Italy

Best walks, hikes and treks in Italy [View list of walks]

About Italy

Let’s start with a cliché: Italy is the world’s greatest cultural treasure-house. China would have rivalled it, but was wrecked irredeemably by the Cultural Revolution.

An extraordinary history going back way before the Romans, to the Greeks and Etruscans, takes one through some less dark ages than other bits of Europe to the glories of the Renaissance and the baroque, infused for with religious fervour and a deep tradition of creativity. The world’s best selection of ruins, cityscapes, buildings and art is the result, including some superb city walks (think Rome and Venice, but actually a host of old towns and cities make for great walking).

Italian culture is famously vivid and charming – to the foreigner, at least – and it boasts one of the world’s great distinctive cuisines.

Its history inevitably affects its countryside, so, as well as the obvious mountains – the grand sweep of the Alps and the unforgettable splendours of the Dolomites – there are endless places to dawdle, and to walk: the Amalfi and Ligurian coasts, Tuscany and Umbria are just the famous examples.

So, Italy has things to fascinate everyone, children included (although, when Walkopedia took its children to Rome, they rather depressingly said at the end that the best thing had been the…zoo). The variety of travel and tours you can make in Italyis as a result huge. We tell you about walking below, but have a look here for a huge selection of the Italy travel, tours, holidays and activities available.

Walking, hiking and trekking in Italy

Italy has some of the world’s best walks, hikes and treks, ranging from:

-   famous long distance Alpine, Dolomitic and other  hiking and trekking trails such as the various Alta Vias and the Monte Rosa circuit; to day walks in the great mountain areas – Gran Paradiso and the Dolomites are the obvious ones; to exhilaratingly terrifying via ferratas ;

-   to historic pilgrimage routes (the Via Francigena, for instance) and wanders in the gorgeous, rich (in every sense) and ancient countrysides (think Sicily, the Sibillini and the Mani as well as Tuscany and Umbria) - Italy specializes in wonderfully combined scenic, historic, cultural and gasotrnomic walking;

-   to coastal beauties (think Amalfi and the Cinque Terre);

-   to ancient sites (such as Pompeii) and unmissably atmospheric cities such as Rome and Venice.

 Walking, hiking and trekking tours and holidays in Italy are so varied that everyone’s taste and energy levels can be met. Walking in Italy isn’t just for hard-nuts, although there is plenty to get their juices flowing. The lazy and youngsters alike will be enthralled by what it offers. 

Famous walking regions include:

-          The Alps (of course) – a huge range of walks, from almost any village in any valley. Outstanding areas include Gran Paradiso

-          The famously beautiful northern lakes

-          The magnificent Dolomites 

-          The Amalfi Coast 

We intend that our walk pages contain detail and photos on walking, hiking or trekking routes, including books, best times and weather, how to get there, possible problems, walking, trekking and hiking firms, organisers and guides in Italy, accommodation in Italy and useful links. But this takes a lot of research, so if they are not "there" yet, please give us any suggestions you may have.

Rome
Forum From steps to Capitol - © William Mackesy Matthew Kneale's Rome Walks
The Pantheon - © By Flickr user come cane in autostrada Monte Priora
Monte Priora - Cresta Ovest © Wikimedia FedeGrad

Best walks, hikes and treks in Italy

You can sort the walks by category by clicking on the category titles.

(The rating of walks marked * is currently provisional.)

Region Walk Name Walkopedia Rating Difficulty Day Walk
Possible?

  Elba GTE
0*
Yes
  The Arsenale to the Salute, Venice
86
Straightforward Yes
  Via Francigena
84
Variable Yes
 Aeolian Islands Aeolian Islands
87.5*
Variable Yes
 Aeolian Islands Lipari
87*
Variable Yes
 Aeolian Islands Stromboli
84*
Strenuous Yes
 Aeolian Islands Vulcano
87.5*
Yes
 Alps Monte Rosa Circuit
89*
Strenuous No
 Alps: Gran Paradiso Alta Via 2 (Gran Paradiso)
90*
Strenuous No
 Alps: Gran Paradiso Gran Collet and Col del Nivolet
88*
Strenuous Yes
 Alps: Gran Paradiso Gran Paradiso
89*
Variable Yes
 Alps: Gran Paradiso Punta Basei
88*
Difficult Yes
 Alps: Gran Paradiso Punta Pousset
88*
Difficult Yes
 Amalfi Coast Around Ravello
86
Moderate Yes
 Amalfi Coast Conca dei Marini
83*
Variable Yes
 Amalfi Coast Pastena-Lone Circuit
93*
Moderate Yes
 Amalfi Coast Sentiero degli Dei
89.5*
Moderate Yes
 Amalfi Coast Sorrento Peninsula
93*
Moderate Yes
 Amalfi Coast The Amalfi Coast
90.5*
Variable Yes
 Campania Across Pompeii
83
Straightforward Yes
 Campania Mt Vesuvius
80*
Moderate Yes
 Dolomites Alta Via 1
94
Strenuous Yes
 Dolomites Brenta Dolomites
93
Strenuous Yes
 Dolomites Croda da Lago Circuit
88
Strenuous Yes
 Dolomites Dolomites Hikes and Walks
96
Variable Yes
 Dolomites Karer Pass / Passo di Costalunga
85*
Moderate Yes
 Dolomites Via Ferratas
94*
Variable Yes
 Liguria Cinque Terre
86*
Variable Yes
 Rome Matthew Kneale's Rome Walks
87
Straightforward Yes
 Rome Rome
87
Straightforward Yes
 Sibillini Gola dell'Infernaccio
87*
Variable Yes
 Sibillini Lago di Pilato
82*
Yes
 Sibillini Monte Priora
85*
Strenuous Yes
 Sibillini Monte Vettore
85*
Strenuous Yes
 Sibillini Piano Grande
86*
Moderate Yes
 Sibillini Sibillini
87*
Variable Yes
 Sibillini The Sibillini Traverse
87*
Strenuous Yes
 Sicily Mt Etna
80*
Strenuous Yes
 Tuscany Lucignano to Buonconvento
74
Moderate Yes
 Tuscany Monte Oliveto Maggiore to Montalcino
89
Moderate Yes
 Tuscany Via Francigena; San Gimignano to Montalcino
85
Moderate Yes


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