10 Best Turin Tours

Turin is a city where you will never get bored, as it offers entertainment for all ages. Among the best things to do in the city are tours of its wonderful streets, monuments, vineyards and chocolatiers. These are generally fun experiences that are often accompanied by challenges and puzzles so that you can actively participate. Most are done on foot, as they are strategically interconnected by the Piazza San Carlo that links the most important sites.

These types of experiences also offer gastronomic tastings, so that you can get to know the most charming facets of Turin. If you are one of those who prefer a quiet tour or plan to stay only 1 day in the city, maybe you should consider a ride on the tourist bus. Here are all the guided activities you can take advantage of in Turin!

Turin is a large city and it is difficult to set a complete itinerary without missing any important places. If you plan to spend at least 2 days in Turin, you can't miss a tour of its lush little streets. This way, you can discover baroque buildings, explore picturesque squares, and check out the traditional cafés.

There are free tours, where you only have to leave a tip at your discretion. However, the best options for a personalised experience are to purchase an audio guide for the highlights, or book a local guide. I recommend you take note of certain monuments, squares and buildings that should not be missed:

• Piazza San Carlo: one of the most important squares in Italy, it is considered to be Turin's entrance hall, as tourists and locals alike tend to gather here.
• Teatro Regio: it is a building that belonged to the Savoy royal family, whose construction dates back to the 17th century. Over the years it has been remodelled, leaving little of the original structure.
• Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista: an opulent building, home to one of Turin's finest museums, which houses the Shroud of Jesus Christ.
• Caffè Al Bicerin: a place founded in 1763, which stands out for being one of the oldest coffee shops in Turin and the first one run mostly by women.

Interesting details

• Price: from 25 euros per person.
• Duration: about two hours.
• Means of transport: your guide will probably set a meeting point. If you decide to do it on your own, you can rent a bike or take advantage of public transport, which offers metro, bus, tram and electric skateboards for hire.

Turin is a city that deserves to be appreciated unhurried and uncrowded, so a personalised tour is an option to consider. This route can be adjusted to your taste, according to the monuments that catch your attention. For this reason, I recommend planning in advance, so that you don't go in blind. However, as this is a private experience where only your group will participate, you can enjoy the exclusive attention of your guide.

Among the best things to do in Turin is a visit to the Mole Antonelliana, whose panoramic views will leave you in awe. Other recommended places include:

• Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio: the church of theMother of God is a religious icon, standing on an imposing hill. The area in general is very pleasant and a local legend claims that the Holy Grail is hidden here.
• Piazza Castello: an iconic square surrounding Turin's Royal Palace, Palazzo Madama and Teatro Regio, where you can soak up art, history and culture.
• Palazzo Madama: is an architectural complex that is among the royal residences of the Savoy family, where the renowned Museum of Ancient Art is hidden.

Interesting details

• Price: from 51 euros per person.
• Duration: between two and six hours.
• Means of transport: usually on foot, but the city is very well connected by public transport and Turin's best tourist buses.

Turin transforms at night and brings out its most mysterious side, featuring local legends that are not to be missed. The night tours are famous and allow you to explore the yin and yang of the Piedmontese capital, where the past of black magic and white magic coexist. You will follow clues that will lead you to monuments, museums, alchemist caves and ancient churches.

At night, the city is more impressive and the calmness of every corner of the city is reflected, allowing you to contemplate the monuments from a different perspective. In addition, some areas will be open only to your group, making it a daring and somewhat spooky adventure. It's best to opt for a guided tour, as you won't be able to enter museums and other buildings that require authorisation on your own. These types of experiences dive into some of the best things to do in Turin, among them:

• Piazza Statuto: considered the gateway to hell, here you'll be shown the haunting details of its structure and meet the statue believed to belong to Lucifer.
• Alchemical Caves: located in the underground part of Turin, where apparently magic rituals were performed.
• Piazza Castello: it is believed that in this area there are statues of secret angels, which hide very disturbing messages.

Details of interest

• Price: from 39 euros per person.
• Duration: almost three hours.
• Means of transport: the tour is usually done on foot. I recommend booking the experience at weekends as the night bus runs from midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays.

Arriving in Turin you probably think it's a pretty city, where what you see on the surface is all it has to offer. However, this tour will change the way you see the Piedmontese capital. Beneath the ancient streets are labyrinth-like tunnels, which were used strategically in World War II. It was also used as the royal family's icehouse, so it's no wonder it has a variety of sights.

It's ideal if you're looking for things to do in Turin with kids, as you can check out the following:

• Infernotti: ancient wine cellars, which were also used as airborne hideouts during wars and clashes. It is even believed that secret societies who used black and white magic used to meet here.
• Museo Pietro Micca: it is one of the best local museums, as it was built in honour of a soldier who in 1706 defended the city from French troops.
• Cimitero di San Pietro in Vincoli: probably the most spooky section, as it is an old cemetery, with no activity since the 19th century. They will probably tell you about the ghost that some people believe they have seen.

Interesting details

• Price: from 39 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately three hours.
• Means of transport: generally on foot,

Turin has some of the most beautiful and elegant buildings in northern Italy, so it's worth seeing for yourself. Its structures are living proof of Art Nouveau, an artistic trend adopted during modernism that was influenced by Belgian and French masters. With a local guide it is easier to find the highlights and understand their history.

In this way, you will be able to get to:

• The Fenoglio-Lafleur House, considered the perfect example of Art Nouveau in Turin because of its beautiful windows.
• A café ba with Art Nouveau decoration, where you can relax and recharge your batteries.
• The Casa dei Draghi, a neo-Gothic building that resembles the royal residences during medieval times.

Interesting details

• Price: from 52 euros per person.
• Duration: about two hours.
• Means of transport: generally, a meeting point is set. You can take advantage of the different public transport options to get around.

Turin' s best sightseeing buses offer a complete experience, which will save you time and avoid endless walking around the city. It's perfect for those with tight itineraries or who want to get a first glimpse of the city. It has four routes that can be booked for 24 or 48 hours to see the old town, the best local museums, the innovative buildings and the surroundings of Torino.

It is a self-guided tour with pre-recorded commentary, available in several languages, and allows you to hop off and on as many times as you like during the contracted time period. I consider it ideal for free souls who don't want to be tied to a group, or depend on a guide. During this experience you will witness the beauty of the Egicipcio Museum, the Royal Palace of Venaria, the Pinacoteca Agnelli and different stops focusing on the best local options.

Details of interest

• Price: from 21 euros per person.
• Duration: you can take the full non-stop tour which lasts approximately one hour, but if you decide to walk up and down at your own pace, you may need to dedicate at least a whole day to it.

Turin is a city that will undoubtedly make you fall in love with its unpredictable activities. Be warned, this tour will create an indestructible connection with the Piedmontese capital. It is a route of exploration, where you can learn while having fun. Dare to travel back in time and find out what this Italian city was like centuries ago, as well as discovering interesting stories about magic and the occult.

Among the best things to do in Turin is this original quest that takes you through numerous challenges and obstacles, such as searching for the devil hidden throughout the city. You can do it at your own pace, take rest stops when you need to and you won't need a map, GPS or guide, just a mobile app with directions that will take you from one place to another.

Interesting details

• Price: from 8 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately one and a half hours, but you can do it at your own pace.
• Means of transport: generally, an app will guide you and the ideal is to do the tour on foot.

Turin's gastronomy is the main attraction of the Piedmontese capital, where the food is so good you won't want to leave. So I recommend you take to the streets to sample the authentic flavours on a guided tour of street stalls and traditional restaurants. This way, you can enjoy Piedmontese beer, delicious vermouth wine, savoury sandwiches, Turinese Gofri (which is their unbeatable version of a waffle) and the expected artisan ice cream.

You may also be offered cheese boards and while walking through its iconic streets, you may have the opportunity to stop at a local family's home. Of course, you can't miss a stop for the pizza options in Piedmont, which offer a local version cooked in an iron skillet.

Details of interest

• Price: from 95 euros per person.
• Duration: approximately three hours.
• Means of transport: transfers are not usually included, as the tour is generally done on foot. You can take advantage of the Turin tourist bus route to get around some points.

You'd better still have an appetite and a stomach, because the local gastronomy is so extensive that you'll want to reserve a good space for it in your itinerary. At the time of unification and during the Savoy dynasty, the afternoon snack was sacred. In fact, the traditional cafés were the meeting place for secret societies, artists, politicians and members of the nobility.

Hence the variety of cafés that emerge with an attractive smell when breakfast or afternoon snack time approaches. Bear in mind that the people of Turin are accustomed to snacking under the parameters of the Merienda Real. It is a ritual that is accompanied by different dishes of the local gastronomy, such as chocolates, hot chocolate and savoury pastries. This tour takes you to the historic cafés of Turin, among which the following stand out:

• Caffè Mulassano: an open-air café bar, where you can sample local delicacies and taste the tramezzino, a sandwich that was created in this peculiar café.
• Caffè Baratti: a vintage café founded in 1858, where I recommend you to taste its delicacies and delight yourself with its enveloping beauty.

Interesting details

• Price: from 75 euros per person.
• Duration: about two hours.
• Means of transport: generally, a meeting point is set to start the walk.

Piedmont produces delicious wines that you have to try, especially if you are in the city where vermouth originated. It is a flavoured wine flavoured with herbs in different presentations, which was the favourite drink of the nobles. In the streets of Turin it is easy to take part in a wine tasting, a sensory experience that will test your palate.

You can also visit the Carpano Museum, where the history of local wine production is revealed. It all began when Antonio Benedetto Carpano, opened a small shop where he sold the artisan-made drink. It was such a success that he had to open a bar available around the clock. Today, the family legacy is preserved in this historic building, where you can visit the family home and the factory.

Interesting details

• Price: from 47 euros per person.
• Duration: almost two hours.
• Means of transport: there is usually a fixed meeting point, but public transport is available nearby.