Great Gardens
ATG offers several Escorted trips to Italy with a focus on visits to some of the finest Italian gardens in the regions of Lazio and Tuscany. These trips include a stay at ATG’s very own historic residence – Pieve a Castello.
A number of our Independent trips also include opportunities for garden visits, from romantic clifftop gardens to water gardens and formal Renaissance gardens. And, of course, all our trips journey through ‘nature’s garden’, sometimes more spectacular in its spontaneity and sublime natural setting.
Italy
Follow ancient, stepped paths through lemon groves between seaside villages. Outstanding coastal scenery, only appreciated on foot.
• Walk the ‘Path of the Gods’, a coastal trail with superb views
• Explore La Valle delle Ferriere, a lush nature reserve
• Beautiful gardens of Villa Ruffolo & Villa Cimbrone (8/9-day)
• Picturesque historic towns & colourful fishing villages
Independent
Moderate to Challenging Walking
Duration: 5, 6, 8 or 9 days
Route Open:April, May, June, September, October
Price: from £1,440 per person
Italy
Starting in Viterbo, walk between historic towns along ancient paths, wooded trails and tracks, passing a variety of unspoilt landscapes, all the way to Rome.
• Walk the medieval ‘Via Francigena’ and the Roman ‘Via Cassia’
• Remarkable Roman & Etruscan remains at Sutri
• Impressive finish in the ‘Eternal City’ of Rome
• Third stage of a three-part, continuous 225-mile route to Rome
Independent
Moderate Walking
Duration: 7 or 8 days
Route Open:April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Price: from £1,280 per person
France
Walk beside wide rivers and dramatic cliffs crested with fortified villages and castles to visit cave systems containing remarkable evidence of 20,000-year-old human habitation.
• Outstanding Cro Magnon rock shelters & cave paintings
• Fascinating churches, medieval chateaux & landscaped gardens
• Rich cuisine of Périgord – poultry dishes, chestnuts & truffles
• Opportunities for wild swimming & canoeing
Independent
Easy to Moderate Walking
Duration: 5, 6, 8 or 9 days
Route Open:April, May, June, July, September, October
Price: from £1,000 per person
Italy
We combine visits to diverse gardens in the regions of Rome, Siena and Florence with sightseeing and gentle, optional walks into the Tuscan countryside.
• Visit Ninfa, ‘the world’s most romantic garden’
• Optional afternoon visit to Siena
• 5 nights at Pieve a Castello, ATG’s very own Tuscan retreat
• Private concert in Pieve’s pre-Romanesque church
Escorted
Easy Walking
Duration: 8 days
Trip dates:
06 - 13 Oct 2026
Price: from £3,760 per person
Italy
Enjoy paths with views of contrasting mountain scenery, from the hills of Lake Garda to the soaring peaks and pinnacles of the Brenta Dolomites.
• Lake Garda private boat trip & visit to Isola del Garda
• Wine tasting in the Valpolicella region
• Superb scenery & flora of the Brenta Dolomites
• Choice of walks, all with spectacular views
Escorted
Moderate to Challenging Walking
Duration: 8 days
Trip dates:
26 Jun - 03 Jul 2027
Price: from £4,200 per person
France
Walk from the rolling hills of Périgord to the Dordogne River and dramatic gorges of the Causses de Quercy, finishing in the cliffside pilgrimage site of Rocamadour.
• Fine monuments in Sarlat, Souillac & Unesco-listed Rocamadour
• Stay in perfectly preserved medieval towns & villages
• Ride on an electric train through caves of the Causses
• Fabulous local markets & exceptional regional cuisine
Independent
Easy to Moderate Walking
Duration: 5 or 8 days
Route Open:April, May, June, July, September, October
Price: from £920 per person
Italy
Stay for a week in this award-winning, restored, historic Augustinian canonry complex located in idyllic countryside between Florence and Siena in central Italy.
• Relax in this peaceful, architecturally distinguished ambience
• Enjoy fabulous art in medieval Siena, San Gimignano…
• …and Monte Oliveto Maggiore, one of Italy’s greatest monasteries
• Concert in Pieve’s Proto-Romaneseue pilgrim church with fabulous acoustics
Escorted
Easy Walking
Duration: 8 days
Trip dates:
22 - 29 Sep 2026
13 - 20 Apr 2027
08 - 15 Jun 2027
14 - 21 Sep 2027
Price: from £3,640 per person
Italy
Stay in this World Legacy, restored, historic complex of unique 8th-century buildings, set between the beautiful art capitals of Florence and Siena in central Italy.
• Relax in this peaceful, exclusive residence
• Walk to discover the millennia-old paths and tracks through the surrounding countryside
• Explore ancient Etruscan remains in Volterra
• Visit Siena and magnificent works of early Renaissance art
Escorted
Easy Walking
Duration: 8 days
Trip dates:
23 - 30 Mar 2027
18 - 25 May 2027
25 May - 01 Jun 2027
21 - 28 Sep 2027
Price: from £3,640 per person
Italy
Stay for a week in this award-winning, restored, 8th-century, historic Augustinian canonry, located in idyllic countryside between Florence and Siena in central Italy.
• Enjoy Tuscany’s great legacy outside main tourist seasons
• Visit the outstanding Renaissance artworks in Siena & Florence
• Visit a fine Renaissance garden…
• Enjoy a concert in Pieve’s Proto-Romanesque church
Escorted
Easy Walking
Duration: 8 days
Trip dates:
6 - 13 Apr 2027
26 Oct - 2 Nov 2027
Price: from £3,640 per person
Italy
Walk between the historic centres of Viterbo and Orvieto following the Via Cassia, a Roman road, still paved in places, crossing ancient volcanic landscapes.
• Medieval hub of Viterbo with papal palace
• Swim in thermal pools & Italy’s largest crater lake
• Discover Orvieto’s Etruscan heritage, cathedral & famous well
• Cuisine combining Tuscan, Roman & Umbrian flavours
Independent
Easy to Moderate Walking
Duration: 5 or 8 days
Route Open:April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November
Price: from £720 per person