Active tours to Italy

For more info:
www.iExplore.com
www.gapadventures.com
www.intrepidtravel.com
www.infohub.com
www.reiadventures.com
www.djoserusa.com
www.activegourmetholidays.com
www.ciclismoclassico.com

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THE ITALY BOOKSHELF

Italy Guidebooks

Fun & Inspiration

Adventurous and sporty tours of Italy, from bike tours and countryside walks to mountain treks and horseback trips

Whether its a bike tour of Sicily or a walk along the Cinque Terre, a horseback ride through Tuscany or a hike through the Italian Alps or Dolomites, there are plenty of opportunities to have an active vacation in Italy.

Active tour operators in Italy

iExplore Italy trips 2010
Biking
Italy Active—Tuscany (6 days)
Cycle Through Siena & Chianti (8 days)
Dolomites to Venice Ride (8 days)
Tuscany Singletrack (8 days)
Puglia: Cycle The Heel Of Italy (8 days)
Cycling Venice And Veneto (8 days)

Walking
Chianti: Walking & Wine (8 days)
Tuscan Delights (8 days)
The Amalfi Coast (8 days)
Walking in Tuscany (8 days)
Walking In The Western Dolomites (8 days)
Walking In Sardinia (8 days)
Walking the Italian Lakes (9 days)

Hiking/Trekking
Hiking in Piemonte (8 days)
Classic Dolomites (8 days)
Hiking in Ticino (8 days)
Hiking Monte Rosa (8 days)
Tour Du Mont Blanc (Monte Bianco) (8 days)
Mont Blanc Highlights (8 days)
Introduction to Via Ferrata (8 days)
Via Ferrata Tour (8 days)
Via Ferrata In The Northern Dolomites (8 days)
The Matterhorn Circuit (9 days)
Trekking Mt. Blanc (12 days)
Mont Blanc Hotel Trek (15 days)
Mont Blanc Circuit (15 days)
Cilento & Amalfi Trek (15 days)

Skiing & Snow Sports
Cross-country Skiing: Asiago (8 days)
Cross-country Skiing: Dobbiaco (8 days)
Snowshoeing In The Dolomites (8 days)
Mont Blanc Winter Activity Week (8 days)
Cross-country Skiing: Versciaco Skating Course (8 days)

General/Misc
Family Amalfi Coast: Pompeii & Pizza (8 days)
Amalfi Coast & Bay Of Naples (8 days)
Luxury Wine Tour of Apulia (9 days)
Italy Experience (9 days)
Luxury Wine Tour of Umbria (9 days)
Italy Select (9 days)
Southern Italy Experience (9 days)
Switzerland & Italy Experience (13 days)

iExplore (www.iExplore.com) - The number one–ranked website for adventure and experiential travel—and it provides the adventure tour booking engine for everyone from Expedia to the Travel Channel to Frommer's and Lonely Planet's websites. (Given its excellent catalog, it's also a ReidsItaly.com partner.)

It's been around for more than a decade now and was recently acquired by TUI, which owns more than 30 major travel brands. That means iExplore incorporates all the tours from sister company Adventure Center, a major player able to maintain low prices on hundreds of adventures on all seven continents by contracting with expert local outfitters and other specialist operators.

Around 40 Italy trips each year, with a nice spread of styles. There are more traditional tours that emphasize cultural experiences, upscale trips (luxury wine tours of Apulia or Umbria, including gourmet meals), moderate walking vacations (the Italian lakes, Chianti Walking & Wine), and gnarly physicial adventures (trekking Mt. Blanc).

Interestingly, unlike most tour companies, which stick to cookie-cutter chain hotels, iExplore's city trips tend to use trendy boutique hotels. Not included: Airfare, meals in cities (except on wine trips).

Intrepid Travel (www.intrepidtravel.com) - This fantastic Australian company marries an independent travel style (staying in cheap guesthouses, traveling by public transport) with the expertise of truly knowledgeable guides. It has a larger than usual commitment to sustainable tourism, and tiny groups, often limited to 8-12. When my (anti–group tour) parents found themselves with airfare to Japan and no time to plan, this is where I sent them.

A bit less about the physcial activities and more about the cultural experiences. Usually around 30–35 Italy trips on tap each year (though a third of those will be longer overland treks across Europe and the Middle East, with Italy just a slice of the three-week trip, and another third are self-guided walks—no group, just you and your itinerary). One drawback: no airfare.

Gap Adventures 2010 Italy trips
Ultimate Italy (13 days)
Cinque Terre Coastal Walk (5 days)
Venice to Rome Adventure (8 days)
Sicilian Volcano Trail (8 days)
Northern Italy Escape (8 days)
The Taste of Tuscany (8 days)
Amalfi Coast (8 days)
Italy Family Adventure (10 days)
Trekking Mont Blanc (10 days)
Rome to Athens Adventure (9 days)
Prague to Venice Adventure (10 days)
France to Italy Adventure (13 days)
Paris to Venice Adventure (21 days)
Venice to Istanbul Adventure (25 days)
Paris to Rome Adventure (28 days)
Marrakech to Istanbul Adventure (61 days)
Paris to Cairo Adventure (65 days)
Marrakech to Cairo Adventure (81 days)
G.A.P. Adventures (www.gapadventures.com) - G.A.P. boasts 1,000 trips in 100 countries, from the more tour-like Comfort and Original trips to the gnarlier Active and Overland ones. GAP also believes in smaller group sizes.

Drawbacks: no airfare (yet), and quoted prices are not as inclusive as some others (read the fine print to find out about lots of on-the-ground costs, often including most meals).

They offer between 15 and 20 Italy trips each year (see box on the right)—some focused more on sightseeing; others more physcial and active (lots of hiking and biking), and a few include Italy as part of grander overland treks across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

REI Adventures (www.reiadventures.com) - America's greatest co-op chain of outdoors gear stores also offers active vacations. Though their real strong suit is domestic adventures, they hit all seven continents—including some classic Italy hikes (Cinque Terre, Tuscan Hilltowns, Vesuvius to Etna). REI tends to be pricier than most, but with impeccable credentials, and is ideal for those for whom being active is as important as the destination.

Djoser (www.djoserusa.com) - Perhaps since they're Dutch (and Europeans get longer vacations), Djoser offers longer trips and looser schedules, admirably not trying to pack too much into too short a time. You get to pick your group style: travel with other North Americans or with an international group (some conducted in English, others in Dutch and English). Always two or three Italy trips on tap—mostly walking tours, and mostly in Southern Italy and Sicily.

InfoHub (www.infohub.com) - Not a tour company, rather a kind of aggregator of trips offered by tour companies. it casts one of the largest nets over the industry, listing some 14,000 tours offered by 4,000 operators in more than 100 categories—everything from artists' workshop to llama trekking, nudist resorts to biblical tours, language schools to personal guide services. InfoHub's search engine returns results listed by trip rather than by company (for example, it lists nearly 100 bike tours in Italy, but those are offered by just 15 companies). Still, I guess if you could care less the name of the outfitter and are just looking for a selection of 10-day bike tours across Tuscany and Umbria, this is the best way to do it. You don't book trips directly. You are essentially sending away for a brochure (or a contact) from the actual tour companies.

Ciclismo Classico (www.ciclismoclassico.com) - The best and biggest bike tour outfits serving Italy, started by a Cornell anthropology grad (whcih has nothing to do with anything other than I am one, too—but I would recommend this outfit regardless). Though they now offer rides in other parts of the world, Ciclicmo Classico started in Italy and it is still their hallmark product, with more than 30 tours ranging all across the peninsula from 6 days in Tuscany to 11 days biking across Italy, and a follow the Giro d'Italia race to Easy Pedaling in Puglia.
on Bike Tours

Active Gourmet Holidays (www.activegourmetholidays.com) - Mixing active pursuits—walking and biking, mostly, with some golf and yoga—with one-day cooking classes, longer cooking courses, wine tasting, and other culinary adventures. Nifty idea.

When you want just a day of adventure, not a whole tour

Sometimes you just want a one-day bike tour of the Tuscan countryside, or a simple half-day walking tour through Ancient Rome. Any tourist office in Italy will be happy to share with you the local outfits who can provide this service. Here are some active adventures from our partner Viator that last only a few hours or one day.