Italy's Most Stunning National Parks

A mountainous country surrounded by seas, Italy is full of stunning natural beauty. The 22 national parks in the country cover just about 5% of its land mass. These areas are more than just untamed wilderness — they are places where people live and work, running guest houses, restaurants, ranches and farms. You’ll be able to escape into pristine landscapes during the day and come back to a delicious meal of local food in the evening.

Monti Sibillini

Situated comfortably in the middle of Italy, the Monti Sibillini encompasses the regions of Le Marche and Umbria. It’s an incredibly lovely place, full of hikes and bicycling trails and popular for paragliding and hang-gliding. Hike up Monte Vettore, or visit the gorgeous flowering fields of Castelluccio.

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Gran Paradiso

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Abruzzo

Extending into the three regions of Abruzzo, Molise and Lazio, this park is just a few hours’ drive from Rome, and it’s home to an endangered species of brown bear as well as the Italian wolf. The thick beach forests and lush slopes make this a gorgeous place for an excursion.

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Cinque Terre

One of the more famous national parks in Italy, the Cinque Terre refers to five villages perched on the Ligurian coastline. They’re difficult to reach by car, so most visitors will arrive by train, boat or even on foot. You can hike along the trail that passes through the gorgeous villages, but to avoid the crowds, take an alternate route that goes into the mountains.

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Asinara

This unique island off the coast of Sardinia is virtually uninhabited except for the population of wild albino donkeys. Having once been a prison camp, a quarantine area and a maximum security prison for the Mafia, it’s now been converted into a wildlife and marine preserve.

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Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.