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Italian Camino Walk: Camino Via Francigena

20th Sep 2025 - 27th Sep 2025

8 days/Italy /Moderate to Challenging

Overview

Follow in the footsteps of thousands of pilgrims before you as you take on the Camino Via Francigena.

Walk the final 110km of one of Europe’s oldest pilgrimage routes – a quieter and arguably more beautiful route than its Spanish counterpart. Explore quaint medieval towns and small villages of rural Italy as you walk the road to Rome.

The ancient route runs from Canterbury all the way through France, Switzerland and on to Rome for those wishing to visit the Holy See and the tombs of apostles Peter and Paul.

Today, ‘pilgrims’ walk the Camino for a number of different reasons; spiritual, cultural and adventurous or simply such as wanting to learn about the history of this ancient trail and as a way to get fit and spend time outdoors. This is not a religious tour. The Via Francigena is about the journey and to the majority of people it symbolises a time of reflection, learning and fresh starts.

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This trek is graded moderate to challenging. You will be trekking long distances over varying terrain which includes some steep uphill sections, in hot weather conditions.

You will be walking for many hours and sometimes on steep gradients. It is essential that you are fit enough to trek for at least 7-8 hours at a time for multiple consecutive days. Regular breaks are taken, but long days of walking are inevitable. You cannot be too fit for this challenge so you should train well before your departure.

The ancient pilgrimage follows the route taken in 990AD by Sigeric the Serious, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to present himself to Pope John XB.

Lesser known than it’s Spanish counterpart, the Camino de Santiago, these days ‘pilgrims’ walk the camino for a number of reasons; spiritual, cultural and adventurous or simply such as wanting to learn about the history of this ancient trail and as a way to get fit and spend time outdoors.

This is not a religious tour. The Via Francigena is about the journey and to the majority of people it symbolises a time of reflection, learning and fresh starts.

An ideal candidate is someone who is open minded, positive, flexible and enjoys the challenges of the great outdoors. Adventure travel involves elements of the unexpected so do not expect the standards to be the same as you are used to at home. Remote areas are sometimes unpredictable (be it because of group pace, weather conditions etc.) and itineraries may be altered to allow for this. You must also be willing to train hard for this challenge!

The trek is accompanied by local professional English-speaking guides who have an excellent knowledge of hiking in the region. The guides are first aid trained and will support you throughout your journey. You will also be supported by a Different Travel Company UK tour manager.

The terrain will vary throughout the 5 days but in general you will trek all day along country roads, compact dirt and stone Roman footpaths, gravel trails, paved streets and through woods, Across orchards and olive groves with some uphill/downhill paths. Each day you will experience undulating terrain, so it is important that your training includes hill walking and trekking up and down gradients.

You will stay in basic hotels and simple guesthouses on a twin or triple-share basis. Bathing facilities will be basic with showers and flushing toilets, but these may occasionally be shared facilities.

Breakfast and evening meals will be taken in a communal dining room at the accommodation or at local restaurants. You will enjoy hearty, delicious Italian meals that will keep your energy levels high for each day’s trek. You will eat packed lunches which you will carry yourself each day or stop in small local restaurants. Please inform us in advance if you have any dietary requirements or preferences.

The section of the Camino Via Francigena you will be walking is located in Lazio. In September, generally, temperatures range from pleasant to warm, with precipitation levels ranging from moderate to high. However weather can be unpredictable, so it is important to be prepared for a variety of weather conditions and temperatures.

In general, the temperature each day can range between 14-25°C during the day but could drop to 12°C (or lower) at night.

It’s important to be prepared for all weather conditions and temperatures by packing non-cotton trek layers and waterproofs. It’s better to have waterproofs and not need them, than to not have any when you need them!

Although the temperatures and conditions above are historically accurate, climate change can impact the seasons so you may experience uncharacteristic conditions during the trip which are out of our control. Should this happen the guide will assess the situation and make decisions to ensure the best enjoyment and ultimately safety of the group as a whole.

You must be aged 18+ to join this trek. It may be possible for you to participate if you are 16 or 17 years old but you must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. There is no upper age limit.

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