Is Turin worth visiting?
Explore the Must-See Attractions and hidden gems, and you will know why Turin should be on your Travel Bucket List
Are you wondering: Is Turin worth visiting? Knowing the capitol of Piedmont region in and out, I would like to scream: YES!!
Turin is a beautiful and diverse city with many attractions. But many don’t even have it on their radar. When people think of cities in northern Italy, they usually think exclusively of Milan, which is only an hour away.
Those who do not know Turin often associated this beautiful city in Piedmont with only one of 3 things:
- Fiat: Turin is often thought of as a purely industrial city because Fiat, Italy’s largest car manufacturer, used to have its headquarters here.
- Juventus Turin: The popular and successful soccer club Juventus Turin is also omnipresent with fan stores or advertising
- Winter Olympics 2006
Since May 2022, some may also associate the ECS with Turin, the 66th Eurovision Song Contest held at Turin’s PalaOlimpico.
But Turin does offer even a lot more!!!
Keep reading while I give you an overview of all must-see attraction and of course some hidden gems and insights. At the end of my article, you will be as well able to answer the question, is Turin worth visiting, with a loud: YES!
Turin attractions overview
Unlike some other big cities, many of Turin’s sights can be explored on foot. The old town of Turin is almost completely free of traffic, making sightseeing and strolling through Turin’s alleys very pleasant.
The first capital of Italy (from 1861 and 1865) and fourth-largest city in Italy, Turin offers everything your heart desires: palaces, piazzas, cafés, museums, and plenty of other sights. All paired with the typical Italian flair!
Turin Highlights
1. Piazza Castello / Main Square of Turin
Piazza Castello has always been the beating heart of Turin, so I’ll start with it. Surrounded by arcades, the most important buildings and monuments of Turin, are located around the central Piazza Castello:
Palazzo Reale, Palazzo Madama, the Cathedral of Turin and the Church of San Lorenzo. In addition, here is a tourist information office and many small cafés that invite you to linger. On the square itself, are some water fountains that offer a nice cooling in the summer.
Turin Highlights
2. Palazzo Reale – Turin Royal Palace
The Royal Palace towers at the head of the beautiful Piazza Castello.
From 1646, in only 14 years of construction, the rather plain Palazzo Reale was built. It served as the official residence of the Savoy royal family in Piedmont until 1865.
Incidentally, the ensemble of buildings was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997. Today, the Palazzo Reale can be partially visited and is definitely one of the reasons why Turin is worth visiting. In addition, behind its walls there are various museums.
- Royal apartments: You can visit the private apartments as well as the representation rooms (e.g., the throne room) and the small court pharmacy. Very impressive is also the ballroom with its 20 columns in which in former times up to 2000 people celebrated.
- Armeria Reale: The Royal Armory houses one of the most important and impressive collections of weapons in Europe.
- Biblioteca Reale: The royal library today holds over 200,000 books and volumes, the oldest dating back to the 11th century. Among them is Leonardo da Vinci’s self-portrait and his codex on the flight of birds.
⇒ My tip: Admission to the reading room is free of charge.
- Galleria Sabauda: The Picture Gallery is part of the Royal Museums and contains mainly Italian, Dutch, and French works of the 15th-17th centuries, as well as a graphic collection. It is one of the most important picture galleries in Italy.
- Giardini Reali: The royal gardens were designed by the French architect André Le Nôtre, who was also the landscape architect of the Palace Park at Versailles. Admission is free of charge.
Admission fee:
Adults: € 15.00 per person / Free of charge with Torino + Piemonte Card
⇨ Admission to the royal gardens and the reading room of the royal library is free.
My Tip:
Save yourself the long queues, especially in high season, and buy a ⇨ skip-the-line online ticket for the Royal Palace in advance.
This includes a 1.5-hour guided tour in small groups of max. 12 people, in English or Italian, through the most beautiful parts of the royal palace, without queuing.
Is Turin worth visiting?
3. Palazzo Madama
Another highlight of Turin, centered in Piazza Castello, is Palazzo Madama.
Where this dominant building stands today, one of the 4 gates of the Roman city wall, the Porta Pretoria, once towered. After several alterations over the centuries, the Palazzo Madame received its current city-side facade and representative staircase in the 18th century.
The palace first served as a residence for the rulers of Savoy. After the transfer of the capital from Chambéry to Turin, the seat of the first Italian Senate was moved to Palazzo Madama. Today it houses an art museum. This historic building is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Turin City Museum of Ancient Art houses a 28000 piece collection of ceramics, drawings, and sculptures. In addition, there are always interesting temporary exhibitions in the palace, which do not necessarily have to do with medieval art.
Insider tip: Two towers of the Roman gate have been preserved until today. You can climb them and enjoy a super view over Turin.
Opening times:
Daily from 10:00 – 18:00hrs. Thursday only in the afternoon from 13:00 – 21:00hrs and Tuesday Palazzo Madama is closed.
Admission fee:
Adults: € 10.00 per person. Children and teenagers under 18 and holders of the Torino + Piemonte Card free of charge
Is Turin worth visiting?
4. Turin Cathedral with the Shroud of Turin
A passageway from Piazza Castello leads to Turin Cathedral (Duomo di San Giovanni Battista) and its Chapel of the Holy Shroud (Capella della S. Sindone).
The cathedral itself, made of white marble, is very beautiful, but its highlight and reason for almost all visits, is the Shroud of Turin (sacra sidone).
This relic has been in the cathedral since 1587. In 1694 the Shroud Chapel (Capalla della S. Sindone) was built especially for the Shroud of Christ.
Turin Cathedral with the Shroud of Turin
The Shroud of Turin is a linen cloth 4.36 meters long and 1.10 meters wide. For devout Christians, this is probably the most important relic of all, as it is said to be the original burial shroud of Jesus Christ. However, this has not been proven.
Since it was almost destroyed in a fire on July 11, 1997, the Shroud of Turin has been protected from any environmental influences in a fireproof container.
In 2002, the shroud was restored. It is now shown to the public only on certain occasions. In 2015, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the birth of the founder of the Order and Saint Don Giovanni Bosco, the Holy Shroud was exhibited publicly for the last time. The next time will be in 2025.
The shroud, which is exhibited in the cathedral and can be visited at any time, is a copy.
Opening times: Daily with lunch break
Admission fee: free of charge
Turin attractions
5. Mole Antonelliana / The landmark of Turin
The Mole Antonelliana is THE landmark of Turin.
In 1863, the Jewish community began construction work for a synagogue. The costs exploded, and the city took over the construction. At a height of 167.50 meters, the Mole Antonelliana was the second-tallest accessible building in the world when it was completed in 1889.
In 1953, a hurricane destroyed the 47-meter-high dome spire. This was later replaced by the current iron structure. A panoramic elevator was added to it in 1961 for the 100th anniversary of the unification of Italy.
The Mole Antonelliana is on the Italian 2-cent coin, and it was the model for the official logo of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
Today, the building houses the Museo Nazionale del Cinema, the most important cinema museum in Italy.
Turin Highlights
6. Museo Nazionale del Cinema – Cinema Museum
Inside the Mole Antonelliana, the interactive National Cinema Museum is located on several floors. With its extensive collection, it is one of the most important film museums in the world.
For example, on the 5th floor, there are numerous documents and objects that show the historical development of the film industry.
On the 10th floor, you can admire the great themes of cinema comfortably in a cinema recliner as a cinema screening inside the dome. On the 15th floor, there is a tour through the stages of a film production.
The highlight of the museum, however, is the panoramic elevator with transparent walls, in the middle of the building.
It takes you to the Mole platform in less than a minute. From this 85-meter-high viewing platform in the dome, you can enjoy a magnificent 360° view of Turin and the Alps (in good weather).
Admission fee cinema museum & panoramic lift:
Adults: € 15.00 per person. Reduced admission with the Torino + Piemonte Card.
Click here for online Ticket (plus €1,50 handling fee)
Admission fee panoramic lift (without cinema museum):
Adults: € 9.00 per person. Click here for online Ticket (plus €1,50 handling fee)
Insider tip I: The observation deck is one of the main tourist spots of Turin, and accordingly there is ALWAYS a long queue for the elevator.
Buy a skip-the-line ticket in advance to get past the queue and save valuable time.
Insider tip II: If you want to visit the cinema museum and the platform, start with the breathtaking view. Tickets are timed, and it would be a shame if you don’t make it to the viewing platform because the museum has captivated you too much.
Turin Highlights
7. Piazza Vittorio Veneto / One of the biggest squares of the world
The huge Piazza Vittorio Veneto in the east of Turin’s old town, has a length of 360 meters and a width of 111 meters. This makes it one of the largest squares in the world!
Piazza Vittorio Veneto extends from the end of Via Po to the Vittorio Emanuele I Bridge, which crosses the Po River. On 3 sides the square is lined by arcades with many small stores and cafés.
Attention: Piazza Vittorio Veneto is no longer part of the pedestrian zone and there is always heavy car traffic!
Insider tip: Especially in the evening, it is ideal to just sit here and watch the hustle and bustle around and on the square!
Piazza Vittorio Veneto and its bars are very popular with young people, so there is a lot to see here on nice summer evenings. Take a seat and enjoy a Gianduja, a famous hazlenut and chocolate combination. Yummy!
The square offers a very nice view of the Po River, the Gran Madre di Dio Church and the surrounding hills of Turin.
Turin Highlights
8. Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio
From Piazza Vittorio Veneto you already have a beautiful view of the church Gran Madre di Dio, which is located across the river Po.
The Pantheon in Rome was the model for this church, built in honor of Victor Emanuel I for his victory over Napoleon in 1814.
From the large and wide staircase, you can once again enjoy a beautiful view of Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
Is Turin worth visiting?
9. Museo Egizio – Egyptian Museum Turin
The Museo Egizio of Turin is considered the second most important museum of Egyptian history in the world, after the Egyptian Museum of Cairo.
In total, the unique collection includes 40000 artifacts, of which, 3300 are exhibited and can be admired on 4 floors.
Among the treasures dating from the 4th millennium BC to the 6th millennium AD. Chr. include mummies, reconstructions of magnificent temples, large statues or utensils from the everyday life of the ancient Egyptians.
Opening times:
Monday from 9:00 – 14:00hrs; Tuesday – Sunday from 9:00 – 18:30hrs
Admission fee:
Adults: € 18.00 per person. Free entrance with the Torino + Piemonte Card.
Guided tours of 120 minutes are available Monday through Sunday at 11:00 am and Tuesday through Sunday also at 4:00 pm for € 7.00 per person (in addition to the entrance ticket, tour headphones included).
My tip: To get the most out of a visit to the outstanding Museo Egizio, you should book a guided tour. This is best done in advance and includes a skip-the-line ticket, so you don’t have to wait in line forever.
Turin attractions
10. Porta Palatina
The city gate, Porta Palatina is one of the oldest monuments of Turin. It dates back to Roman times and was built under Emperor Augustus in the 1st century to protect Turin to the north. It is the only preserved of the 4 city gates of Turin.
Turin Insider tip
11. Mercato di Porta Palazzo / Largest open-air market in Europe
An absolute must-see in Turin is the market at Porta Palazzo. It is located not far from Porta Palatina and occupies almost the entire Piazza della Republica.
Over 1000 market vendors on an area of almost 50,000 square meters make it the largest open-air market in Europe.
In three market halls and the huge open market square, there really is everything on offer: fresh fruit and vegetables, other groceries, household goods, Piedmontese specialties and much more. There is nothing here that is not available!
Behind the large market hall, the farmer’s market adjoins to the north, it is mainly reserved for the local farmers and their goods.
Opening times: Monday – Friday from 7:00 – 14:00hrs, Saturday from 7:00 – 19:00hrs and closed on Sundays
Why Turin is worth visiting
12. Piazza San Carlo – Meeting point in Turin old town
Piazza San Carlo is located in the heart of Turin’s old town. Whenever there is something to celebrate in Turin, such as victories of the local football club Juventus Turin, it takes place in Piazza San Carlo.
In the center stands the bronze horse, an imposing equestrian statue by Emanuele Filibertos from 1838. Beautiful arcades and the two churches of Santa Cristina and the church of San Carlo Borromeo adorn the outer sides of Piazza San Carlo.
The exclusive shopping street, Via Rome, runs once across the car-free square and invites to window shopping.
Turin View point
13. Monte dei Cappuccini / Viewpoint high above the Turin sights
After a 5-minute walk uphill from the church of Gran Madre di Dio, you reach Monte dei Cappuccini, my favorite Turin viewpoint.
On the small hill, 284m high, stand both the church of Santa Maria del Monte and the National Museum of Mountains (Museo Nazionale della Montagna).
From the viewing platform, just outside the church, you have a beautiful panorama of the city: you can admire the entire city center and with good weather conditions you also have a view of the Italian Alpine and the Susa Valley.
My tip: Come here for sunset and enjoy the view of Turin in the very special romantic light!
Tips on how to best visit Turin
Torino Piemonte Card
Much mentioned, because really useful, the Torino + Piemonte Card.
If you want to see a lot of Turin and its sights and save money, you should definitely think about buying the Torino + Piemonte Card.
More info: With this card, you’ll have free access to almost all of Torino’s museums and cultural sites. Read and check here if this city pass is worth buying.
In short: Since admission to the museum costs between €10.00 and €15.00, the 2-day Torino + Piemonte Card is worth buying if you need 3 entries. You can buy the Torino + Piemonte Card for 1, 2, 3 or 5 days.
Prices Torino + Piemonte Card for people over 18 years:
- 24hrs Pass: €29.00 p.P. – valid for max. 3 Turin sights
- 2-day Pass: € 39.00 p.P.
- 3-day Pass: € 45.00 p.P.
- 5-day Pass: €50.00 p.P.
The card is valid from the first time it is used.
ATTENTION: this is not a skip-the-line ticket. You cannot skip the queue with this ticket!
Skip-the-Line Tickets (Turin sightseeing without queuing)
You have to queue at many of Turin’s sights. Long queues often form in front of the city’s main attractions, especially in the summer months.
If you don’t want and don’t have the time to queue, online skip-the-line tickets are just what you need!
- Royal Palace Guided Tour and Skip the Line Ticket: € 49.00 per Person
- Egyptian Museum Skip-the-Line Guided Tour: € 59,00 pro Person
Turin City Tours
For those who don’t like walking through the streets with a travel guide or mobile app, the city also offers great and thematically very varied guided tours to the sights of Turin. Below is a small list of different options:
- Underground Walking Tour:
The 3-hour, unique tour shows Turin from a very special side. It goes through secret, subterranean corridors, cellars, and the city’s secret passageways. Different and extraordinary!
- Black Magic and Dark Arts Tour
A 2-2.5 hour guided bus tour that departs at sunset and illuminates the magical and mysterious side of Turin. Here you can learn all about the dark side of Turin’s seedy past.
- 2-Hour City Highlights Walking Tour
Short and sweet for everyone who wants to get a first impression and see the most important places in Turin. Tour Turin’s sights, including squares, churches, and the main market, in small groups of no more than 12 people.
- Royal Palace and Egyptian Museum Guided Tour
The perfect half-day small group tour (max. 10 people) to explore the best of Turin. Skip the long lines to the top 2 museums of Turin, the majestic Royal Palace, and the fascinating Egyptian Museum.
Torino Sightseeing
Turin walking sightseeing tour
A really great thing about Turin is that you can explore the old town and its sights on foot. Most of the city center is also closed to cars, so you can fully focus on Turin’s beautiful old buildings, churches, squares and other attractions.
Here you will find a city walk that can be done in one day.
Exploring Turin to find out why it is worth visiting
Turin sightseeing by Bus
Alternatively or in addition to a walking city tour, there is the hop on / hop off bus. It passes the main Turin sights and attractions. Very useful for the exploration of Turin old town is the multilingual audio guide.
There are 4 different bus tours of Turin (Line A,B,C&D) and you can hop on and off as you please. Tickets for the red Hop on / Hop off Bus Turin are available for 1 or 2 days.
- Line A passes Turin city center.
- Line B enlarges the Line A radius and includes the Automobile Museum, Lingotto and the Eataly
- Line C takes you to some royal residences, i.e. the Palace of Veneria Reale.
- Line D goes to the Superga, the baroque basilica and tomb of the royal house of Savoy. The dome offers as well a fantastic view of the Alps.
Why Turin is worth visiting
Turin sightseeing by bike
Instead of walking or taking the bus, the highlights of Turin can also be explored by e-bike.
E-Bike Tour: Explore Turin’s landmarks by e-bike on this half-day tour. Delve into the history and culture of Turin, see a stunning panoramic view of the city, and bike through the historic center.
These 4.5 hrs. Bike Tour is a great and very popular way to explore the beautiful city of Turin and see so much more in a short amount of time. Click here to get more information your e-bike tour.
Conclusion: Is Turin worth visiting?
Did I promise too much?
In conclusion, Turin is an enchanting destination that captivates travelers with its rich history, diverse cultural offerings, and picturesque landscapes.
From the opulent Royal Palace and Palazzo Madama to the impressive Mole Antonelliana and the interesting Egyptian Museum, the city is full of historical and artistic marvels.
Whether you’re a history buff, an art enthusiast, or a food lover, Turin promises an unforgettable experience. With its perfect blend of tradition and modernity, this Italian gem continues to beckon visitors from around the world, making it undeniably worth visiting.
