Italian Riveria 1
This 8 days/7 nights walk takes you along the first half of the Italian Riviera Levante starts in the Genoa and finishes in the charming Sestri Levante, following forested trails and seaside paths along an arc of coastline dotted with fishing towns and glam resorts.
This wonderful walk follows ancient trails that have connected the villages and towns for centuries, as well as picking up sections of the higher routes have carried trade between Italy and France since Roman times. Liguria is a region steeped in maritime history: seafaring, shipbuilding and fishing and the buzzy towns you'll stay in along the way still retain much of their colourful pasts.

Many of these trails have been restored and waymarked. They take you through terraced farmlands, vineyards and olive groves, staying in bustling Genoa, sleepy fishing villages and some of Italy’s fanciest resorts, including Portofino, Rapallo and Setri Levante. With its blend of sea, mountains and forest, the Italian Riviera offers some of Italy’s finest coastal walks.

The walks

The tour starts with a fascinating ‘urban walk’ that takes you through the historical and commercial heart of Genoa, to the foreshore to the city’s first winter resort. From here you climb up into the hills, picking up the marked trail that will take you all the way to Sestri Levante, five days later. One of the characteristics of this route is its flexibility: all the towns are connected by regular local trains, which means you can hop on and off the train to shorten the longer legs.
For these reasons, we have classified the Italian Riviera as a Grade 2 walk (“several walks on this tour are between 12 and 15 kms; orientation is straight forward and there are some long climbs”).
The accommodation

You will stay in a variety of accommodation: fancy 4-star hotels, comfortable 3-star hotels and a lovely family run ‘agriturismo’, which has its own restaurant. Hidden Italy uses the best available in each place: it is comfortable and welcoming, with seaview, when possible. Several of the hotels have their own swimming pools but there are also plenty of beautiful beaches along the way.
The food and wine

Like its inhabitants, the food of Ligurian is austere and reserved, based on the finest ingredients hard won from the rocky slopes of the Apennine Mountains and the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. The classic dishes are pesto (a basil, pine-nut and garlic paste, traditionally served with a local short pasta and diced potato); focaccia (a dimpled, rustic bread served with herbs and lashing of the excellent local olive oil) and farinata (a delicious flat-bread made from chick peas with more olive oil). There is an abundance of very good seafood, complemented with very good, locally grown vegetables. The most celebrated wines of the region are dry whites (Cinque Terre and Vermentino) but Liguria also produces some good reds (Rossese di Dolceacqua, Ormeasco and Colli di Luni Rosso).
Generous breakfasts are included each day (you'll need them for your walks). With notice, the hotels wil be able to prepare a cut lunch for the walk. A range of restaurant recommendations with contact details for booking your dinners in each town/village will be included in your tour notes.
Support on the walk

To guide you through this wonderful walk, you will receive: the Hidden Italy roadbook (an eighty-page A5 booklet that includes comprehensive daily walking notes accompanied by detailed maps, updated and revised each year); access to the exclusive Hidden Italy App to complement the roadbook (the App is downloadable to Apple and Android devices and features information about the routes: maps, GPS tracks, altimetric profiles, etc; GPS navigation on all the routes; an alert function if you stray off the track; and an emergency function); twenty-four-hour phone support from our Florence-based Operations Manager.
Please note, there is a shorter version on this walk (6 days/5 nights, Camogli to Sestri Levante). Click here for details.
Booking conditions
To confirm the booking, a deposit of 25% of the total booking cost is required within 7 days of the issue of the invoice. Please note that in the event of customer cancellation, deposits are refunded, less a cancellation fee of $500 per person per tour. Click here for full T&C’s
Interested in the 1. Northern Italy: Italian Riviera Section 1, Genoa to Sestri Levante Self-Guided Walk?
Don't miss out, places are limited. Make your booking now. Book Now › Make an Enquiry ›An 8 day/7 night walk along the Italian Riviera from Genoa to Sestri Lavante
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Cost
$3,100
per person
- Seven nights accommodation
- All breakfasts included
- Reading lists and historical and cultural notes
- Maps and detailed walking instructions
- Hidden Italy App with GPS to complement the roadbook
- Daily transfers of baggage between hotels
- 24 hour backup from local manager
Cost Options
$3100 B&B only per person
Single supplemente: $800
** Please note a high season surcharge may apply in July/August/September
Tour costs quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD)
Map

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