The Wilds of Abruzzo
Stunning Peaks and Silent Valleys
Tour Dates
29 May 2025 – 6 June 2025
Tour Cost
€3,425 per person
Single supplement: €375
Lying just a short distance east of Rome the region of Abruzzo is wild, unspoilt and hauntingly beautiful. Our tour here explores all three of its national parks, which abound with wild flowers, chamois, deer, wolves and the rarely seen Marsican bear. We stay in remote villages, perched high on hilltops, surrounded by the majestic peaks of the Apennine mountains. Much of the region feels untouched by modern life and we explore some of its oldest culinary traditions. In Spring it is carpeted with wild flowers before autumn paints the landscape red and gold and the ancient beech forests are at their most stunning. The Abruzzese people are extremely warm and hospitable which makes hiking in this part of Italy a truly unforgettable experience.
This tour starts and finishes in Rome and our pick-up and drop-off point is Rome’s Fiumicino airport. Why not extend your walking holiday in Italy by seeing more of the Eternal City, or visiting Florence, Siena, Milan or Venice? For more ideas on where to go visit our City Guide page.
What’s Included?
- 8 nights fabulous accommodation (3 different hotels)
- Two experienced and knowledgeable guides to look after your every need and bring this stunning area to life
- All meals including wine
- Gourmet picnic lunches each day and snacks en route
- Dinner in a variety of superb restaurants
- Support vehicle, enabling you to walk as little or as much of the trail as you please
- Transport to/from Rome Fiumicino in air-conditioned minibus
- Comprehensive pre-trip information
- Luggage transported for you so all you need to carry is a small backpack with water etc.
- Museum visits and tastings as per itinerary
Our tours are genuinely all-inclusive – learn more about what we offer.
Tour Highlights
- Staying in the unique environment of Sextantio Albergo Diffuso
- Hiking in a region where time has stood still
- Cooking class of traditional Abruzzese specialities
Walking/Terrain
Terrain: Hiking at altitudes between 1100m and 1800m. Mountain trails, woodland and farm tracks. Significant ascents/descents, especially on days 5 and 8
Shortest/Longest Day: 10.5km/6.6 miles:17.5km/11miles
We have graded this hike a Level 4. Some of our tours are more challenging than others, so see how we grade our hikes to make sure you choose the right one for you. If you are interested in this tour, then you might also like to take a look at The Italian Lakes, Southern Italy or Slovenia and Friuli
Accommodation
Sextantio: Amazing concept hotel with rooms scattered through the unspoilt medieval village of Santo Stefano
Hotel San Rocco: Comfortable family-run hotel in the delightful Baroque village of Pescocostanzo
Villa Quintilliani: Liberty-style villa on the edge of the lively town of Pescasséroli
Itinerary
LEAVE BLANK
Day 1
Meet Rome Fiumicino Terminal 3 Arrivals at 09:30 am. We drive 1hr to Tivoli where we meet our local guide for a private tour of Villa d’Este. After the visit, we have a light lunch and continue 1h30mins to Santo Stefano in Sessanio. The hotel we stay in here, Sextantio Albergo Diffuso, is an extraordinary mix of the old and new—a ruined medieval village faithfully restored using traditional techniques into some 30 rooms for adventurous 21st-century travellers. Time to settle in before a welcome drink and dinner in the hotel restaurant this evening.
Day 2
A short drive takes us to start of a lovely walk across the high plains, encircled by the peaks of the Gran Sasso National Park. We undulate between 1580m and 1780m and there is often the opportunity to see wild horses grazing. We have a picnic lunch and return to the hotel at the end of the walk by van. Dinner in a village restaurant this evening. (16.2km/10.2miles)
Day 3
We walk out of the village of Santo Stefano and follow small tracks which lead us up to the imposing ruins of Rocca Calascio. We have time to explore the remains of the fort before walking down to our picnic lunch. In the afternoon we return to Santo Stefano by foot (or minibus). Later in the day we join a local chef for a cookery class of Abruzzesi specialities and dine on the fruits of our labour.
(10.5km/6.6miles)
Day 4
We depart Santo Stefano after breakfast and drive towards the pretty town of Sulmona, famous across Italy for its sugared almonds, for the start of our walk. Hike along farm tracks to a small church where we have our picnic lunch before climbing to a trail following the hillside, with wonderful views of the fertile glacial basin, which leads us to the beautifully preserved village of Pescocostanzo, at an altitude of 1400m, where we stay for two nights at the hotel Archi San Rocco.
(12.5km/7.9miles)
Day 5
A spectacular walk takes us off the beaten track through woods and open meadows to a remote ridgeline. Enjoy a sense of splendid isolation and emerge with lovely views to the village of Pietransieri where we have our picnic. In the afternoon there is the opportunity to continue the hike back to Pescocostanzo. Dinner in a wonderful local restaurant.
(11.2km/7miles am) + (9.2km/5.8miles pm)
Day 6
We depart Pescocostanzo after breakfast and a short drive takes us to the lakeside village of Barrea where we have a coffee before setting off on our walk to the delightful village of Opi. Stroll around the village before lunch in a small trattoria. In the afternoon we climb up into high pastures populated with wild horses which brings us to the town of Pescasséroli at 1160m. We stay in the beautiful hotel Villino Quintilliani on the edge of town for the next three nights. Dinner in the hotel this evening.
(13km/8miles)
Day 7
A free day in Pescasséroli to explore this lovely town. In the morning there is an optional short walk up to Mancino Castle which affords wonderful views back over Pescasséroli. Picnic lunch followed by free afternoon to relax. Dinner in a local restaurant in town this evening.
Day 8
A magnificent final walk climbs 750m through beech woods to a spectacular ridge at 1800m. We follow this panoramic ridgeline along the regional border of Abruzzo and Molise before descending to mountain pastures and a small refuge where we have our picnic. In the afternoon we descend on shepherd’s tracks between ancient drystone walls which lead back to Pescasséroli. Final dinner showcasing local specialities.
(11.4km/7.2miles am) + (5.8km/3.6miles pm)
Day 9
We return to Rome Fiumicino airport for 12:00 pm.
