Assisi is explored on foot, through stone alleys, flights of steps and views over the valley: a town made for walking, on four legs too. With a little care: the rules on leads and muzzles, the places where dogs are welcome and those where it is better to ask first. Here is what we checked against official sources, with tips from Agriturismo La Mora, where Gemelli and Sagittario welcome guests travelling with their dog.
At a glance
- Lead
- maximum 1.50 m in towns and public places
- Muzzle
- carry one, to use if there is a risk
- Bosco di San Francesco (FAI)
- dogs allowed, always on a lead
- Basilicas
- official websites give no rules on dogs: ask first
- Monte Subasio
- Eremo delle Carceri 12.2 km from La Mora
- From La Mora
- Piazza del Comune 6.8 km · about 14 min
Visiting Assisi with your dog? Gemelli and Sagittario have a private garden: check availability.
Leads, muzzles and bags: the rules
Throughout Italy, the Ministry of Health's 2013 ordinance on protecting the public from dogs applies, extended several times: the latest extension, of July 2026, prolongs it for twelve months from 5 September 2026. Anyone walking a dog must:
- always use a lead no longer than 1.50 metres in urban areas and places open to the public;
- carry a muzzle, rigid or soft, to put on the dog if there is a risk;
- pick up after the dog in town and carry the means to do so.
We found no additional rules on dogs on the website of the Comune di Assisi.
Getting into the centre
The historic centre is largely a limited traffic zone: you park outside and walk up. The car park nearest the Basilica of St. Francis is Giovanni Paolo II; the one nearest Santa Chiara is at Porta Nuova. From La Mora, Piazza del Comune is 6.8 km away, about 14 minutes by car.
The streets are stone, often uphill and stepped. In summer the stone heats up: go out early in the morning or late in the afternoon, with a bowl and a bottle of water in your backpack.
Churches and museums: ask first
The official websites of the basilicas of St. Francis, Santa Chiara and Santa Maria degli Angeli publish no rules on animals, and neither does the official page of the Rocca Maggiore. Ask the staff before going in; if there are two of you, take turns while the other waits outside with the dog.
The only explicit rule we found concerns the church of Santa Croce, inside the Bosco di San Francesco: FAI admits only guide dogs and assistance dogs there.
Stay 6.8 km from Piazza del Comune
About 14 minutes by car (Google Maps). Assisi on foot with your dog, then the countryside and a private garden.
The Bosco di San Francesco: dogs welcome on a lead
The best place for a walk together is the Bosco di San Francesco, run by FAI, which says it plainly: 'Dogs are admitted, always on a lead.' It is a 1.5 km sloping path with a natural surface and a few steps, running below the Basilica through olive groves and woodland to Michelangelo Pistoletto's Third Paradise. You enter from the square of the Upper Basilica or from the Santa Croce complex.
From 25 October 2026 to 6 January 2027 the Bosco is open from 10:00 to 16:00, with last entry at 14:00; it is closed on Mondays, from 24 to 26 December and on 1 January. A full ticket costs €6; FAI's page lists no tickets for dogs.
On foot to San Damiano
From Porta Nuova, follow the sign 'Santuario San Damiano': according to the sanctuary, it is about 10 minutes on foot from the car park, among the olive trees below the town. The church is reserved for silent prayer: here too, one of you goes in while the other stays outside with the dog.
On Monte Subasio
For a longer walk, head up Monte Subasio, the regional park above Assisi: the Eremo delle Carceri, where the main trails begin, is 12.2 km from La Mora, about 20 minutes by car.
The park regulations published by the Umbria Region provide that dogs must be registered with the dog registry and kept on a lead no longer than 1.5 metres, must never be left to roam, and that you pick up after them along the trails. The Region also recommends not letting dogs chase roe deer and other wild animals.
After the walk
In the evening, back to the countryside. At La Mora the Gemelli and Sagittario apartments, on the ground floor, each have their own private garden and welcome your dog for a supplement of €25 per stay; in the shared areas of the property pets must be kept on a lead.
Frequently asked questions about Assisi with your dog
Can you take your dog into churches in Assisi?
The basilicas' official websites give no rules on animals: ask the staff before going in. In the church of Santa Croce, inside the Bosco di San Francesco, FAI admits only guide and assistance dogs.
Are dogs allowed in the Bosco di San Francesco?
Yes: FAI admits them, always on a lead.
How long can the lead be?
No more than 1.50 metres in urban areas and places open to the public, under the Ministry of Health's ordinance, extended until September 2027.
Do you need a muzzle?
The ordinance says to carry one and use it if there is a risk; some places, such as the Marmore Falls, always require it.
Which La Mora apartments accept dogs?
Gemelli and Sagittario, on the ground floor with a private garden, for a supplement of €25 per stay.
Assisi on foot with your dog, the countryside in the evening.
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Last checked: 21 October 2026. Opening times, prices and rules of the places mentioned can change: always check the official websites before you go.
