Walking Holidays in Italy
Taking Italy step by step means you can make the most out of landscape where there is simply so much to absorb yourself in. Following Italy’s hiking routes, you’ll find towns, villages and great swathes of rolling countryside steeped in history, culture and the deep-rooted traditions of the local people.
Wonderful Walks in Italy
Kown as "Bel Paese" - the beautiful country
With more UNESCO world heritage sites than anywhere on Earth, you’ll experience a profound sense of diversity between each region, with the geography, culture and cuisine promising much in the way of discovery. From the vineyards of Piedmont and Tuscany to the clifftop routes of the Western coast and Puglia, walking in Italy offers the chance to take a breather, tune out and enjoy the picturesque surroundings of Bella Italia.
Overview
Italy's Paths
From the alpine, vineyard paths of the north, the quiet country lanes of Tuscany and the clifftop paths of the south, walking Italy is the insider's tip for seeing the best of a beautiful country without the crowds and queuing that comes with its popular status. Although Italy is not commonly thought of as a hiking destination, the country in fact holds a comprehensive network of trails, and you could argue that visiting Italy becomes a more magical experience once you leave the city, with the traditional life and landscape of the countryside open for discovery. Routes have their background in the life of the area, with ancient droving trails or 'Traturri' formerly used by shepherds and clifftop paths formerly used for trading between the area’s villages.
When to Walk
Italy enjoys some of the most radiant weather found while travelling in Europe, and there’s a great deal of diversity in climate to be found across its provinces. Before you set off, it's best practice to consider a number of factors that could impact your walking experience.
If you’re planning on setting off during July and August, you may wish to consider walking in Piedmont, with the alpine area being considerably less sweltering than its more southerly neighbours, as well as less busy overall. Although this is especially the case in Amalfi and the Cinque Terre National Park, you may find that taking to the hiking trails promises a more peaceful and natural environment than the area’s busy beaches.
How to Get to Italy
The most common means of getting to the start of a walk is by flight to a major airport, with a connecting train, bus or taxi to your starting point further out into the country.
Celtic Trails transports all luggage, and books all accommodation and taxi transfers as standard. Transport to and from the start of your walk is not included, but we are more than happy to advise on the best ways to get there.
By Plane – As you may expect from a country with a booming tourist industry, flights to and from Italy are frequent and cover broad swathes of the country. There are frequent internal flight to smaller airports, though you’ll find that the range of airports being visited by international destinations is greater than ever.
If you’re travelling from the UK, you can expect your flight to take around 2-3 hours. Visitors from the US can expect a flight to Italy to last around 11-13 hours, and from Australia, approximately 20-22 hours.
By Train – Taking a train from most places in the UK and the continent will necessitate taking a journey over two days. That being said, it is possible to travel from London to Turin (in the north, between Genoa and Milan) over the course of a single day.
Travel Documents
EU citizens are free to visit Italy for any length of time with just their passport, Americans, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, etc. can stay for up to 90 days.
Most non-EU citizens will not require a visa to enter Italy, it is however best policy to check your travel status first.
Italy Client Reviews
4.6/5 based on 56 reviews
"Very well organised well chosen accommodation and walks"
"Yes would recommend to a friend"
"We found the entire experience hassle-free and enjoyable. Nathan was quite helpful and responsive to questions/requests."
"This is the fifth walk I have done with Celtic Trails (the 4th for my wife) and the 3rd that involved S-Cape. We are getting older so we have to be much more selective in the walks we can do, but we are already reviewing some possibilities. The app is great and it is good to have the paper back-up maps and way-point descriptions."
"Celtic Trails are well organised & reliable"
"Great customer service with excellent walking instructions/directions/maps with photos of accommodations which was most helpful."
"I told my brother that Celtic Trail was go0d with communication and made many good hotel choices"
"This is the best service you will get from a travel company. They really understand your needs."
"This was our 2nd walk with Celtic Trails. Like the last one it was a great "reset" in our busy lives. Time for reflection and connection."