Anyone joining our Tuscan tours from August to October, with a plan to spend time in Siena, has a rare opportunity to see the stunning marble mosaic floors in the city's famous cathedral.  Most of the year this beautiful floor is covered with protective layers, but it is opened for just a...

With the Italians being such expert winegrowers, it is no surprise that they also produce many delicious Aperitifs and Digestifs, blending age-old, closely-guarded secret recipes of herbs, roots and spices which are loved the world over. We've picked five of our favourites and thought...

Often when we are visiting major cities at the start or end of our tours, we draw on the knowledge of licensed guides who can absolutely bring the city to life, or help us to focus on a particular building or artwork. We have worked with a number of highly qualified...

On our Lucca, Volterra and Elba tour we pass through a wine producing area on the Tuscan coast known as Bolgheri. Today this is truly one of Italy's wine-growing success...

On the basis that a picture is worth a thousand words, we have put together a photo album of some of the highlights from our first Etruscan Trails in Central Italy tour.  It really is a feast for all the senses ...

As the summer in Italy beckons, restaurant menus everywhere will start to list the ever popular "Semifreddo" dessert.  This light, textured, frozen mousse is popular right across the country.

We all know that mixing together the right travel ingredients produces a magical trip, but exploring two countries in one holiday makes for a double helping of enjoyment. This year we will cross from Slovenia into Italy's Friuli region on foot, and from Austria into the stunning Italian Dolomite...

Jackie has recently been interviewed for the Amateur Traveler Podcast series, talking all about the region of Abruzzo, which for us at Hedonistic Hiking is an all-time favourite.

If you've never joined one of our annual Palio tours in Siena in August, your ideas about this horse race might be a little sketchy. As the race has been cancelled for the last two years due to Covid...

This amazing cheese comes from a small alpine area in the northern part of Lombardy, known as the Valtellina valley, close to the border with Switzerland, and its name is Bitto Storico.