Lazio walking tour
The last section of the Cammino of St Francis, this wonderful walk starts in Rieti and finishes 8 days and 100 kilometres later at the steps of St Peter’s Basilica in the heart of Rome, taking you through protected forestlands, nature reserves, past archaeological digs and medieval castles and towns
The route starts by crossing the Rieti plains then climbing into the hills of the Central Appenines, through an area known as Sabina. The area is dotted with small, proud towns, each with its own history traced back to the Romans and beyond. The hills gradually give way to the undulating farmlands of the Tiber River plain, taking you through two nature reserves before reaching the outer suburbs of Rome.
The final walk takes a cycle path/greenway from the Monte Sacro district in northern Rome along the Aniene River and the glorious Tiber River, into the Vatican City via the Via della Conciliazione and the columns of Michelangelo’s Piazza San Pietro to the stairs of St Peter’s Basilica, one of the most spectacular buildings in the world, a moving experience (even for the not so religious!).
This independent walk is the third and final section of the Cammino of St Francis - click here for details. In the spirit of the long-distance pilgrimage, we have sought to keep the costs down.
Why choose this walk?
- I love the evolution of this walk: starting in the rolling countryside and forests of northern Lazio, seeing the first glimpse of the domes of Rome on the horizon and finally arriving at the magnificent stairs of St Peters in the heart of Rome, a truly moving experience.
- The accommodation: welcoming country hotels and family-run agriturismos at the beginning, a 4-star hotel in the buzzy Monte Sacro district of northern Rome and, finally, an old-school, 3-star hotel within a stone’s throw of the Vatican
- Your luggage is moved each day so all you have to carry on the walks is a daypack
- You have 24-hour phone support from our Florence-based team
- You have use of the exclusive Hidden Italy app and walking notes
- You will have a curated list of restaurants in each town (from fancy to cheap and cheerful) with booking details and links
The walks
This is a Grade 4 walk. There are three long walks: Day 2, 21 kms; Day 4, 17 kms and Day 5, 26 kms (please note that this latter walk can be broken into two separate walks of 8 and 18 kms). Until reaching the outer suburbs of Rome on the penultimate day, the walk takes you through forested hills and rolling farmlands following predominantly unsealed roads and asphalted country lanes and is well-marked. In Rome you follow paved 'greenways' through parklands and along the Tiber River, and suburban streets. Full details on each walk are on the itinerary. Click here.
The self-guided itineraries are rewalked and the notes updated each year.
The accommodation
In the spirit of the long-distance pilgrimage, we have sought to keep the costs down. The tour starts on Day 1 in a 3-star hotel near the main square in Rieti and finishes in a lovely boutique hotel a short walk from the Vatican. Along the way, you stay in the best accommodation available: very attracitve agriturismo’s on Days 2 and 4; a private apartment on Day 3; a fantastic 3-star in the historic centre of a buzzy agricultural centre on Day 5 and a smart hotel in the Monte Sacro district of Rome on Day 6.
The food
The food in regional Lazio is generally robust country cooking, dependent on seasonal offerings and influenced by the cuisine of the Capital, eg first courses may include bucatini (a thick spaghetti with a rich sauce such as cacio e pepe (pecorino cheese with pepper) or the famous carbonara (eggs, smoked pork cheek, pecorino and parmesan cheese). Apart from the standard offers of veal and beef, seconds might include more interesting fare like baccala (salted cod); oxtail stew; lamb and all types of offal (tongue, liver and tripe). Artichokes are the quintessential Roman vegetable either stuffed with garlic and mint and stewed or served in the ‘Jewish style’, flattened and deep fried in olive oil.
Generous breakfasts are included each day (you'll need them for your walks). Hidden Italy will provide you with a curated list with descriptions and locations of three to four restaurants for each town/village you visit (from fancy to more relaxed). This information will be on the Hidden Italy walking App and you will be able to book your meals directly through the App.
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.
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 2. Central Italy: Cammino of St Francis Section 3, Lazio, from Rieti to Rome Self-Guided Walk?
Don't miss out, places are limited. Make your booking now. Book Now › Make an Enquiry ›- Seven nights accommodation
- All breakfasts
- 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
- City taxes are not included in the cost of the tour
Cost Options
$2100 b&b per person
Single supplement: $900
** Please note a high season surcharge may apply.
Tour costs quoted are in Australian dollars (AUD)
Map
Testimonials
“We have just come to the end of our Cammino walk and we have loved it all the way.”
– Julie A, 2019
2. Central Italy: Cammino of St Francis Section 3, Lazio, from Rieti to Rome FAQs
Find out a little more about the 2. Central Italy: Cammino of St Francis Section 3, Lazio, from Rieti to Rome tour by reading some of our most frequently asked questions.
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