Grand Tour Abruzzo & Molise - The 5 Senses 2026-27

Day-by-day itinerary

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1. 1Day 1Rome – Celano – Sulmona “the city of Ovid”, 180 km

   Departure for Celano – guided visit of the historic center and of Piccolomini Castle – continuing to Sulmona, the ancient Sulmo in the Peligna Valley – guided visit of the town (the historic center with Piazza del Carmine, the Fontana del Vecchio, the Annunziata complex, the Cathedral of San Panfilo, the 13th-century aqueduct and the famous confetti factory) – free time for shopping – lunch on your own – in the evening, check-in at the hotel in Sulmona – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, Sulmona by night: walking tour with your tour leader – overnight stay.

2. 2Day 2In The Heart Of The Parks Of Abruzzo – Pescocostanzo “the stone…

   village” – Pescasseroli – Civitella Alfedena – Scanno – Sulmona, 170 km. Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion into the heart of Abruzzo – visit to Pescocostanzo, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy, set within Maiella National Park (walking tour of the historic center), to Pescasseroli in the heart of Abruzzo National Park, to Civitella Alfedena (one of the most charming and best-preserved villages of its kind, with the classic look of a medieval settlement in the Apennines) and to Scanno (known as the photographers’ village for the many great photographers its atmosphere and age-old traditions have inspired) – lunch at a traditional restaurant – return to the hotel in Sulmona in the evening – dinner at the hotel – free evening, tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

3. 3Day 3Sulmona – L’Aquila & “the Villages” – Castel Del Monte “the capital…

   of shepherds” – Santo Stefano Di Sessanio “a little jewel”, 190 km. Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion – visit of L’Aquila (the historic center, Piazza del Mercato, the cathedral, the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio, the Fountain of the 99 Spouts, San Bernardino) and of the villages of Castel del Monte (a historic center rich in palaces and churches of the early medieval period, made truly evocative by its countless fountains, gateways and picturesque alleys) and Santo Stefano di Sessanio (a true jewel of Abruzzo, rich in history and tradition, built on white limestone rock and crowned by the splendid Medici Tower, its unmistakable 14th-century symbol, with sumptuous palaces, the regal entrance gate to the town and the many elegant arches and mullioned windows that testify to the great importance and prosperity this town once enjoyed) – lunch at a traditional restaurant – arrival in Pescara in the evening – dinner at the hotel – free evening, tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

4. 4Day 4Civitella Del Tronto “the fortress town” – Atri “city of history and…

   art” – Città Sant’Angelo – Pescara, 230 km. Breakfast at the hotel – departure for Civitella del Tronto – guided visit of the fortress village (the remains of this mighty stronghold on the borders of what was then the Papal State) – lunch at a traditional restaurant – in the afternoon, guided visit of Atri, a town rich in history and art (the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta with its horizontally crowned façade, Romanesque structure and 15th-century decoration, and a walking tour through the historic center to admire the exterior of the Palazzo degli Acquaviva, ending at the belvedere) – small tasting of licorice and of the traditional Pan Ducale cake – and of Città Sant’Angelo (a village where time seems to have stopped, suspended between the mountains and the sea, given its elegance and breathtaking beauty by the imposing Collegiate Church, its noble palaces, historic town gates and churches) – free time for shopping – in the evening, check-in at the hotel in Pescara – dinner at a traditional restaurant – after dinner, Pescara by night: walking tour with your tour leader – overnight stay.

5. 5Day 5Chieti “the Warrior of Capestrano” & Pacentro “back to the Middle…

   Ages” – Campobasso, 210 km. Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion – visit of Chieti (the historic center, the National Archaeological Museum of Abruzzo with the famous Warrior of Capestrano, the municipal villa) and of Pacentro (an enchanting medieval village with a captivating historic center, Caldora Castle, the mother church, the Church of San Marcello and its noble palaces) – lunch at a traditional restaurant – tasting of regional specialties – in the evening, arrival at the hotel in Campobasso – dinner at the hotel – overnight stay.

6. 6Day 6Lower Molise “villages, wine tasting, sea” – Larino & Termoli, 190 km

   Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion – departure for Lower Molise along the Biferno valley – traveling across spectacular viaducts, we cross Lake Guardialfiera, formed by the building of the dam of the same name – visit to Larino (the historic center with the cathedral, the Church of San Francesco, the Ducal Palace and the Roman amphitheater) – visit to a winery and traditional lunch with a tasting of DOC wines (an experiential journey into the world of wine: one part in the vineyard, where you can touch the vines with your own hands, and one part in the cellar, visiting the fermentation areas and aging rooms, tasting straight from the barrel, and finally coming to the table for a tasting menu of regional products and dishes paired with DOC and IGT wines) – and of Termoli (walking tour of the old town enclosed by ancient walls, among the most beautiful in Italy, set on a rocky promontory directly above the sea, with the cathedral at its heart, a national monument in Romanesque style, and the Swabian Castle – exterior visit) – return to the hotel in Campobasso in the evening – dinner at the hotel – after dinner, walking tour with your tour leader – overnight stay.

7. 7Day 7Upper Molise “the triumph of nature” – Pietrabbondante – Agnone…

   Pescopennataro – Capracotta, 190 km. Breakfast at the hotel – full-day guided excursion – visit of Pietrabbondante (the Samnite archaeological complex) and of Agnone (the Pontifical Marinelli Bell Foundry, the churches, the historic center) – light lunch with a tasting of cheeses and dairy products, visit to a historic cellar and to a tuff cave used for aging cheese – Pescopennataro, the village of fir trees and stone – continuing to Capracotta along a scenic road through the Bosco degli Abeti Soprani, with a stop at the Prato Gentile plateau at 1,600 meters above sea level, where pausing is a must to take in a splendid, unspoiled mountain landscape – Capracotta (the village) – return to the hotel in Campobasso in the evening – dinner at the hotel – free evening, tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

8. 8Day 8Truffle Experience & Altilia “a small Roman city in Molise”, 60 km

   Breakfast at the hotel – in the morning, the Truffle Experience (a hunt through the woods in the company of expert truffle dogs, and a visit to the artisan workshop that turns the harvest into truffle specialties) – tasting lunch built around freshly dug truffles, paired with Molise DOC wines – in the afternoon, guided visit of the archaeological park of Altilia and of Campobasso (the Murat district, the Romanesque churches of San Giorgio and San Bartolomeo, the Samnite Museum) – tasting of a traditional dessert with coffee at a pastry shop – dinner at the hotel – free evening, tour leader at your disposal – overnight stay.

   Experience here: Segreti di MarmoExperience here: I Tesori di Carta

9. 9Day 9Campobasso – Isernia “the Paleolithic Museum” – Venafro – Rome, 230 km

   Breakfast at the hotel – guided visit of Isernia (the Paleolithic Museum, the Fontana Fraterna) and of Venafro (Pandone Castle) – lunch on your own – tasting of regional specialties – continuation of the return journey – arrival in the evening. Please note: the scheduled visits may be rearranged among the various days depending on museum opening hours or operational requirements, but the program itself remains unchanged.