What is the Torino Magica esoteric tour like, and is it worth booking?
5 min read
Short answer: book the Torino Magica guided tour if you have already done, or plan to skip, the standard sights and want Turin’s legends, symbols and odd corners instead. If you want the big museums and palaces explained, take the small-group walking tour of the city highlights instead.
It is one of the most-reviewed tours in Turin, with 1,690 ratings averaging 4.6 stars, so plenty of people have booked it and most were pleased. The listing says it was created by Somewhere Tour & Events and calls it the original Turin esoteric tour.
What you actually do
According to the booking page, the tour runs for 2 to 2.5 hours and starts at Piazza Statuto, a square the page describes as the “heart of darkness”. From there it moves through the stories attached to the city: the Cathedral façade, where the Holy Shroud is kept, the so-called Devil’s Door, hidden Masonic symbols, and the legends of the city guardians. The page says you see the façade of the Cathedral, so do not expect a visit to the Shroud itself.
It is not a museum tour, and it is not purely on foot. The page lists a private transfer among its features, and reviewers mention a coach or taxi for part of the route. Ask or look on the booking page for the exact arrangements on your date.
The page lists live guides in Italian, English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish, with German, Spanish and French shown as private-group options. Check which language is actually running on your date before you pay.
See availability and prices for the Torino Magica tour
Four ways to see the odd side of Turin
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Torino Magica guided tour | 2 – 2.5 hours | €55 | 4.6 (1,690) | legends, symbols, the odd side of the city |
| Underground tunnels guided tour | 2.5 – 3 hours | €55 | 4.7 (672) | 18th-century tunnels, WWII shelters |
| Private Holy Shroud walking tour | 3 hours | €230 | 4.8 (73) | a focused story about the relic |
| Small-group walking tour of the highlights | 2 hours | €39 | 4.8 (1,009) | a first orientation |
Which one is for you
The Torino Magica tour and the underground tour answer different curiosities. The first is about stories above ground; the tunnels tour goes into 18th-century passages and the shelters used in the Second World War. Our underground Turin guide compares it in detail. Doing both in one trip is possible, but they are each two to three hours.
The Holy Shroud walk is a private tour: the listing offers a three-hour walk on the relic’s mystery and controversy. Look at the booking page to see what its price covers and how many people it allows before you compare it with the group tours.
See availability and prices for the underground tunnels tour
Who should skip it
Skip the esoteric tour if you want facts about architecture and royal history rather than legend, if you are bothered by tours that lean on folklore, or if you are short of time. At least one reviewer notes that the metro had already stopped when the tour ended, so check the start time and plan your way back before you book.
Our one-day itinerary is the better starting point for a first, daylight visit.
Our pick
For most visitors with a spare two and a half hours, the Torino Magica tour is the more distinctive of the group tours. For a very first day, start with the walking highlights tour and keep Torino Magica for a second one.
