Hedonistic Hiking's European tours re-start in May with new tours to central Italy, Sardinia and Corsica, and a selection of new foodie-related experiences. If you thought a hiking holiday was just about putting one foot in front of the other, think again. With Hedonistic Hiking, tours are as much about gastronomic and cultural experiences that provide real insight into the region you're walking through.

Demand for the tours is high, with many tours selling out up to two years in advance, but there is still availability on the following tours.

Etruscan Trails in central Italy

Blend your own wine, learn about the iconic Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and visit the famous cheese-producing town of Pienza on Hedonistic Hiking's new Etruscan Trails tour (6-14 May 2022). The level 3 tour, which travels from Rome and through the rolling hills of central Italy to the Val d'Orcia in southern Tuscany, is packed with activities. Days are punctuated by gastronomic picnics, a private guided visit to Etruscan tombs, and the opportunity to explore the town of Orvieto, rounded off with a memorable dinner.

Prices: AUS$5100pp inclusive of 8 nights' accommodation, all meals with wine, activities and transfers, with www.hedonistichiking.com. Flights not included.

Parmesan production and pilgrim trails

The Parma, Tuscany and the Ligurian Sea tour (18-25 May 2022) includes visits to parmesan producers and an inspiring walk through beech and chestnut woods along the Via Francigena. There are also leisurely hikes in the hills and through vineyards, a fun cooking class at a charming organic farm, picnics with mountain views on the Emilia Romagna border and a visit to a private castle owned by the Malaspina family. The final two days of the tour are in the pretty coastal town of Lerici, with the opportunity to visit Portovenere and the Cinque Terre.

Prices: AUS$4765pp inclusive of 7 nights' accommodation, all meals with wine, activities and transfers, with www.hedonistichiking.com. Flights not included.

Pasta-making class in a 16th century kitchen

The classic Tuscan Harvest tour (24 September-1 October 2022) returns with a new itinerary that includes a hands-on cooking class with a local chef in the 16th kitchen of a private country villa. Other gastronomic highlights include private wine and olive oil tastings with boutique producers and, on the last evening, dinner in the Arnolfo Ristorante in the Colle di Val d'Elsa, one of very few 2 Michelin-starred restaurants in Italy.

Prices: AUS$4925pp inclusive of 7 nights' accommodation, all meals with wine, activities and transfers, with www.hedonistichiking.com. Flights not included.

Truffle hunt and cooking class in Piedmont

In Piedmont, the birthplace of the global 'Slow Food' movement, the focus on the Jewels of Piedmont tour is as much on the region's gastronomy as its mountain peaks. A new itinerary includes a visit to the unique Banca del Vino wine museum, a private guided tour of the 13th century Manta castle, and a truffle hunt followed by a cooking class with a truffle inspired menu. Other highlights include walks through the Barolo vineyards and picnic lunches alongside glassy alpine lakes.

Prices: AUS$4765pp inclusive of 7 nights' accommodation, all meals with wine, activities and transfers, with www.hedonistichiking.com (21-28 October 2022).

NOTES TO EDITORS

Fully inclusive: All tours are fully-inclusive, including guided walking, gourmet picnic lunches, gastronomic dinners with wine, museum visits and food/wine tastings or cookery classes, and airport transfers. Flights are not included.

Accommodation: is in hand-picked, locally-owned hotels. In several locations, guests stay in Italy's distinctive alberghi diffusi, an initiative which supports the conversion of empty or abandoned homes in a rural village to provide 'scattered' rooms, rather than building a new hotel. 

Tour grading: Hikes are graded (1-5) according to walking difficulty, ranging from a gentle stroll through Tuscan vineyards to more challenging mountain hikes on alpine trails in the Dolomites.

Holidays for solo travellers: A Hedonistic Hiking holiday is an excellent option for solo travellers and for keen walkers whose partner may not share the same passion for hiking. Single supplements start at AUS$455. 

Tour locations: Hedonistic Hiking tours run in Australia (Victoria) and Europe (mainly Italy). Italian destinations include the Dolomites, the Alps, Piedmont, Friuli, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, the Basilicata, the Abruzzo, Sardinia and the Italian Lakes. Several of the tours cross borders into France, Slovenia and Austria.

Company history: Hedonistic Hiking was established in 2007 by Anglo/Australian couple, Jackie and Mick Parsons. Tours are led by either Jackie or Mick, supported by an experienced, knowledgeable team. Hedonistic Hiking is committed to ecological sustainability and to supporting local communities and provides advice to clients at the start of tours on minimising the impact on the environment.