Best 12 Hikes in Italy

Whether you are inexperienced and want to try hiking for the first time, or professional outdoor athletes who want to challenge themselves, you can find the right route here. Some lie along the beautiful shores of the Mediterranean Sea, some pass through the majestic Alps, and some lead you traverse the ruins of ancient Rome.

Sentiero Azzurro

Sentiero Azzurro, "the blue trail", is a 12 km (7.5 miles) trail located in Liguria, connecting five villages, bringing hikers spectacular views of beaches, cliffs, valleys, olive trees, and vineyards, along the blue Mediterranean. Sentiero Azzurro can be divided into 4 parts and completed within 5 hours. The first two parts are more accessible, from Riomaggiore to Corniglia via Manarola. During this, you can enjoy the tranquility of the castle in Romaggiore and the church in Manarola.

The best seasons to enjoy the beauty of Sentiero Azzurro are spring(from March to May) and autumn (from September to November), with relatively mild weather and less crowded hiking experience. Though summer is the peak season, it is crowded on the path and the swelting weather may not be so comfortable.

Cinque Terre, Liguria

Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Tre Cime di Lavaredo, meaning "Three Peaks of Lavaredo", is the symbolic landmark of Dolomiti, a famous destination in Northern Italy. Three blade-like peaks rise vertically like blades, piercing into the sky. Only one hike here can feel its breathtaking beauty, along the hiking path around Tre Cime, blue-green mountain lakes and different shapes of strange stones keep attracting your eyes, the scenery changes step by step.

The best time to visit Tre Cime di Lavaredo is between June and October when the weather is comfortable for hiking. It's suggested to watch the sunset on Tre Cime, see how lights fade away on the Alps, and how the Milky Way appears in the sky. The hiking path of Tre Cime di Lavaredo named Rifugio Auronzo, is quite accessible and will take hikers four hours to finish the route. The height difference is 430m during the whole trip.

Sella-Herbetet Traverse

Sella-Herbetet traverse is a much more difficult hiking route in Dolomiti, but as the saying goes, infinite scenery is at the perilous peak, this trail provides hikers with one of the most impressive Alpine scenery in Europe from May to October.

The trail is a 20.5 km loop route, usually taking hikers 2 days to finish, and will lead them to cross through conifer forests, murmuring streams, and unspoiled wildlife. It starts and ends at Valnontey, a village at an altitude of 1682m. During climbing, you'll have the opportunity to meet Emanuele II's hunting lodge, see what kind of lodge can be used by the first King of Italy, and you may meet Ibex and marmots around the trails.

Mount Vesuvius

Never heard about Vesuvius? Wait a second, do you know Pompei? If yes, then you're not an actual stranger to Mount Vesuvius. It's the famous volcano whose eruption destroyed Pompei a thousand years ago, now it still lies near the bustling and hustling Naples (Napoli). Spring and autumn are ideal seasons to conquer this mountain.

Several trails guide you to the top of Vesuvius, ranging from 2km to 14km for different levels of hikers, which will give you a panoramic view on the top across the busy city as many other mountains do, but only on Vesuvius, you'll have an extra view of the Gulf of Naples and to view its crater's rim, and imagine how its power changed the history of Pompei. It may take 1.5 hours or up to 7 hours to reach the top, regarding the trail you choose.

Path of the Gods

If you're going to Amalfi Coast, then don't miss the Path of Gods (also known as Walk of Gods, or in Italian il Sentiero degli Dei). It's the 7 km(4.34 miles) hiking trail that links Positano and Amalfi and provides an awe-inspiring landscape. The path passes through olive groves, terraces, vast blue skies, and wine-black seas. Looking down, the jagged Amalfi Coast is dotted with the colorful tiled domes of Playano and Positano, with Faraglioni on Capri in the distance.

This is a moderately intense hike with sometimes uneven terrain, steep slopes, and stairs. It is recommended to enjoy a hike on the Path of the Gods from March to early June, and from September to October, to avoid unbearable high temps.

The View of Amalfi Coast on Path of the Gods

Corno Grande

Corno Grande is the highest peak in the Gran Sasso massif, a compact group of mountains. Though named "grand horn", it is divided into 3 peaks, western, central, and eastern peak. The western one is the most welcomed one by hikers, which will bring you feelings like hiking on Mars, with grey stones with alpine vegetation.

Hiking to Corno Grande is long, steep, and sometimes stony. The trail begins at Campo Imperatore at a height of 2,130m and is 5.3 km long, so it's not for beginners or first-time mountain hikers. The best time to hike Corno Grande is from June to October when the snow melts and trails become quite accessible.

Alta Via

Alta Via means "high altitude routes" in English. There are 6 Alta Vias in Italy, located in the Alps, Aruzzo, and Dolomiti. The most famous and popular one is Alta Via 1, also known as AV1, which traverses the stunning Dolomiti. It is a 120 km long trail for professional hikers, which will take them 7 to 11 days to complete.

The unique point of Alta Via 1 is the "Enrosadira", an ancient term to describe the process of peaks in Dolomiti turning pink and violet at dawn and dusk. It's suggested to hike the Alta Via 1 from July to mid-September, when the day is longer and snow melts, you can enjoy the Enrosadira twice within a relatively long day.

Stromboli

If you Google Stromboli, the very first result may not be a mountain, rather than a kind of rolled-up pizza. Scroll down a little bit, you'll find Stromboli Volcano, the one and the only permanently active volcano in Europe, near Sicily in Italy, almost been erupting continuously since 1932. You may encounter other volcanos in Indonesia or Iceland, but on Stromboli, you can see lava being thrust up into the skies.

Climbing onto the top of Stromboli may take you about 3 hours, and usually, climbers begin at 6 pm and finish at midnight, so that they can see how lava illuminates the sky.

The Lake Como Greenway

Relax amid the spectacular view of Lake Como, the Greenway is a delightful 6-mile (10km) hike along the western shore with plenty to see in each season. It links several tranquil gardens, churches and ancient villages, like Colonno, Sala Comacina, Lenno, etc. The road links Via Regina, an ancient road built by the Romans. You can see wonderful architecture and gardens, which decorate the gorgeous Lake Como. You can hike on Greenway all year round, which can be finished in around 3 hours.

Germoplasma Trail

Located in Etna Park, the Germoplasma Trail should be a must-visit destination for hikers arriving in Sicily. It is a short and easy hiking trail for most people, with gradients of less than 7%, guiding you and your family members to the stunning view of Mount Etna, one of the largest active volcanoes in Europe, the symbol of Sicily.

It's good to visit it in spring when you can finish it within one hour with flowers blooming aside, which is also suitable for volcano exploration, from ash to craters, from caves to lava flows and valleys.

Alpe Adria Trail

Alpe Adria trail is a long hiking route through Central Europe, starting from Grossglockner in Austria, and ending in Adria, Italy. The trail spans Austria, Slovenia, and Italy, with a total length of about 750 km, and is cut into 43 stages. The trail traverses diverse terrain, including the Alps, lakes, river valleys, and coastal areas, allowing hikers to experience stunning natural scenery, each stage with its characteristics and challenges.

It's designed for amateur hikers, so it runs mainly through non-Alpine areas as far as possible, but still, the average length of each stage is 17 km, hikers can choose them according to their capabilities. The ideal time to hike this splendid trail is from April to October.

Appian Way

Named after its builder censor Appius Claudius Caecus, the Appian Way is the first and most famous Roman Road you can walk on dating back to 312 BC. Linking Rome and Campania, it used to be the main highway and "queen of long-distance roads". Hiking on the Appian Way would be an interesting experience, you can see various monuments and milestones flanking the ancient way, which are the witness of Roman history.

You can start experiencing this original highway at Lazio near Rome, and finish the 15-km trail in about 3 hours. It is suitable to hike all year around, but do avoid hike when the temperature is too high.

Hike in Italy With Odynovo

If you want to immerse yourself in the picturesque scenery of the Dolomiti, feel the endless tranquility on the mountain ridges, walk along the Mediterranean coast to enjoy the sea breeze, or climb the volcanic crater to experience the pulsation of the earth, challenge yourself and baptize your soul, then do not hesitate to prepare your equipment from now on, let's hit the Italy road together.