We don't like to discourage travellers from visiting the most famous places Italy has to offer. After all, there is a reason they are famous: they are beautiful, iconic, and often exactly what people dream about when they imagine their perfect Italian holiday.
And besides, a walking holiday has a remarkable way of revealing a different side even of the most popular destinations.
That said, perhaps you've already visited some of Italy's best-known highlights. Maybe you've fallen in love with them. Maybe you're looking for somewhere that captures a similar atmosphere, scenery or feeling — somewhere that reminds you of why you loved that trip so much in the first place.
If so, we have a few ideas.
These destinations may be a little quieter, a little less famous, or simply less talked about internationally. Yet they share many of the qualities that make Italy such a wonderful place to explore on foot.
If you loved one of these famous destinations, here is where we'd suggest going next.
If you want to find the walking holiday that suits you best, or need inspiration for your next itinerary,
take our quiz at the link below!
And if you liked the Amalfi Coast, try Puglia.
Puglia is one of those regions that becomes easier to love every day. It offers many of the things travellers adore about Southern Italy — beautiful coastlines, historic villages, excellent food and a relaxed Mediterranean atmosphere — while still feeling wonderfully genuine and unpretentious.
If you fell in love with Positano's narrow streets, seaside setting and charming cafés, you'll almost certainly enjoy Otranto.
This beautiful town marks the beginning of our Salento Coastal Walk and immediately captivates visitors with its bright stone architecture, sea views and relaxed pace of life.
From here, the route follows dramatic coastal scenery, hidden coves, fishing villages and ancient settlements, all accompanied by the scent of the Mediterranean.
And while you're in Otranto, don't miss the Cathedral: its extraordinary mosaic floor depicting the Tree of Life is one of the most fascinating artworks in Southern Italy.
Technically, you're still visiting the same lake.
Yet the eastern branch of Lake Como — often informally called Lake Lecco after its largest town — offers a noticeably different experience.
While Lake Como has become one of Italy's most celebrated luxury destinations, this side of the lake has retained much of the atmosphere that once characterised the entire region.
You'll still find elegant villas, lakeside promenades, flower-filled gardens and spectacular mountain views. But you'll also discover quieter villages, a slower pace of life and a stronger sense of local character.
Walking along the Sentiero del Viandante allows you to experience this side of the lake at its very best.
The trail links charming villages such as Varenna, passes olive groves and historic churches, and offers continuous views across the water towards the mountains beyond.
For many travellers, it feels like discovering Lake Como all over again.
If you loved the Via Francigena, chances are you'll feel right at home on the Cammino di Francesco.
Like the Francigena, it is a journey deeply rooted in history, spirituality and beautiful Italian landscapes. But while the Via Francigena follows the ancient pilgrimage route to Rome, the Cammino di Francesco explores the places most closely connected to the life and legacy of Saint Francis.
The route passes through some of Central Italy's most beautiful landscapes, linking forests, valleys, olive groves and medieval villages while connecting symbolic places such as Assisi, Gubbio and the Sanctuary of La Verna.
It offers the same rewarding rhythm that Francigena walkers often fall in love with: walking from village to village, discovering local traditions, enjoying genuine hospitality and experiencing Italy at a slower pace.
If the Via Francigena showed you one side of Italy, the Cammino di Francesco may well become your next favourite Camino.
If wine is your thing — and if walking through vineyards while stopping to taste local wines sounds like your idea of a perfect holiday — Piedmont deserves a place at the top of your list.
This fascinating region combines elegant Italian charm with a strong historical influence from neighbouring France. Its rolling hills, geometric vineyards and picture-perfect villages create some of the most recognisable landscapes in Italy.
Every hill seems to produce a different wine. Every village appears to have its own culinary speciality.
And then there is the food.
White truffles, hazelnuts, chocolate, handmade pasta, rich braised meats and extraordinary local cheeses make this one of Italy's most celebrated gastronomic destinations.
For travellers who loved Chianti, Piedmont feels both familiar and excitingly different.
The Dolomites are deservedly famous.
But if what you loved most was the mountain scenery, the walking and the alpine culture, Val Maira offers a wonderful alternative.
Hidden away near the French border, this beautiful valley remains one of Italy's best-kept secrets.
Here you'll find pristine mountain landscapes, peaceful villages, sunny trails and welcoming family-run accommodation. What you won't find are large crowds, ski resorts or mass tourism.
The valley also has a fascinating cultural identity. For centuries, its communities maintained closer ties with France than with the Italian plains, and traces of that history remain visible today. Occitan culture is still very much alive, creating a distinctive atmosphere unlike anywhere else in Italy.
For walkers seeking authenticity, tranquillity and spectacular mountain scenery, Val Maira is hard to beat.
The Amalfi Coast is one of Italy's most iconic destinations, and rightly so.
Its colourful villages, dramatic cliffs and sparkling Mediterranean waters have inspired travellers for generations.
There is only one small challenge: many people have the same idea.
If you're dreaming of Southern Italy but would prefer fewer crowds, we suggest heading south to Cilento.
Less than three hours away, this remarkable region remains one of Italy's most underrated coastal destinations.
The coastline offers long sandy beaches, crystal-clear water and charming villages, while inland you'll find rolling hills, forests and some of the country's most important archaeological sites.
The ancient Greek city of Paestum alone is worth the journey, with its exceptionally well-preserved temples standing among some of the finest examples of classical architecture anywhere in Europe.
For walkers, the Cilento National Park offers an extraordinary variety of trails, combining sea views, nature and authentic village life.
It captures much of what people love about Amalfi while offering a more relaxed and less crowded experience.
Portugal has become one of Europe's most beloved walking destinations.
Its wild Atlantic coastlines, dramatic cliffs, long sandy beaches and relaxed atmosphere have won over countless travellers.
But if you're looking for something similar in Italy, Sardinia may surprise you.
Known affectionately by locals simply as "the Island", Sardinia has always maintained a strong and distinctive identity.
While many visitors know only the glamorous Costa Smeralda, the island offers a far wilder and more authentic side.
The Costa Verde, in the south-west of Sardinia, features long empty beaches, rolling dunes, ancient watchtowers and spectacular coastal scenery that often reminds visitors of Portugal's Atlantic landscapes.
Our walking routes through Sardinia reveal a side of the island where nature still dominates and where the relationship between people and landscape remains remarkably strong.
For travellers who loved Portugal's combination of coastline, nature and authenticity, Sardinia is a natural next step.
Something all these places have in common is that they reward slow travel.
Whether you're walking through the villages of Cilento, exploring the shores of Lake Lecco on the Sentiero del Viandante, following the footsteps of Saint Francis across Central Italy or discovering the wild beauty of Sardinia, these journeys invite you to experience Italy beyond the obvious.
Self-guided walking holidays allow you to choose your departure date, your pace and your travel companions, while we take care of the logistics.
All you have to do is walk.
And perhaps discover a place you'll love even more than the one that first inspired you.
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