Overview
A five day, short break walking in some of Italy’s most delicious landscapes of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, famous for its prolific vineyards, especially Prosecco. This far northern area of Italy borders Austria, Slovenia and the Adriatic Sea, although this trip stays close to the sea, starting in the Adriatic town of Monfalcone, then onto the resort of Duino, from which you ascend through Opicina and Basovizza to an elevated karst plateau. Descend again to the Gulf of Trieste through the Rosandra Valley to bring your trip to a superb finale in the historic city of Trieste.
- Castello di Duino
- Castello di Miramare
- Strada Napoleonica
- Muggia
- Trieste
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Monfalcone
Arrival at your accommodation in Monfalcone. If time allows, explore the local area and visit the sights, such as the marina or Rocca di Monfalcone.
- Accommodation: Hotel Europalace or similar in Monfalcone
Day 2: Monfalcone – Santa Croce | 11.5km
Use public transport to get to Duino (payable locally, approximately 15mins). Visit Castello di Duino, a monument dating back to the 14th century, perched on the rocky cliffs overlooking the Gulf of Trieste. Join the Rilke Trail, named after the Austrian-Hungarian poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, who paid homage to the beauty of the region in her work. Continue on the elevated path, taking in views of the entire coastline, before reaching Sistiana. Make a stop at Castello di Miramare, a 19th-century residence dating back to the period of time when the region was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Continue to Santo Croce, where you will spend the night.
- Walking for the day: 11.5km, 5h, ↑410m ↓200m
- Accommodation: Crocevia or similar in Santa Croce
Day 3: Santa Croce – Opicina – Basovizza | 20km
Leaving Santa Croce behind, continue on your journey through the Carso (Karst) region. Follow the Strada Napoleonica (Napoleonic Way), an elevated gravel path, heading along the cliffside to the town of Opicina. Today’s walk ends in the village of Basovizza.
- Walking for the day: 20km, 5.5-6h, ↑400m ↓260m
- Accommodation: Center Hotel or similar in Basovizza
Day 4: Basovizza – Muggia – Trieste | 17.5km
The route begins by passing through Val Rosandra, a nature reserve renown for its wildlife and unique flora, where a deep gorge cuts through the karst plateau and the mountainous terrain meets the coastline. Joining the Sentiero dell‘Amicizia (Path of Friendship), head into the lower part of the valley, where the Rifugio Permuda is located. At 82m above sea level, it is the lowest mountain hut in Italy. Take the public bus to Muggia (included), an Italian coastal town close to the Slovenian border. Visit the harbour of the traditional fishing town, before boarding a boat to Trieste (1h 30mins).
- Walking for the day: 17.5km, 5h, ↑440m ↓810m
- Accommodation: NH Trieste or similar in Trieste
Day 5: Departure
Departure after breakfast, or extend your stay with an extra night in Trieste.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of mostly small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs and traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. All rooms have en-suite or private bathrooms.
Click to view default hotels
- Europalace Hotel (Monfalcone)
- Crocevia (Santa Croce)
- Center Hotel (Basovizza)
- NH Trieste (Trieste)
Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available en route, lunches and snacks can either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can sometimes be pre-ordered from your accommodation the night before. Dinner is available either at the accommodation or from restaurants in the local area.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is rated easy to moderate and offers a collection of diverse walks on hiking trails and gravel paths/roads, on mainly non-alpine terrain. The average walking distance is 18km per day and the maximum elevation gain is 612m per day. A reasonable level of fitness is required and the routes may be challenging for those with little walking experience (read more about difficulty grades).
We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed route notes and maps and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed information on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from the beginning of April until mid-November, departure is possible on all days except Fridays and Saturdays. In 2026, it is not possible to start the trip on Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays. Unfortunately, it is not possible to book this tour from the last week of July till end of August. Departures on other dates are possible for a minimum of five people (on request).
Late spring to early summer is an ideal time to visit the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, with average temperatures between 18-21C. October also offers pleasant temperatures for walking, but it is the month with the most rainfall. For more information, see our blog on the Best time to go to Italy.
Getting there
FCO up-to-date travel advice on Italy.
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airports for this tour are Trieste Airport and Pula Airport.
By train or bus
- If you are able to travel to Italy without flying, this holiday is reachable by rail, with railway stations in Monfalcone and Trieste. For more details, see the national rail operator Trenitalia or use the Omio planner above
- From Trieste Airport: there is a direct train to Monfalcone
- From Pula Airport: the journey requires three buses, changing in Umag and Trieste, there are limited departures each day (journey time 4h+)
Inclusions
Included
- 4 nights accommodation
- 4 breakfasts
- Luggage transfers on days 2, 3 and 4 (one piece per person, max 20kg)
- Bus ticket to Muggia on day 4
- Boat ticket from Muggia to Trieste on day 4
- Video welcome briefing
- Detailed travel documents, including route notes, maps (one per room) and access to navigation app
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable locally)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
- Extra nights in Duino and Trieste
- Departures on dates outside of the booking period may be possible for groups of a minimum of five people (on request)
- Parking facilities in Trieste (approx. €55 per week), reservation required at the time of booking and payment to be made locally
