Active & Cultural Tours
in Southern Europe and Beyond
WILD SAGE
What Makes Us Special
LOCAL EXPERT GUIDES
Our experienced guides are enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and love what they do.
HANDPICKED ADVENTURES
We research all of our tours thoroughly to assure you get the best out of every holiday.
EXCITING DESTINATIONS
From the big names to the coolest destinations you’ve never heard of, we’ve got it all!
TRAVEL WITH US
Discover Our Tours
Walking & Hiking
We can design tours for almost any walking level (depending on the terrain, of course!), and have tours that go from easy outings to the challenging Alpine hiking of the Dolomites mountains The activity level on our scheduled tours is clearly defined so you know…
Cycling & E-Biking
Some of our guides are also cyclists, and they’d be happy to show you around on two wheels. We can usually find road bikes for rent in most destinations, or try an e-bike, which allows all of the fun with a fraction of the effort (though don’t be fooled…
“Light Active” Tours
You don’t have to go on a “hike” to get your steps in, and sometimes a full day out in a city or exploring an archaeological site can be just as “active” as an organized walk. We’re also aware that we’re not as young as we once were, so we’re happy to offer tours that are…
What Our Customers Say
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Sicily Coast-to-Coast
Our trip to Sicily with Wild Sage in mid-October (perfect time of year) could not have been better. With Claire as our guide/interpreter and Giuseppe as our intrepid driver, we spent 10 days exploring the island from modern cities to Baroque towns to ancient temples, from the coast to the interior. All we had to do was soak in the amazing environment and enjoy ourselves – everything else was taken care of for us. The food, wine, and cannoli were delightful, the hotels and country inns lovely. We had any number of experiences (visiting a cheese maker, a cart-making shop, an ancient ritual bath deep under a church, a Roman villa with spectacular mosaics) that we undoubtedly would have missed had we not been with Claire. She not only planned a great itinerary but was also attuned to our group’s interests and differing energy levels. This was our first trip with a personal guide, and we’re sold on the concept – especially with Claire and Wild Sage.
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Sardinia: Hiking through History
This is a great trip. We visited archeological sites of the Nuragic people, a sacred well, a burial tomb, including a tour of one of their villages. The guide explained what is currently known about the ancient civilization which was fascinating and frustrating because there is still so much about them that is unknown. We visited museums which have Nuragic bronzes and stone giants. We hiked through the countryside with panoramic views of coastlines, valleys, and mountains and sightings of a range of wildlife including the last wild horse herd in Europe. Six hundred horses in family groups of 30-40. There were so many wonderful things about this trip: the city guide who spoke a few lines of the native Sardinian language for us and answered all my questions about the language, the guide at the vineyard who was enthusiastic about his job, the park guide who showed us the wild horses, the beautiful beaches where we relaxed and all the Sardinians we met. The food, wine, and hikes were amazing. A huge grazie mille to Manu and Wild Sage for putting this trip together to this wonderful island.
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Piedmont Gourmet Walking Tour
Manu is a bundle of sunshine and enthusiasm in a truly wonderful package. We were invited to a customized tour (so not exactly what you see here) in the Piedmont area with friends who had traveled with her before. They insist they will never travel in Italy without her, and we soon learned why. Manu is incredibly knowledgeable, and what she doesn’t know she is quick to learn. She goes out of her way to accommodate the wishes (and sometimes quirks) of her clients and seems more like one of the gang than a guide in her willingness to engage and adapt. Her knowledge of the history and culture, and her language skills and attention to detail make her the clear leader of said gang! From hiking (partially in the Maritime Alps) and a stay at a truly lovely, and remote hotel, to visiting the wine caves, to eating in fabulous restaurants, this trip really gave us a grand overview of the area – thanks to Manu’s early planning and excellent execution. She never hesitated to make ‘one more stop’ to be sure we got the most from our time with her. She was always on the lookout for things to add to our tour and to future tours. Those of you who take future tours will benefit from her efforts. Manu even has a magic pack with cures for blisters and other hiking maladies. Manu and Wild Sage exceeded our loftiest hopes for a wonderful trip and we look forward to traveling with her again someday.
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Dolomites Val Gardena & Ampezzo
What an amazing tour! Full of challenging hikes, incredible postcard views, unusual upland flowers, pretty alpine towns, delicious Tyrolean-Italian foods, and fascinating geological and human history, all to a soundtrack of cow bells, marmot chirping, and waterfalls. Manu is a kind and patient guide, whose love of the Dolomites is evident. Her enthusiasm for the place was definitely instilled in us, and we’d love to go back.
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Sardinia: Hiking through History
Sardinia with Wild Sage was fantastic. Discovering the sophisticated ancient Nuragic civilization, searching for the last remaining wild horses in Europe, beaches that literally glitter, and a deep gorge filled with boulders as big as buildings are just some of the highlights. The scenery and history was only matched by delicious local specialties and local wines. From farmhouse to resort we discovered new vistas and regional history each day. Oh did I mention the Roman ruins, kayaking and craft gin tasting?