The Sassi Superga railway is a historic rack tram from Sassi station in eastern Turin to the Basilica of Superga. Under the 2026 summer timetable, most departures are hourly, Wednesday is closed, and the last descent varies sharply by day: 18:30 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 23:30 on Saturdays through the end of September, and 20:30 on Sundays and public holidays. Buy at Sassi, and do not assume a return ticket reserves a particular downhill departure.
Current 2026 timetable at a glance
GTT’s summer timetable valid from 27 June 2026 is straightforward once you spot one easily missed detail: although the weekday grid is headed Monday to Friday, Wednesday is the weekly closure day.
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: uphill from Sassi hourly from 10:00 to 18:00; downhill from Superga hourly from 10:30 to 18:30.
- Wednesday: rack tram closed.
- Saturday, through the end of September: uphill hourly from 09:00 to 23:00; downhill hourly from 09:30 to 23:30.
- Sunday and public holidays: uphill hourly from 09:00 to 20:00; downhill hourly from 09:30 to 20:30.
The scheduled journey takes about 18 minutes. A departure shown as 18:30 from Superga therefore reaches Sassi at about 18:48. The time that matters when you are on the hill is the departure from Superga, not the time the vehicle reaches the bottom.
GTT publishes changes and special openings on its official Sassi-Superga page. Check it again shortly before visiting, particularly if your trip falls around a holiday or after the end of September.
Seasonal service is more than an earlier closing time
Do not assume the summer pattern simply continues all year. GTT changes both operating days and hours by season, and maintenance periods can remove the rack tram altogether.
For example, the winter timetable beginning in November 2025 operated only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, with uphill departures from 10:00 to 18:00 and the final descent at 18:30. The service then underwent maintenance works in early 2026 and returned on 3 April 2026.
That previous winter schedule is useful as a warning, not as a promise for the next winter. In particular, the 23:30 Saturday descent advertised for summer 2026 is explicitly a service extension through the end of September. Do not build an October or winter evening around it until GTT publishes the timetable covering your date.
Where to go at Sassi
The lower terminus is the historic Sassi station in Piazza Gustavo Modena, beside Corso Casale. This is not one of Turin’s mainline railway stations. Look for signs referring to Tranvia Sassi-Superga or Stazione Sassi.
From elsewhere in Turin, GTT lists tram 15 and buses 61 and 68 as the main city connections. The nearby surface stops are named Sassi Superga, at Corso Casale 327 and 332/B. Extra-urban line 3107 also serves the area. Drivers have parking near the beginning of Strada Superga.
Once at the terminus, go into the station building. The ticket office is inside. Do not stand at the nearby ordinary bus stop expecting to buy the rack-tram ticket there.
Ticket prices and how buying works
The rack tram uses its own tourist fare rather than an ordinary Turin City ticket. Current standard fares published by GTT are:
- Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays: €4 one way or €6 return.
- Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: €6 one way or €9 return.
GTT accepts cash, debit cards and credit cards at ticketing. A one-way ticket can also be bought from the automatic machines at Sassi while the station is open.
There are several reduced fares. A €4 return fare applies on non-holiday weekdays to passengers over 65 and qualifying school groups. The same €4 return price is available every operating day to several categories including holders of a valid Torino+Piemonte Card, Abbonamento Musei Piemonte Valle d’Aosta, qualifying annual GTT passes covering zone U and Junior cards. Children under six can travel free under GTT’s conditions, generally one child for each paying passenger.
Your ticket is not a timed seat reservation
This catches some visitors out. GTT states that a ticket entitles you to board the first available departure. Reserved groups have boarding priority.
That means a walk-up ticket should not be treated like a seat reservation on an intercity train. On a busy weekend or holiday, arrive comfortably before the departure you want. If capacity becomes an issue, missing one hourly departure can turn a small delay into a much longer wait.
The same logic matters at the summit. If getting back to Turin at a particular time is important, do not leave the basilica grounds with only a couple of minutes to reach your planned descent.
What the ride itself looks like
The line climbs about 3.1 kilometres from Sassi to Superga using a central rack rail. The scheduled trip takes roughly 18 minutes, so this is a short transport ride rather than a half-day scenic railway excursion.
Most visitors remain aboard from one terminus to the other. The timetable also lists three intermediate stops, 1° Galleria, Raddoppio and Pian Gambino, which are served on request. If you genuinely need one of them, confirm the procedure with staff rather than assuming the vehicle automatically stops everywhere.
The last ride down is the time to plan first
The safest way to organize Superga is backwards. Decide which descent you intend to take, then work out how much time you have at the top.
On ordinary Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday service, the last rack tram leaves Superga at 18:30. During the summer extension, Saturday is dramatically later at 23:30. Sunday and public-holiday service ends with the 20:30 descent.
If the hill visit is part of a larger Turin day, you can build your Italy itinerary around museums, meals and the trip up to Superga, but make the downhill departure the fixed point. It is much easier to shorten a museum visit than to invent another rack tram after the service has finished.
If you miss the final rack tram
Your backup depends heavily on the day.
Monday to Saturday: check bus 79/
GTT’s current 79/ timetable serves the Basilica di Superga Cap. stop in the piazzale outside the basilica complex and runs down toward Sassi. During the September 2026 timetable, downhill departures include 20:30 and 21:30 on Monday to Saturday. That makes the bus a genuine later fallback after the 18:30 rack-tram closure on an ordinary weekday.
Check the current 79/ timetable for your actual date before relying on those times. The bus timetable is seasonal too.
Saturday is different. The summer rack tram itself runs until 23:30, while the scheduled 79/ service finishes earlier. If you miss the 23:30 tram, the bus is not a later rescue option.
Wednesday: use the bus instead of waiting for the tram
Wednesday is the tramway’s normal weekly closure under the current summer timetable. GTT specifically directs passengers to bus 79/ as the alternative connection between Sassi and Superga. If you arrive at Sassi on a Wednesday and find the rails quiet, this is usually the first service to check rather than waiting an hour for a departure that is not coming.
Sunday and public holidays: Superga Express is not a later rescue
In 2026 GTT introduced the experimental Superga Express on Sundays and public holidays, linking the Basilica directly with Piazza Vittorio Veneto and replacing the holiday version of line 79/.
The important catch is its final departure from Superga: 20:20. The rack tram’s final holiday descent is 20:30. In other words, the Express does not save you if you have already missed the last tram.
If both scheduled public-transport options have finished, plan on a taxi or private pickup. Treat any bus trip as a separate journey and check the required GTT fare rather than assuming an unused rack-tram return automatically covers another service.
Luggage, wheelchairs and bicycles
For ordinary bags, GTT’s general surface-transport rules allow up to two pieces per passenger, each no larger than 80 x 50 x 50 cm, provided they do not obstruct passengers. Even within those limits, large rolling suitcases are awkward on a heritage outing and are best left at your accommodation if Superga is a sightseeing trip rather than a transfer.
Wheelchair access needs more preparation. GTT’s line-specific information says passengers using wheelchairs can travel with assistance from two accompanying people and asks for advance notice on 011 5764733. If step-free access is essential, contact GTT before travelling rather than discovering the arrangement at boarding time.
Bicycles have their own special rules. GTT permits up to three bikes on a single motor car for the uphill journey, or up to six when the dedicated bicycle wagon is operating, in which case downhill carriage is also possible. Each bicycle requires a one-way ticket, and GTT warns that bikes may not be accepted during heavy passenger demand. The operator recommends calling 348 6995175 in advance with the intended departure time.
A sensible return strategy
If you have an evening train, restaurant booking or other fixed commitment in central Turin, take the rack tram one departure earlier than the absolute last one you could theoretically use. The service is hourly, booked groups can receive priority, and seasonal changes matter far more here than on a frequent city tram.
Before heading uphill, photograph or bookmark the day’s downhill times. At Superga, read ritorno as the return journey and look for departures from Superga toward Sassi. Most importantly, recheck GTT whenever your visit falls after September, during winter, on a public holiday or after a service notice. The last descent is only useful if it actually runs on your date.