Have you also heard that, for a walking trip to be beautiful, exciting and memorable, it has to be long and demanding? Don’t believe it. It is not true at all and, in fact, some of the greatest treasures are often hidden in journeys of just a few days — with nothing to envy compared to longer and more intense adventures.
Sometimes just a few days are truly enough to live an unforgettable adventure, change your rhythm and return home with the feeling that you have somehow changed too, or at least that you have been nourished by beautiful landscapes and a priceless experience.
Walking helps with this. Just a couple of days are enough to do the wonderfully simple exercise of focusing on your own pace, one step after another: a meditative gesture, and yet such a natural one, that lets you enter the spirit of the journey almost immediately.
In short, a short trip is not a compromise at all: in this blog we explain why a shorter journey can be an excellent choice, and we suggest some of our favourites, so you can make the most of your free time and fully enjoy every day you have available.
There are many reasons why a short trip can be the perfect solution for you.
You have little time, but you want to leave
You do not need two free weeks. If you feel the desire to travel and dedicate a few days to yourself or to the people you would like to share an adventure with, a bank holiday, a long weekend or just a few well-chosen days can truly become a memorable journey.
They are perfect for starting out
If you are thinking about taking on a longer walking route but are not yet sure you fully trust your level of fitness, or if you want to test the training that is preparing you for more ambitious goals, a short trip is the best way to find out.
It allows you to test the rhythm of walking, understand how you feel walking day after day on consecutive stages, and of course become familiar with this way of travelling. It is also perfect if you are already fitter but would still like to spend time walking with friends or relatives who are not yet so experienced.
They make you want to continue
Many of our short trips follow great historic routes, such as the Via degli Dei or the Via Francigena. They are selected sections of trail where we have carefully chosen the most beautiful stages or particularly meaningful stretches that can also be enjoyed over a weekend.
Choosing one of these journeys is a wonderful way to experience their atmosphere, understand the character of a particular route and enjoy a first taste of what awaits you if one day you decide to take on the full itinerary. And it happens almost every time — you will barely be home before wanting to leave again and add more stages to your path.
They are easy to reach
All the trips we suggest are in Italy: destinations that are easy to reach by public transport (and we explain how on every trip page) and that can easily be combined with other tours.
They are perfect for a longer holiday where you mix different types of travel, for a family compromise between a relaxing break and a more active one, or for combining two walking trips and discovering different landscapes, even within the same country.
A Perfect Taste of the Via Francigena
An iconic stretch of the Via Francigena in the heart of Tuscany, with all the most beloved elements of Siena’s postcard landscape: rolling hills, cypress trees, vineyards and timeless villages.
You start among the medieval towers of San Gimignano and arrive in the historic contrade of Siena, one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. Just a few days are enough to discover the magic of the Via Francigena and be enchanted by one of its most picturesque sections, where every step offers wonder.
Perfect for those who dream of the great pilgrimage but want to begin gently.
A short but spectacular trip that allows you to discover the iconic beauty of Lake Como — with its historic villas, tropical gardens and villages of timeless elegance — but also its wilder and more mysterious side, among ruined castles, forests and the natural parks of the Larian mountains.
It is also the perfect journey for those who would like to stay a few more days on the lake, or combine the walk with Switzerland, Valtellina or Valchiavenna, for an adventure between lake and mountains.
A journey through a landscape that needs no introduction, between Greve and Siena: white roads, vineyards, parish churches and stone villages set among the hills. So beautiful it seems painted, and yet completely real — and ready to be crossed step by step.
An itinerary to immerse yourself in pure Tuscan beauty and enjoy its immense food and wine heritage, between the taste of wine and the velvety richness of olive oil. Nearby, Tuscany’s art cities offer the perfect chance to continue your journey.
Less known than other walking routes, but full of charm, this path is nothing less than an Italian section of the Camino de Santiago: in Pistoia, a relic of Saint James is preserved.
It can be reached through a beautiful route starting in Florence and its Medici villas, continuing through lively Prato, Collodi and Pinocchio Park, and finally reaching the walls of Lucca, where we recommend staying at least one extra day.
The “compact” version of the Via degli Dei, the enchanting route that connects Bologna and Florence across the Apennines, is the perfect way to enjoy in just a few days the most beautiful part of the itinerary, far from city crowds.
You walk through forests, small mountain villages, ancient paths and peaceful panoramic landscapes, in an atmosphere that preserves all the charm of the original route.
In short, there is no need to wait for the perfect moment, endless holidays or peak fitness.
Sometimes it is enough to choose the right few days, pack the essentials and leave. Because even the shortest journey can create wonderful memories.
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Nominee Best Specialist Tour Operator 2025
Touroperating
S-Cape Countryside Travels srl
Borgo Allegri 16R
50122 Firenze FI
P. IVA 05227330486
