Day trip

Urbino day trip from Pesaro: Ducal Palace, Raphael's House and how to get there

Updated 1 November 2026. Raphael's home town is less than an hour from Pesaro: how to get there by car or bus, where to park, what to see and an itinerary so you miss nothing.

Why Urbino is worth the trip

Urbino is a small walled town in the hills, with a historic centre listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here Duke Federico da Montefeltro built one of the finest palaces of the Renaissance, and here Raphael was born. Distances in the centre are short, but almost everything is uphill: it is a town to explore on foot, without hurrying.

How to get there from Pesaro

By car. Leave Pesaro heading inland and follow the SS423 Urbinate road up the Foglia valley through Montecchio. It is about 35 kilometres, roughly 40-50 minutes; the last stretch climbs with a few bends. Check the route on a map on the day.

By bus. Urbino has no railway station: from Pesaro, Adriabus intercity buses leave from the railway station area and take just under an hour, usually arriving at the Borgo Mercatale or Santa Lucia terminal. Buses are frequent on weekdays and fewer on holidays; at school times they can be crowded. Times, lines and tickets change, so check them on adriabus.eu before you go. To reach the station from the centre, read getting around Pesaro without a car.

Where to park

The centre inside the walls is a limited traffic zone, so you leave the car outside. Borgo Mercatale is the car park below the Ducal Palace: from there you walk up the spiral ramp designed by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, a covered helix leading towards the centre, or along Corso Garibaldi. The multi-storey Santa Lucia car park is linked to the centre by lifts, which are occasionally out of order. Rates are hourly and may change: check them on site.

Ducal Palace and National Gallery of the Marche

This is the main reason for the trip. Inside the palace is the National Gallery of the Marche, with works that alone are worth the journey: Piero della Francesca's Flagellation and Senigallia Madonna, Raphael's portrait of a lady known as La Muta, and the panel of the Ideal City. Don't miss Duke Federico's Studiolo, lined with wooden inlays that create illusionistic perspectives, and the main courtyard. Allow at least two hours. The Gallery is normally closed on Mondays: hours and tickets are on gallerianazionalemarche.it. If you enjoy this kind of visit, Pesaro has its own Ducal Palace on Piazza del Popolo.

Raphael's birthplace

On Via Raffaello, the steep street climbing from Piazza della Repubblica, stands the house where Raphael was born in 1483. You see the birth room, the workshop of his father Giovanni Santi, also a painter, and an early fresco attributed to Raphael. It is run by the Accademia Raffaello: check hours and tickets on casaraffaello.com.

Cathedral, oratories and Albornoz Fortress

Cathedral: next to the Ducal Palace, with its neoclassical façade and diocesan museum. Oratory of San Giovanni: a Gothic hall entirely frescoed in the early 15th century by the Salimbeni brothers, with stories of St John the Baptist and a large Crucifixion. Oratory of San Giuseppe, a few steps away: home to Federico Brandani's life-size stucco nativity scene from the 16th century. The oratories have their own hours and a separate ticket. Finally, walk up to the Albornoz Fortress in the Parco della Resistenza: from the lawn you see the whole skyline with the towers of the Ducal Palace, Urbino's most photographed view.

A one-day itinerary

• Morning: arrive at Borgo Mercatale, walk up the spiral ramp and visit the Ducal Palace at opening time, when it is quieter.
• Lunch: crescia sfogliata in the centre.
• Early afternoon: the Cathedral, then Via Raffaello up to Raphael's House.
• Afternoon: the oratories of San Giovanni and San Giuseppe, then the Albornoz Fortress for the view before heading back.

What to eat: crescia sfogliata

In Urbino you eat crescia sfogliata, a layered flatbread, soft and flaky, cooked on a griddle and filled with cured meats, cheese or sautéed greens. Many places in the centre serve it: perfect for a quick lunch between museums. For coastal food, read what to eat in Pesaro.

Practical tips

• Comfortable shoes: streets are steep and partly paved with stone; with pushchairs or limited mobility, ask about lifts in advance.
• Avoid Mondays if you want to see the Ducal Palace: the Gallery is normally closed.
• In winter Urbino is cooler and windier than Pesaro: bring an extra layer.
• Always check museum and bus times on the official sites: they change with the seasons.

Starting from Cortirola

Cortirola Luxury Apartment is at Via Cortirola 8, in the historic centre of Pesaro: by car you are on the road to Urbino in a few minutes, with the private garage waiting on your return; on foot you reach the station area for the bus. A perfect trip to pair with the San Bartolo Panoramic Road during a stay of a few days.

Read also: Cortirola Luxury Apartment · San Bartolo Panoramic Road · All guides