Gastronomic Barolo Walk

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

Days of Walking & Trekking

Terrain:

The walks are mainly through vineyards on earthen paths, forest trails and some asphalt sections. Walking boots are essential and poles are recommended for the ascents and descents through the vineyards which may be uneven underfoot.

Day by day breakdown

Day 214.0km/9.0miles

Day 415.0km/9.5miles

Day 617.0km/10.5miles

Day 816.0km/10.0miles

Responsible Travel

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Every time we travel, we are part of a global movement that creates jobs, builds more sustainable societies, encourages cultural understanding and safeguards common natural and cultural heritage. To learn more about what Responsible Travel means to Exodus click here…

Itinerary

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Benevello

Day 1
Arrive at Benevello
Arrive at your hotel in time for a swim before dinner. (Staying at Villa d'Amelia)
Meals included: Dinner
Day 2
Benevello to Fontanafredda
After a short transfer you follow a gentle path alongside the clear waters of the Tanaro River, next to which pheasants and partridges rustle in the oak forest. It's on to Roddi (the castle here used to house the University of Truffle Dogs!) and Grinzane Cavour with its wonderful megalithic castle with amazing views. End the day in Fontanafredda, a gorgeous wine estate nestled amongst rolling vineyard carpeted hills.
You stay at the Hotel Le Case dei Conti Mirafiore (breakfast and evening meal included)
Meals included: Breakfast Dinner
Day 3
At Fontanafredda
Enjoy wine tasting in the historic wine cellars at your hotel, once owned by Italian royalty, or walk to the wine village of Serralunga d'Alba, with its 13th century castle that seems to surge towards the sky - you still need to cross the drawbridge to visit it. Gastronomic capital, Alba, is easily reached (you may wish to take a taxi there, then walk back); explore the cobbled crimson squares and bustling porticoed streets.
You stay at the Hotel Le Case dei Conti Mirafiore (breakfast and evening meal included)
Meals included: Breakfast Dinner
Day 4
Fontanafredda to La Morra
Ascend through vines to hilltop Castiglione Falletto, before continuing to the tiny village of Annunziata with its frescoed chapel and excellent farmhouse trattoria. Then on through sun-dappled hamlets and vines to La Morra, known as the 'balcony of the Langhe' for its breathtaking views.
You stay at Uve Rooms (breakfast included)
Meals included: Breakfast Dinner
Day 5
At La Morra
There are plenty of wine tasting opportunities in La Morra's bustling centre - even Julius Caesar stopped here to try some! Alternatively, drink in the superb views on one of the circular walks from La Morra's evocative main piazza.
You stay at Uve Rooms (breakfast included)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 6
La Morra to Monforte d'Alba
Descending gently to the Talloria Valley, you follow the stream's poplar-shaded path towards the ochre-hued 16th century castle of Barolo, which stands guard over the village's world-famous vineyards. Maybe visit panoramic Novello, a belvedere town built as a summer retreat for the residents of Alba, before continuing through fields ablaze with colourful wild flowers to reach our elegant villa hotel at Monforte d'Alba.
You stay at Villa Beccaris (breakfast included)
A shorter optional walk is also available.
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 7
At Monforte D'alba
Situated in its own scented garden with views across medieval Monforte and beyond (even Mont Blanc on a clear day), Villa Beccaris offers a tempting swimming pool and a sun-trap courtyard. Alternatively, explore this pretty town with twisting streets clinging to the hillside. There are also plenty of opportunities for wine tasting. (Staying at Villa Beccaris)
Meals included: Breakfast
Day 8
Monforte D'alba to Benevello
Take a lift to lovely Serravalle Langhe, from where you join the Sentiero della Valle Tanaro. First, shaded by hazelnut, oak and poplar trees, you reach Albaretto della Torre dominated by its 13th century Duecentesca tower. After lunch the panorama opens out with spectacular views back to Alba and the Tanaro Valley as you descend gently towards Benevello. (Staying at Villa d'Amelia)
Meals included: Breakfast Dinner
Day 9
Leave Benevello
Meals included: Breakfast

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

Essential Info

Visas

Italy

No visa required for British passport holders. Please note in Italy it is compulsory to carry ID with you at all times.

For further Brexit travel advice please visit https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/brexit-advice-for-travellers

Vaccinations

Italy

There are no specific health risks.

Eating and Drinking

All breakfasts and 5 gastronomic evening meals.

Italian food is one of the country’s most revered exports and Piedmont is a region that won’t disappoint gastronomes! The cuisine is a fusion of the best of Italian and French food. However, the region’s rural nature means that dishes are predominantly simple but use exceptional quality and flavoursome ingredients.

Piedmont’s wine is famous throughout the world, and justifiably so. The
most famous are the wines of the Langhe, which produces Barolo,
Barbaresco, Dolcetto, Barbera as well as whites such as Asti and
Moscato.

Weather

The trips run from May through to October. In the early and late departures you will need to be prepared for slightly lower temperatures, with highs of 23 degrees in May and 20 in October. There is more chance of rain in October, but the trip only runs into the early part of the month. In July and August the temperatures are likely to reach highs of 28/9 degrees celcius, there will still be the chance of rain, but it will be reduced. Facilities in some of the hotels such as the pools may not be available for early and late season departures.

Is this trip for you?

Activity level: Leisurely/Moderate

This is a self-guided tour, as such there will be no group or tour leader and you are free to complete the walks at your own pace. Please bear in mind that although this is a self-guided holiday, the atmosphere in the hotels tends to be quite social and they will sometimes place walkers together at breakfast and dinner. We have suggested that 8yrs is the minimum age for this trip, but as it is self-guided and you will be leading your own family we will ultimately leave this decision up to you.

Your route starts and ends in Benevello, nestling in the hazelnut-clad Alta Langa hills, from where you follow the limpid Tanaro River before climbing through a string of hamlets to Grinzane Cavour where you'll enjoy gorgeous balcony views from the hotel terrace! It's then on to Castiglione Falletto, dominated by its distinctive C11 castle. As you approach beautiful Monforte d'Alba, whose ochre-coloured houses seem to cling enchantingly to the hillside, you visit Barolo, home of the revered eponymous wine. Distances are reasonably short, leaving plenty of time to try the many regional specialities en route. This rich and fertile land produces some of Italy's finest food and wine, from robust Barolo and sweet Moscato to aromatic white truffles (exclusive to Alba), crunchy hazelnuts and tangy cheeses.

Call for general departures:

1 844 227 9087

Call for private group trips:

1 844 227 9087

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

Accommodation

Hotels

You will stay in our carefully picked hotels, often with pools, and full of character and contrasts, from a gorgeous wine estate that was once owned by Italian royalty in Fontanafredda, to a beautifully restored 19th century family villa, complete with its own converted chapel and superb restaurant in Benevello.

Call for general departures:

1 844 227 9087

Call for private group trips:

1 844 227 9087

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.

See all experts

Call for general departures:

1 844 227 9087

Call for private group trips:

1 844 227 9087

Trip Notes

Click on the button below for detailed Trip Notes containing all the particulars about this trip, including kit lists and practical information.

Note: these can vary by departure; you can check out the specific Trip Notes for your chosen adventure on the dates & prices page.