As a holiday destination, Italy needs little introduction—it's regularly in the top five most-visited countries in the world, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, and boasts more UNESCO World Heritage Sites (59!) than any other place on the planet.
"Italy boasts more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country in the world"
Whatever kind of travel you're into—from city breaks to all-action adventure trips—you'll find something about the country to love. But for our money, the best way to experience Italy in a short space of time, is by taking a walking holiday.
Why Choose Italy for Your Walking Holiday?
You could make a case for walking holidays in France or Spain, but I'd argue that Italy is the best place for walking holidays in Europe, if not the world. There are countless pieces of evidence you could present to make that case (you could fill a book with discussions of the delights of Tuscany alone) but really it comes down to two things: the incredible culture and the country's unrivalled natural beauty.
Italy's History and Culture is Unrivalled
With Rome at its centre, Italy was home to the world's most famous empire for around 1,000 years. Later, of course, Italy was the home of the Renaissance, and the evidence of its pivotal role in world history is everywhere. Who wouldn't want to punctuate a walking holiday with a visit to Florence to see Michelangelo's David, a trip to the ancient Colosseum in Rome, or a stroll through the well-preserved streets of Pompeii?
"Who wouldn't want to taste regional delicacies like palle del nonno (literally "grandad's balls") a variation on salami that's popular in Umbria?"
Those are just the headline names, of course—almost anywhere you walk in Italy, you can find ancient ruins, or pretty medieval towns. Italy's not just about the past either—from the afrobeats clubs of Naples to the high fashion houses of Milan, 21st century Italian culture continues to punch above its weight in the worlds of art, music, architecture, and design.
Italy's food and wine is of course revered around the world, but the nation that gave the world pasta, pizzas, and cappuccinos has thousands of other, less well-known regional specialties that are well worth tasting too.
From strangolapreti (or "priest stranglers") a kind of dumpling served in the Dolomites, to palle del nonno (literally "grandad's balls") a variation on salami that's popular in Umbria, despite its appearance.
Italy's Scenery is Second to None
Italy's geography might have been designed with walking and hiking enthusiasts in mind. It boasts the longest coastline in Europe, and has more of the Alps within its territory than any other country apart from Austria (27.2 percent of the range falls in Italian territory, compared to Austria's 28.7 percent. France is third, with 21.4 percent).
"Italy has Europe's longest coastline, and more Alpine terrain than either France or Switzerland"
The Apennine range, which runs down the spine of the peninsula and tops out at 2,912m, offers further incredible mountain-scapes, criss-crossed by ancient paths that are perfect for exploring on foot. Meanwhile the country's various islands—from Sicily in the south, to Sardinia, or Elba off the coast of Tuscany—are each unique in their own, spectacular way.
Traditional hilltop towns can be found throughout Italy, and the country's coasts are regularly punctuated by picturesque fishing villages. But the real highlights of the Italian landscape are provided by mother nature herself—from the towering pinnacles of the Dolomites in northern Italy, to the rugged coast of Calabria in the south.
Where are the Best Walking Holidays in Italy?
The short answer is pretty much everywhere, but we can't list all 110 provinces here, so we've picked five of our favourite areas for walking holidays in Italy—a mixture of classics (with some tips for avoiding the crowds) and lesser-known spots.
Walking in the Italian Dolomites: Challenging Trails in The World's most Spectacular Mountains
With their striking, red rock pinnacles, the Dolomites are among the most beautiful mountains in the world. There are nine mountain groups which make up the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage site, and all of them are criss-crossed by walking trails designed to suit all ability and mobility levels—from the challenging, multi-day Alta Via routes, to the accessible paths of the Trentino Open program, designed specifically for wheelchairs and handcycles.
Infrastructure is second to none in this part of Italy—the trails are all well signed, and there's an extensive network of rifugii, or "mountain huts" which offer half-board accommodation. These make multi-day walking holidays easy to organise. If you fancy making your hike a little more extreme, you can also add in sections of via ferrata—the bolted climbs and ladders up rock faces which were invented in the Dolomites.
Insider tips for walking holidays in the Dolomites:
• The mountain huts are amazing, with three course meals served even at 2,000m. But huts on the popular routes are often full in July and August, so make sure you book in advance.
• Easily accessible trails in famous spots like the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Alpe di Siusi or the Gruppo del Sassolungo can suffer from overcrowding. The Dolomiti di Brenta or the Pale di San Martino group in Trentino offer views that are just as spectacular, with fewer people.
• The Trentino provincial website and the Süd Tirol provincial website have more info on walking holidays in the Dolomites, including route suggestions.
Walking holidays in Umbria: Undiscovered Villages and Scenic Countryside
The easiest way to sum up Umbria is "Tuscany, but without the crowds". If your idea of a walking holiday in Italy is strolling through rolling hills, topped with picturesque villages, then this province, slap bang in the middle of the country, is well worth a look.
The main spine of the Apennine range, which bisects the Italian peninsula from north to south, runs to the east of the province, and there are some pretty serious peaks along the Umbria—Marche border. Monte Cucco, the highest, is 1,566m above sea-level, or half as high again as Ben Nevis. For the most part, however, the landscape is more gentle—covered in verdant vineyards and ancient olive groves.
It's worth ensuring that your walking tour includes a visit to one or both of Umbria's principle cities—Perugia, the regional capital, is famous for its historic university (founded in 1308) and gorgeous medieval old town. Assisi is, of course, the home of Saint Francis, founder of the Franciscan order, a trip to his followers humble hermitage is one of the more popular walking tours in the hills around town.
Insider tips for walking holidays in Umbria:
• Don't miss Umbria's caves. The vast cave complex beneath the province's highest peak, Monte Cucco, looks like a cathedral and hosts a mass at least once a year.
• Umbria is an incredible wine growing region, and the local grape, Sagrantino, makes for rich, complex reds. Montefalco is the most famous wine growing area, but there are excellent vineyards all over the province.
• The Umbria tourist board website has loads more tips on where to go and what to visit.
Cinque Terre: The Colourful Coastal Villages and Classic Hiking Trail
We've included Cinque Terre on this list because it's one of the most most popular Italian walking holidays out there. But before we go any further, a word of warning: the main coastal path between the five villages that make up Cinque Terre gets crowded. Like almost Venice-level crowded. There's now a fee for walking along the path, and the local authorities have made it one-way at busy times of year. But our advice would be visit during the off-season (ie. in winter, early spring or autumn) and avoid school holidays wherever possible.
Having said all that, this is still one of the best and most beautiful walking tours you can do in Italy, and it is highly recommended. The five villages—Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore—are all ludicrously picturesque. The trail between them is narrow, undulating, and varied.
You can also take it at your own pace. I walked in a single day, catching the train northwards from La Spezia in the morning and working my way back south from Monterosso al Mare. This took about 5 hours. But you could easily break it up with a stay in one of the villages (provided you book far enough ahead). It's worth noting that the coastal trail isn't the only one in the Cinque Terre National Park, and it's well worth spending time exploring a little deeper. Similarly, there are other beautiful spots in Liguria, and the Tuscan-Emilian Appenine National Park is just a short drive away too. Both are likely to be way less touristy.
Insider tips for walking in Cinque Terre:
• Plan on combining the Cinque Terre walk with a visit to other parts of Liguria, or the Tuscan-Emilian Appenine National Park. That way you can tick off the "classic" and also spend some time away from the crowds.
• The Cinque Terre walk is great solo travellers, because it's super easy to meet people doing the same thing.
• Unless you're a fan of naval history, don't spend too long in La Spezia. There's a good navy museum, but otherwise not loads going on. And because it's a jumping off point for Cinque Terre, it can get pricey.
Visit the Cinque Terre National Park website for more information.
Lake Maggiore: Scenic Lakeside Walks and Pretty Villages
The three great lakes of northern Italy—Lake Como, Lake Garda, and Lake Maggiore—all offer comparable landscapes. Pretty lakeside towns and fishing villages, flanked by steep hills, which rise up to the snow-covered peaks of the Alps in the background.
Lake Como is arguably the most convenient if you're flying into Milan; Lake Garda is stunning, and easily combined with a holiday in the Dolomites; but Lake Maggiore wins, for our money, precisely because it's the least well-known of the three. You're less likely to find coach-loads of tourists here.
The lake stretches across the Swiss border in the north, and runs down almost as far as the outskirts of Milan. This means it offers access to a vast variety of landscapes, from olive groves further south to the serious alpine terrain of the Val Grande National Park, Italy's largest wilderness area.
Insider tips for walking holidays around Lake Maggiore:
• Ernest Hemingway set part of his novel A Farewell to Arms in Stresa, on the western shores of Lake Maggiore. Hemingway himself spent time recovering from the wound he received in World War I here, and the Hemingway walking tours are well worth it for fans.
• A boat trip is an absolute must if you're visiting Lake Maggiore. If you don't want to rent one for a whole day, catch a ferry to the tiny Isola Bella (which just means "beautiful island") and have a wander around.
• For serious hikers, the Val Grande National Park, with several peaks above 2,000m, is well worth a visit. On the eastern shore, the Campo dei Fiori provincial park is less rugged, but equally beautiful.
The Lake Maggiore Tourist Board website has excellent suggestions of places to visit and walking trails to try.
Tuscany: Rolling Hills, Vineyards, and Medieval Towns
With its rolling hills, postcard-worthy hilltop towns and well-signed walking routes, Tuscany is the home of the archetypal Italian walking holiday. But there's more to Tuscany than just those stereotypes. From the vertiginous slopes of the Tuscan-Emilian Appenine National Park in the north, to the extinct volcano of Monte Amiata, to the rugged coastlines of Elba and the Tuscan archipelago, there are walking routes to suit all kinds of tastes here.
Florence and Siena both live up to the hype, and are well worth a visit. But they shouldn't be the only walking destinations on your itinerary. There are charming towns and quaint villages scattered all over the province—from the pretty fishing port of Castglione della Pescaia to the winemaking village of Montalcino, home of the famous Brunello. And that's before we've even mentioned arguably the most famous Tuscan province of them all: Chianti.
Some parts of Tuscany do get crowded—the areas around Florence and Siena, for starters. But if you stay away from the most celebrated spots you can easily still avoid the tourist hordes.
Insider tips for walking holidays in Tuscany:
• Avoid San Gimignano. There are plenty of other picturesque hilltop towns (Montalcino, for example, or Montepulciano) which offer similar attractions, with a fraction of the crowds.
• Maremma, the south western part of Tuscany, is vastly underrated, and rarely visited by Brits. The provincial park of Maremma is a wild strip of coastline, full of empty, untamed beaches that can only be reached on foot or by boat.
• Make sure you eat and drink plenty—even by Italian standards, Tuscany is famous for its food and wine.
The Tuscany regional tourist board website has lots of tips on where to go
Types of Walking Holidays in Italy
Self-Guided Walking Holidays: Explore at Your Own Pace
Italy is actually incredibly well set up for self guided walking holidays. Paths tend to be well sign-posted, and easy to follow. Apps like Komoot have made self guided walking simple, and even in small towns, many hotels will be listed on Booking.com, so planning is relatively easy.
Guided Walking Holidays: Expert Guides and Local Insights
There are two main reasons to opt for guided walking holidays in Italy: firstly, Italian guides are excellent, and will give you insights you'd never get otherwise—including finding the best places to eat. And second, guided walking holiday packages often involve transporting your luggage from place to place, meaning you don't have to worry about carrying a week's worth of clothes on your back.
Solo travellers and those in a small group can often be paired with others, to help reduce the cost of a guide, should they wish.
Planning Your Walking Holiday in Italy
Choosing the Right Time to Visit
Choosing the right time to visit is becoming increasingly important as the planet warms. In many places in Italy, particularly in the south and Sicily, it's not uncommon to experience temperatures as high as 40 degrees celsius in July and August. This can be dangerous, and even deadly, if you're planning on doing strenuous exercise.
As a general rule, Brits generally find Italian temperatures more pleasant in spring (from April to June) or Autumn (September - October). August is often best avoided. Most Italians take their holidays in second part of August, when workplaces are often closed for two weeks, so prices tend to be higher.
Confusingly, public holidays in Italy are different every year, depending on whether the dates fall on a weekend. So it's worth Googling the public holiday calendar before you go and avoiding any major clashes.
Packing Essentials
The kit you'll need for a walking holiday in Italy varies wildly depending on the sort of terrain you'll be hiking on and the time of year you're visiting. If you're heading to the Dolomites in October, you may well want a down jacket. If you're going to Sicily in July, even just the sight of down might be enough to give you heat stroke.
This list is by no means exhaustive, but here are a few handy tips to start your thinking process.
• Walking boots or approach shoes are essential.
• While you'd hope to avoid rain, it's always worth having a good waterproof jacket. Short, sharp summer storms can still soak you to the bone!
• Lightweight, technical trekking trousers are good idea.
• Depending on the time of year, you'll probably want a lightweight fleece or mid-layer—something that packs down small but gives you extra warmth at night.
• You'll want a decent hiking backpack, to fit all your kit into.
• Walking poles are strongly recommended, especially if you're heading towards the mountains. They really help with stability, especially on steep descents.
• Sunglasses
• A sun hat or cap
• A reusable water bottle or a hydration bladder that fits into your backpack.
• A first aid kit.
