Last places
Way of Saint James from Sarria in group with guide
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Days
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Hours
VD01
On foot

The Way of the Gods between Bologna and Florence

SERVICES
Standard
TYPE OF TRIP
Half distance
MODE
On your own
6 STAGES
8 DAYS
133,3 KM
DIF. ●●●○○
Explore the great landscapes of Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany.
It goes along Roman cobblestones in the middle of the Apennine forests.
Be seduced by Italian gastronomy and culture
Yes, there is a Way of the Gods and, of course, it is in Italy, between two of its most incredible cities: medieval Bologna with its endless red arcades and Renaissance Florence. In between, an ancient military road that winds through nature and history, invoking the immortal Roman gods and offering us unique places and experiences.

Services

This programme includes these services.

8-day trip along the Italian Way of the Gods.
7 nights in a private room with private bathroom.
Full documentation about the travel.
GPS tracks in your smartphone
Pilgrim's passport
Travel insurance with special coverage for sports activities.
24/7 telephone assistance during your trip.
VAT and other taxes

Not included services

Extras in hotels and restaurants.
Other transfers requested by you, not specified in the contract.
Any other service not specifically defined as included.

Optional Services

A whole range of optional services are at your disposal, so that you can configure your trip to suit your needs.
Luggage transport
Cancellation insurance

Breakfasts, half-board
Luggage transportation on route (up to 15 kg / package).
Transfers from and to airports and stations in Bologna and Florence
Complementary activities
Cancellation insurance

Free cancellation if you book through our website

Is this trip for me?

Type of trip: Half distance
Journeys to savour slowly, with the best of each space and that indescribable sensation of overcoming your own limits.
Type of services: Standard
Carefully selected tourist class accommodation based on our experience on this route, combined with services specifically designed for your trip.
Travel style: On your own
Programmes designed so that you can travel the route on your own, at the pace set by your steps. Full autonomy and the peace of mind of knowing that we are with you if you need us.
Physical demands: Hiking
Routes of small or medium physical demand, of medium distance (20-30 km / day) and surfaces that facilitate walking, and that can be covered autonomously.

Itinerary


Day 1. Arrival in Bologna, start of the Way of the Gods.

Welcome to Bologna / Bologna, undoubtedly one of the most charming cities in Italy. From its incredible towers to the Palazzo del Podestà, from its endless arcades to its streets full of local and student life, the capital of Emilia-Romagna preserves an enviable historic centre: no less than the second largest medieval quarter in Europe. The best thing to do is to arrive as early as possible to enjoy all it has to offer before heading to Florence along the Via dei Diei.

Accommodation: Hotel Cavour or similar.


Day 2. Stage Bologna - Campiuno

Distance: 26.1 km
Difficulty level: ●●●○○○○○
Accommodation: Sasso Marconi

The adventure on the Via dei Diei begins by leaving the red city of Bologna along the most lakeside arcades in the world, leading from the arch of Meloncello to the sanctuary of the Beata Vergine di San Luca. The views at this point are fabulous: on one side the city, on the other the protected landscape of the hills of San Luca. On the descent you can also see the dam built on the Reno to divert part of its waters towards the town. Continue along its course for the remainder of the route as far as Sasso Marconi. From there, it is only a short distance to the top of Monte Frate and Campiuno, a small village where you can finish the stage and recharge your batteries.

Accommodation: Agriturismo Piccola Raieda or similar.


Day 3. Stage Campiuno - Madonna dei Fornelli

Distance: 24.5 km
Difficulty: ●●●●○○
Accommodation: Madonna dei Fornelli

The second stage of this route along the Way of the Gods begins leaving Campiuno. The path climbs up the slopes of the recognisable Monte Adone, offering beautiful views over the Setta Valley. It is here that the most famous and most photographed panoramic view of the entire Via degli Dei opens up. The Grota delle Fate, a narrow, 50-metre-long cave where, according to popular legend, the fairies that give the crevice its name fly when the moon is full. With your eyes full of beauty, it is time to descend towards Brento, the perfect place to take the first break of the stage and recharge your batteries before continuing towards Monzuno. From there, the route continues through a chestnut wood, gaining altitude and magnificent views of Monte Venere. The climb takes you up to Poggio Santa Croce, where more beautiful views of the small valleys that surround the entire territory await you. There is then a further climb up to Monte Galletto - nothing really difficult - before beginning the descent towards Madonna dei Fornelli, the end of this intense stage.

Accommodation:  Albergo Poli or similar.


Day 4. Stage Madonna dei Fornelli - Passo della Futa

Distance: 23.3 km
Difficulty: ●●●●○○
Accommodation: Santa Lucia (with transfer)

If the previous stage was short, in order to adapt the route to the geography and the rest points, it is now time to return to the longer stages. Leaving Madonna dei Fornelli behind, you will soon come across woods that you will ride through, following the remains of the ancient Via Flaminia, a Roman military road built in 187 BC, which will emerge and hide itself along the entire route. The ascent will take you along the Monte dei Cucchi to the highest point of the whole route, the summit of the Banditacce (1,205 m asl), and a few metres further on to the Poggiaccio, a place that marks the equidistance between Bologna and Florence. Along this road, and always in intermittent contact with the Roman road, you leave Emilia-Romagna behind you to enter the famous Tuscany, and reach Passo della Futa and its immense Germanic cemetery, where this third stage of the Way of the Gods comes to an end.

Accommodation: Podere Belvedere or similar.


Day 5. Stage Passo della Futa - San Piero a Sieve

Distance: 22 km
Difficulty: ●●●●○○
Accommodation: San Piero a Sieve

The fourth stage begins with the transfer from your accommodation to Passo della Futa, from where you take the path up to the Croce di Monte Gazzaro (1,125m above sea level). Here begins a descent that should be done calmly and carefully to the Osteria Bruciata pass. Here, in the Middle Ages, there was an inn that was rumoured (later legend) to have served its guests human flesh from travellers on this route. There is no evidence as to the veracity of the saying, but the story is still told, with more or less drama, in the refuges and inns along this road. Be that as it may, it will be a relief to be able to approach, with a quick detour, Sant'Agata del Mugello, one of those timeless villages of this Way of the Gods and, in general, of Tuscany, where it is worth stopping and, perhaps, wandering through its streets before continuing on your way. The remainder of the route is more pleasant, and in about 6 km. it ends at San Piero a Sieve, across the river of the same name.

Accommodation: Albergo La Felicina or similar.


Day 6. Stage San Piero a Sieve - Olmo

Distance: 19.5 km
Difficulty: ●●●●○○
Accommodation: Elm

This is the sixth day of our journey on foot along the Way of the Gods to enter the famous region of Tuscany for good. The route quickly leaves the town of San Piero behind and climbs towards the Medicean fortress of San Martino, an undertaking of Cosimo de' Medici himself, who sought to defend the possessions and interests of the Florentine state at the time of its greatest splendour. Unfortunately it cannot be visited, but this day will reward you with other sights, such as the Castello del Trebbio that appears a little further on, surrounded by its magnificent vineyards, or the remains of the abbey of Buonsollazzo. The road becomes wooded further on and leads to another religious structure, this time surrounded by grottoes: the Montesenario convent, which is well worth a visit. From there, the landscape becomes typically Tuscan and opens up with fantastic views into the distance, which you can admire until you reach Olmo, the end of this penultimate stage of your journey.

Accommodation: Agriturismo Olmo or similar.


Day 7. Stage Olmo - Florence

Distance: 17.9 km
Difficulty level: ●●●○○○○○
Accommodation: Florence

The last stage on foot of this route along the Way of the Gods in the heart of Italy. The route heads from Olmo to Alberaccio and then immediately uphill to Poggio Pratone, the perfect place to admire the view of Florence in the distance. From there, the route then descends to Fiesole and then, flat, into Florence, from the north to its very heart in Piazza Santa Maria.

Accommodation: Hotel delle Camelie or similar.


Day 8. Florence and return home

The eighth day of this adventure along the paths of the Way of the Gods is to enjoy one of the most impressive cities in the world: the beautiful Florence. Our recommendation is to extend your trip for an extra day to explore its historic streets at your leisure. But if you don't have more time, the proximity of our accommodation to the cultural and tourist centre of the city will help you at least to take a short walk before heading home with your eyes full of beauty and the taste of Italian gastronomy engraved on your palate.


The recipe for great journeys

Natural, historical and ethnographic heritage, spectacular gastronomy, good company, slow pace and time for time. These are the ingredients with which we design trips in Viando. Are you staying at home? 

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Choose dates, type of accommodation, what services you want to hire and method of payment. You are in full control

Frequently asked questions

What to expect from this tour?
The stages that make up this programme cross the Apennine Mountains, Italy's main mountain range, reaching a maximum altitude of 1200m asl. Therefore, you should expect several steep ascents and descents and few flat sections. However, in general this route is suitable for people of different physical conditions, as the scheduled distances, between 20 and 25 km per day, can be covered during the whole day. This route is for you if you are looking for a moderate challenge in terms of technical difficulty and want to enjoy two of Italy's most charming cities, Bologna and Florence, and some picturesque villages that normally escape other types of visitors.
The perfect time to walk these stages along the Way of the Gods is from spring to the first half of autumn. The months with the highest flow of walkers, in both directions, are July and August. As the route crosses the Apennines, it is not advisable to do the route in winter, when snow is frequent and the path becomes difficult to follow.
This route includes the transfers necessary to carry it out, as indicated in the "Itinerary" section. Transfers to and from airports such as Florence (FLR) or Bologna (BLQ) are not included and can be booked as an optional service.
The accommodation provided on this route is standard category and offers private rooms with en-suite bathrooms. They are not luxurious, but in good condition and with a good level of cleanliness, perfect for the use we will give them, since most of the day we will be touring the route or enjoying the towns at the end of the stage.

By default and compulsory, all our programmes include travel insurance with specific coverage for the Camino de Santiago. You can see the details in the section Insurance of our website. 

All our programmes include a 24-hour telephone support service, should you need help at any time during your experience. This means that you can also contact us outside office hours (when you are on pilgrimage). 

If you want to book this programme, you have the following options available a form where you can indicate the starting date, the type of accommodation and a series of optional services. The price will be updated according to the options you choose, so you have full control. Once you have configured your trip, click on "Book" to make the payment.

Once we receive your request, you will automatically receive a proof of purchase and within 48 working hours we will contact you to confirm the details of your booking and provide you with the documentation. 

In Viando we also work with tailor-made programmes (short stages, intermediate rest days, itineraries different from those proposed, etc.). If you are looking for a Camino that meets your needs/preferences, you can ask us for a quote. here.

Mode

This label indicates the intended mode of travel, based on two typologies:

In groups

These are group trips, where you are part of a small group of people who have chosen the same destination as you. Perfect for meeting like-minded people. Group trips usually have a guide who is in charge of overseeing the dynamics of the group, revealing the secrets of the destination and, in general, making sure that everything runs smoothly.

On your own

In this type of trip you have full control: you choose the dates and the pace. In addition, they are usually trips with configurable accommodation and services. It is the perfect mode for independent and experienced travellers, as well as for private groups of friends or families.

Type of trip

This label indicates the type of trip we propose to you based on the following options:

Getaways

These are trips that concentrate all their essence in two or three days. The aim is to live a series of experiences in a specific geographical area.

Half distance

These trips offer routes that take only a few days to complete and are perfect for most people who want to enjoy an active holiday without being too physically demanding.

Long distances

This type refers to long routes, which offer a great variety of natural and human spaces to visit and which require several days, usually two weeks or more. They are routes and destinations designed to really disconnect and live the experience to the fullest.

Exploration

These are trips off the beaten track and off the beaten track. They often require certain orientation skills or offer specialised guides at the destination.

Accommodation

This label indicates the type of services (mainly accommodation) we offer on each trip, based on three categories: 

Configurable

The trip offers different types of services and categories of services that you can choose from. For example, standard or premium accommodation. 

Standard

The trips in this group do not offer configurable options. The accommodations correspond to the standard category (not luxurious, but clean and in good condition).

Premium

Trips with this label offer non-configurable options. Accommodation and other services correspond to the premium category.