Only have one day in Turin? You can actually see a lot of the city in 24 hours. Turin’s historic centre is very walkable, and many of the main sights are close enough to each other that you don’t need to spend your day jumping between buses and trams.
Of course, one day isn’t enough to see absolutely everything. But if you want a first taste of Turin, historic palaces, beautiful galleries, Roman remains, good food and an Aperol in the sun, this is how I’d spend it.
I’ve kept this itinerary mostly walkable, with a mix of Turin’s most famous sights and a few places I personally enjoyed.
Turin in One Day: Quick Itinerary
Morning: Palazzo Reale → Duomo → Galleria Subalpina → Palazzo Carignano
Lunch: Around Piazza Carignano or the historic centre
Afternoon: Porta Palatina → Porta Palazzo → Palazzo Madama
Evening: Via Porta Palatina & Via IV Marzo → aperitivo → dinner
The best part? You can do almost all of this on foot.
8:30 AM – Start at Palazzo Reale
I’d start your day early at Palazzo Reale, right in the heart of Turin.
This former royal residence of the House of Savoy is one of the city’s most impressive historic buildings, and it’s the perfect place to start because you’re immediately surrounded by some of Turin’s biggest sights.
If you have time and you’re interested in history and interiors, you can visit the palace itself. Otherwise, even walking around Piazza Castello and seeing the building from outside is worth doing.
I wouldn’t spend your entire morning here, though. You’ve got quite a lot more Turin to see.
Time: around 45–60 minutes if visiting inside, less if you’re just seeing the exterior.
9:30 AM – Visit the Duomo di Torino
From Palazzo Reale, walk over to the Duomo di Torino, officially the Cathedral of San Giovanni Battista.
It’s only a short walk away, so this is an easy second stop.
The cathedral is famous for the Shroud of Turin, although the actual Shroud isn’t normally on public display. Even if you’re not particularly interested in religious history, I’d still pop inside for a few minutes.
The interior is much more understated than some of Italy’s enormous churches, which gives it a completely different feeling.
Time: 20–30 minutes.
10:00 AM – Walk Through Galleria Subalpina
Next, head towards Galleria Subalpina.
This is one of those stops that doesn’t need a huge amount of time but makes Turin feel so pretty.
The covered gallery has elegant 19th-century architecture, cafés and shops, and it’s a nice place to wander through while you’re making your way towards the next part of the city.
Don’t overthink this stop.
Walk through, take your photos, have a look around and keep going.
Time: 15–20 minutes.
10:30 AM – Piazza Carignano & Palazzo Carignano
Continue towards Piazza Carignano, where you’ll find Palazzo Carignano.
The building is one of Turin’s most recognisable Baroque palaces, with its distinctive curved façade. It also has a huge role in Italian political history and houses the Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano.
If you’re really interested in Italian history, you could spend a few hours inside the museum.
But if you’re following this one-day itinerary, I’d save that for another visit and simply enjoy the square and the building from outside.
You can also use this moment for a quick coffee break.
Time: 30 minutes.
11:15 AM – Coffee Break
This is your first proper break of the day.
Turin has a long café culture, so I’d actually recommend sitting down rather than grabbing a coffee to go.
Find somewhere around the historic centre, order an espresso or cappuccino and enjoy being in Italy for a minute.
You don’t need to make every second of a city trip productive.
12:00 PM – Lunch in the Historic Centre
For lunch, stay around the historic centre rather than travelling somewhere else.
Turin is famous for its food, so this is a good moment to try something local.
Depending on what you’re in the mood for, look for piemontese dishes, fresh pasta, vitello tonnato or agnolotti.
And if you’re visiting in warmer weather, sitting outside makes the whole thing even better.
I’d give yourself around an hour for lunch.
Time: 1 hour.
1:00 PM – Walk Towards Porta Palatina
After lunch, start walking towards Porta Palatina.
This is one of my favourite quick historical stops in Turin because it feels completely different from the elegant palaces you’ve just seen.
Porta Palatina is an ancient Roman city gate and one of the best-preserved Roman remains in Turin.
And you don’t need to spend ages here.
Take a look, walk around the area and then continue towards the market.
Time: 20–30 minutes.
1:30 PM – Explore Porta Palazzo Market
From Porta Palatina, continue towards Porta Palazzo Market.
The market is a nice way to see a different side of Turin. Instead of only seeing grand palaces and historic squares, you get a little more of the everyday city.
Walk around the stalls, look at the food and produce and soak up the atmosphere.
My tip: I’d visit during the daytime. I personally felt less comfortable around this area later in the day, so I wouldn’t make Porta Palazzo an evening stop.
Time: 30–45 minutes.
2:30 PM – Palazzo Madama
From Porta Palazzo, head back towards Piazza Castello and visit Palazzo Madama.
The building itself is fascinating because it combines layers of Turin’s history, from Roman foundations to medieval architecture and its later Baroque transformation.
Inside you’ll find the Civic Museum of Ancient Art, so if museums are your thing, this is somewhere you could easily spend a few hours.
For a one-day Turin itinerary, though, I’d either visit briefly or simply admire the building from outside.
Time: 30–60 minutes depending on whether you go inside.
3:30 PM – Wander Around Turin Without a Plan
This is the part of the itinerary where I don’t want you to have a plan.
Seriously.
You’ve already seen most of the big sights, so now just walk around the historic centre.
Go down streets you haven’t seen yet. Stop for a coffee. Look into little shops. Take photos of the architecture.
You could also walk through Galleria San Federico, another beautiful covered gallery close to Piazza San Carlo.
This is one of the things I liked about Turin: you don’t need to constantly be heading towards another attraction.
Sometimes wandering is the attraction.
4:30 PM – Find Waves of Wanting
If you want to add a slightly more unusual stop to your day, look for Waves of Wanting, a contemporary public art installation in the historic centre.
This isn’t somewhere I’d build an entire afternoon around, but it’s a fun little stop if you’re already nearby.
It’s exactly the kind of random detail I like finding when exploring a city.
Time: 10–15 minutes.
5:00 PM – Aperol Around Via Porta Palatina & Via IV Marzo
And now we’re getting to my favourite part.
Head towards the area between Via Porta Palatina and Via IV Marzo.
This is the area I particularly liked in Turin, with lots of little restaurants, bars and terraces.
Find a sunny spot and order an Aperol Spritz.
This is not the time to rush to your next attraction.
Sit down.
People-watch.
Have your Aperol.
You are in Italy.
Time: however long you want.
7:00 PM – Dinner in the City Centre
For dinner, I’d stay around the same area.
There are plenty of restaurants around Via IV Marzo and the surrounding historic centre, so you don’t need to travel across the city.
If you’ve had a big lunch, you can keep dinner simple.
If you’re hungry, this is your chance to try more Piedmontese food.
And honestly, I’d rather spend my final evening eating somewhere I randomly like than travelling across Turin because a restaurant was number 7 on a TripAdvisor list.
9:00 PM – Evening Walk Through Turin
After dinner, take one last walk through the centre.
Turin is beautiful in the evening, especially around the large squares and historic streets.
Walk towards Piazza Castello, Piazza San Carlo or along Via Roma and enjoy the city when the daytime crowds have started to disappear.
You don’t need another activity.
Just walk.
That’s a pretty good way to finish a day in Turin.
Your Perfect One-Day Turin Itinerary
If you want to save this itinerary and follow it step by step, here’s the whole day at a glance:
8:30 AM – Palazzo Reale
9:30 AM – Duomo di Torino
10:00 AM – Galleria Subalpina
10:30 AM – Palazzo Carignano
11:15 AM – Coffee break
12:00 PM – Lunch in the historic centre
1:00 PM – Porta Palatina
1:30 PM – Porta Palazzo Market
2:30 PM – Palazzo Madama
3:30 PM – Wander around the centre
4:30 PM – Waves of Wanting
5:00 PM – Aperol around Via Porta Palatina & Via IV Marzo
7:00 PM – Dinner
9:00 PM – Evening walk through Turin
What If You Don’t Want to Rush?
You don’t actually have to do every single stop on this itinerary.
If you’re someone who prefers travelling slowly, I’d cut Porta Palazzo Market and Waves of Wanting first.
That gives you more time for the places I think are most enjoyable: the historic centre, Palazzo Reale, the Duomo, Palazzo Carignano, Turin’s galleries and, of course, an Aperol somewhere around Via Porta Palatina and Via IV Marzo.
You could also skip the museums entirely and spend more time outside.
There’s no right way to visit Turin.
Where to Stay for This Turin Itinerary
If you’re only in Turin for one day, staying centrally is definitely worth it.
You don’t want to spend your one day travelling back and forth across the city.
I stayed at Combo Torino Hostel, which was actually a good hostel, but I found the surrounding area a little sketchy. If I went back to Turin, I’d choose somewhere closer to the historic centre.
I particularly liked the area between Via Porta Palatina and Via IV Marzo, which is also perfect for restaurants, bars and an evening Aperol.
For a hotel in the centre, Hotel Indigo Turin is one option I’d look at.
I’ve written a full guide here:
Where to Stay in Turin: Best Areas + Hotels
More Turin Travel Tips
If you’re staying longer than one day, check out my full guide to the best things to do in Turin, where I go into more detail about the city’s palaces, galleries, museums and other places worth seeing.
And if you’re travelling around Italy, don’t forget to check out my Northern Italy Travel Guide for more destinations and itinerary ideas.
Final Thoughts
One day in Turin is definitely short, but it’s enough to get a really good first impression of the city.
I’d focus on the historic centre, don’t overpack your itinerary and leave some time for the things that aren’t technically “things to do”, sitting at a café, wandering through a gallery, stopping for an Aperol and finding a street you weren’t planning to see.
Because honestly, that’s the Turin experience I’d want you to have.
Not just ticking off ten attractions, but actually having a day that feels like you’re in Italy.
Planning Your Trip to Italy?
Planning a trip to Italy can be surprisingly difficult, especially when you’re choosing between huge historic cities, beautiful coastlines, charming smaller towns, mountains, lakes and islands.
That’s why I’ve created my Italy Travel Guide, where I share destination guides, things to do, local tips and my personal experiences from travelling around Italy.
→ START HERE: Italy Travel Guides
FAQ: One Day in Turin
Is one day enough for Turin?
One day is enough to see many of Turin’s main sights and get a feel for the historic centre. If you want to visit several museums or explore more slowly, I’d recommend staying for 2–3 days instead.
What should I not miss in Turin in one day?
I’d prioritise Palazzo Reale, the Duomo, Galleria Subalpina, Palazzo Carignano, Porta Palatina and Palazzo Madama. Then finish your day with an aperitivo around Via Porta Palatina and Via IV Marzo.
Can you walk around Turin in one day?
Yes. Many of the main attractions in the historic centre are within walking distance of each other, making Turin particularly easy to explore on foot.
What is the best area to stay in Turin for one night?
I’d stay in the historic city centre, ideally around Via Porta Palatina and Via IV Marzo. This puts you close to restaurants, bars and many of the main sights.
Is Turin worth visiting for just one day?
Yes. While I’d prefer 2–3 days, one day is enough for a first taste of Turin if you focus on the historic centre and don’t try to see everything.
What food should you try in Turin?
Look out for traditional Piedmontese dishes such as agnolotti, vitello tonnato and other regional specialities. And obviously, leave room for an aperitivo.
