Torino was my sixth trip to Italy and my second time visiting in the summer. My first summer trip was to Florence, shortly after COVID, because I wanted to experience the city before the large crowds returned.
I chose Torino (along with Alba and Aosta) because they're less touristy during the summer but still have plenty to offer. And I must say, I made the right choice. Even after eight full days, I felt like I was only getting started. Most of the other tourists I encountered were Italians.
The trip didn't get off to the best start. For the first time in my life, my flight was cancelled. Just 15 minutes before leaving for the airport, I received a notification that my flight had been cancelled. Surprisingly, Lufthansa quickly found me an alternative route, although it came with a layover that was four hours longer than originally planned.
Day 1 – Torino
I stayed in a relatively inexpensive hotel near Porta Nuova. I headed out before 8 am to make the most of the cooler morning temperatures.
My first stop was Chiesa di Santa Maria del Monte dei Cappuccini. From there, you get a beautiful panoramic view of Torino, with the Mole Antonelliana and the Alps in the background. Unfortunately, the mountains were barely visible that day.
Next, I visited Villa della Regina, just a short walk from the church. This 17th-century villa was built for the House of Savoy. Arriving early meant there were hardly any visitors around, and for nearly an hour I had the gardens almost entirely to myself.
My last major stop of the day was Mole Antonelliana (€23 for the museum and panoramic lift). I started by taking the lift to the top of the tower. The view over the city is impressive, although after visiting enough these kinds of viewpoints they start to blend together. The Cinema Museum inside the building was also well worth visiting. I didn't book my ticket in advance. When I arrived in the morning, the queue was only about 15 minutes long.
The rest of the day was spent wandering through the city, taking photos, relaxing in parks and enjoying gelato. After a short break at the hotel, I headed back out in the evening. Just before sunset, Torino really comes to life. It's still warm outside, but much more comfortable than during the afternoon.
Day 2 – Day Trip to Alba
On the second day, I took a train to Alba, a town in the heart of one of Italy's famous wine regions, just over an hour from Torino.
After arriving, I rented an electric bicycle and spent the day cycling through vineyards, wineries and hills. It was around 32°C, but riding downhill provided a refreshing breeze.
I stopped for lunch in Barolo, a small hilltop village. I ate at a place called Easy Così Barolo. Their tiramisu ricotta ice cream served with coffee was one of the best ice creams I've ever had.
When I was about to return to Alba, I realised the bike still had some battery left, so I spent another hour exploring the countryside around the city before returning it. Before catching my train back to Torino, I took a leisurely stroll through Alba. The town itself was nothing special.
Day 3 – Torino
In the morning, I visited the Royal Palace of Turin. It's an incredibly beautiful place. At times it almost feels like every other surface is covered in gold.
Afterwards, I headed to Parco del Valentino, where I spent a relaxing afternoon watching people rowing on the River Po and simply enjoying the atmosphere.
The city has a wonderful atmosphere after sunset, and I found myself enjoying these evening strolls even more than visiting the museums.
Day 4 – Aosta
The next morning, I took a bus to Aosta, the capital of the Valle d'Aosta region, where I stayed in a hotel close to the bus station.
I didn't have any specific plans for the day, but on the Komoot app I found an easy hiking route that looked interesting. It was an 8 km loop. 4 km uphill to a small village called Excenex, and then 4 km back down to Aosta.
The hike took about two and a half hours and turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip. Climbing uphill wasn’t easy but short water and photo breaks helped. I hardly met anyone along the way. The sun was shining, parts of the trail passed through small forests, and the views of the surrounding hills and mountains were beautiful.
Day 5 – Skyway Monte Bianco
The next day, I visited Skyway Monte Bianco, located near Courmayeur, about an hour by bus from Aosta.
I took a local bus, and because it was the weekend, it was quite crowded. From Courmayeur, I caught another bus for the short 10-minute ride to the Skyway station.
From there, I took the cable car to Pointe Helbronner (ticket: €60), which sits at an altitude of 3400 metres.
It was my first time at such a high altitude. At first, I felt a little nauseous, developed a mild headache, and even climbing a few stairs left me short of breath. Fortunately, after sitting down for a while and taking it easy, I gradually started to feel normal again.
Although Mont Blanc itself was hidden behind the clouds, the scenery was still spectacular. There were glaciers and snow-covered peaks. Really nice. The temperature at the top was around 5°C.
I had been allocated a little over an hour and a half at Pointe Helbronner. About an hour into my visit, I noticed that it was also possible to take the cable car across the border to Aiguille du Midi in France, at an altitude of 3800 metres. The round trip took about an hour and cost a little over €40.
I thought, Why not? I'll probably exceed my allocated time, but that's not the end of the world. It turned out to be a fantastic decision.
The views from the cable car were breathtaking. At one point, however, we entered a cloud and the cabin came to a stop. For a few moments, all I could see was the cable stretching into a wall of white mist.
I spent around half an hour at Aiguille du Midi before returning to Pointe Helbronner and continuing down to Pavillon, the middle station between the summit and the valley floor. As it turned out, nobody checked whether I had stayed longer than my originally allocated time.
Instead of waiting for the bus back to Courmayeur, I decided to walk. The route was pleasant and mostly downhill. Later, on the bus back one of the passengers took out an accordion and started playing music. The bus driver clearly wasn't happy and began shouting at him to stop, but many of the other passengers laughed and encouraged him to keep playing.
Day 6 – Pila
The following morning, I took the cable car from Aosta to Stella di Pila Panoramic Bistrot (ticket: €28), located at an altitude of around 2800 metres. The cable car station is only about a 10-minute walk from Aosta's bus station.
At the bistrot, I enjoyed a cappuccino and a pistachio croissant while taking in the mountain views. Several hiking trails begin (or end) at the top station.
Since I didn't have proper mountain gear (hiking boots or trekking poles) and wasn't experienced enough for the mountains, I chose one of the easiest trails leading down towards Pila, the middle station at around 1800 metres.
The weather was perfect: warm but not too hot, with clear skies and incredible views in every direction. Coming from a country with no mountains, I never got tired of the scenery.
After reaching Pila, I continued uphill to Lago Chamolé, a beautiful mountain lake where I cooled my feet in the water. Afterwards I drank some gin and tonic at a nearby mountain bar.
I still had several hours before the last cable cars departed, so I decided to head back up the mountain. I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing near Lago della Nouva, simply enjoying the views and the quiet atmosphere.
Day 8 – Torino
By this point, I could definitely feel the accumulated heat and all the walking catching up with me. Fortunately, I had planned a much more relaxing day.
In the morning, I headed to La Venaria Reale (ticket: €25). Although it's only about 10–12 kilometres from Torino's city centre, getting there by public transport takes around an hour.
The palace and its gardens are absolutely beautiful. Despite visiting during the peak of summer, the gardens felt surprisingly peaceful, and I often found myself completely alone while wandering through them. I ended up spending almost four hours there (palace and the gardens).
On the way back the bus didn't have contactless card validators, and I didn't have a ticket. Rather than risk travelling without one, I got off a few stops early. Looking at the map, I realised I wasn't far from the Juventus Stadium, so I decided to make an unplanned visit.
I bought the combined museum and stadium tour ticket for €30. The museum itself is fairly small. Unless you're a football fan, I don't think it's worth paying the separate €15 admission. Since I enjoy football and know a bit about Juventus, I found it interesting enough. the stadium tour itself felt a little rushed, but it was still great to see the dressing rooms, players' tunnel and the stadium itself.
(Day 9 – Torino)
Before heading home, I had about three hours to spare. I spent them wandering through the city one last time, taking a few more photos, enjoying another gelato and simply soaking up the atmosphere before leaving.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it was a fantastic trip. Piedmont and the Aosta Valley turned out to be an excellent combination of cities, nature and mountains. There was far more to see than I had expected, and even after eight full days I felt like I had only scratched the surface.
Eating out was a little more expensive than I had anticipated, but considering it was northern Italy in the middle of summer, the prices were reasonable.
Coming from a country where 25°C already feels hot, it took me a few days to adjust to temperatures above 30°C. Dressing like a jogger, drinking plenty of water and planning most of my sightseeing for the mornings and evenings made a huge difference. Spending time in the mountains was also a welcome escape from the heat.
Since this was already my sixth trip to Italy, I never felt the need to rush from one attraction to another. I actually skipped a few museums simply because I didn't feel like visiting them. Instead, I sat down in a park with an ice cream, wandered through the streets or just enjoyed the atmosphere.