If we only have a day in Orvieto - on our way from Rome to Siena- is the underground tour a "must-do" or should we concentrate our time on other sites?

ooops - must have (??) hit "post" twice...

Frankly, other than seeing the beautiful cathedral (particularly from the outside), it is the main thing to do there. It takes about an hour, so I think it is well worth the time from a full day there.

I agree with Patrick but I would add that however short and simple the tour is, it did leave me with a much greater sense of the history and unique culture of Orvieto. The tour is all about the town's evolution and vast tunneling--I was glad I finally had a chance to visit. But Orvieto has plenty to see, shop, eat and marvel at, so don't feel too pressured. I've been there for 2 one day visits and haven't seen it all. Enjoy-Paul

Just make sure that your tour is the English speaking one.
We waited until after lunch and the only afternoon tour that day was in Italian.
This is ,of course, assuming you are not fluent in Italian.

I am planning a trip for December. Can anyone tell me where to find details of what times the Underground Tour is offered in English?

HI MWM1,

Don't miss the San Brizio chapel inside the duomo--an amazing fresco cycle painted by Signorelli, circa 1500 and still so vivid. It was the most memorable experience of my visit to Orvieto.

I also enjoyed poking around in the Etruscan necropolis on the far end of town.

I think a day is time enough to see it all, including the caves.

Have fun!

Patti

the whole town is a house of cards supposedly - rumored to be on the verge of collapse - a volcanic plug that has been hollowed out for various reasons over the ages. A spectacular town above ground for sure - havn't taken the underground tours but they sound great.
Trains to Orvieto halt at the bottom of the big plug Orvieto and its slew of old churches (ABC town - 'another bloody church') and a funicular railway links the train station to the upper town.

Here is an answer Eloise gave to me a couple of weeks back.

"How much do you trust Rick Steves?

This is what he has to say about Underground Orvieto tour times:

€5.50, 1-hr English tours daily at 11:00, 12:15, 16:00, and 17:15, confirm with TI."

Orvieto was quite charming at night if your schedule allows dinner.

http://www.orvietounderground.it/in/index-1.htm

tells about tours but no times, etc. But does have a Contact Us device you can ask.

We stopped at the tourist office to ask about times, buy the underground tour tickets, etc. I was disappointed in the tour, which though supposedly in English, was 2/3 in Italian, so there was a lot of dead time for us. Compared to the underground cities in Cappadocia, Turkey, it was pretty lame, but then again it was only an hour out of the day and was mildly interesting to us. Lovely little city, and gorgeous cathedral. We enjoyed walking the wall and seeing the countryside. Just my 2 cents. Pat

Pat

Oops, meant to mention the tourist office is right across from the Cathedral.
Pat

I really enjoyed the Etruscan Museum,just across the piazza from the Cathedral.You'll find amazing coins,jewelry,etc.

We were there about 4 years ago -- and loved everything about it. We spent the night as we were to pick up my sister at the Rome airport the next morning, and did a late afternoon English language tour. It was fascinating, especially learning about how they used pidgeons while under seige.

I was impressed with all the art available in Orvieto -- if we ever get back, I know we'll be buying something special from there.

I loved my visit to Orvieto. The cathedral is spectacular and the necropolis fascinating. In fact, as stated by an earlier poster, I loved everything about Orvieto. Signorelli's fresco inside the duomo is very special.

I forget to mention,I had one of my most memorable meals at San Patrizio,a truly lovely place.

When I did the English tour in 2002, it was totally in English--very interesting and informative. We bought a combined ticket at the tourist office that included the tour, the funicular, the Etruscan Museum, the cathedral, a few more sites we didn't get to. Even without using it all, the ticket was still a good value. When we bought the ticket the clerks at the tourist office were very clear with us about specifying which was the English tour.

The only detail not specified: some of the connecting passages are very low and tight. As we toured, ample warning was given about low ceilings and number of steps ("Next we will go down 52 steps and the ceiling will be low at points--please be careful.&quot but no mention of the close quarters was made. While most of the caves were large and open, this is not a tour for the claustrophobic.