The introduction of dinners at Green Michelin starred restaurants, visits to organic wine producers and more private guided visits are some of the new elements brought in by Hedonistic Hiking for 2026 to further boost its commitment to sustainable tourism.  The new measures will increase the current support given to local communities and businesses at the same time as improving guests' overall experience on the gastronomic hiking tours in Italy, Australia and the UK.

- Dinners at Green Michelin starred restaurants
- Increased focus on vegetarian options at mealtimes
- More private guided visits

Comments Hedonistic Hiking co-owner, Jackie Parsons 'Exploring the local food and wine is a brilliant way of learning about the history and culture of a region. For 2026, as well as including Green Michelin star restaurants, we visit biodynamic and organic wine producers and include even more private activities and tours to support local communities and give guests an enhanced and personalised holiday experience.'

Sustainable gastronomy
In 2026, Hedonistic Hiking tours will include a greater focus on sustainable gastronomy. Tours will feature several Green Michelin Star restaurants for the first time, including Il Colmetto (Lombardy) where guests enjoy a vegetarian degustation dinner.  The company's trademark picnic lunches, which showcase locally produced food, will include more delicious salad and vegetarian options, with seasonal ingredients purchased at local shops and markets.

Where possible, tour itineraries also support young restaurateurs and chef members of the highly acclaimed JRE-Jeunes Restaurateurs who combine their culinary expertise with a passion for local ingredients and tradition. In Como (The Italian Lakes), the itinerary includes a private dinner at the 16-cover Feel Como restaurant, where chef Federico Beretta uses local ingredients from the mountains, pastures and freshwater to create dishes that reflect the town's natural setting.

Private guided visits and small group experiences
More private guided visits and bespoke experiences in 2026 will enrich the experience for guests and further support local communities. Private tours led by trained local guides enable guests to fully engage with, and preserve, local culture and heritage.

Sample holidays

Northern Lombardy, Italy. New for the 2026 itinerary is a 6-course vegetarian tasting menu dinner, matched to biodynamic wines, at the Green Michelin starred gourmet agriturismo Il Colmetto in Franciacorta. Other gastronomic highlights include sampling the prestigious sparkling wines of the Franciacorta vineyards and fabulous Nebbiolo wines in the high valleys of the Valtellina. A new private guided tour in Clusone, home to the extraordinary 16th century Danza Macabra fresco cycle and a unique astronomical clock, has also been added for 2026.

The Northern Lombardy tour (level 4) includes hikes through the Franciacorta vineyards, in the high valleys of the Valtellina and on trails past hideaway hamlets, Renaissance palaces and pretty villages. There are also visits to Lake Iseo and the medieval town of Bergamo, and to local wine and food producers. The 8-night tour costs from £3170pp, full board and inclusive of all activities, with www.hedonistichiking.com.  

Piedmont, Italy. Two new restaurants have been added to the 2026 Jewels of Piedmont tour. The new Bel Sit restaurant in La Morra provides an exceptional dining experience with views of the Langhe hills, but the climax of the week of hikes and gastronomic highs is dinner overlooking the Barolo vineyards and hazelnut groves at the Green Michelin starred Relais Coltivare.

Private tours and activities include a visit to a restored silk mill, truffle hunting, chocolate tasting, a cooking class at a small farm and wine tasting. Gentle (grade 2) hikes pass through orchards, woodland tracks and on rugged mountain trails past tiny hamlets and glassy alpine lakes. The 7-night tour costs from £3286pp, full board and inclusive of all activities, with www.hedonistichiking.com.

Etruscan Trails in central Italy.  Etruscan Trails returns in 2026 with a private guided visit to Etruscan tombs at Cerveteri and a tour of Orvieto, an important Etruscan settlement, with an expert local guide. Starting in Rome, the itinerary includes walks along sunken Etruscan roads and through the rolling landscape of central Italy. Gastronomic highlights include wine tasting in Montepulciano and new for 2026, dinner at the outstanding Coro restaurant, housed in a period residence dating back to the 1500's in Orvieto's historic centre. The tour costs from £3342pp, full board and inclusive of all activities, with www.hedonistichiking.com.

2026 Destinations

Several tours - France and the Maritime Alps, Austria and the Dolomites, and Etruscan Trails – have been re-introduced in 2026 after a brief respite. With all tours run by husband and wife team, Jackie and Mick Parsons, with support staff, Hedonistic Hiking is unable to run every tour each year. The two new 2025 tours (Derbyshire Peaks and Yorkshire Dales, and Northern Lombardy) will both run again in 2026.

Destinations covered by other tours include Tuscany, Lombardy, Piedmont, the Italian Lakes and Alps, Friuli, Emilia Romagna, Umbria, the Basilicata, Sardinia and the Abruzzo. Several tours cross borders into France (including Corsica), Slovenia and Austria, and the company also runs tours in Australia.

About Hedonistic Hiking

The small independent company set out in 2007 to demonstrate that hiking and luxury can go hand in hand. Since then, joint owners Jackie and Mick Parsons have established a close-knit network of friends and colleagues in Italy and beyond, who share the same commitment to providing high quality, sustainable experiences.

Local gastronomy and culture: Tours are specifically designed to introduce guests to local culture and gastronomy. Picnics are packed with the highest quality local specialities and enjoyed in scenic spots, while for dinner, guests are treated to a selection of excellent restaurants, ranging from charming local trattorie to Michelin-starred big hitters. Wine-tastings, visits to local producers and food festivals, truffle hunts and cooking classes may also feature on a tour itinerary.

All-inclusive: Holidays are truly all-inclusive, including all meals as well as hiking snacks, the occasional cappuccino or cold beer, and excellent local wines with dinner. They may also include a visit to a museum, church or garden, a fabulous boat, train or cable car ride, or a private guided tour of a place of specific interest.

Luxury accommodation: Accommodation is in locally owned hotels that offer a high level of comfort, often in unique settings such as a beautifully restored palazzo, a 4-star Renaissance villa or a luxurious hotel with mountain or sea views.

Further information: Visit www.hedonistichiking.com, +44 (0)1858 565148.

Press information from jenny@jgcommunications.co.uk, +44 (0)7966 213126.