Before you go

Your trip to Aosta.

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

Aosta – Vale de Aosta Destination Turim Capital

How to get there

Aeroporto de Turim (Aeroporto di Torino-Caselle) (TRN) Caselle Torinese · 115 km
Aeroporto de Genebra (Aéroport de Genève) (GVA) Genebra, Suíça · 140 km
Estação de Aosta (Stazione di Aosta) 1 km

Approximate road distances. Check flights and bus schedules before you travel.

Confirm before booking. The nearest airports are Turim (about 115 km), Genebra (about 140 km via the Mont Blanc tunnel), and Milan Malpensa (about 160 km). By train you can reach Aosta from Turim in about 2 hours, with a change in Ivrea on some services. Buses link Aosta to Turim, Milan and Courmayeur. By car, take the A5 motorway, or the Great St Bernard tunnel road coming from Switzerland.

How many days

One day is enough for the Roman monuments, Santo Urso and the cathedral. With two days, visit the megalithic area and Fénis Castle, or take a trip up to Pila. Aosta also works as a base for the valleys of Mont Blanc, Gran Paradiso and Cervino.

When to go

From June to September is best for hiking in the mountains and visiting castles with long daylight. From December to April for skiing in Pila and the valley resorts, depending on snow. At the end of January, the Feira de Santo Urso fills the streets with wooden handicrafts.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

Do you need a car?

For the city, no: the monuments are in the center, a few minutes' walk from each other, and the Pila cable car departs near the station. For the castles and side valleys, a car is helpful; there are regional buses but with fewer schedules.

Suggested itinerary

An order that works

Built with the places on this page. No rush: it's paced so you have time to see them.

One day in Aosta

Morning
Arco de Augusto and Santo Urso
Start at the Arco de Augusto and enter the Santo Urso complex, with its Romanesque cloister and 11th-century frescoes above the nave. Then proceed to the Porta Praetoria.
Afternoon
Roman theatre and cryptoporticus
Visit the Roman theatre with its large stone façade, then the forum cryptoporticus, the Roman underground gallery beside the cathedral.
Late afternoon
Cathedral and Piazza Chanoux
See the cathedral and the treasure museum, and finish at Piazza Émile Chanoux, the city centre, with cafés under the arcades.
Evening
Dinner in the center
Central restaurants serve the valley cuisine: fonduta with fontina cheese, carbonade, Valpelline-style soup and the café à valdostana, served in a wooden cup with several spouts.

2 days in Aosta

Day 1

Morning
Arco de Augusto and Santo Urso
Arco de Augusto, Santo Urso and Porta Praetoria.
Afternoon
Theatre and cryptoporticus
Roman theatre and forum cryptoporticus.
Late afternoon
Cathedral and Piazza Chanoux
Cathedral, treasure museum and Piazza Chanoux.
Evening
Centre
Dinner with the cuisine of the Vale de Aosta.

Day 2

Morning
Megalithic area
Take a bus or taxi to the megalithic area of Saint-Martin-de-Corléans, with stelae and prehistoric tombs under a large shelter.
Afternoon
Castello di Fénis
Continue to Fénis, about 12 km away, for the guided tour of the castle, with its double walls and the courtyard frescoes.
Late afternoon
Return through the valley
Return to Aosta via the Dora Baltea valley, with mountains and terraced vineyards.
Evening
Dinner in the center
Restaurants and enotecas offering wines from the Vale de Aosta.

Check before you go. Opening hours and days change, and places may close for renovations, holidays or events. This itinerary is a suggestion from Cidade Turismo, not a commitment: plan yours by checking directly with each place you intend to visit.

Before you go

Frequently asked questions

What language is spoken in Aosta?

Italian and French, the two official languages of the Vale de Aosta, plus the Franco-Provençal dialect. Signs are usually in both languages.

How to get from Turim to Aosta?

By train in about 2 hours, with a change in Ivrea on some services, or by bus. By car via the A5 it's about 115 km.

What to see in Aosta?

The Arco de Augusto, the Porta Praetoria, the Roman theatre, the cryptoporticus, the collegiate church of Santo Urso, the cathedral and the megalithic area of Saint-Martin-de-Corléans.

Is Aosta a good base for Mont Blanc?

Yes. Courmayeur, at the foot of Mont Blanc, is about 35 km away, with buses and road access via the A5.

When is the Feira de Santo Urso?

On January 30 and 31, with artisans from the valley selling wooden goods, basketry and textiles along the streets of the centre.

Back to Aosta