From the Veneto to Lombardia and Piemonte
Great Hikes & Chefs of Italy’s Lake District
Overview
Italy’s sublime Lake District is perfect for a WT-style journey of walks and hikes paired with sampling the regional culinary bounty. We’ll begin in the hilly vineyards of Valpolicella east of Lake Garda, explore tucked-away Lake Iseo, a gorgeous mountain lake in the Franciacorta wine region, and hike a path above magnificent Lake Maggiore. As we enjoy wonderful walks in this gastronomic heartland, we'll meet chefs and winemakers and savor seasonal delicacies. We finish in Piemonte with dinner in a Michelin-starred restaurant and a stay in an elegant relais within walking distance of La Venaria Reale, a 17th century royal estate near Turin.
Arrive: Verona, Italy
Depart: Turin, Italy
Highlights
- Enjoy an insider's perspective as our Trip Leaders introduce you to their favorite hikes, local friends, and off-the-beaten path eateries
- Discover classic lakeside towns, wine estates, and walking paths
- Savor dinners in 2 Michelin-starred restaurants
- Indulge in local culinary delights, sample the finest regional wines
- Hike a high trail above Lake Maggiore for majestic mountain views
- Walk the lakefront promenades of Garda, Iseo, and Maggiore
Itinerary
Panoramic walks with views of Lake Garda introduce us to the Valpolicella region, known for its Amarone wine. A local chef will welcome us for a festive lunch of authentic northern cuisine at his countryside locanda.
In the fjord-like setting of northern Lake Garda, our scenic hikes bring us to the top of Monte Baldo and up the Rocca di Manerba. Overnights are in stunning Salò, with its lakeside promenade.
Franciacorta’s vineyards produce fine sparkling wines, and we’ll taste them at a winemaker’s restaurant, then walk in the Torbiere del Sebino wetlands reserve. A ferry brings us to an island in mountain-ringed Lake Iseo for a beautiful hike and a village lunch of fresh-caught lake fish.
We hike above Lake Maggiore, with lunch on the mountain, and around small but picturesque Lake Mergozzo to the hamlet of Montorfano. Our loop route on the Sasso del Ferro Laveno trail brims with magnificent views across Lake Maggiore.
We’ll walk in renowned Piemonte vineyards, then explore the manicured gardens of Parco La Mandria and La Venaria Reale, a former royal residence of the House of Savoy. To cap off our journey, we dine at the Michelin-starred Dolce Stil Novo restaurant, where every dish is a work of art. Depart on Day 11 via Turin.
Accommodations
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
What the Trip is Like
This trip is rated a Level 3 (Moderate) according to our trip grading system. You will need to be comfortable hiking 6 miles a day and being on your feet for up to 4 hours a day. Hiking days are varied, with some very light days on flat country paths and some more challenging days. Trail conditions, weather, and the group's level of fitness can affect hiking times and pacing.
Review Trip Level Details
Average Hiking Day
- 5 miles
- 3-4 hours
- 500 feet gain/loss
Our walks and hikes traverse a variety of terrains, from flat trails alongside a river to paved paths to mountain trails with occasional short, steep sections. You will need to be comfortable hiking on uneven surfaces including downhill over rocky terrain.
We strongly urge you to train for your trip, as your enjoyment will be highly dependent on your level of fitness. The best training for a hike is to hike, especially over hills or rough terrain. Next best are running, swimming, bicycling, or other cardiovascular exercise. Stair climbing machines are excellent preparation for hiking uphill. Your feet should also be well prepared—make sure your hiking boots are sturdy, comfortable, and thoroughly broken-in.
Northern Italy shares a border with Switzerland and Austria and is generally cooler and wetter than areas of the country further south. Spring and fall are the ideal seasons for travel, cooler than the hot summer period and less crowded. Short thunderstorms are always a possibility in the north, which is a mountainous region, so it's advisable to wear layers. Temperatures in northern Italy in spring and fall ranges from the 70s°F during the day to the high 40s°F at night.
We choose our accommodations for their local history and central locations. Since they are often in historic buildings, the rooms are not always of uniform or international size. Our leaders do their best to assign rooms in a fair way so that all participants experience an equal advantage throughout the trip as a whole. Single rooms can be requested but are not always available, due to the limited space in the hotels. If you prefer a single room, please make your request as early as possible.
Meals will be at the hotels where we are staying or at selected restaurants in nearby towns. Some of our meals will be at Michelin-starred restaurants with 6-10 courses. At those restaurants, it is often difficult to accommodate dietary restrictions other than food allergies. Please note that in Europe, the dinner hour is considerably later than what it is in the US. We do our best to secure early reservations for our groups, but most often the evening meal will be at 7:30 pm.
Our support vehicle will transport the group's luggage, so you only need to carry a daypack (rain gear, sweater, camera, water bottle, etc.). Trip members are always free to skip a day's hike and travel to the next destination in the support vehicle (or remain at the hotel if we are not transferring that day).
Client Testimonials
"The trip was well run, wrinkle-free, everyone well cared for, all expectations met or exceeded... just as we have come to expect from WT."
Bill S.
Boiling Springs, PA
"It's not possible to overstate the food and wines on this trip. I have never experienced anything like this."
Carol B.
Redwood City, CA
"Simply an excellent trip: fun hikes, excellent food, and great chefs."
Chris R.
Denver, CO
"We greatly appreciated the opportunity to explore Northern Italy and view the beautiful lakes. The emphasis on culture and food with opportunities to explore cheese making and caverns of prosciutto provided a memorable experience, while the multi-course gourmet meals were simply incredible."
Colleen A.
Hastings, NE
"We really enjoyed the food adventures, the tours of the cheese places, cooking with the chef, and the art and historical tours. The group of people and guides were terrific as well, adding up to a memorable trip!"
Diane Y.
Gainesville, FL
"A wonderful trip! Great food, good people, and excellent leadership and organization."
James C.
Los Gatos, CA
"Highest quality all around. Beautiful scenery, great walks, amazing food, and superb hotels. A well put together trip with a very nice balance of hiking, cultural activities, and culinary adventures."
Jeanne R.
Denver, CO
"The trip was great; I would recommend it to anyone. I was surprised at the quantity and quality of the food and wine. I really enjoyed the various food related excursions. It was a great group. Everyone seemed to get along fine. Being a first-time traveler with Wilderness, I was amazed at how many times the other members had traveled with your company—it certainly is a testament to the quality of your trips."
John T.
Park Ridge, IL
"I have taken other 'trips of a lifetime' with WT and this one was no exception! One cannot help but live in the moment on such a wonderful journey. Very well done!"
Julie R.
Bainbridge Island, WA
"The variety of cultural experiences woven in was great—from historical sites to cheese making!"
Karl G.
Davis, CA
"This was a great trip—well designed and smoothly carried out. The food on the trip was terrific—from formal dinners to excellent pizza at restaurant with locals."
Margaret H.
Washington, DC
"A wonderful way to get to see northern Italy! The lakes, mountains, and towns were just spectacular, and the hotels and restaurants were all first rate!"
Mark F.
Peoria,Arizona
"The guides were wonderful, the food was incredible, the hotels first class and the views were beautiful. I would call this adventure ‘over the rainbow!’"
Martie T.
Salinas, CA
"The trip was thoughtfully designed and smoothly executed. We appreciated the lovely and varied hikes, the variety of cultural activities (especially the visits to Guffanti and Antica Corte Pallavicina), the fabulous dining, and the overall atmosphere created by our guides. This was our second WT trip and we are looking forward to more."
Pam B.
Newton Center, MA
"The trip rates very high. Hikes were varied in level of difficulty, length, location. Hotels were very nice: excellent locations, vistas, food, and amenities. Activities were excellent...castles, cheese, wine, prosciutto—interesting and good choices for the overall experience. Loved meeting Mario in our vineyard tour!"
Pat L.
Sandy Hook, CT
"This was a great trip: good food, wonderful hotels, great guides, scenic hikes. What more could you ask for?"
Rud and Mary Ellen B.
Bloomfield Hills, MI
"This trip far exceeded my expectations. It was truly a trip of a lifetime."
Virginia H.
Frisco, TX
"A fabulous combination of hiking in gorgeous areas and out of this world gourmet food along with cheese producers, wineries, cooking lessons, and fabulous hotels and chateaus. A feast for the eye, nose, and stomach."
William T.
Los Angeles, CA
"Great food, wine, and hotels!"
Yvonne S.
West Chester, PA
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Our Area Specialists know every detail about our tours. They will be happy to answer any questions and help you choose the journey that’s right for you. Contact us to learn more or book your trip today!
Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult.