Genius Loci Travel is a local tour operator based in Salerno offering self-guided and guided walking, cycling and kayaking trips throughout Italy. As their name implies, Genius Loci wants visitors to experience the true soul of Italy. They do this by incorporating often overlooked villages and less-crowded alternatives while still covering the beautiful areas that people want to see. We especially love their active commitment to sustainable practices and the fact that they hire people with backgrounds in conservation, rural development and other academic fields. Founded by a Dutch engineer living in Salerno, this is a company that practices what it preaches and one we are happy support.
Review of Genius Loci Travel Website
Genius Loci Travel’s site could use some modern updates but it shows the personality of this company and provides all of the important details. We love that they offer several translations of their site (English, German, French, Dutch and Italian). You can browse trips by type (small group, independent, walking, cycling, kayaking, drive and hike, luxury boutique lodging). You can also browse by scenery (alpine, coastal, countryside). We used their Search box to find “centre-based” trips. They have a lot of options so it’s a bit overwhelming. Hopefully someday they can revamp their site to add more search filters, but in the meantime we suggest taking your time to peruse or contact them directly for help in choosing. Each itinerary includes detailed trip notes, difficulty level, meals included, photos and options for shorter/longer variations.
This quote from their site perfectly sums up their focus on creating a quality trip, rather than worrying about a perfectly polished online presence…
We continue to prefer to spend money on research, rather than on marketing!
Things to like about Genius Loci Travel
- Trusted company with 20+ years in business; member of Adventure Travel Trade Association
- Guides are certified, led by people who live in that region and come from a variety of academic backgrounds
- Offers original itineraries designed by people who know the region and actively maintain the routes
- Impressive coverage for all regions of Italy but most especially of southern and central interior regions
- Covers Via Francigena pilgrimage
- Route notes are detailed and include GPX files, maps and updates on trail conditions
- Special attention made to lodging with options for customizing for the client
- Recognized by several national authorities and within the travel industry for their sustainable practices
- Offers discount vouchers to return customers and a FREE tour for you if you bring 6 or more friends
- Provides custom trips for group travel or that focus on special interests
- Trips include breakfast and luggage transport; some include dinner
Large walking holiday companies have been contracting trips with Genius Loci Travel for years, which says something for their quality, and now you can book directly with them and keep those travel dollars local. For all these reasons and more, Genius Loci Travel earns our Local Choice for Italy. For different itineraries and small-scale guided hiking in Italy, see Maremma Safari Club which also earns our Local Choice for Italy.
Route Types
- Center-based hiking
- Inn to inn hiking
Destinations include
- Italy
Great choice for
- Those who value carefully selected accommodations as much as they value the itinerary
- Anyone seeking walking or multi-activity holidays in Italy
- Travelers seeking to book directly with local tour operators with a solid reputation for responsible travel
- Those seeking customized group travel (families, hiking clubs, work retreats, etc.)
Established in 2001
last reviewed March 17, 2023
