Assisi on Saturday and Sunday -

I'm surprised about this. I visited Assisi on a Saturday in mid-June last year. I made no prior arrangements and was able to see the basilica, even though there were lots of other tourists in the city. I wonder whether there's some sort of confusion on the web site, or perhaps they only sell a certain number of tickets in advance and you can still walk up and get in.

The city of Assisi is lovely and is very much worth visiting even if for some reason you cannot see the basilica. Orvieto is also very nice, so you will have a very nice weekend however it plays out.

Edited to add: Upon re-reading, I see that you were hoping for a tour, which is different from a self-guided visit. Even if the tours are filled, I'm sure you can buy good descriptive materials on site that will provide information to enhance your visit.

It's a most special church and it would be a pity to miss it. Wouldn't you enjoy it without a tour, with the advantage of following you own pace instead of that of the guide? Even a simple print of the extensive Wikipedia entry will give you the extra information to appreciate it more.

you do not need a ticket to see the Basilica of St. Francis. Just walk right in

I was just going to use Rick's audio tour, not a tour guide. The schedule looks like it is not available on Saturday, Sunday or Monday (April 23 - 25). Your comments encourage me that it might still work out. I was just concerned that something special was going on that would not allow any tourist entry on Saturday or Sunday. I thought about attending mass, although I am not Catholic, (I attended mass with friends many years ago) but would this be a ok?

In quick Googling I never got to an official basilica web site. Another site indicated that (tourist) visits to the basilica are not allowed on Sunday mornings, which seems reasonable. I'm sure many non-Catholics have attended mass at important European churches, but I have no idea how appropriate that is. It seems to me it would be OK as long as you stayed for the entire service and were appropriately dressed, which might be essential anyway. I saw people turned away at several touristically-important Italian churches, usually for wearing shorts or having bare shoulders.

attending a Catholic mass is ok for everyone,, nobody mans the doors... no one is going to kick you out

I would definitely dress appropriately and stay for the entire service. I googled attending mass as a non-Catholic and it seems that everyone is welcome.

Kathy,

I explored the Basilica of St. Francis while using the audio guided tour created by Rick. I found them very helpful and informative.

Sharon

I googled attending mass as a non-Catholic and it seems that everyone is welcome.

Yes, we attended a Sunday Italian-language mass there a couple of years ago, and though we are not Catholic, it was very meaningful and worthwhile.

Kathy, what schedule are you looking at when you say "The schedule looks like it is not available on Saturday, Sunday or Monday (April 23 - 25)."? The official schedule here shows there's no problem on those days:
http://www.sanfrancescoassisi.org/en/visit/today-in-basilica/events-calendar#year=2016&month=4&day=15&view=month

Michael,

I am looking on the same website, but under Reservations: http://www.sanfrancescoassisi.org/en/prenota-main/ingresso-gruppi/entry-without-guide. What I was looking at may only be for groups, but the Saturday, Sunday and Monday are grayed out. I hope that it is open for a visit as I was really looking forward to it. Thanks for your response!

Kathy

Kathy, that link is for groups composed of 10 or more people. That's what it means by " a reservation is required for groups without a guide composed by 10 or more people".

Kathy, I'd suggest bringing a long skirt to wear over a pair of shorts.... I did that for all the church tours I did and wore a short sleeve T, no problems with dress codes and I was still comfortable.

Hi! I m currently in Italy and was in Assisi last week. You do not need a ticket to go in. It was not too crowded when we went and had zero wait. We loved it there we wanted to stay longer. Do not miss the church in town that houses the original chapel Francis built. The church put a huge church over it. He is also buried there. I also like to give you a link to where we stayed. It was like a fairy tale. Friendly service awesome room It came with breakfast and the its a B&B but so much more. We loved it so much I am pre booked for the end of August again. Enjoy your time there! http://www.castellopetrata.com/