4 Fall Adventures In Italy

Exploring Sicily and the Aeolian Islands with Classic Journeys.

If you’ve been put off by tales of overcrowding and hot weather in Italy during the summer, late fall can offer a respite as the summer heat dissipates and summer tourists vanish. Mid-September through early October are the sweet spots for such trips. While many departures are sold out and have waiting lists, here are four adventure trips with space available for fall 2024.

Sicily Cultural Walking Tour

This trip promises a cultural exploration along with some great walking through Sicily with Classic Journeys. This six-night, seven-day tour is a blend of history, cuisine, and natural beauty. Start with a walk to Mount Pellegrino and explore Palermo on foot. There’s cooking instruction and wine tasting near Regaleali, a visit to an organic winery on the island of Lipari, the unique landscape of the lava dunes of Mt. Etna and a boat trip to the Aeolian Islands. Expect to walk two to eight miles per day. Priced from $6,995 per person, it’s based on double occupancy, land-only, as are all trips mentioned here.

Neive village and Langhe vineyards, a Unesco Site in Piedmont.

Cycling Italy’s Piedmont

Family-owned since 1972, ExperiencePlus! was one of the earliest companies to offer organized bike tours in Italy and still leads the pack in terms of creating itineraries. This fall, there is still space available on their Cycling Italy’s Piedmont trip, an eight-day, seven-night pedal that offers a unique blend of food, history, and landscape exploration. Distances range from 25 to 48 miles per day. The trip takes you through the Langhe wine region, with exclusive Barolo wine tastings. It follows ancient Roman roads, and there are stops in Alba, home to Ferrero Rocher, and in Asti, a town famous for its architecture, sparkling wines and culinary traditions. Bike options include a lightweight titanium hybrid, road bike, or a tandem bike. E-bikes are also available with a surcharge. Priced from $4,695.

The Amalfi Coast with Country Walkers.

Pompeii, Capri & the Amalfi Coast

This is a seven-day walking tour from Country Walkers along one of the world’s most spectacular coastlines, the Amalfi Coast. Pompeii, Capri & the Amalfi Coast is a walk that combines history and culinary pleasures, exploring terraced hillsides with a backdrop of limestone peaks, local farms, and villages clinging to a rocky perches. It’s about lunches under shady pergolas, with the scent of the legendary Sfusato Amalfitano lemons in the air. Walkjers visit Sorrento, Capri, and the scenic terraces of Ravello, as well as exploration of the ruins of Pompeii. This is a “moderate to challenging” walk of four to six miles per day, a six-night, seven-day trip, priced at $5,145.

MT Sobek’s Italy & Switzerland Heart of Gran Paradiso Hiking Tour

Italy & Switzerland Heart of Gran Paradiso Hiking Tour

MT Sobek’s Italy & Switzerland Heart of Gran Paradiso Hiking Tour offers a chance to explore one of the off-the-beaten-path destinations in the Alps. Gran Paradiso National Park is a hidden gem between Italy's Valle d'Aosta and Piemonte regions in the Graian Alps. Established in the 19th century to protect ibex, it’s a haven for hikers and trekkers and home to Italy's only peak above 13,000 feet, Gran Paradiso. This land has high alpine meadows, larch forests, and waterfalls. On this hike rated level Four, you can expect to hike five to seven hours a day, with some steep climbs and long descents. The trip is seven nights and eight days, and priced at $4,195.