If you love walking and Barolo wine, then this is for you! Immerse yourself in the unforgettable vineyard scenery of the 'Langhe' UNESCO world heritage site.
Borderlands II costs €995 per person based on two sharing; it is of medium difficulty.
Book March, April, May, June, September, October and November.
Immerse yourself over four days in the iconic vineyard scenery of the Langhe hills.
This self-guided walk visits eight of the eleven Barolo villages, with overnight stops in three of them. The charming accommodation is matched with excellent food, and winery visits and tastings are organised on the way.
This walk is designed to follow Borderlands I (Bra to Alba through the Roero) and to precede Borderlands III (Alba, Barbaresco and Monferrato). However, you might like to take it is a short break, or as a component or extension to a longer visit in the region.
“Borderlands II – the Barolo & Alba Circular” costs €995 per person, based on two sharing. There is a €300 single-occupancy supplement. Solo travellers pay €1.595.
There is a 15% surcharge for travel from September 1st to November 15th.
Five nights bed & breakfast in characteristic accommodation • Wine tastings as indicated • MTW-published booklet containing detailed walking instructions and background information • Pre-and post-trip briefings with our Local Manager • The Local Manager is on call 24/7 to help with questions or problems, large or small • Your bags moved ahead of you • You can ride in the vehicle in the morning if you’d like to shorten or skip a day.
Flights and other transfers • Insurance • Meals other than where highlighted in the itinerary.
The walk starts and finishes in Alba.
Arrive and depart via Turin. Both cities (Turin and Alba) are well served by public transport. Airport or city centre transfers can be arranged – please enquire.
We recommend stopping over in Turin to explore this elegant, fascinating and lively city, and can book an excellent 4-star hotel in the city centre for you. Enquire for details.
We also recommend taking a second night in Alba as that city, too, richly rewards a day of exploration.
Extend your walking with Borderlands II or Borderlands III, both of which commence in Alba, where this trip finishes. (Booking either of these automatically creates a second night in Alba.)
Although the walking is steep in places, there is never more than thirty minutes of uphill exertion. The surface can be loose underfoot, and slippery in the rain. We always recommend proper walking shoes and walking poles.
The longest walk is 20km and the shortest is 8km.
Borderlands II is open from 1 April to 30 June, and from September 1 to November 30. We can organise travel in July and August by request, but do not recommend it as the heat can be stifling and creates a haze which can restrict the views.
The white truffle season is October through to December and the grape harvest is generally September and October.
Check in to your three-star hotel close to the city centre. There are regular trains to Alba from Turin’s Porta Susa station.
We recommend staying an extra night, either at the beginning or the end, to better explore this handsome and historic city.
If you are doing one or both of the other ‘Borderlands’ walks, then you will automatically gain a night.
A steady climb out of the city attains a ridge, with your first views taking in almost all of the Barolo appellation.
Proceed through oak woodland to reach the first of the Barolo villages. You can stop in for a tasting at the local cooperative cantina, where Dolcetto, Barbera and, of course, Nebbiolo, are readily available to taste. This location also makes a good lunch stop, with cafés, bars and an excellent restaurant along the way.
The walk continues through vineyards and hazelnut plantations. Your destination town (another of the Barolo villages) has a castle, which can be visited for a small fee – either the day you arrive or the following morning.
Today’s walk traverses much of the width of the region, passing through Barolo village itself. Here we will book a wine tasting at a superb winery, in which you can explore the differences in soil composition and growing conditions provided by the different MGA’s (crus). The tasting is included in your trip fee. You can follow the tasting with a great lunch at one of Barolo town’s many hostelries (pay locally).
From Barolo climb through more oak woodland to reach your second overnight stop. Again, this is one of the Barolo villages, and your charming accommodation has an excellent restaurant attached (pay locally for dinner). In particular they have a really comprehensive wine list. Enjoy some fine vineyard views from the village piazza.
The trail turns back towards Alba, with woodland alternating with ridges which afford vineyard views to one side and, on a clear day, the Alps to the other.
The walk passes through the largest of the Barolo villages (more views, as well as lunch) before arriving at your destination for the night. From here you can see the Tanaro river, Alba, Pollenzo and Roero (if you have already walked Borderlands I, then you will recognise some of the landmarks across the river).
Your accommodation, an agriturismo (farm stay) is connected to a Royal Villa which houses one of the most important cellars of the region. A cellar visit and wine tasting (included in your trip fee) awaits you, followed by dinner (pay locally) and a relaxing dip in the outdoor pool.
Being centrally located, you will also have time to explore the timeless village.
The most gentle of the walks returns you to Alba, but not before you can check off one last village (that makes eight of the eleven) with its castle.
If you have booked Borderlands III – Barbaresco and the Monferrato, then your journey continues…
