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Walking in the Venetian Hills

9 days

from

$1,679 USD

incl. taxes

View Dates & Prices

Walking & Trekking

Suitable for:

Age 8+

Activity level:

Moderate

Trip code:

W08VN

Way to Travel:

Self-Guided Holidays

Activity:

Self-Guided Walking

Min age:

The wonderfully unspoilt Venetian countryside is only an hour or so from the great city of Venice, but couldn't be more different!

This walking holiday is based in the wonderfully unspoilt Euganean Hills, tucked in a quiet corner below the beautiful medieval city of Padua, west across the plain from Venice. Once volcanic islands, these hills have a striking conical appearance; they are cloaked in an astonishing variety of plant life including holm oak, maple, orchids, heather and poppies and have been recognised as a National Park. The lower slopes give way to colourful meadows and immaculately groomed vineyards so it's little wonder the region produces such a fine variety of wines

Highlights

Untouched verdant walking country: rolling hills, shady forests, vineyards and olive groves
Hotels full of character; lovely friendly hosts; genuine Italian hospitality
Amazing array of wild flowers: heather, poppies, wild orchids and Mediterranean maquis
Venetian architectural treasures: villas, churches and monasteries

Key information

8 Nights, hotel-to-hotel
Route notes and maps provided
Luggage transfers between hotels

Countries visited: Italy

What's included

All continental breakfast and 6 evening meals
All accommodation
Managed locally by your Headwater representative
Route notes and maps
Luggage transfers between hotels

What's not included

Travel insurance
Single accommodation (available on request) Please enquire for prices
Visas or vaccinations
Arrival & departure transfers (available on request and at a supplement)

Call for general departures:

1 844 227 9087

Call for private group trips:

1 844 227 9087

Live Chat >

Request a Brochure >

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.

View Trip Notes

Days of Walking & Trekking

Terrain:

This is of easy/medium difficulty. It mainly follows forest paths and country lanes, with just a few brief steep sections. Walking boots are recommended.

Day by day breakdown

Day 2 14.0km/9.0miles

Day 4 11.0km/6.5miles

Day 6 12.0km/7.0miles

Day 8 11.0km/7.0miles

Responsible Travel

At Exodus we believe in the power of Responsible Travel.

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

Expand all

Cortela

Day 1

Arrive in Cortela

Arrive at Gabriella and Alessandro's farmhouse in time for dinner in their cosy dining room. (Staying at Agriturismo ll Feudo)

Meals included: Dinner
Day 2

Cortela to Arqua Petrarca

You start the day walking through vineyards and woodlands, before climbing Monte Gemola to arrive at Villa Beatrice. Onto Monte Fasolo, the highest point of the walk rewards with stunning views, before a descent enjoying glorious views of Arqua Petrarca. (Staying at Hotel Villa del Poeta)

Meals included: Breakfast Dinner
Day 3

At Arqua Petrarca

Explore Arqua Petrarca, still as it was when Petrarch came here in 1370. Visit his well-preserved house and walk up geranium-decked streets to sumptuous 15th century villas. (Staying at Hotel Villa del Poeta)

Meals included: Breakfast Dinner
Day 4

Arqua Petrarca to Galzignano

Today's walk undulates through shady woodland before dropping down to the fabulous Villa Barbarigo at Valsanzibio. Before continuing onto a choice of routes. (Staying at Belvedere Resort ai Colli)

Meals included: Breakfast Dinner
Day 5

At Galzignano

Catch the local bus (35 mins excl Sundays) to Padua, the region's second art city. View the Cappella degli Scrovegni (Giotto frescoes), admire Donatello's Gattamelata statue or savour a cappuccino in the largest square in Italy! You may wish to treat yourself to a spa/massage at Montegrotto - great for aching muscles! (Staying at Belvedere Resort ai Colli)

Meals included: Breakfast Dinner
Day 6

Galzignano to Teolo

Ascending through olive groves you reach Monte Rua hermitage, a popular lunch stop. A woodland path leads towards Rocca Pendice, an imposing volcanic stone massif. You skirt round it to enjoy breathtaking views across the chain of hills as you descend to Teolo, the only 'alpine' village here.. (Staying at B&B Tito Livio)

Meals included: Breakfast
Day 7

At Teolo

Supposedly the birthplace of the Roman historian Livy, Teolo is alive with history, and many of the buildings from its Serenissima heyday remain. There are lovely walks available including a circular one up Monte della Madonna with its panoramic views (walking notes provided). For a longer day out, take the bus/train to Venice and see St Mark's Square, the Doges' Palace and the Peggy Guggenheim Museum.
You stay at B&B Tito Livio (breakfast only)

Meals included: Breakfast
Day 8

Teolo to Cortela

Walking through rows of lush green vines you reach the highest point of the holiday, on the flanks of Monte Venda (601m). The plain is mapped out before you, with views towards the Berici Hills near Vicenza. Then it's on through oak and chestnut forests, and down through vineyards and olive groves, back to Gabriella and Alessandro's farmhouse for a spot of well-earned wine-tasting! (Staying at Agriturismo ll Feudo)

Meals included: Breakfast Dinner
Day 9

Leave Cortela

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.

View Trip Notes

Show map

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 continental breakfast and 6 evening meals.

The Veneto ranks as one of the most fertile agricultural regions in the country. You will see fields of maize and barley everywhere. It is also a big area for fruit; expect to eat cherries, peaches, melons, plums, pears, strawberries and apples. The cuisine varies from the coast up into the mountains and reflects the region’s mixed cultural past. Nearer to Austria in the mountains, you get a more Tyrolean cuisine with dishes such as apple strudel creeping onto the menu, whereas towards the coast, you will find a lighter cuisine with lots of fish dishes.

Three typical dishes you are likely to find throughout the region are baccalà (air-dried salted cod soaked and cooked to a creamy consistency in garlic, parsley and olive oil), carpaccio (now seen on menus throughout Italy and even internationally, this is thin slices of very rare beef sprinkled with lemon juice and garnished with parmesan cheese, mushrooms or even white truffles according to the season and the restaurant) and polenta (made from maize, this is served as an accompaniment to meat or fish).

Weather

In Veneto and the surrounding areas the temperatures are cool/mild in spring and autumn and warm/humid in summer, with potential summer storms. You can find more information on the weather in Veneto on www.arpa.veneto.it.

Is this trip for you?

Starting in the tiny hamlet of Cortela, nestled amongst vines, you head across poppy fields and through forests to Valnogaredo. You discover the jumbled cobbled streets of medieval Arqua Petrarca, where the famous 14th century Italian poet, Petrarch, made his home, before continuing through fertile fruit orchards to Galzignano. A convenient stone's throw from the Italian Baroque gardens of Valsanzibio, there's time to explore its magnificent maze before a series of outstanding views leads you to panoramically perched Teolo.

Call for general departures:

1 844 227 9087

Call for private group trips:

1 844 227 9087

Live Chat >

Request a Brochure >

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.

View Trip Notes

Accommodation

Hotels

The hotels we've selected for you are full of character and are all family run, with warm welcomes throughout. They range from a hillside villa just outside medieval Arqua Petrarca and Gabriella and Alessandro's rustic, yet cosy agriturismo, to the exquisite Liberty Villa Lussana with its stunning position overlooking the dramatic Euganean Hills.

Call for general departures:

1 844 227 9087

Call for private group trips:

1 844 227 9087

Live Chat >

Request a Brochure >

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.

View Trip Notes