Aosta in a day
Plans for one day in Aosta: the Roman bridge and the Arch of Augustus, the collegiate church of Sant'Orso with its Romanesque cloister, Via Sant'Anselmo to the double Roman gate of the Porta Praetoria and the tall wall of the Roman Theatre in the morning, then Piazza Chanoux, the underground Cryptoporticus, the cathedral beside it and the Regional Archaeological Museum after lunch. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 1 days
Aosta in 1 day
Day 1
Pont de Pierre (Roman bridge), Aosta
Single-arched Roman bridge of the first century BC; the river has since moved, so it now spans a dry bed.
Arch of Augustus, Aosta
Roman triumphal arch of 25 BC marking the founding of Augusta Praetoria, standing on its own at the east end of town.
Collegiate church of Sant'Orso and cloister
Medieval church with eleventh-century frescoes and a Romanesque cloister whose carved capitals tell Bible stories and local legends.
Via Sant'Anselmo
The old town's main street from the Porta Praetoria towards the Arch of Augustus, with shops, cafés and local produce.
Porta Praetoria, Aosta
Roman east gate of the city, a double gateway of large stone blocks whose arches are still the way into the old town.
Roman Theatre, Aosta
Remains of a Roman theatre whose tall arched south wall still rises over the old town, with the mountains behind.
Piazza Chanoux
Aosta's main square, lined with cafés around the town hall, a good place for a break and a plate of fontina.
Cryptoporticus of the Forum, Aosta
Cool underground double gallery of the Roman forum beside the cathedral, a quiet and atmospheric space of stone arches.
Aosta Cathedral
Cathedral on the site of the Roman forum, with medieval floor mosaics, carved choir stalls and a treasury of church art.
Regional Archaeological Museum, Aosta (MAR)
The regional archaeological museum on Piazza Roncas, with finds from prehistoric and Roman Aosta and the excavated remains of a Roman gate.
Watch: Aosta
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Aosta
Late spring to early autumn brings warm days and cool evenings, the best time for walking in town and in the valleys around. Winter is cold but often sunny, with skiing at Pila above the town, and the Fiera di Sant'Orso craft fair fills the streets on 30 and 31 January. The final of the Bataille des Reines, the valley's cow contests, is held in Aosta in October.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Aosta on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Aosta on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Aosta on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Italy from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Aosta
- One combined ticket covers the Roman Theatre, the Cryptoporticus and the other Roman sites; buy it at the first site you visit.
- The Roman sites and the archaeological museum close for a break at lunchtime; see the Roman Theatre in the morning and eat before the afternoon stops.
- Aosta is bilingual, so street names and signs are in Italian and French; the old town is flat and easy on foot.
- A cable car from the edge of town climbs to Pila, for mountain walks in summer and skiing in winter, if you have extra time.
- Try fontina, the valley's cheese, melted in a fonduta, with a glass of local Valle d'Aosta wine.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Aosta Cathedral: Laurom, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Arch of Augustus, Aosta: Agnello, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Collegiate church of Sant'Orso and cloister: Original uploader was Laurom at it.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cryptoporticus of the Forum, Aosta: Valeria Bonora, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Piazza Chanoux: Luca Aless, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Pont de Pierre (Roman bridge), Aosta: Lysippos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Roman Theatre, Aosta: Luigi Chiesa, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
