Italy · Piedmont — A travel guide
Turin
Two or three days through Savoy Turin — the royal centre and the Museo Egizio, the Mole and the river, and the café rituals under miles of arcades.
10 min read
Introduction
Turin was the seat of the House of Savoy and, from 1861 to 1865, the first capital of the Kingdom of Italy. Its centre is a grid of straight streets, arcades and formal squares, with royal palaces, a major Egyptian collection and the Mole Antonelliana above the rooftops.
Most of what a first visit needs is within walking distance, so the guide is organised by area. Two days cover the essentials; a third leaves time for the markets, the cafés and one more museum or residence.
The essentials
Turin at a glance
Time needed two full days for the centre, the Egyptian Museum and the Mole; three to add Porta Palazzo and either the Valentino or Venaria.
Best time spring and autumn. Winters are cold and often foggy; summer can be hot and humid. The arcades help in both.
Getting around on foot; metro M1, trams and buses for the stations and outer sights.
Where to base between Porta Nuova and Piazza Castello for walking distance to almost everything; the Quadrilatero for a livelier, older grid.
Book ahead the Museo Egizio, the Mole's panoramic lift, the Musei Reali on busy weekends and dinner at the restaurants below.
How we'd spend two or three days
Day 1 The royal centre — Museo Egizio, Piazza Castello and the Musei Reali, ending in Piazza San Carlo.
Day 2 The Mole, Via Po & the river — the Cinema Museum, the arcades of Via Po, the Gran Madre and the Monte dei Cappuccini.
Day 3 Markets and a slower Turin — Porta Palazzo and the Quadrilatero, then the Valentino or a half day at Venaria.
Getting there & around
Arriving and moving around
Turin has two main stations. Porta Nuova sits at the southern end of Via Roma, a straight walk from the royal centre; Porta Susa is the stop for most high-speed services. Both are on metro line M1.
From Turin Airport (Caselle), Arriva line 268 runs daily to Porta Susa and Porta Nuova in about 40–45 minutes. Regional SFM trains also link the airport with Porta Susa.
- City transport GTT runs the metro, trams and buses; buy tickets before boarding and validate them.
- Airport Turismo Torino — from the airport ↗ · Arriva airport line ↗
- Trains Trenitalia ↗ · Italo ↗
- Driving the historic centre is a camera-controlled limited-traffic zone (ZTL). Leave the car at the hotel or a car park outside it and check the rules with Città di Torino ↗
Day one
The royal centre
Museo Egizio·Piazza Carignano·Piazza Castello·Galleria Subalpina·Musei Reali·Piazza San Carlo
Morning
Museo Egizio
Founded in 1824, the Museo Egizio is the oldest museum in the world dedicated entirely to ancient Egyptian culture. The collection runs from the Predynastic period to the Coptic era, with statuary, papyri, tomb furnishings and the intact burial goods of the architect Kha and his wife Merit.
Follow the chronological route and give the Statuary Gallery and Kha's tomb the most time.
- Allow 2.5–3 hours
- Best the first entry of the day
- Book timed tickets online in advance
- Know hours differ by day of the week and change for holidays; check the official calendar
- Official site Museo Egizio ↗
- Map Google Maps ↗
Piazza Carignano
Directly outside the museum, the square is framed by the curved brick façade of Palazzo Carignano, where the first Italian parliament met.
- Allow 10–15 minutes
- Map Google Maps ↗
Midday
Piazza Castello & the Galleria Subalpina
Piazza Castello is the centre of Savoy Turin: Palazzo Madama stands in the middle of the square, with the Royal Palace on its northern side. Under the arcades on the eastern side, the Galleria Subalpina, opened in 1874, is a glass-roofed passage of cast iron, marble and stucco leading through to Piazza Carlo Alberto.
The historic cafés here are an easy stop between the two museums; see Cafés & aperitivo.
- Allow 45 minutes, longer with lunch
- Lunch a light lunch or a break at Baratti & Milano or Mulassano, on the square
- Know Palazzo Madama houses the civic museum of ancient art; keep it for another visit if the day is already full
- Map Google Maps ↗
Afternoon
Musei Reali
One ticket covers a single route through the Royal Palace apartments, the Royal Armoury, the Chapel of the Holy Shroud, the Galleria Sabauda and the archaeological museum with its Roman theatre. The Royal Gardens are free.
After a morning at the Egizio, do not try to see all of it: choose the palace apartments with the Armoury and the chapel, or the Galleria Sabauda.
- Allow 2–2.5 hours
- Best early afternoon
- Book online on busy weekends and holidays
- Know the Musei Reali close on Wednesdays; rooms can close for works
- Short on time? if the Egizio has taken most of your energy, walk the Royal Gardens and move this visit to Day 3
- Official site Musei Reali Torino ↗
- Map Google Maps ↗
Evening
Piazza San Carlo
Walk south under the arcades of Via Roma to Piazza San Carlo, with the twin churches of San Carlo and Santa Cristina on its southern side. It is the natural place to end the day with an aperitivo.
- Allow as long as the evening lasts
- Map Google Maps ↗
Day two
The Mole, Via Po & the river
Mole Antonelliana·Via Po·Piazza Vittorio Veneto·Gran Madre·Monte dei Cappuccini
Morning
Museo Nazionale del Cinema & the Mole
The Mole Antonelliana, begun in the 1860s as a synagogue, is the city's landmark. Inside, the Museo Nazionale del Cinema spirals up through the central hall, from optical toys and early projection to sets and posters.
A glass panoramic lift rises through the middle of the hall to a terrace below the spire. Tickets are sold for the museum, the lift or both combined; the Alps are visible only on clear days.
- Allow 2 hours for the museum, 30 minutes for the lift
- Best morning, when lift slots are easier to find
- Book timed tickets online, especially for the lift
- Know check the weekly closing day; the lift can also stop for maintenance or weather
- Official site Museo Nazionale del Cinema ↗
- Map Google Maps ↗
Afternoon
Via Po & Piazza Vittorio Veneto
Via Po runs from Piazza Castello to the river under continuous arcades, with bookshops, cafés and old shopfronts. It opens into Piazza Vittorio Veneto, which slopes down to the Po; across the bridge, the neoclassical Gran Madre di Dio, built after the Savoy returned in 1814, closes the view.
- Allow 1 hour at a slow pace
- Lunch the cafés and trattorie along Via Po or around Piazza Vittorio Veneto
- Map Google Maps ↗
Late afternoon
Monte dei Cappuccini
A short, steep path climbs from the riverbank to the church of Santa Maria al Monte and its terrace, with the river, the centre and the Mole below. The Museo Nazionale della Montagna stands beside it.
- Allow 1 hour including the climb
- Best late afternoon
- Know take a taxi or bus up if the steps are too much; visibility of the Alps varies
- Map Google Maps ↗
Day three · or another day
Markets and a slower Turin
Porta Palazzo·Porte Palatine·Quadrilatero Romano·Valentino or Venaria
Morning
Porta Palazzo
The open-air market of Piazza della Repubblica fills the square with produce, fish, cheese and clothing stalls, with covered halls around the edges. Go in the morning, when it is busiest and fully set up.
- Allow 45 minutes
- Know open Monday to Saturday, mornings only on weekdays and all day on Saturday; closed on Sundays
- Official Città di Torino — Porta Palazzo ↗
- Map Google Maps ↗
Porte Palatine & the Quadrilatero
A few minutes south, the Porte Palatine are a Roman city gate flanked by two sixteen-sided towers. Behind them, the Quadrilatero Romano follows the old Roman street grid: narrow lanes, small squares and the Santuario della Consolata, next to the Caffè Al Bicerin.
- Allow 1–1.5 hours
- Lunch the Quadrilatero is the natural place to stop; see L'Acino in Where to eat
- Map Google Maps ↗
Afternoon — choose one
Parco del Valentino
The riverside park south of the centre is an easy, low-key afternoon on foot: tree-lined paths along the Po and the Castello del Valentino, one of the Savoy residences, seen from its gardens. The Borgo Medievale is closed for restoration, with no confirmed reopening date.
- Allow 1.5–2 hours
- Getting there not a short walk from the Quadrilatero; take the metro or a tram towards Porta Nuova and walk, or a taxi
- Map Google Maps ↗
Or: the Reggia di Venaria
The Reggia di Venaria Reale, a Savoy hunting residence north-west of the city, is one of the UNESCO-listed Residences of the Royal House of Savoy. Its Great Gallery, chapel and gardens need at least half a day, so treat it as an alternative afternoon, not an addition.
- Allow 3–4 hours on site, plus travel
- Getting there SFM4, SFM6 or SFM7 trains to the Reggia di Venaria stop, then about 500 m on foot; the GTT Venaria Express bus runs Tuesday to Sunday and on holidays
- Official site La Venaria Reale — how to get there ↗
- Map Google Maps ↗
Cafés & aperitivo
Historic cafés and the vermouth hour
Vermouth has its roots in Turin: in 1786 Antonio Benedetto Carpano created his aromatised wine in a shop on Piazza Castello, and it remains the classic Turin aperitivo. The bicerin is the city's traditional coffee drink, layered in a small glass with chocolate, espresso and cream.
Caffè Al Bicerin
A tiny café opposite the Santuario della Consolata, open since 1763 and associated with the drink it is named after. Tables are few; expect to wait at busy times.
- Area Quadrilatero, Day 3
- Official site Al Bicerin ↗
Baratti & Milano
Founded as a confectioner in 1858, with its café at the Piazza Castello entrance of the Galleria Subalpina since 1875, known for chocolates and gianduiotti.
- Area Piazza Castello, Day 1
- Official site Baratti & Milano ↗
Caffè Mulassano
A small café under the arcades of Piazza Castello, at this address since 1907. A plaque inside credits Angela Demichelis Nebiolo with inventing the tramezzino here in 1926.
- Area Piazza Castello, Day 1
- Map Google Maps ↗
Plan ahead
Book ahead
- Museo Egizio timed tickets online; the first slot of the day is the calmest
- Mole Antonelliana the panoramic lift has its own timed tickets, separate from or combined with the Cinema Museum
- Musei Reali book online for weekends and holidays
- Reggia di Venaria if you choose it for Day 3, check tickets and how to get there in advance
- Restaurants reserve the dinners below, especially at weekends
Opening days and hours change by season and for holidays; check each official site before fixing the order of your days.
Where to eat
Three tables worth booking
Del Cambio · €€€€
One of Italy's oldest restaurants, in Piazza Carignano since 1757, with red velvet dining rooms and contemporary cooking rooted in Piedmontese tradition. Listed in the Michelin Guide.
- Area Piazza Carignano
- Best for a special dinner on Day 1, in a historic setting
- Book ahead
- Details Michelin Guide ↗
Piano35 · €€€€
On the 35th floor of Renzo Piano's Intesa Sanpaolo skyscraper, inside a bioclimatic greenhouse, with contemporary Italian tasting menus. Listed in the Michelin Guide. It sits outside the walking routes of this guide, so plan it as a deliberate evening out.
- Area Corso Inghilterra, near Porta Susa; off the itinerary
- Best for dinner with a view
- Book ahead
- Details Michelin Guide, Turin ↗
L'Acino · €€
A small trattoria in the Quadrilatero Romano serving traditional Piedmontese cooking. Listed in the Michelin Guide.
- Area Via San Domenico 2/a, Quadrilatero Romano
- Best for lunch or dinner on Day 3
- Book ahead
- Details Michelin Guide ↗
Where we stayed
Turin Palace Hotel
A hotel opposite Porta Nuova station since 1872, at the southern end of the arcades and a straight walk up Via Roma to Piazza San Carlo. The rooftop restaurant, Les Petites Madeleines, looks across the city to the Mole.
- Area Via Sacchi 8, opposite Porta Nuova
- Best for a central, walkable base with easy train connections
Other stays to consider
Hotels in Turin
Principi di Piemonte | UNA Esperienze
A grand hotel from the 1930s in the centre, a few steps from Via Roma.
- Area Via Piero Gobetti, off Via Roma
- Best for a classic grand-hotel stay in the centre
Grand Hotel Sitea
A long-established hotel on a quiet street between Piazza San Carlo and Piazza Carlo Alberto.
- Area Via Carlo Alberto
- Best for a traditional, central base on foot
NH Collection Torino Piazza Carlina
A hotel in a historic palazzo on Piazza Carlina, with a more contemporary feel, close to Via Po.
- Area Piazza Carlo Emanuele II, towards Via Po
- Best for a contemporary base near Day 2
Practical
Before you go
Closing days the Musei Reali close on Wednesdays, and several other museums close one day a week. Check each calendar before fixing the order of your days.
Museum card the Torino+Piemonte Card runs for 24, 48, 72 or 120 hours from first use, with one entry per museum; the 24-hour card is limited to three free entries. Compare it with your plans on Turismo Torino ↗.
Weather the arcades keep the centre walkable in rain or heat; winters are cold, with occasional fog.
Driving avoid entering the ZTL; ask your hotel about parking before you arrive.
Book the Egizio and the Mole, then let the rest of Turin follow the arcades: a museum in the morning, a café between the squares, the river at the end of the day.
Feels like home.
Nearby, and next
