Overview
A six day, self-guided walking tour through Italy’s Piedmont region. This is the heart of Italy’s Slow Food and small community tourism regions, many aspects of which you get to explore on this trail from Santhià to Oropa. The Cammino di Oropa is a network of four official Christian pilgrimage routes, all leading to Santuario di Oropa, an important Marian shrine and sanctuary. This route, starting in Santhià, is known as the Cammino della Serra, and it has many exquisite landscapes en route, starting with the Po Valley, then the Serra Morenica and the jagged peaks of the Biellese Alps. With some impressive ancient ricetto villages (fortified hamlets) along the way.
- Santuario di Graglia
- Santuario di Oropa
- Lake Viverone
- Sala Biellese
- Colma di Mombarone
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Santhià
Arrive in Santhià. If time allows, we recommend visiting Collegiata di San Lorenzo, an impressive romanesque church that reflects the town’s rich heritage, or try an espresso and a slice of local pasticceria in Piazza Cavour. Santhià also offers excellent options for an aperitivo or dinner featuring hearty Piedmontese cuisine.
- Accommodation: Hotel Ristorante Vittoria or similar in Santhià
Day 2: Santhià – Roppolo | 15km
Start walking on a segment of the Via Francigena towards the town of Cavaglià, a perfect stop to try a local bacio di dama, or biscuit flavoured with rum, with your coffee. Continue on a country path through woodland and open fields to the village of Roppolo, where you spend the night. A visit to its fortress offers panoramic views over Viverone Lake.
- Accommodation: B&B Le Lune or similar in Roppolo
- Walking for the day: 15km, 3h, ↑200m ↓70m
Day 3: Roppolo – Sala Biellese | 16km
Leave Roppolo and walk through the hills of the Serra d’Ivrea, following quiet paths across woodland and open terrain. Along the way, pass through the ricetto of Viverone, which translates as a fortified village once used as a refuge by local communities, with views over Lake Viverone. The route then climbs to Zimone, where a short detour brings you to Bose Monastery, before continuing to Magnano. Here, explore the village ricetto and the historic mill, now a small centre for local produce and history. The day ends in Sala Biellese. Today’s accommodation is in bungalows or individual cabins at a campsite with shared bathroom facilities.
- Accommodation: Future Is Nature – Playground or similar in Sala Biellese
- Walking for the day: 16km, 4h, ↑400m ↓100m
Day 4: Sala Biellese – Santuario di Graglia | 15km
Leave Sala Biellese and walk through forested sections of the Serra Morenica, alternating with meadows and rural hamlets. As the route approaches Donato, the landscape opens toward the Biellese Alps. Continue towards Santuario di Graglia, at the foot of Colma di Mombarone on the border between Piedmont and the Aosta Valley. The sanctuary is a long-established pilgrimage site and a place for quiet reflection at the end of the day’s walk.
- Accommodation: Santuario di Graglia in Graglia
- Walking for the day: 15km, 4.5h, ↑550m ↓320m
Day 5: Santuario di Graglia – Santuario di Oropa | 15km
From Graglia, follow paths along the slopes of Colma di Mombarone, crossing small streams and taking on gradual ascents before coming to the historic village of Sordevolo. Continue towards Favaro, where the final walk up to Oropa begins, through woodland and pastures with lovely views over the plains below. The last section follows the route of the former tramway that once connected Biella with Oropa. Arrive at the Santuario di Oropa, one of the most important Marian pilgrimage sites in Italy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Accommodation: Santuario di Oropa in Oropa
- Walking for the day: 15km, 5h, ↑800m ↓740m
Day 6: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of mostly small, locally-owned hotels, B&Bs, traditional guesthouses, two sanctuaries and a bungalow or cabin at a campsite. 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 except for the campsite, which has shared facilities.
Click to view default hotels
- Hotel Ristorante Vittoria (Santhià)
- B&B Le Lune (Roppolo)
- Future Is Nature – Playground (Sala Biellese)
- Santuario di Graglia (Graglia)
- Santuario di Oropa (Oropa)
Hotels are 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. Where no lunch or dinner is included, lunches and snacks can be bought from local shops and dinner is available from restaurants in the local area. The restaurant at Santuario di Graglia offers a multiple-course pilgrim menu in the evenings, including water and wine for about 30 EUR per person.
Difficulty and terrain
This trip is graded easy-moderate with daily walking distances of up to 16km, increasing in elevation as the trip progresses, a good level of fitness is recommended to take part in this trip. The route follows a combination of paved trails, quiet country roads and country paths (read more about difficulty grades). The route is well-marked with yellow painted arrows and with the Cammino di Oropa logo. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never try to shorten the path through the unknown and unmarked terrain.
When to go
This trip is available from April to the end of October. This route runs from the Piedmont plains to the Alpine foothills of the Biellese area, with gradually cooler temperatures as you approach Oropa. From April to June, mild weather and spring landscapes offer excellent walking conditions. July and August can be warm at lower elevations, while higher sections remain more comfortable. September and early October are ideal for cooler temperatures. The best months to travel are May, June, and September.
For more information, see our blog, Best time to go to Italy.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airport for this holiday is Malpensa Airport (MXP), Milan Linate Airport (LIN) or Turin Airport (TRN).
By train or bus
Arrival in Santhià:
- From Malpensa Airport, take the Malpensa Express train to Milano Centrale Station (54mins). From Milano Centrale Station there are regular direct train services to Santhià (1h). For more information and tickets, visit Trenitalia or use the Omio planner above.
- From Milan Linate Airport, take the bus connection the airport with Milano Centrale Station (24mins). From Milano Centrale Station there are regular direct train services to Santhià (1h). For more information and tickets, visit Trenitalia or use the Omio planner above.
- From Turin Airport, take the direct train to Turin Porta Susa (30mins) to change trains for the direct service to Santhià (31mins). For more information and tickets, visit Trenitalia or use the Omio planner above.
Departure for Oropa Sanctuary:
- From Oropa Sanctuary, take regular bus service connecting the sanctuary with Biella (38mins). From Biella, you can get train services to Turin, Milan or other destinations in Italy.
- Private transfer to Santhià available on request
Inclusions
Included
- 5 nights accommodation
- 5 breakfasts
- Luggage transfers between accommodations (one piece per person up to 15kg)
- Pilgrim passport
- Detailed digital holiday information pack including GPS-checked and regularly updated route descriptions, road notes and maps. Please note that the info pack is emailed to you prior to departure, no printed documents are mailed or provided locally
- 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 tax and entrance fees (payable on the spot)
- Any items not explicitly listed as included
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
