I’ve put together a little guide with tips and places that go a bit beyond the usual tourist trail. I hope it helps you see this beautiful city through fresh eyes — a city that welcomed me ten years ago and never stops winning me over. When I visit somewhere new, I always want to dive into the local culture and the real fabric of daily life. Below you’ll find short itineraries organised by neighbourhood, plus a list of recommendations and tips to make your time in Turin genuinely special — and real.
You won’t find advice on where to eat Plin – Turin’s signature stuffed pasta – (with one exception: Madama Piola’s, because theirs are simply the best) or where to get the best Bicerin – Turin’s classic non-alcoholic coffee drink – in this guide. For that kind of thing, just Google it — it’ll be faster. What you will find here are insights, routes and tips to help you experience the city as it actually is, and discover what life in Turin really looks and feels like — even in just a few days.
One important note, maybe obvious, but I want to say it anyway: I’m a very demanding person — with food, exhibitions, people, everything. So if a place made it into this guide, it’s because it passed all of my exacting, fussy criteria. You can trust me on this.
LEGENDA
🏛️ MUSEUM – ⛪️ CHURCH – ⛲️ PARK/SQUARE/PUBLIC SPACE
🥐 SWEET – 🍴SAVOURY – 🍷APERITIVO
🪰 LOW PRICE – 🪰🪰 MEDIUM PRICE – 🪰🪰🪰 HIGH PRICE
SAN SALVARIO
If you’ve just stepped out of Mosca Bianca, you’re already in San Salvario, one of Turin’s most characterful historic neighbourhoods.
FIRST STOP: BAKERY FICINI (🥐 – 🍴 – 🪰)Walk in — check if you need to grab a number — and get the small round focaccine and the little pizzas. Lots of them. They’re so gloriously greasy they almost taste fried. Let yourself be tempted by the entire counter.
If you’re here for breakfast instead, I have a special spot in mind — slightly off the beaten path but still within the San Salvario area. Head to Porta Nuova train station and take the metro towards Bengasi, getting off at Carducci (6 minutes, 4 stops). Once out of the metro, cross the road and you’ll find BAR BEATRICE (🥐 – 🪰🪰) right on the corner. Sit down and order a cappuccino and a pastry — they’re all delicious, but my personal favourites are the chantilly cream one and the white chocolate one. I know what you’re thinking: “white chocolate is too sweet, it’s for kids.” I thought the same the first time. Then I tried it — and now I order TWO for breakfast, every single time. It’s also a perfect spot for afternoon tea: the teapot and cup sets are absolutely adorable, and the dry pastries are not to be missed.
SECOND STOP: CESARE LOMBROSO MUSEUM OF CRIMINAL ANTHROPOLOGY (🏛️) In my opinion, walking there is the best option — it’s about 20 minutes from FICINI, but you won’t even notice. It’s a peculiar museum with photographs and anatomical specimens preserved in formaldehyde, but it’s not as disturbing as it sounds — I’m quite sensitive myself and still found it genuinely fascinating.
TIPS: Your museum ticket also includes entry to the Fruit Museum, located in the same building. It’s a series of rooms filled with hand-painted, incredibly realistic wax fruit, exploring the life cycle of different varieties from around the world. It’s a really delightful and fun visit — don’t skip it!
THIRD STOP: To recover from the museum, head to VINARIUM! (🍷 – 🪰) Sit in the inner courtyard (better to book ahead), order a glass of good wine and a cheese board. Enjoy life — this place will always have a special spot in my heart. ♡
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- Ficini’s gloriously greasy focaccina
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- A little haul from Beatrice
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- Inside of Vinarium
PIAZZA VITTORIO
My favourite square in Turin, with the hill softly framing it in the background.
FIRST STOP: Run straight to GHIGO (🥐 – 🪰🪰), one of Turin’s historic cafés, and order a coffee — or a hot chocolate — with whipped cream. Are you ready to taste the best whipped cream in the world? If you still have room, get a small nuvola, their year-round pandoro — absolutely delicious.
SECOND STOP: Walk it off by heading up to MONTE DEI CAPPUCCINI (🏛️ – ⛪️). It’s a classic, but the view over the city is truly magical — especially at sunset.
Another lovely option, after your coffee, is to cross the Po and visit the GRAN MADRE (⛪️) church. Clearly inspired by the Pantheon, it was completed around the mid-1800s. Legend has it that it was built on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Isis, the goddess of fertility — also known as the Great Mother. Many people assume the name “Gran Madre” refers to the Virgin Mary, but the history is more layered than that.
After your visit, take a stroll through the Collina neighbourhood, the area behind the Gran Madre. It’s considered one of the most affluent parts of Turin, full of hidden parks and stunning Art Nouveau buildings.
THIRD STOP: Head back down and stop by PIAZZA CARLINA (⛲️) (officially Piazza Carlo Emanuele II). In Turin it goes by this nickname thanks to a legend about Carlo Emanuele I, who was said to have had a rather effeminate manner and, allegedly, a number of male companions. Hence the nickname Carlina — a diminutive typically used for women, and not exactly a compliment at the time. Here you’re spoiled for choice when it comes to food and drinks — just pick somewhere at random, you really can’t go wrong. If you fancy pasta, try MISCUSI (🍴 – 🪰)— they do pasta with whatever sauce you like. I recommend cacio e pepe (not exactly Piedmontese, I know) with prawn tartare. For a good gin and tonic, head to IL MAGO DI OZ (🍷 – 🪰🪰).
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- Sharing a charcoal-dough pizza with my friend
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- Margaret Bourke-White exhibition at Camera
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- Ghigo’s coffee with whipped cream
CROCETTA
The elegant neighbourhood par excellence — and also full of university students.
FIRST STOP: Breakfast at GERLA (🥐 – 🪰🪰), on Corso De Gasperi. The cappuccino and croissant are excellent at this historic pastry shop. If you go upstairs, there’s a small table by the window overlooking the street — very romantic. ♡
SECOND STOP: GAM, Gallery of Modern Art (🏛️). A solid choice if you’re into art. The most interesting part, though, is the archive: an entire floor is set up like an open storage space, where artworks are displayed as they are catalogued — inside large cases or hung without strict curatorial rules. I love it.
THIRD STOP: Continue towards PIAZZA SOLFERINO (⛲️) for a walk surrounded by Turin’s Liberty architecture. Look up at the balconies and rooftops — you’d be surprised what you might miss otherwise. While you’re at it, book a table at LA VILLE (🍴 – 🪰🪰🪰): delicious dinner, beautiful fish dishes, slightly chic atmosphere. After dinner, take a stroll through the city centre — especially on summer evenings, the streets feel warm and full of life, almost like home.
If you’re in the mood for a more elegant evening and want to dress up a little, try LEVE (🍴 – 🪰🪰🪰)— a restaurant with inventive cocktails and plating that looks Michelin-starred, even if it isn’t. It’s entirely possible that the person at the next table is a Juventus player. That kind of place.
The neighbourhood where culture and leisure blend together seamlessly. One of my favourites.
FIRST STOP: MUSEO EGIZIO (🏛️). Warning: it’s a very large museum, so if you’re only in Turin for a few days, I wouldn’t necessarily put it at the top of the list. If you do go, I’d suggest a “light” visit — don’t try to read every single caption, just wander and take it all in. But that’s entirely up to you. Alternatively, I’d recommend the ROYAL PALACE (🏛️)— smaller, but still fascinating (you can explore the rooms where the royal family actually lived). Take a quick walk through the Royal Gardens too — they’re free — and if you go all the way through, you’ll catch a glimpse of the Mole.
Or try the MAO, Museum of Oriental Art (🏛️): five sections dedicated to five different cultures, a layout I really like. Every temporary exhibition I’ve seen there has genuinely impressed me.
SECOND STOP: Walk to LAO (🍴 – 🪰🪰), a real Chinese trattoria. They don’t take reservations, so either go for lunch to beat the queue, or be prepared to wait a bit.
Not in the mood for Chinese? Head to POORMANGER (🍴 – 🪰🪰: stuffed potatoes with fresh, seasonal ingredients. For aperitivo, the Quadrilatero area gives you plenty of options, but I always end up at two places: IL MULO (🍷 – 🍴 – 🪰) and LITRO (🍷 – 🍴 – 🪰) — simple, unpretentious spots, popular with young locals and students. For something a bit more refined, try PIATTINI, CAFFÈ VINI (🍷 – 🍴 – 🪰🪰) — though I especially recommend it on a nice day when you can sit outside. Inside it tends to be cramped, and in winter the windows steam up and it gets noisy. The food and wine are excellent though, as always. Order the bread, butter and anchovies — divine.
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- MAO
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- LAO
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- Piattini Caffe Vini’s Brunch
OTHER PLACES
🏛️ MUSEUMS & CULTURE:
- NATURAL SCIENCE MUSEUM: a recent discovery of mine, and a really lovely one. Small (thankfully) and beautifully curated. Right in the city centre, and easily done in an hour. Perfect for an afternoon visit — afterwards you can stop by Piazza Valdo Fusi for a drink and a bite (there’s a jazz club and the Baladin brewery, Turin’s own craft beer).
- CINEMA MUSEUM: This one has a special place in my heart — I went for the first time with my dad and I still remember that day vividly. I go back on slightly melancholic days, to lift my mood. ♡ Inside, there’s a panoramic lift that takes you all the way to the top of the Mole — but there are two very good reasons why I’ve never taken it.
- The view from up there will be beautiful, no question — but the most iconic thing in Turin’s skyline won’t be in it: the Mole itself. It’s the same logic as New York: if you want the perfect view, you don’t go up the Empire State Building — you go up the Rockefeller Center, so the Empire State is actually in your skyline. Take my advice and head to Monte dei Cappuccini for a view that does Turin justice.
- Legend has it that if you’re a university student and you take the lift, you’ll never graduate. The story goes that by rising above Palazzo Nuovo — the main building of the University of Turin — you’re literally overreaching, and the university doesn’t forgive that kind of arrogance. Fun fact: the Cinema Museum actually offers free entry to the lift and the museum for students who have just graduated from the University of Turin. A lovely way to finally tempt fate. As for me — I’ve had my degree for a few years now, but still. You never know. Why risk it.
- CHURCH OF SAN LORENZO in Piazza Castello: ask one of the people who work there to tell you the story of the ceiling… and Satan.
- SALE CHIABLESE: there’s always a good temporary exhibition on.
- CAMERA Italian Centre for Photography: opinions are divided on this one: I personally love the space and think it has enormous potential. Is it always used to its full capacity? I’m not sure. But worth a look.
- TEATRO COLOSSEO: if your Italian is decent, check what’s on and go to a show! Ask me if you’d like recommendations. If you’re just passing through, pop into Via Bidone and look at the installation by Portuguese artist Bordalo II. Stand in the right spot and you’ll make out the figure of a bear, assembled entirely from reclaimed materials — a statement against consumerism and environmental destruction.
- PINACOTECA AGNELLI: a bit of an obvious one, I know, but worth it. The entrance is inside the Lingotto shopping centre. The building was occupied by FIAT in the early decades of the 20th century, up until the 1970s. Inside there’s a ramp that cars used to drive up to reach the workshops directly. What’s truly unique is the rooftop test track — still visitable today, alongside the gallery. The art collection focuses on the contemporary, and exhibitions often expand all the way onto the racetrack itself.
- Head to VIA PALAZZO DI CITTÀ 19 and look up. You’ll notice a piercing on the corner of the building — it’s an artwork by Corrado Levi. The object represents both rebellion and the city of Turin itself (bulls traditionally have a ring through their nose). Look closely and you’ll see that where the piercing meets the building, it bleeds. On one side the drops are blue, because that direction was historically the noble, elite part of the city; on the other side the blood is red, because that’s where the working class, the labourers, the poorer population lived. Nobody ever notices because it’s up high — but if you look up, you have no idea how many beautiful things you’ll find.
- If you’re in PIAZZA CASTELLO and look towards the train station, you’ll see a very tall building on the right. It now belongs to Reale Mutua (a Turin insurance company), but it’s known as the Torre Littoria — or, as locals call it, Mussolini’s Finger. Built in the 1930s, when Italian architecture was dominated by Rationalism (hence the nickname): a movement that stripped away excess and ornamentation, leaving only functional, no-frills structure.
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- Natural Sciences Museum
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- Cinema Museum, my favorite
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- La Grande arte Italiana, Exhibition at Sale Chiablese
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- Teatro Colosseo
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- CAMERA
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- The rooftop test track at Lingotto
🍷🍴🥐 FOOD:
- 🍴 MADAMA PIOLA: in San Salvario. The best. PERIOD.
- 🍷 ISOLA: for good wine and tapas in San Salvario.
- 🍴 CIANCI: a very, very, very no-frills place where you eat Piedmontese food for very little money. No reservations, always a queue. Perfect for a night when you don’t want to spend much. (Quadrilatero)
- 🍴PIZZA: In Turin there are three types:
- Pizza al tegamino — invented right here in Turin, made unique by a double-rise and cooked in a small pan with olive oil, making it thick but crispy. At ALLA BAITA DEI 7 NANI do a great one — a classic Turin pizzeria, small and very relaxed. They also serve farinata, a thin “pizza” made with chickpea flour and water. Absolutely worth trying. (City centre)
- Neapolitan pizza — the kind with a tall, airy crust and a very thin centre. It’s the most common style in the city, and there’s a good reason for that: between the 1950s and 1970s, Turin saw a major wave of migration from southern Italy, driven by FIAT’s expansion and enormous demand for factory workers, which brought a huge amount of southern culture to the city. I’m not personally a Neapolitan pizza fan, but the sheer number of places serving it tells me that it’s just me and two other people who feel that way. If that’s your style, try FRADIAVOLO (it’s a chain, but a good one — fresh Italian ingredients, and I love their charcoal dough, which stays lighter and crispier). They have a fun menu and very friendly staff. I usually go to the one on Piazza Carlina.
- Roman pizza — the rarest to find, and of course, my favourite: thin, entirely crispy, minimal crust, very large. Try BERBERÈ — sourdough, type-1 flour, very good and crunchy, topped with seasonal ingredients. (City centre)
- In Italy, food is taken very seriously — that’s just a fact. Despite enormous progress in recent years, fully vegan dishes are still hard to find integrated into regular restaurant menus. There are places dedicated exclusively to vegan cooking, but they’re relatively rare. Vegetarian is easier — more and more menus now include options that work well for vegetarians.
- 🥐 TAUER BAKERY: a vegan pastry shop, very good, with classic breakfast options and a satisfying brunch. (San Salvario)
- 🍴 VAN VER BURGER: INCREDIBLE. Started as a food truck but recently opened a permanent spot at Via Garibaldi 55. Their burgers are phenomenal: flavourful, juicy, delicious. Even if you’re not vegan, you’ll love them. (City centre)
- 🥐 BAKERY CHICCHI SANI: they specialise in sweets, but you’ll also find crackers and savoury bites that are perfect for a DIY aperitivo at home. It took me three years to realise the whole place is gluten-free.
- 🍷🍴 Gluten-free? Go to FREEDOM, a bakery dedicated entirely to gluten-free options. Not vegan, but with alternatives for vegetarians. You can also go for aperitivo or breakfast. (City centre)
- 🍷 LA DROGHERIA: a great spot for a creative cocktail with a view over Piazza Vittorio. The interior is full of mismatched chairs, all different from one another, and in summer they open a terrace outside — but honestly, this is one of the rare places where I actually prefer sitting inside!
- Il San Simone is Turin’s classic after-dinner digestif. Sweet, light — honestly, even a small glass after lunch won’t hurt anyone. If you’re not flying home immediately, it makes a lovely gift for friends and family.
- BISCUITS: Turin’s iconic biscuits (technically from the Monferrato area) are Krumiri, created in 1878 — the year King Vittorio Emanuele II died — as a tribute to his famous moustache. The other classic is Paste di Melissa, originally from Barge, a town in the province of Cuneo. The best ones come from Casa Vicente, a historic pastry shop that’s a bit of a trek to get to. But if you can find someone to take you, do it. It’s absolutely worth the trip.
- BAR UVA: in Crocetta, you can get a truly outstanding Tropézienne. Worth every bite.
- HIMI: I love Chinese food, and this place serves the real deal. I love Chinese food, and this place serves the real deal. The standout dish is the clay pot rice — the edges get perfectly crispy.
- KIRKUF: a Kurdish restaurant — the best dishes are the daily specials (listed on a separate sheet, not in the main menu). But the real star of the show is the baklava: sticky with honey, loaded with pistachio, sweet of course, but absolutely divine.
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- Madama Piola Plin
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- Himi’s Clay pot rice
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- Berberè pizza
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- Van Ver Burger’s burger
PRACTICAL TIPS:
- 📞 Book restaurants and attractions in advance — always a good idea.
- 🚇 Turin’s metro is beautifully simple: there’s only one line. You can buy tickets at the machines in every station, or pay directly with your card at the designated contactless readers (usually marked in yellow). One fun thing about Turin’s metro: it has no driver, like Paris. It’s worth sitting in the first or last carriage to watch the tunnel unfold in front of you.
- 🎟️ Your metro ticket also works on surface buses, and includes 100 minutes of travel — but if you exit the metro station and need to take it again, you’ll need a new ticket.
- ✨ San Salvario is great, but late at night it’s better to move on to somewhere like Santa Giulia (if you’re under 30), or stick to the more central areas like Via Roma and Piazza Carlina or Quadrilatero.
- 💳 If you’re staying in Turin for several days and planning to visit multiple museums, consider getting an Abbonamento Musei card. Individual museums tend to cost around €10–15 per person; the card costs around €55 (with discounts available — contact me to have 5% of discount). If you’re planning to visit more than five museums, you’ll definitely save money. You need to get it in person at the point of sale on Via Garibaldi, practically in Piazza Castello. The Musei subscription lasts one year, so it could also come in handy if you ever come back to the city. Otherwise, you can get the Torino + Piemonte card, which is day-based: one day costs €30, but bear in mind that the 1-day pass only allows up to 3 museum visits. The 2-day pass at €40 per person is likely the better deal — no limit on museum entries and two full days to explore. In short, my suggestion is: if you live close to Italy, go for the museum membership — you’ll be back, trust me. Otherwise, go with the Torino + Piemonte pass.
- 🦟 If you’re visiting in spring or summer and heading to the Po area, pack mosquito repellent — there are a lot of them.
- ⛲️ Turin has Toret — small fountains that flow with fresh, clean water — so bring a reusable water bottle: you’ll save money and reduce plastic waste.
- 🏙️ Turin has a Roman grid layout, meaning the blocks are square and regular, which makes it very easy to navigate. In a new city you never really get lost — you just discover new places.
- 💶 Italy is a wonderful country with so much going for it — but it has its flaws too. While card payments are the norm pretty much everywhere else in the world, in Italy some places — especially smaller ones like bars, tobacconists and certain restaurants — don’t have a card reader (or conveniently claim it’s broken) and only accept cash. I have zero tolerance for this, and accepting card is one of my non-negotiable criteria for any place I recommend — so everything in this guide should be fine on that front. That said, I’d rather give you a heads up in advance, because… I know what I’m dealing with!
