Visiting Turin in one, two or three days: itineraries on foot

Walking itineraries to visit Turin, the capital of Piedmont, in one, two or three days. Practical advice for an unforgettable journey.

Turinit is one of the most human-sized cities ofItaly, large enough to be considered metropolitan and small enough to be seen, by those who live there, as a large country. When visiting the Piedmontese capital, if you choose to stay in the centre, it is therefore possible to reach the main attractions on foot.

I leave below a simple itinerary that you can develop in 1, 2 or 3 days according to your availability of time. It starts from "things you absolutely must see in Turin“, unmissable in just 24 hours, slowly adding all the others.

What to see in Turin in one day

Visiting Turin in just one day will clearly not allow you to dwell on the magical details of this city but will, in any case, allow you to see the main monuments and even taste sometypical Piedmontese dish. In this case it is absolutely essential that you choose a very central hotel so as not to waste time moving around and have everything close at hand.

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Stop in Piazza San Carlo, the living room of the city

Your tour starts from one of the main city squares,San Carlos square, considered the living room of the city, full of historic bars where it is worth stopping for a coffee. Choose one between the Caffé San Carlo and the Caffé Torino, where numerous illustrious personalities and intellectuals have passed through the years and have made its history. If you are superstitious, trample on themgolden bull ballsthat you find in front of Caffé San Carlo, symbol of Turin and good luck charm.

What you will see in the center of the square is the mounted statue of Emanuele Filiberto and the two practically identical buildings in front are the twin churches of San Carlo Borromeo and Santa Cristina.

READ ALSO:The 5 most mysterious places in Turin

The Egyptian Museum

After sipping a coffee in this pleasant lounge, continue the itinerary on foot in the center of Turin on via Lagrange in the direction ofEgyptian museum. It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful museums in the city as well as the third in the world in the field of Egyptian archeology and the oldest globally. Inside there are more than 3,000 archaeological finds, arranged on 4 magnificent floors.

The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9.00 to 18.30 and on Monday, until 14.00. The entrance fee is 15 euros. Due to the long queues, I advise you to book your visit well in advance.

Palazzo Carignano

After the visit to the Egyptian Museum continue and reachCarignano square, where you can admire the facade of Palazzo Carignano, a building which in 1861 hosted the first Italian parliament. Having only one day available, I suggest you admire it from the outside and thencontinue the discovery of the city. However, keep in mind that, inside, there is theNational Museum of the Italian Risorgimento.

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The Mole Antonelliana

After a quick lunch it is time to continue the itinerary on foot in the center of Turin heading towards the symbol of the city, the Mole Antonelliana with, inside, theNational Cinema Museum. 167 meters high, the Mole was designed in 1863 by Antonelli as a synagogue. Only later was it transformed into a museum.

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The internal panoramic glass lift allows you to reach the top and enjoy the beautiful view over the whole city while the museum's interactive itinerary traces the history of cinema up to the present day. The cost of the ticket is 14 euros, including the museum plus the lift. The opening hours are every day from 10.00 to 19.00, except Tuesdays (closing day).

Turin by Night

After the visit to the Mole, head towards Piazza Vittorio, the largest square in theEuropewithout statues. Overlooking the Po and the Gran Madre church, one of the most important in the city, it is one of the centers of Turin's nightlife. Stop here for an aperitif before moving to the lively Quadrilatero district, full of typical restaurants and bars, perfect for dinner.

What to see in Turin in two days

If you have two days available, here's how to continue your visit to discover Turin. Get up at a good time and, after a quick breakfast, head towardsPiazza Castello, another beating heart of the city. Here you can visit two important buildings: Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Madama. The first is part of the complex ofRoyal Museums of Turin, the second instead was the ancient residence of the Queen.

The Cathedral of Turin

You can stop for a bite to eat in the square or in via Garibaldi, one of the city's shopping streets, and then continue your visit to the Turin Cathedral dedicated to San Giovanni Battista, patron saint of the city. Inside is preserved theShroudand a copy of theLeonardo's Last Supper.

The Duomo is open every day from 7.00 to 12.30 and from 15.00 to 19.00.

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Palatine gates

Your walking itinerary in Turin can then continue towards the Porte Palatine, the ancient Roman entrance to the city. These are two brick-colored towers 30 meters high, on the outside of which a seventeenth-century bastion has been rebuilt. On the two doors there are two statues which are copies of the original ones of Caesar Augustus and Julius Caesar.

What to see in Turin in three days

If you are lucky enough to stay even a third day, I suggest you continue your itinerary on foot and visit two green lungs of Turin: theValentine's Parkand the Monte dei Cappuccini.

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Valentine's Park

Take the morning to breathe some fresh air and enjoy the walk that runs along a large part of the city center and the Po river. The famous castle stands in the center of the Valentino park… although in reality you will see two, one very modern and sumptuous, now home to the Faculty of Architecture, and another inserted in a very characteristic small medieval village.

Once you have passed the large drawbridge, you will seem to enter an ancient world made of stone walls, banners and wells of the past. Time seems to have stopped and it is truly wonderful. If you want, if you have some time left, you can also visit the Rocca with its four floors of ancient, characteristic apartments rich in history. La Rocca is open every day, except Mondays, and the entrance fee is 6 euros. The Borgo, on the other hand, can be visited free of charge every day from 9.00 to 19.00.

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The Monte dei Cappuccini

Going up the Parco del Valentino, stop once again in Piazza Vittorio and look up, straight in front of you. You will see a fairly imposing building rising from a "mountain" ... it is the Monte dei Cappuccini, which can also be reached on foot from the square with a 1 km uphill walk. The hill, which is at a height of 238 meters, allows you to admire the city of Turin from above. The building houses theConvent of the Capuchin Friars and the Church of Santa Maria al Monte where it is also possible to visit the Mountain Museum.

A glass of Bicerin

To round off your trip, I suggest you stop in some of the city's historic bars to taste the typical drink of Turin: theBicerin. The famous drink is nothing more than a coffee served in a large glass with milk cream, gianduja chocolate or dark chocolate (and cream for the sweet tooth). It was Camillo Benso Conte di Cavour's favorite drink, but it was also appreciated by famous people such as Hemigway, Picasso or Umberto Eco.

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You can visit everything I mentioned in this article for free if you have the Torino Card, which will allow you to save a lot on the various entrance tickets.

Verónica Crocitti