All roads lead to Rome, including the 1,300-year-old Via Francigena. This is exactly how you’ll get to the Eternal City—walking the last 70 miles of this ancient route! Once traversed by pilgrims en route to the Holy Land and the tombs of Saint Peter and Paul, it’s a living testament of European history, blending stunning landscapes with rich cultural heritage. Picture yourself meandering through the picturesque Central Italian countryside, passing by charming medieval towns and ancient archaeological sites that whisper tales of bygone eras. And let’s not forget about the culinary delights that await you along the way! Join this week-long self-guided Via Francigena walk and become a part of history yourself.
Walk in the footsteps of medieval pilgrims along the historic Via Francigena on this self-guided adventure from Viterbo to Rome. Over seven days and 70 miles, immerse yourself in the rich history and stunning landscapes of Central Italy. From fortified towns to ancient ruins, each day brings new discoveries. Enjoy comfortable accommodations and breakfast provided, with detailed walking notes for each leg of the journey and 24-hour customer support. And finally, experience the magic of the Eternal City as you conclude your pilgrimage at the iconic St. Peter's Square.
Upon your arrival in Viterbo, check into your accommodation. You will stay in a traditional hotel in the heart of the town. Viterbo is a city of ancient origin and historical traditions, lying close to the Cimini Mountains, between the Lakes of Bolsena and Vico. The city offers many alternatives from art to traditional cuisine, from medieval and renaissance architecture to thermal spas nearby.
Leaving Viterbo, you will take on country lanes that pass through vineyards and olive groves. Along the route and not far from the city, it may be possible to visit an ancient Etruscan tomb. The rest of the road proceeds smoothly through fields and woods to Vetralla, a fortified town in the heart of the ancient Etruscan territories.
Meals: Breakfast
Mileage: 18 km / 11 miles
From Vetralla, you pass through a forest to the Church of the Virgin of Loreto. Then you walk through extensive hazel groves, passing monumental oaks, to arrive at the Orlando towers, ruins of an ancient monastery. You continue to the charming town of Capranica, and you finally reach the walled town of Sutri, known for its Etruscan amphitheater and archaeological park.
Meals: Breakfast
Mileage: 22 km / 14 miles
You start by walking along country lanes and tracks to the village of Monterosi, near a beautiful lake with an expanse of water lilies. You then continue your journey through fields to Monte Gelato waterfall in a park area where you can rest and have a refreshing paddle. Then you enter Veio Park, a protected area, and you follow a riverside track through woodland to the hilltop town of Campagnano.
Meals: Breakfast
Mileage: 28 km / 17 miles
Leaving Campagnano you have panoramic views over the beautiful countryside of Lazio before entering Veio Park where you can visit the Sanctuary of Madonna Del Sorbo. You then pass through the walled old town of Formello and you take tracks through fields down to the river Valchetta, and on to charming Isola Farnese and onwards to La Storta.
Meals: Breakfast
Mileage: 21 km / 13 miles
This last walking stage of your trip crosses the suburbs that lead to the center of Rome. You also pass through Monte Mario Park where you have amazing views of the entire city of Rome and can admire for the first time the dome of St Peter’s church. Then you descend to St Peter’s square – your final goal!
Meals: Breakfast
Mileage: 20 km / 12 miles
Your adventure officially finishes after breakfast. However, on the last day you can explore the ancient city and its many churches. As you will have walked the Way of St Francis (Via Francigena) be sure to visit the Basilica of St John Lateran where, in the 4th chapel, there is a painting of St Francis receiving the stigmata and also in the park outside there is a large statue of St Francis that if you stand behind at a certain distance it looks as if St Francis is holding up the church. You can extend your stay here for a few days to give you time to see some of the magnificent art and architecture of the city. Contact us prior to booking so that we can book your accommodation for a few nights longer.
Meals: Breakfast
Please note that accommodations are subject to availability and it may not be possible to book the exact accommodations listed day-by-day in the itinerary (in case there is a detailed list).
Also note that your chosen dates for the tour are not guaranteed until confirmed by the guide. If the guide is unable to secure your preferred dates/accommodation, you’ll get a full refund!
Included:
Not included:
If you have any special dietary requirements, let us know in time so we can make arrangements. Please remember to mention it once again upon check-in, it’s always best to double check.
Please note that accommodations are subject to availability and it may not be possible to book the exact accommodations listed day-by-day in the itinerary (in case there is a detailed list).
*Please note that refrigerators are not guaranteed in the accommodations.
The most important thing about walking the Via Francigena from Viterbo to Rome is that you enjoy the journey at your own pace. Whether you’re a very fast or a slow walker, we encourage you to enjoy the trail. Having said that, being in good walking shape and having solid hiking experience is still required (even though the trails have plenty of opportunities to rest and recover!)
You’ll be doing between 18 and 28 km a day (11 to 17 miles) with little elevation changes and while carrying a daypack of things you might need on the trail. You’ll be walking for 5 consecutive days.
Hiking consecutive full days can be quite strenuous. In preparation for your hike, we recommend doing some 5-10 mile (8-16 km) walks – including some uphills and downhills with a loaded backpack.
You’ll be sent the walking notes and vouchers and you’ll have a virtual pre-departure face to face meeting. The walking notes are here to assist you. Although the Via Francigena is pretty well-marked, there are sometimes variations on the routes or some of them are more difficult to follow than the others. We recommend that you always familiarize yourself with the daily journey ahead.
The vouchers contain all the information about your confirmed accommodation—there will be an address, their phone number, any special instructions on how to get there, and a small map. You will find a 24/7 support phone number on the bottom of each voucher. Keep in mind that there’s no need to print out the vouchers, as your reservations will be confirmed.
Here’s a list of clothing we recommend bringing:
Here’s a list of other equipment we suggest you bring:
By going on a self-guided tour, you’re able to walk the Via Francigena at your own pace and enjoy the journey without worrying about the logistics of it all. The guiding company who put this all together is Follow the Camino. They’ve been leading pilgrims along their journeys since 2007 and they were the first ever operator to organize tours along Camino de Santiago.
There are many perks of choosing a self-guided tour. Apart from not having to adjust to the group, you’ll have the accommodation, breakfasts and route instructions sorted. You’ll be staying in carefully-selected 2-3* hotels and guesthouses and there’s no need to print out anything upon checking-in—your guides booked and arranged everything for you, all you have to do is show your I.D.
This is a hassle-free trip so if you want to focus on enjoying your hiking pilgrimage in the
Italian bucolic countryside, these self-guided tours are the perfect match.
Accommodation for the duration of your tour is based on a number of criteria, including location, comfort, services, price, and character. Your guides will always try to book something that is in the historical center of the town you’ll stay in. Expect 2* or a 3* hotels or guesthouses with an included breakfast.
If you want premium accommodations, you can contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
Pricing is based on double occupancy. Still, a solo traveler can certainly sign up, but please note there will be an additional single supplement fee.
Luggage transfers are not included in the price of this tour, but your tour operator can help you find the best solution and organize transfers upon booking. Here is some general advice if you’re doing it on your own:
Group sizes and pricing
Hiking the last section of Via Francigena can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Viterbo, the starting point of the tour, most people first fly into Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport. From there, you can easily get to Viterbo by train. There is a train line connecting the airport and the Rome Trastevere station, which has an hourly line stopping in Viterbo (Viterbo Porta Romana station).
The entire journey from Rome to Viterbo should not take you longer than 3 hours. Upon your arrival, check into your accommodation in the afternoon.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!
Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!
A non-refundable 30% deposit to secure your place is due upon booking. The remaining amount is paid 2 months (60 days) prior to departure. Once the trip is confirmed by the guide, the cancellation policy stated below applies.
Client can transfer their booking to a person who satisfies all the requirements, having first given the Guide reasonable notice in writing to do so before the departure date (such notice must be given more than 21 days prior to the date of departure). Client who transfers the Booking shall be jointly and severally liable with the transferee to the Guide for the payment of any balance due in respect of the holiday and for a substitution fee of €30.00 per person substituted, subject to a maximum of €120.00 per booking (or such other greater sum as may be authorized).
It was a great 5 days walking, and our group of 5 all felt it was a moderate to tough walk at times. Early October – Good time of year to walk 23-25 degrees each day..wonderful towns and villages along the way. Via Francigena was not busy and the terrain was hard on the feet ( some blisters!) at times, so definitely wear good walking shoes.. Take a stick for some of the climbs and surfaces. There are often 2 routes out of the towns and we always took the more scenic route which meant we covered 127km and not the 110k advertised. Signposts were pretty good all the way and we are glad we forwarded our big luggage each day.
Overall a great walk ending in historic Rome!. We stayed on for 3 days to see some sights and do some more walking !!.