Eurochocolate 2026 opens on Friday 13 November and fills Perugia's historic centre until Sunday 22 November. It's the thirty-second edition of Italy's best-known chocolate festival, and this year's guest region is Calabria. For ten days the city's squares and main streets are packed with stalls, tastings and workshops: an event well worth the trip, especially if you approach it with a bit of strategy.
When to go to Eurochocolate 2026
The festival runs for ten days and spans two weekends, 14-15 and 21-22 November, which are also the busiest days. If you have the choice, it's worth aiming for a weekday: you'll walk more easily, taste at a leisurely pace and find parking more easily. The full programme with times, events and workshops is published on the official Eurochocolate website, while the event page on Umbria Tourism can help you plan the rest of the trip.
How to get to Eurochocolate and around Perugia
Perugia is a hilltop city, and its historic centre is largely closed to traffic. The most convenient option is to leave the car in one of the car parks at the foot of the city and take the Minimetrò, the small automated metro that reaches Pincetto, just steps from Corso Vannucci, in a few minutes. Those arriving by train can catch it directly from Fontivegge station.
What to see in Perugia between one stall and the next
Corso Vannucci and the Fontana Maggiore
The heart of Perugia is its living room, Corso Vannucci, which runs from Piazza Italia to Piazza IV Novembre. Here you'll find the Fontana Maggiore, with its panels carved in the 13th century, the Palazzo dei Priori and the Cathedral of San Lorenzo. It's a stroll well worth taking even with your mouth full of chocolate.
The Rocca Paolina, the city beneath the city
Beneath Piazza Italia lies one of Italy's most surprising places: the Rocca Paolina, the fortress commissioned by Pope Paul III in the 16th century, which swallowed up an entire medieval quarter. Today you can cross it via escalators, walking through streets and stone houses that remain underground. An experience that leaves both adults and children open-mouthed.
The Casa del Cioccolato Perugina
Perugia's relationship with chocolate goes well beyond the festival: this is where Baci Perugina were born, in 1922. On the outskirts of the city, at the San Sisto plant, the Casa del Cioccolato tells this story through a museum and a guided tour. Visits are by booking only: details are on the italia.it page and on the Perugina website.
Three day trips around Perugia
Lake Trasimeno
Just half an hour's drive away, Trasimeno is the perfect trip to work off some of the sweets. In November the light on the lake is soft and the villages are quiet: Passignano, Castiglione del Lago and Castel Rigone can be explored at a leisurely pace.
Assisi, just a step away
Assisi can already be seen from the hills of Perugia, lying on the slopes of Monte Subasio. The Basilica of San Francesco and the pink-stone streets are less than half an hour away by car: a half-day trip that completely changes the tone of the weekend.
Deruta, the ceramics village
South of Perugia, Deruta is famous worldwide for its hand-painted majolica. The craft workshops along the main street and the ceramics museum are perfect for anyone wanting to bring home a souvenir rather different from a bar of chocolate.
Our trip: Umbria told first-hand
Umbria is one of the regions we've covered many times on Una gita fuoriporta. We've cycled along the shores of Trasimeno with the "I Borghi più Belli d'Italia" cycle tour, taking in Passignano, Castel Rigone and Città della Pieve, and tasted our way through Valnerina, with the black truffle of Diamante Nero di Scheggino. A region best discovered at the table rather than on a map.
Behind every Una gita fuoriporta guide lies a precise method. David Romano, the face and host of the series broadcast on Sky, on digital terrestrial and on demand, personally tries out the experiences we then share, on TV and here on the website. Across 8 seasons and more than 140 episodes we've travelled through 17 Italian regions, and every time the goal is the same: to give you the information you need before you set off. That's how Una gita fuoriporta, born as a TV series and now a travel magazine, has become a go-to reference for anyone looking for their next destination.
Practical tips for Eurochocolate 2026
- Choose a weekday if you can: at weekends the centre is extremely crowded.
- Leave the car outside the centre and take the Minimetrò or the escalators up.
- Wear comfortable shoes: Perugia is all uphill and downhill stretches.
- Bring a cool bag if you want to buy chocolate to take home.
- Book in advance for guided tours, workshops and the Casa del Cioccolato.
- Check the official programme before you set off: events and times may change.
And to choose your next destination, on our website you'll find all the episodes of Una gita fuoriporta available to watch on demand.
Frequently asked questions about Eurochocolate 2026
When is Eurochocolate 2026?
From 13 to 22 November 2026, in Perugia's historic centre.
Is there an entry fee for Eurochocolate?
Access to the festival's squares is free. Tastings, workshops and some events may have a charge: check the official programme.
How do you get to Eurochocolate without a car?
By train to Perugia Fontivegge station, then by Minimetrò to the historic centre.
What to see in Perugia in a day?
Corso Vannucci, the Fontana Maggiore, Piazza IV Novembre with the Palazzo dei Priori and the Cathedral, and the Rocca Paolina beneath Piazza Italia.