Tours in Turin

Walk under the arcades in Turin on a wet afternoon and you will understand the city. The porticoes run on for streets at a time, so you can cross from one café to the next without opening an umbrella. Stop at one of the old cafés for a bicerin, the layered mix of coffee, chocolate and cream, and do what the locals do: drink it slowly, standing or perched, and watch the street.

The centre is laid out in straight lines, which makes it easy to read. Piazza Castello is the hinge of it, with the Palazzo Reale on one side and the Palazzo Madama in the middle, and the long avenues fanning out from there. Via Po leads you down to the river, and the Po is where Turin goes in the evening, along the banks and across to the hill with its church looking back over the roofs. On a clear day the Alps sit at the end of the streets, which still surprises people on the second morning.

This is a city that photographs well, and that is worth leaning into. The arcades, the square with its grand facades, the narrow lanes behind the main avenues, the river light at the end of the day: all of it sits within a short stroll. If you would like to come home with pictures of yourself in it rather than just of it, a session with a local photographer starting from Piazza Castello is an easy way to do that, and it works for couples, families and solo travellers alike.

Turin also rewards the curious. The Mole Antonelliana, with its tall spire over the skyline, houses the cinema museum. The Egyptian Museum is a serious stop for anyone who likes objects with stories. The Basilica di Superga, the Royal Palace of Venaria and the Lingotto building are all things people ask about, and if you want a guide for any of them, you can request one.