Abruzzo History & Nature Tour and much more besides
- Mike
- Sep 17
- 12 min read
9 Day Tour 2026: (Scroll down for full details and itinerary)
Price per person US $8,100 based on double occupancy, fully inclusive of all transport, hotels and meals. This price is based on 6 people using 3 hotel rooms.
Smaller Group Pricing if requesting a tour for less than 6 people:
US $9,600 per person for 4 people using 2 hotel rooms
2026 Dates:
mid June
late September
Contact us with regard to 2026 if you have specific dates in mind for next year so we can plan one of these tours around you.
Support: Transportation will be provided throughout the tour in a Mercedes van with a professional driver. Pick-up and drop off at the airport or at your hotel in Rome. Mike & Elena will accompany the group every day of the tour and will be available throughout to provide assistance as required.
Hotels: We have selected the best hotels in each of the three locations. All are 4 star or equivalent quality and all guest rooms have private bathrooms.
Booking: To provide greater certainty that our first choice of hotels will be available we require a firm booking with deposit by December 2025, but the earlier the better.
Terms & Conditions: Will be sent on request to interested persons.
Contact: For further information, clarifications or to express interest in booking one of the 2025 tours please contact us at Mike@mykindofitaly.com
Why Abruzzo?
Anyone who has read even a few of our 250+ articles on Italian travel on this website will know that we prefer to go where the crowds aren’t. We seek out Italy’s neglected corners where tourists are scarce and where you find small scale artisans that produce wine and olive oil every bit as good as the famous names. We don’t claim to know every inch of Italy but the places we write about we know very well indeed because these are the places we keep going back to and all of them are within a few hours drive from our home in le Marche.
Before you even arrive in Abruzzo to experience our Abruzzo History & Nature tour, just a glance at some of our photographs on these pages will give you a good idea of why we remain fascinated by this remarkable and largely undiscovered region of Italy.
We are slow travel people but that amorphous expression doesn’t really do justice to our philosophy of travel. We believe in regenerative tourism which means that we gravitate to those areas where tourism is a force for good.
There exists in Italy a stark contrast between the places where tourism is destroying the fabric of daily life for ordinary Italians or has driven them out completely - Cinque Terre, Venice, Portofino, the Amalfi Coast, Capri, Taormina, Florence, the Trastevere district of Rome (where dispossessed renters are resorting to glueing shut airbnb key lockboxes in protest about the lack of properties available to residents) - all spring to mind, and the places where tourism has become an important component in rejuvenating communities hollowed out for more than a century by war, earthquakes or emigration and sometimes all three. (In all of our articles on small towns in Abruzzo you will notice the alarming and almost universal population declines right up to the last census in 2021).
Much of Abruzzo, especially the mountainous interior, is a classic example of tourism as a force for good, allowing more and more young people to remain in their native land and facilitating the reconstruction of abandoned properties and communities.
The Abruzzesi understand this well and are the most welcoming of people as befitting their sobriquet ‘forte e gentile’ (strong and kind) by which they are affectionately known throughout Italy. Even the local Marsicani bears it seems are kinder and gentler than their Alpine cousins. You won’t be met with a surly greeting here from locals upset at being priced out of their own property market by airbnb profiteers - quite the reverse in fact because more tourism is needed in the Abruzzo interior, not less.
But Abruzzo is on the move, helped by clear-sighted decision making by regional and local officials who have done an excellent job with their best natural resource, the Maiella National Park, and more recently with another superb initiative, the Coastal Bike Path, now nearing completion along the entire length of the Abruzzo coastline and already providing wonderful tourist recreation and easier coastal accessibility.
Recent years have witnessed a slow but steady reawakening of regional pride on the part of the Abruzzesi as a new generation has rediscovered the amazing tales of self-sacrifice by the simple contadini in the mountains during the war years and the role of the Maiella Brigade, whose story is truly unique among all the partigiani groups in Italy at that time.
Even as recently as 2017, after a local historian translated a New Zealander's war diary, a new Freedom Trail was inaugurated in the Orfento Valley to commemorate the forgotten bravery of the Maiella inhabitants.
A reawakening has also taken place with regard to the agricultural heritage of the land. Autochthonous grape varieties such as Pecorino and Cococciola have been saved from extinction in recent decades and are flourishing in the hands of better trained winemakers. World class wines are now being produced from Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grapes and indigenous olive varieties are being turned into exquisite olive oil.
Even the traditional bread of Abruzzo is being revived with a focus on ancient grains cultivated at higher altitudes and milled locally as demonstrated by Mercato del Pane. Abruzzo may never acquire the same international reputation as Tuscany but its inferiority complex is long gone and deservedly so.
Abruzzo has always exerted a strong pull on the imagination, not just for those who have visited the region once or twice, but in particular for the children and grandchildren of the tens of thousands of Abruzzesi who emigrated during the long drawn out depression of the post war years.
Many Americans, Canadians and Australians, often still proudly carrying their Abruzzesi last names, return every year to their ancestral homeland and some choose to learn Italian, a few actually move here to live and others become Italian citizens. Elena recently helped one such person with the complex process of obtaining citizenship.
Elena may be a proud Tuscan, born and bred in Florence, but for over 30 years she has spent much of her summer vacation time at her parents holiday home in Abruzzo and I too have now spent over a decade visiting Abruzzo every year to walk and cycle in the mountains, explore the interior and sometimes just lie on the beach when all the tourists have gone home and wonder why more people don’t come to Abruzzo in June or September.
Who is this Tour for?
First and foremost this tour is for anyone who is curious to find out for themselves why we love Abruzzo so much when the rest of Italy is at our disposal and yet we keep coming back here.
This tour was designed by us to include the very best that Abruzzo has to offer and to experience it in the most efficient way possible by minimizing the amount of time spent each day in transit. There is a good mix of locations and activities including some walks in the Maiella, none of which are difficult or particularly long and will therefore be suitable for anyone in good health with a basic level of fitness. For those people who would rather take in the sights without fully participating in the walks we will have transportation at your disposal.
Our goal is for you to return home at the end of the tour with a real appreciation for the history and natural beauty of Abruzzo, the friendliness of its people and the quality and variety of its food, wine and olive oil.
We can guarantee that it will be love at first sight and by the end of our tour you’ll already be making plans to return.
(Note that you can click on every phrase that's highlighted in the preamble above or the itinerary below to jump to a separate article on our website with lots more information about the location or activity).
Tour Dates and Cost:
This is a small group tour. You can book as an individual or couple or as a group. While there is no absolute minimum number of people for the tour to proceed, the cost per person will inevitably be higher as the numbers diminish, as indicated at the top of the page, and these additional charges will be discussed and agreed with you before the trip is confirmed and final payments made.
Cost for 9 days based on double room occupancy in 4 star and equivalent hotels including transportation, all activities as described in the itinerary and all meals, including lunches: US$8,100 per person for a party of 6 or US$9,600 for a party of 4. The single person supplement for people traveling alone is likely to be around $1,200 for single room occupancy throughout the tour.
See below for the list of inclusions and exclusions.
Contact us at mike@mykindofitaly.com
9 Day Tour Itinerary
DAY 1: Sulmona
Rome pick up mid-morning followed by a 2 hour transfer to Sulmona in time for our first group lunch at one of the best restaurants in town. Sulmona is the quintessential Abruzzo town and this is where you will spend the first three nights of the tour; there is no better place to be on warm summer evenings when an essential part of the experience is watching the sunset passeggiata along Corso Ovidio. Sulmona is also the most convenient locaton from which to explore the National Park of Abruzzo.
DAY 2: Historic Abruzzo: Scanno, Barrea & Pescocostanzo
Today we’ll visit the three towns in the Abruzzo National Park that are unrivaled for atmosphere and a visual sense of history but are very different to one another.
DAY 3: Pacentro, Passo San Leonardo & Wine Tasting Lunch
Today’s highlights include a morning trip to Pacentro followed by a scenic trip over the San Leonardo pass to the Guardiani Farchione winery for a comprehensive tasting of their excellent range of classically Abruzzesi wines.
If we have time we’ll also stop in the restored village of Roccacaramanico
high up in the Maiella mountains.
DAY 4: Dramatic Scenery, Mountain Castles & Ancient Frescoes
After breakfast we’ll spend the entire day in the Gran Sasso National Park, starting with a visit to Rocca Calascio. After a walking tour of Castel del Monte we’ll have lunch in Santo Stefano di Sessanio followed by a scenic drive through the Campo Imperatore plateau with a stop or two along the way.
In the afternoon we'll visit the Oratory of San Pellegrino in Bominaco to view the remarkable 13th century frescoes that are now a UNESCO world heritage site.
Our group exploring Castel del Monte
Late afternoon we will transfer to our favorite hotel in Abruzzo. It is located in the heart of the Maiella National Park and will be our home for the middle 3 nights of the tour as well as being the perfect location for our Olive Oil Tutorial and our hands-on Cooking Class.
The accommodation here consists of individual apartments rather than rooms and each one has a private outside terrace, sitting room and a kitchenette in addition to an ensuite bathroom.
DAY 5: The Dry Stone Hut Trail & Olive Oil Tutorial
Today we’ll experience up close the centuries old history of man’s interaction with these mystical mountains. We’ll walk right out of the hotel onto the Dry Stone Hut (tholos) path through the Giumentina Valley to the Hermitage of San Bartolomeo. This is a 2-3 hour walk that is open and very scenic on a mostly even trail that takes us past many of the dry stone hut ruins that were the shepherds’ shelter throughout the ages before being finally abandoned in the 1950s.
In the early evening before dinner Elena will conduct a short tutorial and tasting of some of Italy’s best olive oils from Tuscany, Umbria and Abruzzo with some advice on what to look out for when buying Italian olive oil abroad.
DAY 6: The Roof of Abruzzo, Eremo Santo Spirito & Cooking Class
Today is the day to enjoy the vastness and grandeur of the higher slopes of the Maiella and there will be no shortage of photo opportunities.
An early start is highly recommended if you want to enjoy the same spectacular scenery in the morning light as I wrote about and photographed during my bike ride up the mountain to Blockhaus.
We’ll drive the whole way up to Rifugio Bruno Pomilio, stopping briefly perhaps to capture images of the beauty of the changing landscape as we ascend to 6,500 feet. This is the roof of Abruzzo where all the great peaks of the Maiella massif can be seen up close as well as the entire Abruzzo coastline.
We will accompany you on a relatively easy out-and-back 2-3 hour walk to the famous Tavola dei Briganti (photo right) where brigands carved their laments into the rock 160 years ago.
If one or more of you decide that you would prefer a shorter walk, Elena or I will return to the van with you separately. We’ll have lunch in a local restaurant in Roccamorice, close to our hotel, where the owner brews his own beer in the basement and distills his excellent version of the classic Abruzzo amaro called Genziana.
After lunch we will visit the Eremo Santo Spirito in the van (no more walking today) and then back to the hotel for some relaxation time.
In the early evening today we will enjoy a cooking class that has always been one of the highlights for our guests because of the enthusiastic involvement of Cristina and her parents, the owners of the hotel, as well as Serena, our Maiella guide, who also knows a thing or two about Abruzzo food and whose abilities in the kitchen match her outdoor skills.
DAY 7: Costa dei Trabocchi
You really shouldn’t come all the way to Abruzzo and only see the mountain ranges, spectacular though they undoubtedly are. The Trabocchi coastline is also an important and unique part of Abruzzo heritage and in recent years many of these rickety looking fishing platforms have become very atmospheric dining experiences.
For the remaining 2 nights of the tour we’ll transfer to our hotel in a lovingly restored 17th century building in the historic center of Vasto, which is by far the most interesting and atmospheric town on the entire Abruzzo coastline. Vasto is one of the few coastal towns in Abruzzo unspoiled by development and where its location high up on a bluff makes it a balcony on the Adriatic.
Before arriving in Vasto we can either visit the lovely town of Casoli or enjoy a second wine tasting lunch at another of our favorite Abruzzo wineries. We'll leave this decision to the group at the time of booking. Early evening we'll enjoy cocktails with a fabulous view of the Adriatic coastline before dinner at a restaurant in town.
DAY 8: Coastal Bike Path/Beach and Trabocco lunch
There are only two things on today’s agenda other than perhaps relaxing by the beach at Vasto Marina. First is to enjoy a bike ride along the completely flat and traffic free Abruzzo Coastal Bike path, going as far south or north as you want and stopping for a swim or for refreshments wherever you please or alternatively spend more time exploring Vasto.
Second is to meet up with the rest of the group to experience a Trabocco seafood lunch, another highlight for previous groups.
We've found that dinner this evening is unlikely to be needed after the long lunch on the trabocco and so there will be no group dinner and you are free to enjoy your last night of the tour in Vasto.
DAY 9: Arriverderci Abruzzo
Transfer back to Rome after the holiday of a lifetime or if you're planning to stay longer we will be happy to assist you with ideas and arrangements.
NOTES:
1. Included in the price are 8 nights in superb accommodation, including ensuite bathrooms, and 8 breakfasts and lunches and 7 dinners. The final dinner in Vasto has usually been unnecessary for most people so that is excluded.
2. Also included are most of the major activities mentioned, ie wine tastings, cooking class, olive oil tutorial and walking and hiking tour guides.
3. All transportation is included, starting from the initial pick-up in Rome to the drop-off in Rome at the end of the tour.
4. This is a fully escorted tour so also included in the price is as much time and assistance from Mike & Elena as you require, which will include at no extra charge informal Italian lessons from Elena as we travel around Abruzzo (see also the Language section of this website).
5. Not included are additional and optional hotel provided activities, hotel laundry, pre-dinner drinks and other incidental expenses of any kind. However wine will be provided with lunch and dinner.
6. Detailed terms and conditions will be submitted later to interested parties. Meanwhile for further information, discussions about changes to the itinerary or to express interest in booking this tour please email us at Mike@mykindofitaly.com or use the contact form in the About Us section of this website.
