Italian Apennines: Walks & Wildlife

Name: Italian Apennines: Walks & Wildlife
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 5 (4 reviews)

4 reviews

Activity

Walking & Trekking

Overview

Join skilled nature guides on this special walking trip in the Abruzzo mountains with our partners Rewilding Apennines

Embark on a walking adventure in the Abruzzo mountains, joining expert nature guides from our partners Rewilding Apennines to learn about the essential conservation work they do here. During this six-day experience, we witness the intimate relationship between humans and animals, visiting bear corridors, waking before sunrise to track wolves, and spending a night in a remote mountain refuge. The expert insight of the nature guides, plus a chance to explore one of the more remote regions of Italy, will undoubtedly leave you with a deep connection to the rugged landscapes and extraordinary wildlife of the wild Apennines.

This trip visits the area that is being rewilding in partnership with Rewilding Apennines, through our Nature and Carbon Corridors project. All profits from the sale of this trip will go to Rewilding Apennine’s vital biodiversity restoration work.

Key Information

Trip Code: TIR
Ways to Travel: Guided Group
Countries: Italy
Carbon Footprint: 16kg CO2e per person per day

What's Included

All breakfasts, four lunches, and five dinners
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout
Group arrival and departure transfers available

4 days of Walking & Trekking

Terrain:

Maximum altitude: 7,220ft/2,200m

Day 2: 4 km / 2.5 miles
Day 3: 13 km / 8.1 miles
Day 4: 13 km / 8.1 miles
Day 5: 13 km / 8.1 miles

Highlights

Join experts from conservation group Rewilding Apennines to see their crucial work in action
Combine hiking and wildlife tracking with walks in the Abruzzo mountains
Visit bear corridors to see how they have dramatically reduced animal-human conflict
Rise before the sun to track wolves and other wildlife in the valley
Stargaze and feast on local cuisine during our stay in a remote mountain refuge

Itinerary

First Destination: Rome
Next Destination: Rome

Meals included:Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Rome
Next Destination: Rome

After arriving in Rome, transfer (three hours) to Pescasseroli, a quaint mountain town in the Abruzzo mountains. Here is our home for the adventure: the four-star Villino Quintiliani Hotel.

Say ciao to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.

Enjoy a special presentation on rewilding in the area by the Team Leader of Rewilding Apennines, Mario Cipollone. His passion for wildlife and expertise on the local nature (and particularly the Marsican brown bear) make him the ideal person to kickstart our trip. We are also introduced to our Nature Guide for the adventure, Valeria Roselli or Andrea De Angelis, and go on a short hike in the area to get to know each other and the region a little better.

Your tour leader then ensures a big welcome over a group dinner.

Want more time in Italy? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.

Accommodation: Villino Quintiliani Hotel (or similar)

Meals included:Dinner

Today is dedicated to an icon of the Abruzzo mountains: the critically endangered Marsican brown bear. It’s thought there are only around 60 left in the wild, and today we learn about the vital work Rewilding Apennines is doing here to protect their numbers.

Our adventure takes us to one of the Bear-Smart Corridors, part of a network of ‘coexistance corridors’ in which the local communities, businesses and individuals are educated on reducing human-bear conflict.

We get a chance to visit one of these communities, where we see some of the excellent work that was already been done, including the installation of about 100 electric fences, along with the deployment of bear-proof waste bins. We also see how and why these corridors are vital to the protection of the local community as much as the bears themselves.

Accommodation: Villino Quintiliani Hotel (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Before sunrise (and after a coffee), we head onto the mountain slopes with our Nature Guide to search for wolves and other wildlife. This particularly scenic part of the Apennines is also home to wild boar, red deer and chamois, plus there are plenty of opportunities to learn more about human-wildlife conflict, before returning to the hotel around mid-morning for a hearty breakfast.

(Three-hour walk; 3mi/5km; ascent: 985ft/300m; descent: 985ft/300m)

Refreshed, we head back into the wilderness, walking to the Terraegna Mountain Refuge, where we stay tonight. Our journey takes us through a forest of beautiful beech trees, with mosses and lichens, and along a wild valley where we can spot the wild fauna.

We get to the shelter in the evening, arriving under a starry night sky and hopefully seeing dancing fireflies in the woods.

Dinner is a showcase of regional cuisine. Local dishes include: maccheroni alla chitarra, which is made with a tool that resembles a stringed musical instrument; orapi (wild spinach) and bean soup; gnocchetti with wild spinaches; barbecued meat; and local cheeses, such as pecorino, sheep’s milk ricotta, cow’s milk caciocavallo, and a rare goat’s milk cheese called marzolina.

(Two-hour walk; 5mi/8km; ascent: 1,310ft/400m)

Accommodation: Terraegna Mountain Refuge

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Wake up surrounded by the rugged peaks of the Apennines and enjoy an early morning mountain experience: hiking and wildlife tracking. We have breakfast back at the refuge before we leave for a midday hike and remote picnic lunch. There are always beautiful views and if there are good weather conditions you can see the peaks of Gran Sasso d’Italia, Monte Velino and the Majella Massif. During the walk, we hear tales from local history going back 1,000 years. Arriving back in Pescasseroli, enjoy a late afternoon coffee and time to explore. In the evening, it’s normally possible to enjoy a short wildlife-watching session near the village.

Accommodation: Villino Quintiliani Hotel (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After breakfast, we go on a hike that offers sensational national park landscapes, with rocky walls, deep glacial valleys and beech forests. Walking silently and respectfully, we are likely to see one of the most important populations of Apennine chamois grazing between pastures and rocky walls. After a packed lunch, we return to the hotel for time to relax. In the evening, we have our last wildlife-watching session, heading to a panoramic terrace at sunset when the bears and wolves are most active. After, we have a delicious dinner at a local restaurant, an excellent chance to relive our adventures together.

Accommodation: Villino Quintiliani Hotel (or similar)

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, and perhaps one last Italian coffee at the village square in Pescasseroli, before we transfer back to Rome.

We have two drop-off points today, leaving Pescasseroli around 11am. If you have time before your flight, hop out at Roma Termini rail station – we should arrive around 1.30pm. Here, you can store your baggage (additional cost) and explore the Eternal City a little more. Alternatively, we reach Rome Fiumicino Airport around 2.30pm, where you can catch your onward flight home.

If you’d like more time to explore Rome, speak to your sales representative about extending your stay.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

Sunday 17 May 2026 to Friday 22 May 2026

Availability

Sold Out
This departure is guaranteed to go ahead and is now fully booked, although we may have people holding spaces without payment. Please contact our Sales team for further information.

Optional Single Supplement

+CAD 485
Available upon Request

CAD 3800 (excl. flights)

Contact Us about departure on 17 May 2026
Sunday 27 Sep 2026 to Friday 02 Oct 2026

Availability

Guaranteed (On Request)
This departure is guaranteed to go ahead and can be booked, although some components will need to be requested. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.

Only 5 spaces left!

Optional Single Supplement

+CAD 485

Save CAD 568

Usually CAD 3798

Now CAD 3230

Book with CAD 807 deposit
Sunday 16 May 2027 to Friday 21 May 2027

Availability

Guaranteed (Available)
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.

Optional Single Supplement

+CAD 532

CAD 3800 (excl. flights)

Book with CAD 950 deposit
Sunday 19 Sep 2027 to Friday 24 Sep 2027

Availability

Guaranteed (Available)
This departure is available for new bookings and has reached the minimum number of passengers required to go ahead. Please click Continue to proceed with booking or contact our Sales team for assistance.

Optional Single Supplement

+CAD 532

CAD 3800 (excl. flights)

Book with CAD 950 deposit

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Accommodation

Hotel and refuge

Pescasseroli: Villino Quintiliani Hotel (nights 1-2 and 4-5)

Italian Apennines: Walks & Wildlife

Occupying a 1920s mansion, this four-star hotel is just outside the centre of Pescasseroli and in the heart of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park. It has an art nouveau style, including in the 11 bedrooms, and a peaceful location, away from the touristy areas and close to the national park visitor centre. The village itself is surrounded by ancient woodland and soaring mountains, while the old town is a picturesque combination of traditional stone buildings.

In the mountains: Terraegna Mountain Refuge (night 3)

Italian Apennines: Walks & Wildlife

Stay in the wilds of Italy, a land shared with bears, wolves and wild boars, but with a few home comforts. The refuge is high in the peaks, on the saddle between Pescasseroli and Bisegna, and has a wood-burning stove for heating and cooking, electricity supplied by solar power, and a communal seating space for meals. Accommodation is in a comfortable dorm with bunkbeds for eight people and shared bathroom facilities.

Worth knowing

Single supplement is available on request for the hotel only.

Essential Information

This trip is graded Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings please visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip please do not hesitate to contact us.

Walks: There are four days of walking in mountainous terrain with transport to and from the start/end points of the walks. Some days are quite long, sometimes involving an ascent of 2,295ft (700m) followed by a similar descent. The paths are rocky and steep in sections but generally well maintained.

Activity hours: Walking hours stated are given as approximates only and include lunch and photo stops and vary depending on the group’s pace. Typically, days average about two to five hours and up to 8mi (13km).

Weather: Some walks take place at altitudes up to 7,220ft (2,200m), where temperatures can be cool and there are high levels of humidity. Please ensure you pack appropriate clothing.

Heights: This trip is not advised for severe vertigo sufferers.

Key information

Start hotel: Villino Quintiliani Hotel, Viale Santa Lucia, 1, 67032 Pescasseroli AQ
Phone: +39 0863 910755
Airport: Rome Fiumicino (FCO)

Getting to the start hotel

The start hotel is approximately three hours’ drive from the airport. Exodus provides one group arrival transfer from the airport, which is timed to coincide with the arrival of a chosen flight from London, UK. Due to the distance between the airport and hotel, we highly recommend you join the group transfer.

You may join this transfer at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the group arrival transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.

If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.

Catching your return flight

There’s a group transfer leaving Pescasseroli around 11am. There are two drop-off points. We reach Roma Termini rail station around 1.30pm and Rome Fiumicino Airport around 2.30pm. Please speak to your sales representative if you wish to join. If the group departure transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative transfer.

Italy

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Italy. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/italy
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/italy
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Italy.html

Please note: it is compulsory to carry ID with you at all times in Italy.

Each morning, enjoy a hearty breakfast of cakes, biscuits, cereals, fresh bread and jams, plus eggs and cheese for extra energy on the mountains.

Packed lunches (sandwiches with local breads or focaccia, vegetable, fruit, snack) from the guesthouse or local shops and bakeries are provided each morning to take with you on the day’s adventure.

Each evening, tuck into traditional Italian dishes including maccheroni alla chitarra – a special type of spaghetti, soup with orapi (wild spinach) and beans, gnocchetti, and grilled meat. The region has a strong sheep-rearing culture, so plenty of local dairy products are available such as pecorino, ricotta, caciocavallo and a rare goat’s cheese called marzolina. Vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements and allergies can be catered for.

The climate in the highest section of the Apennines is continental (as found in the interior of Europe) but made more pleasant by Mediterranean influences. Snowfalls are frequent, with cold winters and hot summers. Average summer temperature is 24C-35C (75F-95F) and average rainfall is 39in-78in (1,000mm-2,000mm) per year, which is higher on the Tyrrhenian slopes than on the eastern, or Adriatic, side of the Apennines.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Reviews

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Helena G

The day with the experts from Rewilding Apennines added extra context about why what they were doing to protect the land was so important. In the days before we arrived, a mother bear had been shot by a farmer in a local village. The challenge of humans co-existing with wildlife is very real in this part of the world, and it was so interesting to hear from the team first hand.

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Italian Apennines: Walks & Wildlife

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