A friend and I are travelling to Rome the week of 20th May and I was hoping to do a day trip to Orvieto.

Apart from the duomo and the old well what else would you recommend seeing there? or is it enough to just enjoy a lazy lunch and soak up the ambience?

Thanks for any suggestions

I suggest the Underground tour. You can get tickets/tour starts at the tourist office across the plaza from the Duomo.

There is a combined ticket that includes the duomo chapel that requires an entrance fee, as well as the underground tour, entry to a tower with a great view over the city rooftops, museum entry, and local transport. It's worth the price even if you can't do all the items, though you could accomplish all in one day. You can buy it at the tourist office as Budman said.

And yes, part of the fun of Orvieto is strolling the town and enjoying the views. And shopping for pottery at the many shops if that's your interest.

Thanks Budman and ellenem they are really good suggestions

Hi london,

There is also an Etruscan tomb excavation site just below the town. Highly recommend the Underground tour and there is an Etruscan museum with an outstanding collection right in the duomo piazza.

There are also many art galleries, interesting shops. I would be sure to stay for early evening, then have dinner.

Buon viaggio!

The underground tour was really neat but they only offer two English tours every day. I believe the times are 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. but don't quote me.

The are also some Etruscan ruins at the front of town right when you get off of the funecular (sp?). Great place to have a gelato!

We ended up missing the underground tour because, as mentioned above, there are only a couple of english tours a day and we couldn't make either of them. The tour sounds fantastic though, so if you can, try to make it.

Other than the Duomo we basically just wandered around town. The views from the side of the duomo are just gorgeous and shouldn't be missed. We ate gelato from a little gelateria on the main street as we were walking to towards the center of town, and it was delicious.

Tracy

In my journal I see that after we arrived in the morning we booked the 12:45 English tour of the underground which lasted one hour. We also booked lunch in the garden at Il Sette Consoli for 2:00 which worked out great.
As we were finishing lunch the three remaining tables of us started chatting and discovered we all knew each other from Fodors. Small world.

We spent all day there going by train from Rome Tiburtina station. It was a great day.

Neopolitan: Was there a reason you departed from Tiburtina instead of Termini? Where is the Tiburtina Station? I am planning a day trip to Orevieto, while staying in Trastevere. Would this station be closer to Trastevere?