buy a 48 hour ticket.

Line C will take you even further away, all the way to Venaria Palace.

On the map you get, have a look at the discounts to other attractions in the city that you can get with the bus ticket.

Prices vary according to the lines you choose, the time of year and other factors.

Top things to do in Turin

Piazza castello.

The main square in Turin is Piazza Castello (Castle Square).

There is a tourist information office in the square, which I suggest you visit when you arrive to find out what’s going on in the city.

There’s another tourist information office right across the street from Porta Nuova train station,

The square has two of the main sightseeing points of interest in Turin: The Royal Palace (Palazzo Reale) and Palazzo Madama – two palaces now used as magnificent museums.

You will find out a lot more about the square when you take a guided walking tour.

The Mole Antonelliana

The Mole Antonelliana is Turin’s iconic symbol, an interesting building with a dome that dominate Turin’s skyline.

Originally built as a synagogue back in 1848, the building now houses Turin’s  National Cinema Museum .

There’s a panoramic lift you can take to go up the Mole and see the city from above at the viewing platform.

Piazza San Carlo

You will definitely pass through this square while walking around in Turin. It’s less than 10 minutes away from the other main square, Piazza Castello.

Nicknamed the “living room of Turin”, Piazza San Carlo is a large square, impressive in its beauty.

Some of Turin’s famous historical cafes are in the arcades on either side of the square..

At one end of the square are two Baroque churches, Chiesa di San Carlo and Santa Christina, that are almost identical but not quite.

Turin’s historical coffee shops

Turin is famous for its coffee and for its old, historical cafes. These are absolutely charming coffee shops with amazing decor!

At the tourist information centre in Piazza Castello, I found a the “Torino Coffee Card”, offering five cups of coffee for €4.50 at five of Turin’s historical cafes: Caffe del Bicerin, Caffe San Carlo, Caffe Elena, The Tea – Torrefazione Moderna and Gelateria Pepino.

I especially liked Caffe San Carlo, it’s gorgeous and you’ll notice quite a few people coming in to take photos. You can even pick up a leaflet while you’re there that will tel you about the history of the cafe.

Turin’s excellent museums

There are many museums to visit in Turin.

I visited Turin’s museums with the Torino+Piemonte 3-Day City Card :

Here are some of the top museums to visit in Turin:

The national cinema museum

One of Turin’s most famous museums, dedicated to the history of cinema and cinema today, with a very impressive exhibition.

The egyptian museum

Turin is well known for this museum, that hosts a huge collection of items related to the art and culture of ancient Egypt.

Museum of the risorgimento

A place to learn about an important part of Italy’s history through a huge array of pictures, documents and other items.

More about museums in Turin

The beautiful palaces of turin

Turin has a lot of palaces to explore, many of them turned into museums and are open to the public.

Just like with museums in Turin, you can get a discount on admission to Turin’s palaces (and many other tourist attractions) with the  Torino + Piedmonte Card .

Here are some of the most famous palaces in Turin:

the royal palace of turin

The most famous palace in the city, this is in fact a complex of several exhibition spaces, including the Royal rooms, which are stunning. A must when you visit Turin.

palazzo madama

This palace is right at the city centre in Piazza Castello next to the royal Palace. It hosts the Museum of Ancient Art with works from different periods: Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque art.

palazzo carignano

Inside this extremely impressive building, you can see reconstructed Royal apartments. You have to join a guided tour to see this palace.

The viewing point at monte dei cappuccini

If you love seeing the city from above, I highly recommend this viewing point. It’s located by the River Po on a hill and has a long, wide terrace overlooking the city.

Climb the hill and get beautiful views of Turin from above. It’s one of the city’s best viewing points.

Go up there on a clear, sunny day to enjoy the splendid scenery.

If you take the City Sightseeing bus, it has a stop close to the hill where you can get off to climb it, and then hop on the bus again later.

Street art in Turin

There are some great murals around the city of Turin.

It took me a bit of time to discover Turin’s street art by myself, but you can join a street art tour in Turin and let a guide show you around.

If you want to explore by yourself, head to  Parco Dora  and you’ll find a huge open-air museum of urban art.

It’s a celebration of street art by both Italian and international artists, with a great range of styles, from large murals to graffiti lettering.

MAU – Museum of Urban Art  – is another open-air museum not too far from Parco Dora.

You’ll find a map on the wall on Via Rocciamelone, and from there just stroll along that street and the ones nearby and spot the artworks all around – murals, paintings, paste-ups etc.

Notice how the street art blends nicely with the restaurants, the houses, and even the benches.

Galo Art Gallery  in the city centre is an exhibition space dedicated to urban art and pop art and is well worth a visit.

Valentino park and castle

One of the loveliest green spaces in Turin. It’s a large park right by the River Po, so when you walk along the river (which I highly recommend you do, because it’s just beautiful), you will eventually reach this park.

It’s perfect for a picnic, a leisurely stroll and of course jogging and cycling.

As you walk around the park, you’ll spot the beautiful Fountain of the Twelve Months (Fontana di Dodici Mesi) and its marble statues.

Valentino Castle is inside the park. Historically this was one of the Residences of the Royal Savoy Family; today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site housing the Architecture faculty of the Polytechnic University of Turin.

It’s open for visitors and is included in the Turin Royal Pass .

The medieval village

Turin has a beautiful reproduction of a Medieval village in Piedmont, inside Valentino Park. It was created in 1882-84.

When you enter the village, called Borgo Medioevale, you can walk around the little streets and see the houses and the fortress and enjoy the unique atmosphere.

It has some small artisan shops and places to buy souvenirs. There are also guided tours you can take. When I visited, the tours were only available in Italian, but it may be possible to do a tour in English too.

The elegant gallerias of Turin

Turin has some incredibly beautiful gallerias or covered passages housing shops, cafes and cinemas.

These are essentially shopping arcades, but they look so elegant that it’s hard to believe that’s all they are.

Galleria Subalpina  is the most gorgeous one. It connects Piazza Castello and Piazza Carlo Alberto, so you will walk through it quite a lot when you hang out in the city centre.

Galleria San Federico  is another stunning passage in the centre, and home to Lux Cinema, one of the oldest in the city.

Galleria Umberto I , close to Porta Palatina, is another historical galleria, hosting shops and cafes under its glass ceiling.

Art Nouveau in Turin

Turin was called the capital of Art Nouveau at the beginning of the 20th century, and indeed it has some wonderful examples of Art Nouveau architecture.

The Italian version is called Liberty Style.

You’ll spot these especially in the quarter called Cit Turin and in the district of San Salvario.

The curvy lines and wonderfully detailed floral motifs can be found along Via Luigi Cibrario and Corso Francia, starring the historical Casa Fenoglio-Lafleur.

Also, don’t miss Palazzo della Vittoria or the House of Dragons!

San Lorenzo church

Located in Piazza Castello, right next to the Royal Palace, San Lorenzo church looks like a normal house on the outside, but is absolutely gorgeous inside.

It was designed by Guarino Guarini, the architect who’s name you’ll hear a lot when you visit Turin, and it has a dome that is very impressive to see from inside the church.

This church is where you can see a replica of the famous holy shroud of Turin (“La Sindone”). The real shroud is inside the Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista, but is rarely presented to the public. You can see the replica in a small room inside the church.

Contemporary art in Turin

Contemporary art is thriving in Turin. It even has a  special city pass .

The city hosts the international contemporary art fair – Artissima – every year in November, with nearly 200 galleries from around the world participating.

The night of contemporary art also takes place at the same time, with museums and galleries open for free or for a small fee till late at night.

Turin has some prominent galleries and exhibition spaces dedicated to contemporary art that are worth checking out. Here are some of the main ones:

Castello di Rivoli

This contemporary art museum has a large permanent collection plus temporary exhibitions in a historical building. There is a free shuttle bus to take you there from Piazza Castello every Saturday and Sunday.

Fondazione Merz

A contemporary gallery located in a former power station that hosts temporary exhibitions and art events.

Fondazione sandretto re rebaudengo

A place that supports Italian and international artists, commissioning new works of art and presenting temporary exhibitions.

This museum is dedicated to both contemporary and modern art, so you can find twentieth-century works as well as contemporary ones.

Mef | museo ettore fico

In an abandoned industrial site, this art space offers three annual exhibitions, plus cultural events and workshops.

Turin’s theatre – Teatro Regio

The theatre is right next to Piazza Castello, behind Palazzo Madama.

It is a huge theatre with four stages and is well worth a visit.

You can take a guided tour of the theatre with a guide that will tell you about the history of the building, point out interesting things to notice about its architecture and design (there’s a lot to notice!) and will even take you backstage.

The theatre hall itself is a delight, with red and purple design. If you go there for an opera or a concert, you will obviously see it from the inside, otherwise, the guided tour will take you into the hall.

There are tours in English and Italian and you need to buy the tickets in advance at the box office.

Porta palatina

A preserved Roman gate, just a few minutes away form the Royal Palace in Turin, this is an ancient monument that’s worth checking out. It was one of the entrances to the city in the roman period.

Balon flea market

Turin’s flea market near Porta Palazzo takes place every Saturday morning and every second Sunday. It’s a cheerful, lively and colourful market, with antiques and collectibles, crafts and live street music.

If you look up into the sky when you walk around Turin, sometimes you’ll see a hot air balloon in the sky.

This is the Turin Eye, it will take you up 150 metres above the city for a marvellous view. Pick a clear, sunny day for the best pictures.

It stays in the same location, so you won’t be floating around Turin, but you will still get to see a lot of the city.

If you want to fly around, check out the  Hot Air Balloon Flight over Piedmont and Turin .

The basilica of superga

Get a spectacular view of the city and its surroundings, including the Alps on a clear day, from this viewing point up a hill overlooking the city.

The basilica is close to Turin and you can take the historic rack-railway train or go up the hill by car and cable-car.

Day trips from Turin

You can use Turin as a base for many day trips or weekend trips in Italy.

Here are some ideas:

Milan is about 1 hour away from Turin on the fast train. It’s a great idea for a day trip from Turin. Highlights include the Gothic Milan Duomo and the celebrated La Scala Theatre and Museum.

Venaria Palace is a very easy day trip from Turin. I wrote a full review about it.

Florence is about 3 hours away from Turin on a fast train. It’s best to stay overnight, as there’s a lot to see. Some of the highlights include the world-famous Uffizi Gallery and the Florence Duomo . 

Day trips to lakes close to Turin: If you feel the need to get out of the city and see some nature, you can visit some beautiful lakes, including Lake Como, Lake Garda and Lake Orta.

Check Omio for available transport options.

Save this Turin travel guide on Pinterest

I’d like to thank Turismo Torino for their collaboration. All opinions are my own – I really fell in love with this city!

• Tags Airbnb , City Guides , Culture , History , Hotels , Museums and Galleries , Street Art , Tours , Vacation Rentals

There’s just not enough time to go to all these amazing destinations! Wow! Susa sounds beautiful. I love it!

Turin is excellent, not tourism overrun and they have a great food culture. The slow food organisation started here. Tetra madre every 2 yrs is a not to miss event if your a lover of pure food

Wow, I have never seen a Turin travel guide as comprehensive as this one! I’m definitely adding the Bacon flea market since I love crafts and hear street music. Also, I am so curious about this Medieval Village. Looks so vintage and time didn’t do anything here!

Thanks! I’m sure you’ll enjoy Turin 🙂

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52 Super Exciting Things to Do in Turin, Italy’s Gem

I have a special place in my heart for underrated cities, and after uncovering dozens of the best things to do in Turin, Italy, I can safely say that it is indeed underrated.

I’ll start by telling you that it was the capital city of the Duchy of Savoy, the Kingdom of Sardinia, and the unified Kingdom of Italy, so it’s home to a whole lot of centuries-old royal residences of the House of Savoy that were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It’s also the birthplace of the aperitivo tradition and brands like Lavazza and Fiat, and it’s a paradise for chocoholics, foodies who want to try delicious Piedmontese food, Baroque architecture fans, and museum lovers of all ages and interests. Let’s dive in deeper!

* This post may contain affiliate links from which I earn a commission (for more info, read my disclosure ). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

* I try to keep the information on this blog as updated as possible, but I still recommend consulting the latest prices, opening hours, and other details on the official website of each site, hotel, and tour, as well as checking the updated public transport routes and timetables.

*As a partner of the Get Your Guide affiliate program, I got a 15% discount when I purchased my Torino+Piemonte Card . That said, I always share my honest opinions.

Still haven’t booked your Turin accommodation? Check out the highly-rated: 1. Emozione Torino (where I stayed – it’s a lovely apartment in the historic center) 2. Savoia Suites Torino (in the heart of the historic center) 3. Corte Realdi Luxury Rooms Torino (overlooking the Royal Palace)

My favorite carb in Turin: With all due respect to the savory dishes I had, I will never forget the pastries of Farmacia del Cambio.

Table of Contents

How to Save Money on Attractions in Turin: Torino+Piemonte Card

Unless they’re really worth it, I’m not in a hurry to buy city passes.

But in Turin, a city with lots of must-see palaces and museums where each one costs 10-18 euros to visit , you’ll benefit from purchasing the Torino+Piemonte Card that lets you tour almost all of them for FREE .

Whether you’re buying the 1,2,3, or 5-day city card ( €29/ €38/€44/€49), you’ll surely return the initial investment (the 5-day card saved me A LOT of money). Note that the 1-day card only offers free entrance to 3 sites.

Just by visiting the Palazzo Reale, Egyptian Museum, and National Museum of Cinema (the top 3 tourist attractions in Turin’s historic center), the 2-day card already saves you money.

Visit only one more site (like the Palazzo Madama, Lavazza Museum, or National Automobile Museum), and the 3-day card will also be worth it (the 3-day Torino+Piemonte card can easily save you 20-30 euros) .

It also includes free entrance to landmarks in the entire region of Piedmont , so if you’re taking day trips (such as to the Palace of Venaria, which can cost up to 20 euros to visit) or maybe a road trip, it could be very useful.

See the full list of discounts here and buy your Torino+Piemonte Card here (you can easily pick it up at the information center at Piazza Castello).

Alternatively, you can purchase the Royal Pass (€30) , valid for 4 days and offering FREE entrance solely to the palaces and castles of the House of Savoy in Turin and Piedmont (and the Basilica of Superga), as well as discounts on a few museums and public transport.

Best Things to Do in Turin, Italy: Walking Tours

Free walking tour of turin.

Free walking tours are always a great budget-friendly way to explore a city with a guide, and you’ll find one even in Turin.

You’ll obviously only get a taste of what it has to offer, but it’s always an excellent activity to add to your itinerary.  Check out this free walking of Turin and book it here.

Unique Tours in Turin

If you love taking alternative tours, consider taking this highly-rated:

• Evening tour that uncovers Turin’s mysterious side
• Chocolate tour
• Wine-tasting experience
• Underground tour .

Best Things to See in Turin, Italy: Palaces, Museums, and Religious Sites

Musei reali.

Every self-respecting list of the top things to see in Turin starts with the Musei Reali (Royal Museums), a group of sites that will take you through different eras in the city’s history.

Five of them are included in the same ticket ( free to visit with the Torino+Piemonte Card or Royal Pass ) and connected by one route, and you can visit the other two separately.

Be sure to also wander through the lovely Giardini Reali (Royal Gardens), which are free to visit.

Note that you cannot use your camera flash or a tripod when taking photos, and you need to contact the museums if you want to use them for non-personal purposes. I contacted them via Instagram ( museirealitorino ), and they replied right away.

1. Palazzo Reale (Royal Palace)

Dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries, the Palazzo Reale is the first and most significant of the royal residences of the House of Savoy in the region of Piedmont. The dynasty ruled Turin for centuries, and this was its power center.

That’s why Palazzo Reale, along with other palaces, castles, and villas in the city and around it, was recognized as a UNESCO site called Residences of the Royal House of Savoy.

While you’ll only get to see some of the palace’s rooms, it’ll be enough to give you a sense of historical importance, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy the mix of Neoclassical and Baroque architectural styles, which is mesmerizing.

You can also book a guided tour of the palace .

2. Royal Armory (Armeria Reale)

Even though it’s not as famous as the Imperial Armory of Vienna or the Royal Armory of Madrid, Turin’s Armeria Reale is considered one of the world’s most important collections of royal weapons and armor.

Founded by the House of Savoy, some of its items are now displayed to the public and housed in an impressive hall with a beautifully painted ceiling.

3. Galleria Sabauda

Boasting a collection of paintings the House of Savoy has acquired over the centuries, the Galleria Sabauda is a paradise for avid art lovers, featuring works by Rembrandt, Botticelli, and many other painters.

4. Museo DI Antichita (Museum of Antiquities)

Going back much further in time, the Museum of Antiquities will transport you to ancient history (and even prehistory) through its three sections. 

The first one is dedicated to archeology in the Piedmont region, the second showcases the history of Turin (and overlooks the remains of a Roman theatre), and the last one depicts antiquities from outside of Italy.

5. Cappella Della Sacra Sindone (Chapel of the Holy Shroud)

Dating back to the 17th century and designed by the architect Guarino Guarini, this Italian-Baroque-style chapel is one of the most religiously significant places in Turin.

Not only is it known for its marvelous dome but also for housing for several centuries the Shroud of Turin (Sindone di Torino), an old linen cloth many believe is the burial garment of Jesus.

6. Biblioteca Reale (Royal Library) & Sale Chiablese (Chiablese Hall)

Beyond the five sites I’ve mentioned, you can access the Royal Library’s reading room for free or visit the Chiablese Hall (a part of the Chiablese Palace), which is open to the public when it hosts temporary exhibitions.

7. Opening Hours and Tickets

Opening hours:  Tuesday – Sunday 9 AM to 7 PM (the ticket office closes at 6 PM).

Price:  €15 (only €2 if you’re 18-25 years old). Free admission for disabled people, kids/teenagers under 18, or holders of the Torino+Piemonte Card or Royal Pass .

You don’t have to reserve your spot in advance, but you can do it  here . Be sure to select the right type of admission (you’ll even see one suitable for the Torino+Piemonte Card).

Duomo DI Torino (Cattedrale DI San Giovanni Battista)

How can one visit an Italian city without seeing its Duomo ?

The Duomo di Torino (Turin Cathedral or Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist) is a 15th-century cathedral located right next to the Chapel of the Holy Shroud. Today, it is here where the Shroud of Turin is kept.

The cathedral is also the burial place of some members of the House of Savoy and the seat of the Archbishops of Turin, so it’s easy to understand why it’s such an important landmark.

Mole Antonelliana (National Museum of Cinema)

Sightseeing in Turin has to include the number one building that stands out (literally) in the city’s skyline and appears on every postcard – the Mole Antonelliana.

Surprisingly, it was built to serve as a synagogue (love that fact!), but the Jewish community rejected it when the project got too expensive and architecturally unsuitable.

Today, the Mole is one of Turin’s biggest symbols, and it houses the National Cinema Museum (Museo Nazionale del Cinema), which is the world’s tallest museum!

The museum is extremely well-thought-out and impressive, taking you on a journey from the first lenses to the biggest blockbusters, but I recommend avoiding visiting it on weekends (if possible) as it can get a bit too crowded and claustrophobic.

You can also take the panoramic lift (which passes through the main space of the museum) to get to the top of the building and enjoy the views over the city.

Opening hours:  Wednesday – Monday, 9 AM – 7 PM (the ticket office closes at 6 PM).

Price:  Museum – €12, lift – €9, combo ticket – €17 (free admission to visit the museum and discount to take the panoramic lift with the Torino+Piemonte Card or discounted entrance with the Royal Pass ).

I highly recommend booking your tickets in advance  to avoid the  LONG  lines, especially since you might not be able to take the lift because daily visits are  limited .

Purchase them here and be sure to select the right type of admission (you’ll even see the ones suitable for the Torino+Piemonte Card and Royal Pass).

You can also book a guided tour of the museum.

Palazzo Madama

Located in the central Piazza Castello near Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Madama is a Baroque masterpiece and one of Turin’s Unesco-listed Savoy residences.

The building was the first Senate of the Kingdom of Italy, and today, it houses the Turin City Museum of Ancient Art.

Apart from visiting the museum, be sure to check out the palace’s rear part, which looks like a medieval castle.

Opening hours:  Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 10 AM – 6 PM, Thursday 1 PM – 9 PM (the ticket office closes one hour before closing time).

Price:  €10 (free admission with the Torino+Piemonte Card or Royal Pass ).

Villa Della Regina

An unmissable site in Turin and another one of its UNESCO-listed royal residences is Villa della Regina.

Used by the House of Savoy in the 17th-19th centuries, this villa is not just about luxurious rooms but also beautiful surroundings with gardens, pavilions, fountains, and even vineyards that give it a fairytale-like look.

You’ll also be rewarded with scenic views of the city and the Alpes behind it, so though you’ll have to make an effort to cross the Po River and go all the way up the hill to visit it, it’ll be worth it.

Opening hours:  Tuesday – Sunday, 10 AM – 5 PM (the ticket office closes at 4 PM).

Price:  €7 to see the villa and the park (free to visit with the Torino+Piemonte Card or Royal Pass ).

Egyptian Museum (Museo Egizio)

It’s not for nothing that the Egyptian Museum is one of Turin’s most visited museums.

Boasting the world’s second-largest collection of Egyptian antiquities (the largest is in Cairo), it’s also the oldest museum dedicated to Egyptian culture in the world.

Now, I’m not gonna lie – some exhibits can be a bit unpleasant to see (like actual mummies), but others are very impressive. From tiny figurines to papyrus to huge statues of the sphinx and Egyptian kings – these are not things you get to see every day.

Opening hours:  Tuesday – Sunday 9 AM – 6:30 PM, Monday 9 AM – 2 AM (last admission one hour before closing time).

Price:  €18 (free to visit with the Torino+Piemonte Card or discounted entrance with the Royal Pass ).

At the moment, it is mandatory to book your ticket online  and pick a specific time slot for your visit. Be sure to select the right type of admission (you’ll even see the ones suitable for the Torino+Piemonte Card and Royal Pass).  Purchase them here.

You can also book a guided tour of the museum .

For your convenience, there is also a cloakroom where you can keep your backpack, coat, etc.

Palazzo Carignano

The 17th-century Palazzo Carignano is one of Turin’s UNESCO-listed royal residences, once the home of the princes of the House   of Savoy-Carignano and the seat of the first Parliament of the Kingdom of Italy.

Located in the lovely and lively Piazza Carignano on Via Accademia delle Scienze, it’s also one of the most gorgeous Baroque buildings in the city and a fantastic photo spot.

I haven’t visited it on the inside, but it is possible to take a guided tour to see the Apartments of the Princes (Appartamenti dei Principi).

The visit is free if you have the Torino+Piemonte Card or Royal Pass , but  be sure to read all the details here  as a reservation is required.

Museum of the Risorgimento

The rear part of Palazzo Carignano does not only have a completely different facade (overlooking Piazza Carlo Alberto), but it also houses the National Museum of the Italian Risorgimento.

While the term Risorgimento refers to the unification of Italy in the 19th century, the museum is dedicated to the country’s history from the siege of Turin (1706) to the birth of the Italian Republic (1946).

Opening hours:  Tuesday – Sunday, 10 AM – 6 PM (the ticket office closes at 5 PM).

Price:  €10 (free to visit with the Torino+Piemonte Card ).

Villa Tesoriera

In the heart of a public park away from the city center lies the 18th-century Baroque-style Villa Tesoriera (also known as Villa Sartirana).

It had many noble owners throughout the years and is now home to a non-profit organization.

The park and the villa’s gardens are open to the public (the library is also supposed to be), so if you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-path photo spot in Turin, this place is for you.

Castello Del Valentino

Located in Valentino Park, another UNESCO-listed Savoy residence you need to see is Castello del Valentino, which dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries.

The stunning Alpine-inspired castle owes its current look to Christine of France, the wife of Victor Amadeus I (Duke of Savoy), who wanted to use it for pleasure purposes.

Today, it belongs to the Architecture faculty of the Polytechnic University of Turin, and some parts of its garden are home to the Botanical Garden of the University of Turin, which you can also visit (from April to October).

Note that: Touring the castle itself is only possible at specific times on Saturdays (and you need to reserve your spot in advance).  Get more details here.

Reggia DI Venaria Reale

With a picture-perfect Alpine backdrop, gorgeous Baroque architecture, and history tracing back to the 17th century, the Reggia di Venaria Reale is a Savoy residence you don’t want to miss (located in the nearby town of Venaria, a northern Italian hidden gem ).

Commissioned by Duke Carlo Emanuele II of Savoy, the palace was built to serve as a base for his hunting trips in the area. It was damaged and renovated throughout the years until it finally opened as a museum in 2007.

On your visit, you’ll get to see the jaw-dropping Great Gallery, the Chapel of Sant’Uberto, the scenic gardens, and so much more. You’ll also find  two cafes and even a Michelin-star restaurant in the palace’s complex .

The town itself is also pretty enchanting (at least the street leading from the bus station to the palace is).

After your visit, head to the restaurant Antica Reggia for a fantastic Italian meal (the risotto with asparagus and burrata was seriously delicious).

Getting there:  Take bus number 11 from Turin (leaves about every 10 minutes and has a circular route) and get off in front of the small train station Stazione di Venaria Reale. From there, it’s a 5-minute walk to the palace’s entrance. Alternatively, take the shuttle bus  Venaria Express .

Opening hours:  See  here  (closed on Mondays).

Price:  €20 to see the palace and the gardens (this ticket is called “All in a Palace” – it’s free if you have the Torino+Piemonte Card or Royal Pass ), but other types of tickets are also available.

It’s recommended to book your tickets online  and pick a specific timeslot for your visit ( purchase them here ). Be sure to select the right type of admission (you’ll even see the ones suitable for the Torino+Piemonte Card and Royal Pass).

Castello Della Mandria

Although it’s located only 2.5 km (about 1.55 miles) from the Reggia di Venaria Reale and is reachable by the shuttle bus  Venaria Express , I did not get to visit the Castle of La Mandria.

It is yet another UNESCO-listed Savoy residence (dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries), but one of its biggest highlights seems to be the vast park surrounding it.

Price:  €8 to visit the castle or €20 for a castle & Reggia combo ticket (free to visit with the Torino+Piemonte Card or Royal Pass ).

National Automobile Museum

It doesn’t matter how old you are or whether you’re a car fanatic or not, you’re going to love the National Automobile Museum (Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile), one of the top tourist attractions in Turin and a great place to visit with kids.

From 19th-century carriages to futuristic cars, you’ll be in awe of this museum’s collection, featuring vehicles by brands from Italy, France, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Poland, and the US.

Opening hours:  Monday 10 AM – 2 PM, Tuesday – Sunday 10 AM – 7 PM (the ticket office closes one hour before closing time).

Price:  €15 (free to visit with the Torino+Piemonte Card ).

Centro Storico Fiat

Did you know that the name Fiat initially stood for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili di Torino (Italian Automobiles Factory of Turin)?

Well, it’s true – the largest car manufacturer in Italy was born in this city and opened its first factory here.

Unfortunately, the brand’s museum – Centro Storico Fiat – is currently closed, but I would have loved to see its most legendary creations (beyond what is found at the National Automobile Museum).  Read more about it here.

Lavazza Museum

We’re so used to hearing the name ‘Lavazza’ that we might take it for granted, but this coffee empire, which was born in Turin, is a force to be reckoned with.

The interactive museum is dedicated to the company’s history and the coffee production process, and as you walk from room to room, you can see how much thought was put into it.

I’m not going to give anything away because it is full of fun surprises (even a tasty one), but I’ll say that people of all ages will enjoy it.

Opening hours:  Wednesday – Sunday, 10 AM – 6 PM (the ticket office closes at 5:30 PM).

Accorsi-Ometto Museum

As if there weren’t enough palaces in Turin, the Accorsi–Ometto Museum is a private decorative arts museum that will make you feel like you’ve stepped into yet another one.

With more than 3000 pieces of furniture, ceramics, paintings, and much more, almost half of the museum’s rooms look like they belong in a centuries-old European villa.

I actually wasn’t sure about this museum at first, but I could admit that it was well worth the visit.

Note that you cannot use flash or a tripod when taking photos, and you need to contact the museum if you want to use them for non-personal purposes.

Opening hours:  See  here .

Price:  €12 (free to visit with the Torino+Piemonte Card ).

Chiesa Della Gran Madre DI Dio

The 19th-century Church of Gran Madre di Dio proudly sits on the banks of the Po River, overlooking the Vittorio Emanuele I Bridge and Piazza Vittorio Veneto.

Built to celebrate the defeat of the Napoleonic empire and the return of the House of Savoy from exile, any Turin itinerary should include it, especially because you must admire its beautiful Pantheon-inspired look.

Museum of Eastern Art

If you were intrigued by the Egyptian Museum, you might also like the Museum of Eastern Art (or Museum of Oriental Art/MAO).

Not only is it housed in a 17th-century palace but also boasts a collection of Asian art considered one of the best in Italy.

Opening hours:  Tuesday – Sunday 10 AM – 6 PM (the ticket office closes one hour before closing time).

Palazzina DI Caccia DI Stupinigi

Planning my Turin itinerary felt like doing a puzzle, and the Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi (The Hunting Lodge of Stupinigi) had a spot on the last day.

It’s situated about 12 km (7.5 miles) from Turin’s center, but because it was snowing so heavily that day, I decided to stay in the city.

I’m regretting it as I’m writing this post because the Palazzina is one of the Savoy residences I was really eager to visit (I just couldn’t get enough of these palaces).

Dating back to the 18th century, the House of Savoy used this complex for leisure purposes, and it was even Napoleon’s residence for a little while.

I was hooked just by looking at photos of its front facade, gardens, and Italian-Rococo-style interiors, so do it for me and don’t skip out on this landmark.

Opening hours:  Tuesday – Friday 10 AM – 5:30 PM, Saturday – Sunday 10 AM – 6:30 PM (the ticket office closes half an hour before closing time). The palace is reachable by public transportation.

Price:  €12 (free to visit with the Torino+Piemonte Card or Royal Pass , and you’ll have to purchase your ticket at the ticket office). Reservations are only mandatory for groups.

Juventus Museum

European football fanatics – this one is for you.

To me, nothing compares to going to an actual football game because the energy is electrifying, but visiting a team’s museum is also a fun experience since you still get to see the stadium yet also learn about its heritage.

Juventus is a force to be reckoned with, being the most successful team in Italy (and one of the best in Europe), so visiting its museum is a must when taking a trip to Turin.

Monte Dei Cappuccini

Any classic postcard of Turin shows the views over the city, along with the Mole Antonelliana building standing out, and chances are the photo was taken at the Monte dei Cappuccini hill on the eastern side of the Po River.

Besides taking in the scenery, you can also admire the 16th-century Church and Convent of Santa Maria del Monte (built for the Capuchin monks), but the views are definitely the highlight here.

Note that buses only take you so far, and you’ll have to continue the ascent to the top of the hill on foot, so bring comfortable shoes .

Basilica DI Superga

A place I would have visited if I had one more day in Turin is the Basilica of Superga, perched on a mountain only 9 km (5.6 miles) east of the city and designed by the architect Filippo Juvarra.

After winning the Battle of Turin, Victor Amadeus II of Savoy comissioned the Baroque complex at the beginning of the 18th century out of gratitude to the Virgin Mary.

The basilica is also the Savoy family’s burial place, so you can understand why it’s such a meaningful landmark.

With its Pantheon-like front facade, yellow exteriors, and decorated dome, it definitely looks impressive in pictures, so I know I have to go back to see it in real life.

Opening hours, prices, and ways to get there:  See  here  (free to visit with the Torino+Piemonte Card or Royal Pass ).

Synagogue of Turin

I am very proud of my Jewish heritage and always love seeing synagogues around the world, so apart from the fact that the Mole Antonelliana building was supposed to be one, I was also thrilled to know that there was a synagogue standing today in Turin.

Also known as the Israelite Temple, the Synagogue of Turin is a stunning 19th-century neo-Moorish-style synagogue, commissioned by the Jewish community after it rejected the Mole.

It really is an architectural gem in the city and a landmark that probably gets overlooked by most travelers, so go off the beaten track and see this hidden gem in Turin .

Civic Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art (Gam)

As the name suggests, this is a great museum for modern and contemporary art lovers. It hosts both permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, which you can  check out here .

Santuario Della Consolata

Santuario della Consolata (Church of the Virgin of the Consolation/Sanctuary of Mary the Consoler) has a history that traces back to the 10th century, though it was heavily remodeled in the 17th-19th centuries.

This church is one of the most religiously important buildings in Turin, and its impressive size and Baroque style are not to be missed. For a cup of coffee with a view, head to the historic Caffe al Bicerin that overlooks the basilica.

Gallerie D’Italia

Only open in Turin since 2022, Gallerie d’Italia already has three successful branches in Milan, Naples, and Vicenza .

In Turin, you’ll find it inside the Palazzo Turinetti di Pertengo, and it currently houses a Piedmontese Baroque collection (furniture, art, and more) and an Italian journalism photography collection.

Opening hours:  Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 9:30 AM – 7:30 PM, Wednesday 9:30 AM – 10:30 PM (last admission an hour and a half before closing time).

Other Museums to Visit

If you’re looking for even more museums (including quirky ones), you can also head to:

• Pinacoteca dell’Accademia Albertina di Belle Arti
• Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli
• CAMERA – Italian Center for Photography
• Museum of Criminal Anthropology
• Museum of Fruit
• MAU – Museum of Urban Art (a free open-air museum)

I also wanted to visit  Palazzo Barolo , which is considered one of the best-preserved Baroque nobility residences in Turin. But it only offers guided tours, which seem to be in Italian.

WHAT TO DO IN TURIN, ITALY: FOOD & DRINKS

Want to explore this side of Turin with a guide? Browse these food tours !

Embrace the Tradition of the Aperitivo

Italy wouldn’t be Italy without the aperitivo – a pre-meal drink meant to tickle your appetite. But did you know that this cultural ritual was born in Turin? Mindblowing, right?

It all started in 1786 when Antonio Benedetto Carpano invented the vermouth, the famous fortified aromatized wine, which soon became a highly popular pre-dinner drink amongst both royals and commoners.

The tradition has evolved over the years, and today, aperitivo in Turin usually includes a cocktail like Negroni (made of red vermouth, Campari, and gin), Martini, or Aperol Spritz, along with some bite-sized snacks, though some bars offer a full buffet table (this new custom is called apericena ).

As the capital city of the aperitivo, Turin is THE place to immerse yourself in this tradition, and you can do so literally everywhere. From neighborhood cafes to restaurants to high-end lounges, you can enjoy Italian happy hour in almost every venue.

Be sure to check out Bar Zucca, Caffè Rossini, and Carpe Diem, or go on your own aperitivo adventure in Turin.

Try Some Piedmontese Food

I hope you agree that Italian food is the best in the world and that trying local food is a huge part of getting to know the local culture.

Piedmont’s regional dishes will surely take your trip to another level, so here’s a taste of what you need to devour in Turin.

Agnolotti:  I don’t eat meat, so I couldn’t try these little pieces of filled pasta, but it’s one of the region’s most famous specialties.

Gnocchi al Castelmagno:  Gnocchi with a creamy white sauce made of Castelmagano, a Piedmontese hard cheese. It’s often topped with hazelnuts from the region and is the definition of joy.

Tajarin:  This local egg pasta has a unique texture thanks to the high amount of egg yolks it contains, and it is served with various types of sauces.

Risotto al Barolo:  Though you’ll also see lots of mushroom risottos on menus, this one is cooked with Barolo, a Piedmontese red wine.

You might also be surprised to know that  Grissini  breadsticks were invented in Turin centuries ago, and you’ll get them at the beginning of your meal, along with a piece of bread (both are, of course, not free).

To indulge in a hearty meal, my recommendations include restaurants such as Pastificio Defilippis, Poormanger (they serve the most amazing Italian-style stuffed potatoes), Piola da Cianci, and Trattoria AlleVolte.

Have a Bicerin at the City’s Historic Cafes

An extremely fun activity in Turin is to savor a cup of Bicerin, a local drink made of chocolate, coffee, and milk, invented by the historic Caffe al Bicerin (established in 1763).

It’s pretty addictive since it tastes like dark hot chocolate with a hint of coffee, and Caffe al Bicerin also offers to serve it alongside some traditional biscuits.

Note that the original one is quite pricey (but worth it for the experience), so you can also have it at any other cafe. Some historic ones you can’t miss are Baratti & Milano, Caffè Mulassano, and Caffè Fiorio.

Buy Gianduiotto at the Best Chocolate Shops

One of the best reasons to visit Turin is that the city and chocolate are practically synonymous.

It was the world’s first producer of solid chocolate, and it also introduced us to the heavenly combo of cocoa and hazelnuts.

Before Pietro Ferrero invented Nutella (which also happened in the region of Piedmont ), the original chocolate-hazelnut spread, Gianduja/Gianduia, was born in Turin at the beginning of the 19th century during Napoleon’s reign.

A few decades later, one of Turin’s biggest brands, Caffarel, invented the triangle-shaped chocolate-hazelnut little treat  gianduiotto . After trying it, I can say that the world is a better place because of it and that paradise does exist. No jokes.

But beyond Caffarel, you’ll find so many drool-worthy chocolate shops in Turin , so go on the sweetest shopping spree, and check out places like Stratta, Guido Castagna, Guido Gobino, Gustavo Pfatisch, and Peyrano.

You can also book this highly-rated chocolate tour.

Enjoy a Merenda Reale

Every weekend, some historic cafes in Turin offer you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the Savoy family’s royal ritual of Merenda Reale.

Similarly to British afternoon tea, you can enjoy the setting of these lovely venues, savor a cup of Bicerin, and sample Piedmontese chocolates and biscuits.

See the list of participating cafes and browse prices here .

Get Addicted to the City’s Pasticcerias

It’s hard to beat the smell of freshly baked goods, and thankfully, you’ll get to enjoy a whole lot of it in Turin, a city with an outrageous number of  pasticcerias  – Italian bakeries/pastry shops.

From bread to “simple” pastries like croissants to more intricate patisserie-style desserts, they sell it all.

Head to Pasticceria Venier, Pasticciotto, and Confetteria Pasticceria Guardia, though you’ll come across so many others.

Extra tip: Be sure to try some Piedmontese Baci di Dama (‘Lady’s Kisses’) cookies – they seem innocent but trust me, they will become your new obsession.

Explore Turin’s Cutest Cafes

Apart from old establishments, Turin is home to other cafes you’ll love, so here are a few of my own recommendations.

Farmacia del Cambio:  While Del Cambio is a well-known historic restaurant in Turin serving gourmet food, the adjacent Farmacia del Cambio is a 19th-century pharmacy turned into a modern cafe/bakery.

Be sure to try the Gianduiotto-style dessert, though it’s also known for its high-quality pastries (which I LOVED), especially the cube-shaped croissant.

DAF Èlite:  From elegant, one-bite-size Italian desserts to other sweet creations, this cafe/pasticceria is a must-try in Turin’s city center.

Caffetteria Croissanterie RETRO’:  If you’re staying in the neighborhood of Crocetta (as I did on one of my trips), you’ll love this cafe and its delicious filled croissants.

Caffetteria Vergnano Dal Tiepolo:  Located near Valentino Park, this adorable cafe/bistro has lovely decor, and it serves great coffee, as well as pastries, cakes, and full Italian meals.

Savor a Gelato

Just in case you need some more sugar in your body, Turin is also home to quite a few must-try  gelaterias , so treat yourself with the most exquisite gelato at Gelateria Dallatte, Gelateria La Romana, Gelateria Via Mazzini, and Alberto Marchetti.

Stuff Your Face at a Pizzeria/Focacceria

If you’re a dough lover like me, your taste buds are going to be happy. You see, I know it’s Italy, but I still wasn’t expecting to find so many eateries in Turin dedicated solely to pizza and focaccia.

Some are pretty tiny and only have a few tables and stools outside, but when you see the locals come and go, you know you’re at the right place.

A few of my own favorites are La Pinseria 1, Pizzeria L’Angolo Verde, and Focacceria Genovese Sant’Agostino, but you’ll find plenty of others scattered around the city.

Enjoy the Campagna Amica Markets

Dedicated to supporting Italian agriculture, the Campagna Amica Foundation operates farmers’ markets all across the country.

They are a big part of everyday life, so even if I’m not buying anything, I love seeing the local produce and the locals doing their market shopping. 

In the city center of Turin, you can visit the markets at Piazza Palazzo di Città (open every first Sunday of the month), Piazza Cavour (open every second Sunday of the month), Piazza Vittorio Veneto (open every third Sunday of the month), and Piazza Bodoni (open every fourth Sunday of the month).

The one I came across mainly focused on vegetables and cheeses, and the ones I bought were delicious.

Have a Meal at Eataly

Nowadays,  Eataly  is a well-known brand, but surprise, surprise – its first indoor marketplace & restaurant venue opened in Turin.

So after a visit to the nearby National Automobile Museum, head to Eataly Torino Lingotto, where you can buy high-quality Italian produce while also feasting on a market-inspired meal.

If you have more than just a couple of days in Turin, it’s definitely worth checking out.

If you’re looking for non touristy girls’ trip ideas in Europe , Turin can be an ideal choice!

Other Places to Visit in Turin, Italy

Gran balon & balon del sabato.

Who doesn’t love a good old flea market? Turin’s Balon del Sabato is extra special as it’s a historic one with more than 150 years of operation, taking place every Saturday from 7 AM to 6 PM.

Once a month, on the second Sunday, this event gets even more extensive and turns into the Gran Balon, a market that goes on for miles and boasts more than 300 stalls selling books, furniture, clothing, and much more.

You’ll find both Balon del Sabato and Gran Balon at Borgo Dora Street and its surroundings. They can get quite crowded, so be sure to watch your belongings.

Famous Piazzas of Turin

Maybe it’s the historic buildings surrounding them, the energy of the people passing by, or magical dust spread through the air – Italian  piazzas  (squares) always seem to be irresistibly enchanting.

Luckily, you’ll find plenty of them in Turin, so don’t skip out on beautiful spots like Piazza Castello, Piazza San Carlo (which houses the churches of San Carlo Borromeo and Santa Cristina), Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Piazza Carignano, Piazza Carlo Alberto, Piazza Carlo Emanuele II, and Piazza Statuto.

Palatine Gate

Also known as the Palatine Towers or Porta Palatina, the Palatine Gate is one of the world’s best-preserved Roman city gates.

Dating back to 1st-century BC when Turin was a settlement called  Augusta Taurinorum , it’s definitely a privilege to see it standing today.

Covered Arcades of Turin

If you’re looking for cool things to do in Turin, its city center is dotted with a few small yet architecturally mesmerizing covered arcades that are just a delight to explore.

All three of them – Galleria Subalpina, Galleria San Federico, and Galleria Umberto I – are a must-have on your itinerary (the first two are absolutely gorgeous), and a list of the best places to see in Turin is not complete without them.

Valentino Park

Turin’s most famous park (and Italy’s first public garden, dating back to the mid-19th century) surely deserves to be mentioned here.

Some parts of it are not as pretty as others, but it is still a great place for a morning stroll and is home to quite a few visit-worthy points of interest.

These include Castello del Valentino, the Botanical Garden of Turin’s University (which you can visit from April to October), Fontana dei 12 Mesi (Fountain of the 12 Months), the picturesque Giardino Roccioso (Rocky Garden), and the Medieval Village.

Other popular parks in Turin are Dora Park and Parco della Pellerina.

Medieval Village

Since it’s one of Valentino Park’s biggest highlights, I think the Medieval Village (Borgo Medievale) deserves its own section. Although it feels more touristy than authentic, it’s still a must-see in Turin (and a free one!).

Built almost 150 years ago, this replica of a 15th-century Piedmontese village is one of the most beautiful open-air museums you’ll ever visit. With its decorated houses, churches, and even a castle, this complex really does transport you to another world.

You’ll also find a few shops and a cafe there, and if you’re lucky, you’ll get to see some adorable squirrels running around.

PORTA PALAZZO MARKET & MERCADO CENTRALE

As if Turin isn’t amazing enough with all its inventions and the records it breaks, it’s also home to Europe’s largest outdoor market, Porta Palazzo, situated at Piazza della Repubblica and established in 1835.

You’ll find just about anything here, from clothing to flowers to vegetables to fresh pasta.

There are even a few covered markets, including Antica Tettoia dell’Orologio and Mercato Centrale (Central Market), so be sure to dedicate enough time to this area to fully enjoy it.

Opening hours:  See  here  (you need to translate the page).

Turin’s Cutest Shops

When going on a city break, I love finding unique concept shops. Whether they are beautifully decorated or sell unusual items (not too unusual), they always put a smile on my face.

If you also love these kinds of hidden gems, check out the stunning Floris House, a combo of a perfumery shop and a cafe/bar that will make you feel like you’ve stepped into a magical little world.

Next, head to Melissa Torino, a mesmerizing herb store, and if you’re visiting Turin in winter , you’ll love the Christmas-themed Spazio Adisco, which was actually a charity shop.

Turin’s Famous Streets

There’s no shortage of beautiful streets in Turin, but some are absolute must-sees.

You’ll surely love Via Pietro Micca & Via Po with their lovely porticos, the shopping streets Via Roma & Via Garibaldi, and the charming Via Monferrato, though you can quickly discover others, especially in the Quadrilatero district.

Unique Gothic and Art Nouveau Buildings

With so many Baroque landmarks, it’s safe to say that Turin is a perfect city for architecture lovers. But it’s also home to some pretty photogenic Gothic and Art Nouveau buildings you might want to see on your trip.

If you’re looking for offbeat photo spots, head to Casa Fenoglio-Lafleur, Palazzo della Vittoria, and Villa Scott. Note that the villa is private property and a bit far from the city center. You can also check out this Art Nouveau walking tour .

Not as unique but still worth mentioning because of its name, the Fetta di Polenta (translating to ‘slice of polenta’) is a 19th-century Neoclassical building, located only a couple of minutes from the Mole Antonelliana.

Condominio 25 Verde

Not too far from Valentino Park, you’ll find an incredibly bizarre residential building called Condominio 25 Verde.

It looks like a weird mix of a forest, a treehouse, and a garden, and indeed, it is an eco-sustainable project referred to as a habitable forest.

Its odd shape interweaving with countless trees and shrubs is quite hypnotizing, and it’s really fascinating to see the result of such a creative project.

Day Trips From Turin

If after this entire list of the top things to do in Turin, you still have extra time for day trips beyond Venaria and Stupingi, there are a few nearby towns and cities I still need to visit (which seem easily reachable by public transport).

These include Moncalieri, Rivoli, Cuneo, Alessandria, Ivrea, and others. You can also take a half-day tour of the medieval abbey of Sacra di San Michele .

More Italy Travel Guides

Did you enjoy this Turin travel guide? Read more about Italy:

• Turin travel tips
• Best areas to stay in Turin
• Turin or Milan
• Aosta Valley road trip from Turin
• Northern Italy road trip
• Best places to visit in northern Italy in October
• Places to visit in Lombardy, Italy
• Best Italian road trips
• Road trips from Milan
• Quotes about Italy
• Gifts for Italy lovers
• Romantic novels set in Italy
• Visiting Italy in winter

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About Or Amir

Hey, I'm Or! I'm a passionate traveler with a severe coffee, chocolate, and pastry addiction (or any other carb for that matter). I'm always planning my next trip to Spain, Italy, or any other country in Europe, and my goal is to help you make the most of each destination.

4 thoughts on “52 Super Exciting Things to Do in Turin, Italy’s Gem”

Wow, I had no idea there is so much to see in Turin! I spent one night there and it as lovely.

Yes, there’s a lot to do! 🙂

Turin looks like a beautiful city to visit. We meant to go when we were in Milan but sadly didn’t have time. Saving this guide for our trip there in the future!

Thank you, Krista! Glad you liked this post 🙂

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Hi, I'm Or!

I'm a passionate traveler obsessed with traveling in Europe and discovering hidden gems in each place I visit. For me, it's not about ticking destinations off the bucket list but experiencing each one of them to the fullest. Read more about me and my story.

The 15 Best Things to do in Turin, Italy

Known for its elegant architecture, delicious cuisine, and fascinating history, Turin is the place to go if you fancy a cultural escape. Wander around the city’s cobblestone streets, and you’ll find you’re surrounded by historic castles, bustling piazzas, manicured gardens, and sophisticated palaces, all begging you to take a look and explore.

While Rome may be the capital city today, Turin is actually the first Italian capital city. It proudly brandished the title between 1861 and 1865 before it was lowered to the rank of capital of the Piedmont region, a title it still holds today. 

The city is brimming with so many fascinating landmarks and activities that you’ll never be stuck for what to do in Turin. From centuries-old ruins, magnificent cathedrals, and ostentatious palaces to captivating museums, secret underground tunnels, and some of the most exquisite food you’ve ever had in your life, Turin is sure to charm and delight.

With so many cool things to see and do, it can be tricky to know where to begin. To help you out, we’ve put together a list of the absolute best things to do in Turin. Add these fun activities and attractions to your Turin bucket list, and you’re guaranteed to have a fantastic time exploring Italy ’s first capital city. 

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase or booking through one of our links we may earn a small commission (don’t worry, it’s at no extra cost to you).

15 Fun and Unique Things to do in Turin, Italy

1. gaze at the famous turin shroud.

One of the most unique things to do in Turin (if not the world!) is to see the iconic Turin Shroud. Also known as the Holy Shroud, this religious relic is a length of linen cloth that bears the image of a man who is said to be Jesus of Nazareth. Even if you’re not religious, it’s still a fascinating thing to see.

The Turin Shroud is kept safe inside the Duomo di San Giovanni, the city’s main cathedral. Frustratingly, you’ll have to be pretty organized and flexible for the chance to see it. It’s hidden away most of the time and only displayed to the public every decade or upon papal decree. The next showing will be in 2025.

While you’ve got to have perfect timing to see the shroud, you can check out the cathedral it’s kept in almost any time. The Duomo di San Giovanni is open daily for free and is full of detailed frescoes and intricate carvings. 

Discover the Mystery Behind the Holy Shroud

2. Feel Like Royalty at the Palazzo Reale

For some of the best Turin sightseeing opportunities, head to the Palazzo Reale. Also known as the Royal Palace of Turin , this outstanding building was constructed in the 16th century and has symbolized immense strength and power in the center of the Piazza Castello for hundreds of years. 

From the outside, the palace looks truly remarkable. Its towering white façade is dotted with embellished windows that give the building a stately, official look. It has a fairly simple design (a basic square layout with a central courtyard), but this only adds to its charm and regal vibe. 

Step inside the palace and you’ll discover much more flamboyant and luxurious decor. There are several royal museums to explore, as well as the royal library that’s home to a seemingly never-ending collection of rare literature, and the Chiablese Halls, where you’ll find all kinds of artwork on display. 

You’re free to wander around the royal palace on your own. But if you really want to learn more about the spectacular building and its history, we suggest signing up for a guided tour.

Take the Palazzo Reale Tour

3. Witness Ancient History at the Porta Palatina

The Porta Palatina, also known as the Palatine Gate, is one of the coolest things to see in Turin. It dates all the way back to the 1st century and, despite its significant age, is one of the best-preserved Roman gateways in the world. 

You’d expect something that’s almost 2,000 years old to be nothing more than a crumbling mess. But the Porta Palatina is in such good shape that it could have been built any time in the last century. In the 1st century, the inner city center was surrounded by an ancient wall. Crossing through the Palatine Gate was the only way you’d be able to access it.

Although there’s not much left of the original city walls, the gate still stands tall. There are two huge circular towers that flank the gateway, decorated with tiny notches. The center of the gate features two curved arches and many smaller arches that act as windows. 

At a staggering 98 feet high, the Palatine Gate dominates the area and is easy to spot from afar. 

See the Porta Palatina

4. Discover Ancient Wonders at the Turin Egyptian Museum

Tucked in between the Piazza Castello and Piazza San Carlo in the center of the city, you’ll find the Turin Egyptian Museum . While you’re unlikely to uncover any local secrets here, you will discover loads of fascinating truths about the ancient Egyptians and their culture.

Spending a day here is definitely one of the top things to do in Turin if the weather isn’t the best. The museum was created back in 1833, and its original comprehensive collection was curated from a handful of other museums. The collection has been massively expanded over the years, with many personal collectors loaning their pieces to the museum to be displayed.

Some of the most fascinating artifacts include wonderfully preserved statues of Rameses, Seti II, and Sekhmet. You’ll also find beautifully detailed papyrus scripts full of hieroglyphics, a mesmerizing sarcophagus of Ibi, and everyday items that you’ll struggle to believe weren’t made with some kind of modern machinery. 

Take a Tour of the Egyptian Museum

5. Kick Things Off with Bagna Cauda

Turin is well known for its tempting, distinctive cuisine, and one dish you’ve absolutely got to try is bagna cauda . A great way to split up your day when you need a rest from all the Turin activities, bagna cauda is one of the city’s most popular antipasti dishes that is shared between everyone at the table as part of an appetizer.

It was originally created in the 16th century and is loved so much that it’s regularly eaten today. Bagna cauda is made by combining olive oil, butter, anchovies, and garlic. The ingredient combo sounds a little unusual, but after your first taste, you won’t be able to stop.

This unique appetizer has a thick hummus-like consistency and is served hot in a bowl in the middle of the table. Like fondue, it comes with long forks and vegetables or crusty bread for dipping. 

Because it’s so popular, you’ll find bagna cauda available in practically every local restaurant throughout the city. But for the best, we suggest making a reservation for Bruschetteria Pautasso . This central restaurant is known for serving the finest bagna cauda with a selection of fresh, seasonal veggies for dipping.

6. Gaze at the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista

The Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista is one of the top Turin attractions. Dedicated to John the Baptist, the colossal church is built on the site of three churches, just a short walk away from the Palazzo Reale.

Built in 1491, the cathedral is an excellent example of Renaissance architecture, with its striking white façade, delicately carved arches, and iconic dome. The front of the church is made from dazzling white marble. When the sun is shining at just the right angle, it creates a spectacular effect that seems to light up all of the Piazza San Giovanni. 

Step inside the cathedral and you’ll discover that the white marble theme continues through to the interior. Although the inside of the church is fairly simple, it has a spiritual, ethereal vibe, thanks to its lofty ceiling, white walls, and windows that let the light flood in. Take a look around and you’ll spot some hand-carved statues of religious figures and stunning frescoes. 

Visit the San Giovanni Battista Cathedral

7. Party at Evergreen Fest

If you’re planning to visit in summer, one of the coolest things to do in Turin is to get tickets for Evergreen Fest . This exciting festival takes place each year in June and July in the beautiful Tesoriera Park. The events program is absolutely jam-packed with all kinds of activities and shows.

From music concerts, theatrical shows, and book readings to workshops, movie screenings, and foodie events, Evergreen Fest is guaranteed to have something that will win you over. The dates and the program change every year. So make sure you check the website to find out exactly what’s going on and when. 

There are even special family events and children’s events planned for people traveling with little ones, too. Your child could learn all sorts of interesting skills, from gardening to theater and magic. The best thing about the festival is that everything is free and hosted in multiple languages, so everyone can join in. 

8. Check Out the View from Monte dei Cappuccini

For some of the best sights in Turin, head to Monte dei Cappuccini. This spot is on the other side of the River Po and is the most incredible place for taking photos of the entire city, with the gorgeous snow-speckled mountains in the background. 

To reach the peak, you’ve got to follow a pretty strenuous 10-minute hike up a steep paved road. If you’ve got a car, you can avoid the exertion and drive up. But even if you have to go on foot, as long as you’ve got decent shoes and the ground isn’t wet, you shouldn’t have much of an issue.

Most travel guides suggest you take the cable car to the top of Mole Antonelliana for the best views. But the ride costs money, and it can be very crowded, especially during the busy summer season. By visiting Monte dei Cappuccini instead, you’ll have more space, save some money, and have the chance to snap pictures that other travelers don’t take. 

9. Relax at the Parco Valentino

Parco Valentino (also known as Valentino Park) is a wonderful place to wander when you need a breath of fresh air. Hidden away from the hustle and bustle of the city center, the beautiful park is located on the west bank of the Po River. It covers an impressive 125 acres, making it the second-largest park in Turin.

The stunning gardens were created in 1856 and are home to all sorts of things to discover. Take a walk around and you’ll come across a replica medieval village, the Valentino Castle, and a botanical garden. Even if you’re not really into history or flowers, spending a lazy afternoon at Parco Valentino is still one of the best things to do in Turin!

There’s a labyrinth of footpaths and cycling routes that will take you all over the park. And when you need a break, you’ll be spoiled for choice with the excellent selection of restaurants and cafes scattered throughout the space.

10. Challenge Your Taste Buds with Fritto Misto alla Piemontese

If you consider yourself to be an adventurous foodie, you’ve got to try fritto misto alla Piemontese . One of the top things to do in Turin if you love a challenge, ordering this dish will either be an experience you love or one you’ll never be keen to repeat! 

Fritto misto alla Piemontese is a huge appetizer that’s served in the middle of the table for everyone to enjoy. It’s made up of loads of different things that are coated in a light semolina-breadcrumb batter and deep-fried until they’re crispy, golden, and perfect. The only catch is that the ingredients used in the dish are a little different than the stuff you’re probably used to eating. 

This Turin classic is usually made up of frog legs, livers, kidneys, lungs, testicles, veal, brains, sausages, apples, cabbage, and cookies, all of which are deep-fried and dished up together. It’s one of those things you’ll either love or hate – but it’s always worth a try. 

Porto di Savona is an excellent Piemontese restaurant that serves an amazing fritto misto alla Piemontese . The appetizer comes with lemon wedges that cut through the deep-fried flavor, and the presentation is fantastic.

11. Get Lost in One of the Largest Open-Air Markets in Europe

Going shopping in the Porta Palazzo market is one of the must-do things in Turin, even if you’re not looking for anything in particular. One of the largest open-air markets in Europe, this popular shopping hotspot covers almost all of the Piazza della Repubblica and stretches on for over 12 acres. 

Take a look around, and you’ll discover 1,000 stalls selling almost everything you could imagine. If you’re traveling on a self-catering basis, this is one of the best places in the city to find top-quality ingredients to whip up delicious treats. 

Here you’ll come across seasonal fruits and vegetables, fish, meat, local cheeses, herbs, and spices, as well as all the pots, pans, and cooking equipment you need to transform them into a delicious meal.

The Porta Palazzo market is also home to a wonderful selection of vintage goodies and gorgeous clothing, giving you plenty of options if you want a special souvenir or some gifts for friends and family back home. 

12. Brush up on Your Movie Trivia at the National Cinema Museum

Hidden away inside the impressive Mole Antonelliana Tower you’ll find the National Cinema Museum . One of the most fun things to do in Turin, especially if the weather’s not the best, a day at this intriguing museum will answer every question you’ve ever had about movies and cinema.

The museum is absolutely huge and spread out over five floors, each of which is dedicated to a specific genre. So whether you’re interested in horror, sci-fi, action, or comedy, you’re sure to find your favorite here. 

The exhibitions hold a staggering collection of trinkets and curiosities. The permanent collection is made up of old optical devices, including magic lanterns, plus original items from early Italian movies and examples of modern cinema technology. There’s also a colossal library where you can admire hundreds of thousands of movie posters, printed artworks, paintings, books, and movie reels. 

Temporary exhibits are a regular thing here. So make sure you check the official website to find out what’s going on during your visit. And don’t forget to ride the panoramic elevator! It’s got transparent walls so you can admire the view while climbing 250 feet to the top.

Discover the National Museum of Cinema

13. Celebrate Turin’s Saint with the Feast of San Giovanni

One of the best things to do in Turin in the summer is to join in with the Feast of San Giovanni celebrations. Held each year on June 24, this exciting festival celebrates Turin’s patron saint and boasts a program that’s absolutely brimming with events and activities.

There are three amazing events that stand out from the others. The parade of period costumes is the most popular event, which sees locals parade throughout the street dressed in typical clothing of the city. After sunset, a huge bonfire is lit for people to gather around at the lighthouse of San Giovanni in the center of the castle square. 

Try and stay awake for the end of the festival because it’s truly spectacular. A few years ago, fireworks were banned along the Po River. They’ve since been replaced with mesmerizing luminous drones that put on a phenomenal show, unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. 

14. Fall in Love with the View from Basilica di Superga

Turin is home to countless stunning viewpoints, and you’ll find one of the most impressive at Basilica di Superga. This towering hill stands 2,200 feet tall and can be seen from absolutely everywhere in the city. 

There are several different ways you can get to the top. If you’re up for the challenge, you can hike – but it certainly isn’t easy. If you’ve got a car, the quickest way is to simply drive up. Or, for something a little more fun, you can ride the funicular to the summit. 

As well as the breathtaking vistas, the top of the hill is also home to a stunning basilica. It features a giant circular façade with a beautiful domed top. If you venture inside, you’ll have the chance to explore a crypt that guards the House of Savoy king’s tombs, in addition to the bodies of other regal princes and princesses. 

Explore the Stunning Basilica of Superga

15. Chill Out with a Bottle of Barolo

As your vacation comes to an end, relax and unwind with a wonderful bottle of Barolo. Arguably the finest wine in all of Italy, Barolo is a special variant made with grapes harvested from the vineyards in Le Langhe, the gorgeous wine region in the Piedmont area of Turin. 

While this type of fine wine certainly doesn’t come cheap, the price is more than worth it for the chance to savor something so flavorful and complex. Even if you’re not really a fan of red wine, it’s worth a try. 

A Barolo’s flavor profile is made up of raspberries, cherries, rose petals, cinnamon, and white pepper. If you’re lucky enough to try one of the aged variants, you may also taste chocolate, leather, and licorice. 

Because this type of wine is so popular, you’ll find it at almost every bar and restaurant throughout the city. For an experience you’ll never forget, make plans to visit L’Enoteca . This wine bar is one of the best in the city and is guaranteed to have loads of varieties of Barolo for you to try!

There you have it! The 15 best things to do in Turin. What’s your favorite thing to do in Turin? 

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About the Author:

Nicola is a freelance writer with an insatiable hunger for travel. She swapped her home in the UK for the sunny Canary Islands when she was just 11 and she has been based there ever since. From crawling on her hands and knees inside pyramids in Egypt to swimming with baby sharks in Bali and searching (fruitlessly!) for the Northern Lights in Iceland, Nicola takes every chance she gets to explore new places. The incredible experiences she has around the world fuels her writing and inspires her to plan even more adventures for the future.

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Turin (Torino)

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Turin’s renovated, gracious Baroque avenues and squares, opulent palaces and splendid collections of Egyptian antiquities and Northern European paintings, as well as spanking-new pedestrian-only areas, make it a pleasant surprise to those who might have been expecting satanic factories and little else. Ever since the major spruce-up for the 2006 Winter Olympics, Turin’s emphasis has been on promoting its historic urban charms, such as its genteel belle époque cafés and traditional chocolate treats – not to mention an array of walking tours that explore the city’s extraordinary, vivid heritage.

Turin brief history

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Although originally a Roman settlement, it was the Savoy dynasty that left the largest impression on Turin: from 1563 the city was the seat of the Savoy dukes, who persecuted Piemonte’s Protestants and Jews, censored the press and placed education of the nobles in the fanatical hands of the Jesuits. The Savoys gained a royal title in 1713. After more than a century of military and diplomatic wrangling with foreign powers, Duke Carlo Alberto di Savoia teamed up with the liberal politician of the Risorgimento, Cavour, who used the royal family to lend credibility to the Italian Unification movement. In 1860, Sicily and southern Italy were handed over to Vittorio Emanuele, successor to Carlo Alberto, thereby elevating him to sovereign of all Italy. Turin became the new country’s capital, but only two years later, political turmoil moved the court to Florence, and then finally in 1870, to Rome. Turin fell into the hands of the petty Piemontese nobility and quickly became a provincial backwater. Nevertheless, it retained its regal centre: its cafés lavishly encumbered with chandeliers, carved wood, frescoes and gilt – only slightly less ostentatious than the rooms of the Savoy palaces, fourteen in all, and now all listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.

World War I brought plenty of work to the city, but also food shortages, and, in 1917, street riots erupted, establishing Turin as a focus of labour activism. Gramsci led occupations of the Fiat factory, going on to found the Communist Party. By the 1950s, Turin’s population had soared to 700,000, mainly migrant workers from the poor south housed in shanty towns and shunned by the Torinesi. By the 1960s Fiat’s workforce had grown to 130,000, with a further half million dependent on the company. Today there are fewer people involved in the industry, and Fiat’s famous Lingotto factory is now a shopping centre and conference space; the gap left behind has been filled by some of the biggest names from other industries – Pininfarina, Einaudi, Ferrero, Martini & Rossi, Lavazza and many others – ensuring a continuation of Turin’s economic prosperity.

Around the corner from Piazza San Carlo, the superb Museo Egizio holds the world's second largest collection of Egyptian antiquities (after the Egyptian Museum in Cario), begun under Carlo Emanuele III in the mid-eighteenth century and added to over the ensuing centuries. A large space on the ground floor, designed by Oscar-winning set designer Dante Ferretti, evokes a vast temple with massive granite sphinxes, gods and pharaohs looming out of the subdued lighting. Upstairs, you’ll find decorated mummy cases and an intriguing assortment of everyday objects and even food – eggs, pomegranates and grain, recognizable despite their shrivelled, darkened state. The collection’s highlights are a statue of Ramses II and the Tomb of Kha and Mirit. The tomb, discovered in 1906 at Deir-el-Medina, is that of a 1400 BC architect, Kha, and his wife Mirit. Kha’s burial chamber contains after-life supplies, including a board game to while away the posthumous hours, as well as his own personal illustrated copy of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. And to ensure that Mirit kept up appearances, she was provided with a cosmetic case, wig, comb and tweezers.

Turin has been home to many major literary figures. Rousseau and Ruskin, Nietzsche, Flaubert and Twain all enjoyed sojourns here. Casanova wrote: “In Turin, the fair sex is most delightful, but the police regulations are troublesome to a degree.” Melville wondered at the architecture, commenting that even the poor breakfasted in elegant coffee shops. But perhaps Turin’s most famous literary resident is Primo Levi. Born at 75 Corso Re Umberto in 1919, Levi graduated in Chemistry from Turin University in 1941 before joining the partisans. Captured by the Nazis in 1944, he spent the rest of the war In Auschwitz. Returning to Turin, he wrote his two masterpieces, If This Is a Man and The Truce. You can visit the Centro Internazionale di Studi Primo Levi at Via del Carmine 13.

Make sure you leave some room to sample one of Turin’s signature products – chocolate, brought to the city by the Savoy family in 1559. Best known is the hazelnut milk chocolate Gianduiotto, which dates back to the nineteenth century. Some even claim that it was the Torinesi who introduced chocolate to France when chocolate making for export began in 1678.

You can sample the finest chocolate products in all Turin’s historic establishments, confectionery shops and chocolate factories: Gianduiotti, pralines, various cakes, hot chocolate, and the distinctive bicerin, which is a bit like a cappuccino but fortified with brandy, cream and chocolate. The supreme Torinese spot to buy chocolate is Gobino .

A forbidding fortified abbey anchored atop a rocky hill, the Sacra di San Michele is best approached via the small town of Sant'Ambrogio. From here, the steep ninety-minute hike is well worth the effort, both for the views and for the opportunity to soak up the eerie atmosphere. Climbing up to the abbey and hewn into the rock, a long flight of stairs – the Scalone dei Morti (Stairs of the Dead) – sets a morbid tone, for it was here that the skeletons of the monks used to be laid out for local peasants to come and pay their respects and to remind them of human frailty. The Romanesque entrance arch to the Gothic-Romanesque abbey church is carved with signs of the zodiac. If you don't fancy the climb, and have your own car, you can drive up to the abbey from the nearby town of Avigliana.

The grid street plan of Turin’s Baroque centre makes it easy to find your way around. Via Roma is the central spine of the city, lined with designer shops and ritzy cafés. It’s punctuated by the city’s most elegant piazzas: at one end Piazza Carlo Felice, boasting a small park; in the middle Piazza San Carlo, close to which are some of the more prestigious museums; and at the other end Piazza del Castello, with its royal palaces. On either side are pedestrianized shopping streets, more relaxed than Via Roma. North is Piazza della Repubblica, a huge square with the largest open-air market in Europe. To the east the porticoes of Via Po lead to Piazza Vittorio Veneto, slanting down to the River Po, from where it's a short walk to the Monte dei Cappuccini, with its stunning views of the city and the Alps. A stroll southward from Piazza Vittorio brings you to the extensive Parco del Valentino. Beyond here is the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile and the Lingotto Centre, home to the Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli , displaying the Fiat magnates’ superb private art collection, while the hills across the river are crowned by the Basilica di Superga. Further south, beyond the city limits, lies the royal Stupinigi Hunting Lodge. Outside the city limits to the northwest stands the jewel in Turin’s crown: the magnificent Venaria Reale palace and gardens. A couple of notable sights in the area around Turin can easily be visited on a day-trip, including the Sacra di San Michele and the imposing Forte di Finestrelle , in the bucolic Chisone Valley.

Top image: The city center of Turin with Mole Antonelliana tower and Alps mountains panorama, Turin, Italy © Boris Stroujko/Shutterstock

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New analysis of Shroud of Turin points to Levant origin

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Several threads from the Shroud of Turin have undergone new testing that suggests its origins lie in the Levant, a region of the Middle East that encompasses Israel, Lebanon, western parts of Jordan, and Syria. The tests, conducted by American archeologist William Meacham, contradict previous studies that were said to disqualify its authenticity, once again giving rise to theories that the Shroud may be the genuine article. 

Previous analysis

The Shroud of Turin is a length of cloth bearing the front and back image of a crucified man, which some consider to be the burial shroud of Jesus Christ. Historical references to the Shroud date back to the 14th century , and it has been housed in Turin since the 16th century. It has always been a point of controversy in the Church, with some believing it to be authentic and others deeming it a fake or forgery. 

In 1988, a piece of the cloth was taken for carbon-14 (C14) dating with the goal of laying these arguments to rest by pinning down the year it was made. The tiny, stamp-sized swatch was taken and divided to send to three prominent laboratories for testing, but all three results dated the cloth between 1260-1390. 

For some, this was the end of the discussion, but others cast skepticism on the dating, still questioning why there was pollen of Middle Eastern origin found on it, how the image of the man was imprinted on the shroud, and how the wounds on the image lined up so well with what we know of the Roman methods of torture and execution . 

Recent study

William Meacham belongs to the latter camp, explaining in his report that considering the shroud to be authentic “remains the best explanation for the Shroud,” although he concedes that the C14 dating issue must be resolved. While the isotopes can pin down the age of the cloth, they cannot direct researchers to its origins, and that’s where Meacham started his study . 

In 2022, Meacham read the 1988 report and realized that technological advancements have made it so just a few fibers would be all that he needed to run tests on the textile. His plan was to test the flax used to make the shroud and place it against samples of flax taken from Europe and the Levant as a comparison. 

As a member of the Board of Directors of STERA (The  Shroud of Turin Education and Research Association), Meacham was able to secure five threads to test. He then gathered samples of linen and flax from areas around Europe and the Middle East, as well as historical samples from various periods of Egypt, Roman Israel, and 20th-century Europe, provided by museums and private collectors. His testing was conducted at the Stable Isotopes Laboratory of the University of Hong Kong.

The results of the tests showed the expected regional groupings for the samples gathered from Egypt, Europe, and Israel, but the two Shroud samples (which exhibited virtually identical results) fell within the Israel grouping . While the report noted that more testing on individual threads must be undertaken to confirm the results – for which he has already submitted a proposal to Archbishop Roberto Repole of Turin – Meacham’s study found that “the Shroud linen probably had a Middle Eastern origin.”

Other factors

Meacham suggests that his findings reinforce other features that also point toward the Levant region. For one thing, the pollen taken from the Shroud is a collection of certain species that suggests an Eastern Mediterranean presence . Furthermore, the wounds around the head of the figure suggest a more helmet-shaped crown of thorns. Meacham writes, “the crown of thorns in helmet style rather than Roman circlet is a feature characteristic of Asia Minor and the Levant.”

“Another is the claim of coins on the eyes in the Shroud image that matched a documented  instance from a 2nd-century AD burial in Judea. This was an impressive confirmation of an  hypothesis generated by computer 3D analysis in 1977, at a time when there was no known  instance (outside of Israel) of such a practice in antiquity. Since then other examples of coins (often a pair) inside a skull or in a Jewish burial context have been unearthed, including in the family gravesite of Caiaphas himself!”

Meacham concluded the paper by calling for more tests to be conducted on the Shroud in light of “the massive weight of evidence against the Shroud being a mere relic faked by a medieval  artisan in Europe.” While the research did not lead to any definitive conclusions, it has taken us farther down the road to understanding the curious case of the Shroud of Turin , with further research hinging on the decision of Archbishop Repole.

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