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Escape to Tuscany

Escape to Tuscany

Great to see Hedonistic Hiking mentioned by Kendall Hill in his piece for Australia's Escape.  He hiked with us in September of 2019 on our Parma, Tuscany and Ligurian Sea tour and really appreciated the benefits of travelling slowly in...

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Choice Magazine reviews Hedonistic Hiking

Choice Magazine reviews Hedonistic Hiking

We were delighted to be featured in this month's Choice magazine, Britain’s leading independent magazine for women and men over 50. Clive Nicholls joined us in May on our Lucca, Volterra and Elba tour and saw for himself the joys of combining fabulous hiking...

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Seven of the most beautiful gardens in Italy

Seven of the most beautiful gardens in Italy

This year, more of our tours than ever before take in some of Italy’s most spectacular gardens.  They include a broad collection ranging from one or two of Italy’s less well-known gardens to some of its most celebrated green spaces, including the gardens of the...

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Six of the best things to do in Orvieto

Six of the best things to do in Orvieto

Unspoilt, intriguing and perched atop a cliff of dark volcanic rock, Orvieto is one of central Italy’s most striking towns.  Its position as one of the most important cities in the region during Etruscan times means there are plenty of the traditional...

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The best activity holidays for the over 50s

The best activity holidays for the over 50s

If you’re one of the many over-50’s recognising that a holiday spent lying on a beach and soaking up the sun no longer holds the appeal of 30 years ago, the chances are you’re considering more active pursuits. Whether it’s a walking, cookery, wine-tasting or gardening...

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Chocolate Paradise in Piedmont

Chocolate Paradise in Piedmont

Looking for your next chocolate fix? While your inner sweet tooth may instinctively point you in the direction of Switzerland and Belgium, head a little further south and you’ll find yourself in the gloriously chocolatey region of Piedmont! Although best known for its...

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The Giro d’Italia

The Giro d’Italia

The Giro d'Italia is a multiple-stage bicycle race held each year in Italy. Along with the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, the Giro forms a key element of the cycling world's Grand Tours. It is usually held during late May and early June and we often...

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Holidays in Italy for the body and brain

Holidays in Italy for the body and brain

It’s hardly news that we need to be active if we want to enjoy a long and healthy life. In a world where most of us spend more and more time sitting in front of a computer, the importance of devoting a big chunk of our leisure time to active pursuits is fast gaining...

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Barbara Bayliss: Hiking her way to history!

Barbara Bayliss: Hiking her way to history!

This year Barbara Bayliss will notch up an incredible 19 tours with Hedonistic Hiking.  As our most prolific hiker, she kindly agreed to be interviewed for our newsletter and here's what she had to say: Could you define what it is that brings you back to...

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5 reasons to visit Italy in autumn

5 reasons to visit Italy in autumn

Anyone who has been on one of our gastronomic walking holidays in Italy will know that they are planned with military precision! In fact the timing of the tour itself is also a big consideration – we want you to experience each region at its finest and also enjoy the...

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Choose the right hike for you

Choose the right hike for you

If you’re toying with the idea of a walking holiday, whether in Italy or elsewhere in Europe, the important thing is to pick a tour that’s right for you. With mountains, lakes and a good scattering of national parks, there are plenty of hiking holidays in Italy to...

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Hot Spots & Hidden Gems

Hot Spots & Hidden Gems

Although most of our tours are around 7 or 8 nights, we know that very often a week in Italy just isn’t quite enough … there’s always seems to be another hike to do or sight to see! In fact many of our guests, particularly those who travel from Australia or the...

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Are you a walking enthusiast?

Are you a walking enthusiast?

The third installment of Hedonistic Hiking's Blog contributions to the US Sixty & Me online magazine offers six tips on enjoying a walking holiday if you are over 60. If you're sitting on the fence and wondering whether to jump off to join an...

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Christmas in Italy

Christmas in Italy

Nothing quite illustrates the atmosphere of Christmas in Italy as effectively as the saying ‘Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con i vuoi’. In other words, ‘Christmas with the family, Easter with who you like’. But while family rules, food comes a close second: eating is what...

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Olive Oil – Tuscany’s Liquid Gold

Olive Oil – Tuscany’s Liquid Gold

Podere Patrignone is an ‘agriturismo’ in the heart of Chianti Classico country – a mix of holiday rental villas (5 apartments and a large villa) and their organic olive oil. Is it owned by close friends of Hedonistic Hiking, Simon and Verity. The oil comes from 600...

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On the Culture Trail 2

On the Culture Trail 2

In many ways our tours are much more than walking holidays in Europe.  Alongside the excellent hiking we delve into the culinary traditions of the areas we are walking, but we also work hard to include cultural highlights too and all our hikes have...

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Five of the most beautiful views in Italy

Five of the most beautiful views in Italy

Step out on a walking holiday in Europe and you can be sure of seeing sights and landscapes that remain out of the reach of many holidaymakers. In Italy, these veer from dramatic mountain backdrops and rural vineyard vistas to the magnificent seascapes that stretch...

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On the Culture Trail

On the Culture Trail

In many ways our tours are much more than walking holidays in Europe.  Alongside the excellent hiking we delve into the culinary traditions of the areas we are walking, but we also work hard to include cultural highlights too and all our hikes have...

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Italy’s Finest Food Trails

Italy’s Finest Food Trails

Start looking into taking a food and wine holiday in Italy and the first thing you notice is the differences in cuisine between one region and another. With culinary traditions in Italy largely shaped by a region’s geography, history and climate, a food and wine...

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Italy’s awesome orchids

Italy’s awesome orchids

In May this year we were fortunate enough to be joined for a few days by family friend, Mike Waller, on our tour The Wilds of Abruzzo.  Mike works as Conservation Ecologist for the London Wildlife Trust and is something of an expert in...

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