Umbria loop, how many days?

As many days as you can! Whether a week is enough depends on your interests and how quickly or slowly you like to move.

We spent 4.5 weeks in Umbria in November-December 2021. Bases for us were: 4 nights Orvieto (our 2nd time there), 9 nights Perugia, 6 nights Gubbio, 6 nights Spoleto, 3 nights Norcia, and 4 nights Narni. Assisi, Spello, and Foligno were day trips, as were Deruta, Castelluccio, Amelia, San Gemini, Montefalco, and several others.

With my pretty intense interest in art and architecture, I could have stayed longer in Umbria and I had to skip many places, but my husband was relieved to go back to Rome for 4 nights ---- he'd probably say 3 weeks in Umbria would be enough time. His main interests in Umbria were local food & cooking classes, wine, ceramics, and taking Italian lessons. I felt like we short-changed the towns of Assisi and Spello by treating them as day trips just to see art. We spent so many nights in Perugia partly because we hadn't rented a car yet at that point, so we were taking buses and trains for day trips.

Thanks. The question is probably poorly phrased. This will be part of an 8-9 week trip and is more of a trip within a bigger trip. What would be a reasonable itinerary for a week (or so)?

I spent 12 nights in Umbria earlier this year, using public transportation. I suggest the following # of days:
Orvieto: 3-4 days
Perugia: 3-4 days
Assisi: 2-3 days
Spello: 1-2 days
Foligno: can be done as a day trip from Spello
Spoleto: 1-3 days (you can also do a day trip to Spello from Spoleto)

Ah. How about this for about a 10-day visit?

Orvieto: 3 nights

Perugia: 2 nights

Assisi: 2 nights

Spello: 1 night

Spoleto: 2 nights although you could see the duomo, the aquaduct, and the facade of San Pietro as a day trip

Squeeze in a night or 2 for Gubbio or do as a day trip

In Umbria we've found that we could visit 1 or 2 places a day. Out in the morning to the first. If we're liking it stay for lunch and then the rest of the afternoon if we want or on to the 2nd town. If we're less than thrilled leave and have lunch in the 2nd town. We've found Perugia to be a reasonably central place to stay, and they have car rental at the train station.

Thanks to all. Sounds like there are treasures to be gathered in Umbria!

So now I am thinking train to Cortona from Bologna, 2 nights,
then train to Perugia. 4 nights. Then pick up car.
Drive to Gubbio for a day trip on the way to Spello.
Spello for 3 nights, to include a day trip to Asissi.
Drive to Spoleto, maybe spend the night.
Drive to Marmore Falls on the way to drop off the car in Orvieto.
Stay in Orvieto for 3 nights.

As much as I absolutely love Spello, if you are just doing a day trip to Assisi, I would reverse those two and stay in Assisi and go over to Spello for a morning & lunch or in the late afternoon and come back after dinner to Assisi.

Can you say more, Jean?

Mary & others:
What is the state of possible visits to Castelluccio all these years after the quake? We heard that Norcia got up and running pretty soon afterwards, but Castelluccio was wrecked, with ruptured gas lines disallowing any kind of actual village visit.
*That village's legendary 'thermal inversions' are really amazing. The entire mountain valley fills with milky white fog during some sunrises. We heard rumours that visiting motorists may still park up the trail at sunrise, to gamble whether that morn might see such an inversion (apparently pending army checkpoint approval into the park).

I am done. The end.

Five years ago, staying in Norcia (still partially wrecked), we visited Castelluccio (really wrecked). Didn't see the inversion, but we did eat tiny Castelluccio lentils in one of the street-food-type restaurants that were set up in a cleared space inside the ruined town. I'd like to go back when the fields are in bloom and see how the town is doing.

Spello for 3 nights, to include a day trip to Asissi.

I would stay 3 nights in Assisi and day trip to Spello. Assisi is larger, and there’s a lot more to see and do. Spello is nice, but you can see it at a leisurely pace, and have lunch, in 4 or 5 hours.

The reason I suggested staying in Assisi instead of Spello is that Assisi is larger, so there are more areas to walk around in the evening, the basilica has such gorgeous artwork in it to see more than once, essentially more to do there.

I stayed two nights two different years in Spello for the gorgeous Infiorata and absolutely loved my time there. I love small towns. If staying there, I would say 1-2 nights max.

If you're going to Spello that you might want to read "Il Bel Centro: A Year in the Beautiful Center" by Michelle Damiani who spent a year living there with her family.

On a tangential note, during the 4 days in Perugia and 3 days in Spello are you just planning the one daytrip out rather than using them as a hub and going out to the surrounding towns most days? I guess that is true slow-travel, hopefully it's something you've done in small towns before so you know what to expect.

Yes, we have traveled a bit, fast and slow (haha) and will have a car. I appreciate all the help in the fine tuning. Asissi it will be for at least 3.

any hotel or B&B recommendations for these locations (and restaurants) are heartily welcomed.

We did a great Road Scholar tour of Tuscany and Umbria, spending five nights in Umbria, using Spoleto as a base to visit the cities that you mentioned (except we didn't see Spello or foligno, but we did Gubbio).
Our tour covered much of each of those places in a day. Of course, you could spend more days there and enjoy it, but I would do some specific research on exactly WHAT you wish to see in each place.
TripAdvisor.com under things to do in ----
After you determine what to see, estimate how many days you want to spend in each place.

Our favorite places were Assisi and Orvieto. Perugia is a fairly large city compared to the others, but not sure what we missing in that city on our tour.

There are more places to see in Umbria.

OP RC, don't overlook Spoleto and Bevagna. Both unmissable IMHO.
I am done. the forum

Great suggestions.

any hotel or B&B recommendations for these locations

I stayed at Hotel Sorella Luna and like it. I stayed there specifically because it’s close to the basilica. I didn’t do day trips but there’s a parking lot close by so the location may work for you.

Hotel:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Y4TgZy9XRQNyrRhN9?g_st=ic

Parking lot:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/WjpgecKRHzpsH6n57?g_st=ic

Hotel Sorella Luna looks great!

Thanks Marco. Sorella Luna looks great!

We used this agritourismo near Spello as our Umbrian base (we had a car). Highly recommended.

Torre Quadrana
Via Limiti 39, 06038 Spello

Easy day trips to Gubbio, Assisi, etc.

6 nights Gubbio ... intense interest in art

We are in early planning and are looking to take a day trip from Gubbio to Citta di Castello (and Montone) to see the Albert Burri museums. Any chance you made that trip? If so, how was it? What is a reasonable amount of time to allocate? Do you recommend it?

Looking at our photos, it seems like we spent most of our time in Citta di Castello eating, but we did enjoy the Museo Civico (the Pinacoteca Comunale all'interno di Palazzo Vitelli alla Cannoniera) to see the dog frescoes and many early Renaissance paintings. Sorry, never made it to Montone.