Hiking in the Sibillini Mountains
Personalize this tour to your travel dates and activity level
The names are as picturesque as the places themselves: the Gola dell'Infernaccia ("Throat of Bad Hell"), the Grotta delle Fate ("Cave of the Fairies"), and La Pisciarella (better left untranslated here). The food is good, too – generous meals based on old family traditions. And the walking is stunning, along twisting trails, through deep gorges, up to the highest peaks – a mountainous landscape steeped in legends of witches and oracles, where one comes across a blood-tinted lake (in which Pilatus is said to have bled to death) or a remote cave in which the Sibilla held court – a woman with magical powers after whom these fabulous mountains were named.
Highlights
- Explore the Parco Nazionale dei Sibillini
- Overnight in the charming mountain villages surrounding the park
- Enjoy the stupendous mountain vistas during full day hikes
- Enjoy the wonderful cuisine and wines of the region
Itinerary Outline
Here is an outline of a suggested daily itinerary. You can shorten or lengthen this tour to fit your travel dates. Request a detailed itinerary using the contact form below:
- Day one: We meet in Foligno and transfer to our lodgings in a tiny mountain town overlooking the deep gorges of the Sibillini. After a walk along the forested paths surrounding the village, we enjoy a Welcome Dinner together.
- Day two: We strike out from the sanctuary of the Madonna dell'Ambro, soon passing by the tiny shepherds' village of Prato Porfidia – the only example of its kind in the Sibillini. Our trail hugs the sides of the Val d'Ambro, passing through woods and meadows and opening to views of the rugged mountains around us.
- Day three: Today we visit the Gola dell'Infernaccia – not as dire as its name might suggest, but impressively savage-looking all the same. Our trail follows the small, cascading creek that over time has dug this deep channel out of the bare rock. Along the way, we pass the hermitage of San Leonardo, restored single-handedly by a monk who still lives there and who is looked upon as a saint by many of the locals.
- Day four: Our walk takes us deep into the heart of the Sibillini and its legends of magic. We ascend the Monte Sibilla, near the Grotta delle Fate, which once was believed to speak to its visitors. The very mountains surrounding us, with their primeval roughness, seem themselves to speak of these ancient legends.
- Day five: We start from the little village of Foce immersed in an alpine valley. We ascend deeper into the ravine, ascending to the Lago di Pilatus – so named because its waters are tinted blood-red. Here, witches used to come to dance at night. We, instead, have a picnic.
- Day six: Our walk brings us to Monte Vettore, the highest point in the Sibillini. From here, we have a vast view across the Sibillini as well as across the rolling landscape of Le Marche – a view that does much to explain why these mountains have long exercised themselves upon the imaginations of their human neighbors.
- Day seven: We help you on your way to your next destination with a transfer to Foligno. From here, Florence or Rome are easy to reach.
What's Included
- 6 nights accommodation with en-suite facilities
- breakfast, lunch and dinner each day
- full-time, professional Tour Leader
- guided hikes each day
- wine and specialty foods tastings
- paid entrance to all included activities
- all land transfers to and from tour area, and during tour
- all taxes and service charges at hotels and restaurants
- travel guidance for pre/post-tour activities
(Not included are airfare, wine and other beverages with alcohol, personal purchases such as laundry, phone calls, frigobar items etc., and anything not specifically included above.)
Pricing
We price this tour for the following category of accommodation. We also tier-price based on the tour's final group size. You can keep your tour private to your own group or you can open your tour for other travelers to join, thereby taking advantage of our tier discounts. All prices are quoted per person in USD.
| accomm. level | 2-3 p | 4-5 p | 6+ p | sing. supp. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| comfort/select | 3390 | 2550 | 2270 | 440 |
Scheduling
You can schedule this tour to start on any day of the week, May through October. As with all our tours, you tell us the dates you would like to start your tour, allowing you the maximum in flexibility and convenience.
Check for open departures of this tour already scheduled by other travelers. Or schedule your own departure and open it for others travelers to join.
What's next?
Proceed to our booking area to book this tour now.
Or write to us, and we'll send you the detailed itinerary for this tour and other relevant information.
