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Tour Itinerary
Day 1: Bienvenuti! – ‘Welcome’
Arrive in Pescara or Rome, and get a transfer to your accommodation. Settle in and meet your housemates! This evening, Tim and I will host a welcome meal at our home in Villamagna, serving traditional Abruzzese dishes at sunset. The dinner will include free-flow wine and spritz, and give you a chance to meet the group.
Day 2: La Campagna – ‘The Countryside’
Today, you will see the beautiful countryside of Abruzzo, with a tour of a local winery and a wine tasting followed by a three-course meal paired with their best wines. You will get a chance to try Abruzzo’s famous red wine fountain and see the beauty of the Abruzzo countryside.
After lunch, we will visit a nearby medieval town by the sea. You will have free time to wander through the town and explore the local shops. The city of Ortona is so beautiful, with amazing views of the sea. In the evening we will go to Pretoro, a beautiful town built into the mountains. Here, we will eat a low-key meal in a charming cave restaurant.
Day 3: La Città – ‘The City’
Today, we will visit two popular Abruzzese cities, starting with the morning markets in Chieti. This is the historic centre of Abruzzo and has historical sites, churches and monuments going back to the Roman era. Browse the markets and pick up local souvenirs or treats. One of our favourite Abruzzese restaurants is in Chieti, so we will sit in the sunshine and eat lunch here. They have incredible food and hospitality.
That evening, we’ll drive 30 mins to Pescara for an Abruzzese food tour around the city. You will get to try more local delicacies in markets and visit shops around the city. After this, we will get a chance to enjoy the local nightlife in a popular square in the city. Pescara is the biggest city in Abruzzo, with lots of bars, shops and restaurants. We’ll finish the day with dinner in Pescara before going to a popular piazza and experiencing the local nightlife.
Day 4: Le Montagne – ‘The Mountains’
We’ll spend today in the mountains of the Gran Sasso National Park! This national park is vast and has three mountain ranges. Its highest peak, Corno Grande (2,912 metres), is the highest mountain in the Apennines and the second-highest mountain in Italy outside the Alps. The Gran Sasso is a stunning place to visit in Abruzzo.
We’ll start the day with a 2-hour drive to a famous medieval village, Santo Stefano Di Sessanio. It is considered one of the most beautiful villages in Abruzzo and is a really charming place to visit. From the town, we’ll embark on one of the most famous hikes in the region: an hour-long trek to Rocca Calascio. This is not a difficult hike and does not have a steep climb. It will be doable by anyone with a reasonable level of fitness. The famous castle is at the top of the mountain, where we’ll enjoy a picnic lunch. (For those who don’t want to hike, the bus will take you to the top to meet the group.)
After our lunch, we will go kayaking in the bright blue waters of Tirino (optional activity). These clear, blue, unspoilt waters are known to be among the cleanest in Italy. We will do a 2 hour guided kayaking tour through this gorgeous region.
We’ll finish the day with a pasta-making class and home-cooked dinner outside in the gardens of Villa A. Free-flow wine is available with this meal so that we can rest and chat after an active day.
Day 5: Il Mare – ‘The Sea’
Let’s spend the day exploring the beautiful coastal regions of Abruzzo.
We’ll start the day with a lie-in after our activities yesterday. After breakfast at your villa, the bus will pick you up for an hour-long drive to our first spot. This is a bicycle ride along the green path of the Trabocchi Coast. The Green Path is a flat, paved cycle path perfect for seeing seaside towns. There are no steep slopes; this is a very leisurely ride- with many stops for Spritz along the way!
We’ll have a long lunch by the sea and have free time to explore the beaches. Anyone who does not want to cycle can sunbathe on the beach instead and join us for lunch. We’ll then return to our villas to dress up for our final night!
For our final evening, we’ll dine on a gourmet 5-course meal on a Trabocco (a traditional fishing platform, unique to Abruzzo), a truly memorable way to finish your Abruzzese adventure! These restaurants specialise in seafood, but this one also has a delicious fully vegetarian option. We can toast our amazing week here!
Arrivederci! – ‘Goodbye’
We will come together for one final piazza breakfast and Italian Caffè before we say our goodbyes and make our way to the airport or train station. Transfers to local train stations and Pescara are included. Transfers to Rome and Bari can be arranged at a cost.
Flights
The closest airport is Pescara, which is about a 30-minute drive from the accommodations. There is free airport pickup from this airport to your accommodation.
You can get a direct flight to Pescara from London Stansted with Ryanair.
Alternative Nearby Airports:
Pescara doesn’t have a lot of direct flights, and you may not want to book two flights to get here. Luckily, we are close to two other busier airports which you can fly into:
Rome Fiumicino / Rome
We are just a 2.5-hour drive from Rome, so you can fly here and take a transfer, bus, or train from here. You can take a train or bus from Rome to Chieti Scalo or Pescara Station; there is free pickup from the station. Paid transfer is available from Rome to your accommodation.
Here are the flights for these dates.
Bari
We are also a 3-hour drive from Bari airport, where many airlines fly directly. You can take a transfer, bus, or train from here. Take a train or bus from Bari to Chieti Scalo or Pescara Station; there is free pickup from the station. A paid transfer is available from Bari Airport to your accommodation.
Milan
Pescara is a 5.5 hour train ride from Milan, you can book a direct train and get free pickup at Pescara or Chieti Station. Book your train tickets on Omio in advance to get great deals on fares.
Pescara is also a 4-hour train from Bologna, a 5-hour train from Florence, and a 6-hour train from Pisa if you are already in Italy.
More Information
What should I pack?
- Comfortable shoes for visiting medieval cities, as there will be cobbles and steps
- One set of hiking gear (normal trainers will suffice; you don’t need hiking boots)
- SPF and mosquito spray
- We’ll visit some nice wineries and fancy restaurants, so feel free to bring dressy clothes!
- The temperature is likely to be around 26° in July.
How fit do I need to be?
The hike and cycle ride are pretty easygoing. You will have the opportunity to see the hiking path in person before deciding whether to join it. If not, you will stay for a ramble in the village and follow us up on the bus. You can also see the cycle path in person before deciding whether to do the bicycle ride. If you opt not to, there is a restaurant at the start of the path where you can wait for the group to return.
I have dietary preferences or food allergies.
We can accommodate dietary preferences & food allergies. Let us know in your traveller form what they are, and we can work with the restaurants to cater for them.
Payment
- Secure your place on the trip with a payment of 25%.
- A secondary payment of 25% is due on March 16th.
- Final balances are due on May 16th.
If you would like to pay your balance in full at the time of booking, you will receive a 5% discount off the full trip amount. Enter the code PAYINFULL at checkout if paying in full at booking and you’ll get 5% off the price. If you want to make any early payments, you will also receive 5% off that payment amount. Drop us an email at any time to do this.
Cancellation
If you cancel your space before the trip is confirmed (we reach 10 travellers), you get a full refund of the money you paid.
After this point, if you cancel your space, then:
- If we (or you) can fill your space, you will get a full refund of everything you have paid, less €50 admin fee for handling the cancellation and rebooking.
- If we cannot fill your space, you will not receive a full refund. Your deposit will be forfeited to cover the costs of the cancellation.
Cancellations are handled via this mailbox.
Accommodation
On this tour, we have three properties available to you. You can choose your property and your room at the time of booking. You can also choose your roommate if you know who you would like to share with. You will stay in the same room for the entirety of the trip, sharing with the same roommate.
The properties have a kitchen, living space, garden, and Wi-Fi. Some properties also have a pool. You will be able to use all of these facilities during your stay.
The room choice is first come, first served – but in your booking notes, you can request that if someone cancels a room in a property you prefer, you will get first refusal to move to their room.
The properties you are staying in are remote, so you may not be within walking distance to a convenience store. We will supply every house with essentials for the week: toiletries, breakfast foods, tea/coffee and snacks. We will also do a supermarket run on day one so that you can pick up anything specific you would like to have in your accommodation.
There is a single supplement for private rooms, which varies for each property. You can see the costs by selecting your option from the dropdowns above.
Transport
Abruzzo is a large region with limited public transport, so we will be using private transport for the entirety of the trip.
For arrival and departure, transport, drop off, and pick up at Chieti Train Station / Pescara Train Station / Pescara Airport are all included. We can arrange a coach from Bari or Rome airports, which will be paid. The price will be split between the number of travellers so we can’t give an exact price yet. But it’s likely to be around €100 per person each way. I can also help you arrange a bus or train across to the airport (that’s what I usually do).
Have you got any more questions?
Drop me an email here to ask them!
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