Hiking · ITALY
Good guided day hikes in Italy fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes, and how they differ once you are on the trail.
Hike Mount Etna to 3,000 or 3,400 metres with a volcanic guide, cable car, lava fields, crater views, and optional Catania pickup.
“The driver, Peppe and our tourguide was very informative and helpful, we learned a lot about Etna. It was totally worth it, it was our greatest experience in Sicily.”
Hike the Path of the Gods from Sorrento with a local guide, minibus transfers, trekking poles, coastal views, and a shepherd’s hut lunch.
“The day was very good, transport to and from was so much easier than navigating by ourselves. the guides were funny and informative. the shepperds in the hills were very hospitable, the food was simple and delicious.”
Review of the Path of the Gods hike from Sorrento, with mountain views, local food, guides, transport, fitness advice, and value tips.
“It was ok but a lot of the scenery was the same. If I had to choose between this and another activity, I would do a different one. The highlight was the shepherd’s lunch.”
Review of the Gorropu Canyon guided hike from Orosei, with route details, fitness advice, price value, guide quality, and practical tips.
“My family and I had such a wonderful time hiking Gorropu canyon with Sergio. I wasn't sure how my 6 and 9 year old would do on a long hike, but they hardly noticed the distance because Sergio made it so fun. He set a perfect pace, told us all about the wildlife and plants in the region. The canyon is stunning, but Sergio made it an unforgettable experience for our whole family.”
Hike Etna’s Central Crater at 3,315 meters with a volcanological guide, volcanic views, safety gear, and a demanding 12-kilometer descent.
“We had the best day! The hike up was pretty easy but the views from the top were insane! We then slid down the side of mt Etna on the volcanic sand, it was the most fun I’ve had in years”
Hike the Via Francigena from Siena to Monteriggioni, crossing Tuscan vineyards and olive groves before a local wine tasting.
“A nice walk on the Via Francigena, our guide was very friendly and knowledgeabe about flora and fauna. the wine tasting was the perfect end of the tour.”
Review of the private Path of the Gods hike near Positano, with guide details, route advice, price, fitness needs, and booking tips.
“Path of the gods was an amazing experience. My husband and I guide Ivan was so patient and full of information answered all of our questions and it was a perfect hike”
Review of Agerola’s Path of the Gods hike, with clifftop views, local guides, practical tips, price advice, and what to expect.
“Francis was an excellent tour guide. He called us a day prior to our tour to make sure we had the proper clothing and shoes and to go over the plan. He met us at the meeting point and helped us find free parking. On the way to the path, he pointed out great cafe’s for us to get a coffee to bring on our tour. He was very knowledgeable and gave us many options along the way. The tour was relaxed and we did not feel rushed at all. I would recommend Francis to anyone for this tour.”
Review of the Cinque Terre guided hike from La Spezia, covering the steep trail, villages, trains, value, guide quality, and practical tips.
“The hiking tour was canceled due to lack of participants so we were offered a spot on another Cinque Terre excursion via train/boat. Like nearly every other Italian landmark, Cinque Terre is overrun by travelers and now verges on the unfortunate category of tourist trap. Our guide was organized but did not — or, as he cryptically said, could not, provide much information beyond the obvious. At least there was much more free time than many tours. But we could have easily saved the money and done the trip independently.”
Hike Sardinia’s Gorropu Canyon from Orosei or Dorgali with a local guide, hotel pickup, rare wildlife, waterfalls, and dramatic gorge views.
“Superbe randonnée dans les gorges, elles sont magnifiques. Sergio fait toujours attention à la sécurité des personnes.”
Review of Etna’s 4-hour summit hike from 2,500 to 3,000 meters, with lava tunnels, eruption craters, views, gear, and costs.
“Le guide Emiliano e Fabrizio sono state eccellenti! Spiegavano tutto in modo chiaro ed é stato molto interessante.. Escursione bellissima che ci ha permesso di vedere posti unici e magnifici! La consiglio!”
Hike the Path of the Gods from Sorrento with a guide, shuttle, poles, sea views, shepherds, and practical tips on fitness, price, and packing.
“Overall the trip was good although we would have preferred to have spent more time on the path of the gods instead of doing a loop and coming back to starting point. The guide was very good and knowledgeable and the visit to the shepherds hut was an unexpected treat with some traditional food, homemade wine and live music.”
Review of the private Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike from Cortina, with guide details, costs, transport advice, trail difficulty, and booking tips.
“Our guide, Andrea, was wonderful. He clearly knows the area well, gave us great insight as to the history of Tre Cime, and was patient with us as my husband and i were a bit slower than anticipated. :) He was also flexible and open to adding a stop on our hike as well. Andrea is clearly a long time and profesional climber, I would highly recommend him for any level of hike.”
Review of a private 2 to 4 day Dolomites hut-to-hut trek with guide Guido, mountain dinners, scenic routes, gear support, and practical tips.
“We booked recently with 'Dolomites "Alta Via"' for a multi-day hike through the Dolomites. Although we weren't sure how easily we would be up to the challenge having only done single-day hikes in the past, we ended up having the time of our lives!”
Explore the snowy Dolomites by snowshoe with a private-feeling guide, flexible route, hotel pickup, mountain views, and animal tracks.
“Loved it! Elisa picked me up directly from my hotel and we started our adventure to hike in cinque torre. We then ended it with having lunch on top of the mountain with incredible views. I would 100% recommend this one day hike!”
By the kind of day you want, or the country you are standing in.
