Typically, days range between 7-20km and involve significant ascent and descent over rugged terrain.
The season for this holiday is:
09 April 2025 - 30 June 2025
20 August 2025 - 12 October 2025
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| °C | 9 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 23 | 26 | 30 | 29 | 26 | 20 | 14 | 10 |
| mm | 69 | 67 | 71 | 69 | 67 | 51 | 35 | 60 | 73 | 77 | 114 | 76 |
We can only accept payment in GBP, but you can use this converter to find out how much the holiday equates to in your own currency.
8 nights: 09 April 2025 - 30 June 2025 & 20 August 2025 - 12 October 2025
Start any day except Friday | End by latest date(s) shown above
| Starting | Price | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 9 - 30 Apr 2025 | £1530 | £235 |
| 1 May - 22 Jun 2025 | £1605 | £235 |
| 20 Aug - 15 Sep 2025 | £1575 | £235 |
| 16 Sep - 4 Oct 2025 | £1635 | £235 |
| 3rd & 4th person discount | -£180 | |
| Single traveller supplement | £180 |
Includes accommodation, meals and services integral to the holiday as described, plus walking notes and maps, but no travel from the UK, nor any connecting travel from the airport unless stated below.
Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route and times to suit you. Please contact us to find out more about our flight booking service. We can also book connecting travel - see below.
Room upgrades (£ per person per night)
| Hotel Porta San Mamolo, Bologna | ||
|---|---|---|
| Superior: 09 Apr - 30 Jun 2025 | £42 | |
| Superior: 20 Aug - 12 Oct 2025 | £42 |
| Podere Belvedere, Santa Lucia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Large double (no twins): 09 Apr - 30 Jun 2025 | £75 | |
| Large double (no twins): 20 Aug - 30 Sep 2025 | £75 | |
| Large double (no twins): 01 Oct - 12 Oct 2025 | £61 |
Extra nights (£ per person per night) in a double or single room
| Hotel Porta San Mamolo, Bologna (B&B) | Double room | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 09 Apr - 30 Jun 2025 | £87 | £146 |
| 20 Aug - 12 Oct 2025 | £87 | £146 |
| Hotel Alba, Florence (B&B) | Double room | Single room |
|---|---|---|
| 09 Apr - 30 Jun 2025 | £88 | £126 |
| 20 Aug - 31 Aug 2025 | £73 | £111 |
| 01 Sep - 12 Oct 2025 | £88 | £126 |
Travelling from the UK
If you are flying from outside Europe, you may need to fly to an airport not listed. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen - Bologna (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Aberdeen - Bologna (via Paris) | Air France |
| Aberdeen - Florence (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Aberdeen - Pisa (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Birmingham - Bologna (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Birmingham - Bologna (via Frankfurt) | Lufthansa |
| Birmingham - Pisa | jet2 |
| Birmingham - Pisa (via Munich) | Lufthansa |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Bristol - Bologna | Ryanair |
| Bristol - Florence | British Airways |
| Bristol - Pisa | easyJet |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Nottingham East Midlands - Pisa | Ryanair |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Edinburgh - Bologna | Ryanair |
| Edinburgh - Bologna (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Edinburgh - Florence | British Airways |
| Edinburgh - Pisa | Ryanair |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Glasgow - Bologna (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Glasgow Prestwick - Pisa | Ryanair |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Humberside - Bologna (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Humberside - Pisa (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Leeds Bradford - Bologna (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Leeds Bradford - Pisa | Ryanair |
| Leeds Bradford - Pisa | jet2 |
| Leeds Bradford - Pisa (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Liverpool - Pisa | Ryanair |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| London City - Florence | Air France, British Airways |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Gatwick - Bologna | easyJet |
| Gatwick - Florence | British Airways, Vueling |
| Gatwick - Pisa | British Airways, easyJet |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Heathrow - Bologna | British Airways |
| Heathrow - Bologna (via Düsseldorf) | Eurowings |
| Heathrow - Florence | British Airways |
| Heathrow - Pisa | British Airways |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Luton - Bologna | Ryanair |
| Luton - Florence | Vueling |
| Luton - Pisa | easyJet |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Stansted - Bologna | Ryanair |
| Stansted - Pisa | Ryanair |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Manchester - Bologna | Ryanair |
| Manchester - Bologna (via Frankfurt) | Lufthansa |
| Manchester - Florence | British Airways |
| Manchester - Pisa | easyJet, jet2, Ryanair |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Newcastle - Bologna (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Newcastle - Florence (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | Air France |
| Newcastle - Florence (via Paris) | Air France |
| Newcastle - Pisa (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
| Outward route | Airline |
|---|---|
| Teesside International - Pisa (via Amsterdam Schiphol) | KLM |
If you are flying from outside Europe, you may need to fly to an airport not listed. To discuss onward connecting travel to the start of your holiday, please contact us.
This list of flight options should be used as a guide only, and you should check each airline’s website for current routes, frequency and schedules. Not all flights operate daily, and may not run for the entire season. You should also heed the latest flight arrival time and earliest flight departure time stated in the connecting travel section, as it may not be possible to arrange connecting travel outside these times. Please do not book your flights until we have confirmed your accommodation to you. Alternatively, our expert reservations team will be happy to offer advice and to make flight bookings for you for any of the options listed above. We charge £35 per person for our flight booking service. Your flights are then covered by our package-booking conditions, which give you greater protection in the event of delay or cancellation, as well as providing ATOL cover.
Connecting travel options - flying via Bologna
| Outward route | Price per person |
Latest flight arrival time |
|---|---|---|
| own travel arrangements Bologna airport to hotel | pay locally | flexible |
| Homeward route | Price per person |
Earliest flight departure time |
|---|---|---|
| taxi hotel to Florence SMN (0h10, pay locally), rail Florence SMN to Bologna Centrale (0h40) | £37-£38 | 1100 |
Connecting travel options - flying via Florence
| Outward route | Price per person |
Latest flight arrival time |
|---|---|---|
| rail Florence SMN to Bologna Centrale (0h40), taxi Bologna Centrale to hotel (0h10, pay locally) | £37-£38 | 1800 |
| Homeward route | Price per person |
Earliest flight departure time |
|---|---|---|
| own travel arrangements hotel to Florence airport | pay locally | flexible |
Connecting travel options - flying via Pisa
| Outward route | Price per person |
Latest flight arrival time |
|---|---|---|
| rail Pisa Centrale to Bologna Centrale (2h-2h15), taxi Bologna Centrale to hotel (0h10, pay locally) | £48-£50 | 1700 |
| Homeward route | Price per person |
Earliest flight departure time |
|---|---|---|
| taxi hotel to Florence SMN (0h10, pay locally), rail Florence SMN to Pisa Centrale (1h15) | £11 | 1100 |
If you've experienced this holiday first hand, why not write a review?
We are keen for as many customers as possible to review their holiday. To make it easier to do so, we include a specific review section on our post-holiday questionnaire, and this is what we publish here, unedited. Read our full review policy >
This is a challenging walk when the weather is poor, very slippery under foot, bring walking poles. If putting in an extra day then San Piero a Sieve would be perfect to recharge the batteries and relax.
This was our first Inntravel walk, and we were very impressed. The route was a perfect fit for our North to South Europe trip starting in Nordkapp and finishing in Sicily, using Bus, Boat, Train, bicycle and on foot.
Fantastic, albeit challenging, trip for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness and some walking experience. Be prepared that the weather may be bad, and plans may have to change but you'll still love it and have a fabulous time. Support from Inntravel from beginning to end was truly excellent.
This is a challenging walk when the weather is poor, very slippery under foot, bring walking poles. If putting in an extra day then San Piero a Sieve would be perfect to recharge the batteries and relax.
This was our first Inntravel walk, and we were very impressed. The route was a perfect fit for our North to South Europe trip starting in Nordkapp and finishing in Sicily, using Bus, Boat, Train, bicycle and on foot.
Fantastic, albeit challenging, trip for anyone with a reasonable level of fitness and some walking experience. Be prepared that the weather may be bad, and plans may have to change but you'll still love it and have a fabulous time. Support from Inntravel from beginning to end was truly excellent.
This was our third Inntravel holiday and as usual everything went without a hitch. Some of the hotels weren't ideal but given the nature of the route and the selection available there was often no other choices to be made. Having said that nowhere was terrible! Bologna was a lovely surprise and we spent three nights there which I would recommend. We went to Modena for half a day which was quite interesting but not that interesting apart from the food market, and would give the Ferrari Museum there a miss.
Stunning beginning to the walk through the porticos of Bologna, and in general the walking was good, challenging but not intimidatingly so. Definitely take poles if you generally find them useful. We had an extra night in Santa Lucia to break it up and also get some washing done which you can do yourself and hang up on their line if the weather is good. The setting is lovely there though we found the hotel manager very brusque.
Florence was slightly disappointing, especially when compared with Bologna. It was very busy, but we spent three nights there which is about right. All in all it was a good holiday, though the walking is slightly less picturesque than the other trips we've done for instance in La Gomera, but would recommend.
The Secret Apennines is among our top 5 Inntravel walks. The food (especially the pasta) and the hospitality in Emilia Romagna are outstanding. The walks were challenging but very doable. The weather was mostly fine in early June and the wildflowers were a delight. We would have skipped the Dardagna Falls if doing over, especially on a weekend as the area gets very crowded. Monte Gennaio circuit was our favorite (such variety) with Corne alle Scale a close second.
Bologna is a real treat, much nicer and less touristy than Florence. Bologna to Florence made for some long days but a real sense of accomplishment. If the weather had not been fine, the stones underfoot could have been treacherous. A rest day or two worked for us. San Piero a Sieve provided a nice respite in a welcoming hotel and an interesting town. In Fiesole, Bistrot al5 is terrific for lunch and dinner. Not inexpensive but worth it for the food and service. The restaurant at Bencista was also very good with an excellent view. For us the room with a view of Florence was not worth the additional price. We ended with two nights in Florence and wished we had gone to Siena or back to Bologna instead. Florence is magnificent and terrible. Perhaps it was the contrast between the idyllic and largely empty countryside and the overwhelming tourism and art in Florence. If you are going to Florence, book early for the Academia especially. Luckily I had seen Michaelangelo's David before since I couldn't get in with a few days notice.
INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our walks The Secret Apennines and From Bologna to Florence
An excellent hike from Bologna to Firenze made special by good weather and the hospitality provided by Pensione Bencistà.
I enjoyed the walk which was a good challenge. For my part though too much of the walk was among trees so that the views were not great. It would also have been nicer if there had been a few cafes en route to provide nice places to stop. To be fair the fact that picnics were provided gave me a strong hint that there wouldn't be many such places.
Loved the walk, challenging but not outrageously so. The scenery was amazing, the food was incredible, the beds were comfortable and the showers were hot and our hosts were lovely. Add in the wine, what's not too enjoy.
A thoroughly enjoyable experience but challenging. Make sure you prepare well and get fit. You will need good equipment. The walk itself is a true Walk with the Gods taking in some great views of the Italian countryside. A true walk with nature finishing with the magnificent culture of Florence.
This was a wonderful holiday. Definitely a challenging walk, but that added to the sense of achievement and, with a few exceptions, most of the ascent was more gradual than I had expected. The hotels were all lovely and friendly, and all wonderfully different in character from each other, and the dinners were always good, sometimes very good indeed. Because of the tree cover there were fewer views than I expected, but when there were views they were worth waiting for, and the shade from the trees was actually welcome.
A lovely route, with great scenery and lovely views. There is lots of history along the way, the remains of a Roman military road, and some exceptional Roman and Etruscan remains at Fiesole. We also met a lot of interestng poeple along the way, a German pastor, four young Italian men who could not quite believe how old we were!! A young Russian woman, living in Italy and doing the route with her dog. At this time of year there were a lot of wonderful wild flowers, different orchids, meadow clary and much else. If you stay an extra day in Pisa, the oldest botanical garden in the world is just around the corner from the main sites. Lucca is only 25 minutes by train from Pisa and is an historic gem of a walled city. Do not assume sun all the way! We did have some rain, and they had had a lot of rain before our arrival. Some of the paths were very very muddy, with a clay type of mud that sticks to boots. You do need proper boots! Interestingly most of the Itallians were very unprepared and did not have the right kit in terms of footwear or waterproofs. They must have been anticipating better conditions!
This is challenging but rewarding and beautiful trip. The routes each day are quite long and not at all flat, so you would need to be reasonably fit. Some of the paths are quite rough and uneven so pack stout soled boots, with some ankle support. The scenery is magnificent and the hotels are well appointed, with lovely rooms and good dinners. Albergo Poli is more rustic and quirky but also delightful; a real Via degli Dei spot - the hotel was full of people doing the route.
Inntravel route notes and GPS files were the usual standard with incredible detail and accuracy and the office support, booking process etc faultless.
The Via degli Dei walk was an absolute delight. It had a sense of pilgrimage about it without all the bluster (and crowds) of the Camino. Long days, but we never felt that they were too difficult as long as you don't mind a bit of uphill! It was nice to see a few of the same people on the trail each day - there was a sense of community and common purpose. The hotels were a good mix of luxury and utliitatarian - but we were always confident that Inntravel had found the best options for us. I absolutely love the Inntravel walking holidays - the details and the heavy lifting are all taken care of - so you can just focus on the day ahead and enjoy the peace, beauty and tranquility of the walking.
Overall beautiful walk, even in fog the beech and chestnut woods were lovely. Path easy to follow and just one or two moments where a bit scrambly. Sant'Agata (day 4 I think?) worth a detour, pretty little town with most amazing juke box vinyl music museum opposite cafe!
This was an amazing walk - quite challenging but each day ended with a downhill and huge sense of achievement! The hotels and food were excellent. I would heartily recommend it.
This was a fantastic holiday! The walk just got better with each day - with increasingly stunning scenery as we walked through Tuscany towards Florence. It was wonderful to keep meeting others on the same route, to give them a wave and a smile of encouragement, as they applauded our progress, too. The sense of achievement at the end of each day was very pleasing, and the first cold beer of the day the reward for meeting the challenges of the walk. We met two other small groups who were also walking the Via degli Dei with Inntravel, and the stories and experiences shared in the evenings, often as we ate together at the same table, just enhanced what was a truly wonderful holiday. My friend and I are desperate to book our next walking holiday, but slightly apprehensive, as we don't think this one could be bettered!
My calculation is that there was almost 16,000 feet of climbing in the first 6 days, so it is not to be treated lightly particularly in hot weather.
Keep your water bottle(s) topped up.
Pensione Bencista at Fiesole has magnificent views over Florence.
Il Guelfo Bianco is perfectly situated for the sites of Florence, and a pretty good hotel too.
This is a very varied, quite challenging walk which we thoroughly enjoyed doing. Each day except the last has some steep climbs. Not every day is rewarded with views and one or two of the days are very much conducted in the trees, so that the return on (the considerable) effort is less on those days. None of the days is too difficult or too long. The hotels are generally good (La Felicina and Pensione Bencista are exceptionally interesting). Food provided in the evenings was generally good and plentiful. A shout out for Podere Belvedere for the outstanding evening meal. Only Ristorante Dino missed the mark on its chips-with-everything dinner. The walking notes are perfectly easy to follow, supplemented by occasional reference to the Inntravel GPX files. Finishing with a night in the amazing Il Guelfo Bianco in Florence was a great way to end.
We had a brilliant time on this wonderful, varied and peaceful walk. It was challenging in parts (for some of us) but that added to the sense of achievement. We loved the sense of 'pilgrimage' in walking between these two great cities.
It was very hot and sunny when we were walking so we were glad of many of the beautiful woodland sections - shady but with light constantly filtering in. A highlight was definitely the amazing views - from Monte Adone and other higher places for sure, but also when they appeared suddenly as you emerged from a wood. We also loved the changing landscape - and the shift from the mountainous wooded paths to more gentle rolling hills as we got into Tuscany. Much of the time it did feel quite remote - we encountered a handful of people doing the walk but most of the time had the paths to ourselves (with the exception of the runners below!).
There are some steep, stony, ascents and descents and you need good footwear and sticks. (Although we climbed and descended Monte Adone during a race where hundreds of runners were doing the same path - so of course this is very dependent on fitness and age!). As it was dry when we walked, we didn't experience the slipperiness but could imagine that could be challenging in bad weather.
All the hotels were good in their different ways with a couple of exceptional places - how brilliant to stay in the wonderful Pension Bencista in Fiesole and have that panoramic view over Florence on the final night. Definitely a highlight sitting with an aperitif on the verandah with that view and knowing we only had another 8k the following day. We took a rest day in the middle - which worked well for us - at the lovely Podere Belvedere which has a pool - the food there is also excellent.
Top tip is to request what you want for your packed lunch - as others have said in these reviews, they are variable in quality otherwise. Also definitely worth spending time in Bologna and of course Florence if you don't know them at the beginning and end. We had never been to Bologna before and loved it.
A very interesting and varied walk with a fascinating range of historical features including stretches of Roman pavement, WW2 remains, and Tuscan palaces and forts. Beautiful landscapes, quite a lot of it wooded - very welcome in the hot sunny weather.
Excellent holiday, we really loved the variety of accommodation and the quality of the food. The Inntravel staff booked our flights and sorted our train journeys for our holiday extension nights that were not part of this holiday. Thank you.
What makes Inntravel stand out is choice of accommodation. They are prepared to deviate slightly to prove interesting places to stay. Everyone has a vision of staying in a Tuscan b and b. The places chosen are varied and live up to expectations. One hotel is one of the best we have stayed in anywhere on a walking holiday. The walks are not bad either.
The scenery and wildflowers on this walk are beautiful. The mountain views are stunning and there's a camaraderie amongst the fellow walkers of many nationalities that we occasionally met en route.
Greatest highlight were the views of the Tuscan countryside when we were not walking in woodland and the sense of achievement on arriving at the end of the Via Dagli Dei. Tips for fellow travellers would be to advise that many stretches of the route are quite difficult under foot (lots of rocks), particularly in the rainy season ( we saw lots of rain).
Difficult to say about highlights as the weather was definitely against us and we had to cope with cold, wind and heavy rain on most days. The walk across meadows to Hotel Ristorante Dino was lovely full of spring flowers. And although we didn't enjoy the woodland walk to Pensione Bencista the first view of Florence was lovely. I would defintely suggest future customers bring a good selection of energy bars with them to supplement some of the boring packed lunches. Sometimes local bread was like a rock, flavourless, heavy and never buttered.
The standard was good at all stops but special mention that Cinque Cerri was superb Hotel Felicina went above and beyond to welcome & look after us
Don't underestimate how much time you take to do the daily walk distance. The ascent and decents had to be taken pretty slowing in poor weather and tricky conditions underfooot. Definitely take two walking poles per person.
Without full-leaf on the trees the views in late Apr were spectacular. Time your picnic with reaching a fine viewpoint on the route.
We will never forget the friendliness of strangers and we chatted briefly each day to fellow travellers on our way to Fiesole.
Many were miles younger and faster than us but the sense of V d D camaradarie was humbling.
Room 34 at Bencista was heavenly; what a view!
This was our first multi day walk since 2019 and we were a bit worried about our preparedness and whilst we did find a couple of the days a bit challenging we really enjoyed the experience and our interactions with mainly Italian walkers along the way. The views were wonderful. We spent an extra night at San Piero a Sieve and would recommend this after a fairly gruelling downhill day and road walking getting there. Charming hotel and a nice town just spend a day chilling - needed as this was a 'hike' as much as a holiday for us. Pensione Bencista was a truly special place to spend our penultimate night of the trip, first class hotel with iconic views of Florence and the Duomo with friendly and attentive staff.
This was our 8th Inntravel walking holiday and was probably the one we have enjoyed the most. We travelled in September and were blessed with glorious weather throughout. Although some of the terrain was challenging we were afforded spectacular scenery with wonderful flora and fauna along the way. The walking notes provided good details of the history of the area we were in. As usual with an Inntravel holiday, there was always a good dinner and comfy bed at the end of the day. We spent extra nights in Bologna which was well worth it as there is lots to see, do and eat there! We chose to travel by train from the UK and the staff at Inntravel arranged it all ...everything worked perfectly.
I would say that this holiday is only for serious walkers and for those that are willing to rough it a bit. Ensure you have shoes with a good grip and you'll need to be fit. Before going to Florence (or Bologna) make sure you've booked for the key attractions. The routes sound fantastic on paper but are no-where near as nice as say, the Dordogne or Provence (in my opinion). We returned feeling disappointed, which has never happened before with an Inntravel holiday where I have provided excellent reviews.
Locanda dei Cinque Cerri highly recommended.
If it rains mud will be a big problem and paths could be treacherous. Not a relaxing walk. A lot of up and down each day with a lot of Km to cover to next hotel.
The woman in charge of the dining room at Pensione Bencista, Fiesole needs some customer service training. I think she's been to the Faulty Towers school of hotel and catering management!
We had such a wonderful time hiking the Via Degli Dei from Bologna to Florence. The people (and dogs) we met along the way (mostly Italians) were so nice and it was really fun to explore in depth a new part of the country. We enjoyed the two cities as well - especially extending a day or so in Bologna. We did have a fair amount of rain - it was spring - but nothing we couldn't manage. Food was delicious and views were wonderful, as was our overall exercise.
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