Snow
Most people in Rome have no idea there is snow within an hour and a half of the city. There is, and there are guides who take you into it.
24 things to book6 placesthe nearest is a 1 h 08 drive from Rome
The mountains east of Rome are higher than they look from the city. Behind Subiaco the Simbruini run up to beech forest and open plateaux that hold snow through the winter; further north the Terminillo above Rieti was built as a mountain resort and still has lifts and cross-country tracks.
Snowshoeing is the way in for most visitors. It needs no skill whatsoever — you strap them on and walk, more slowly than you expect — and the guides run half-day and full-day outings that end somewhere with a fire.
What the mountains do in any given week is a matter for the mountains. Nobody can promise snow, and the guides who work here will tell you honestly what there is; their number is on every card.
Which of the two you pick depends on what the party wants. The Simbruini are quiet walking country and the better place to meet snow for the first time — beech forest, open pasture, and nothing organised about it. The Terminillo has the lifts, the cross-country network and a village at the bottom, so it is the one to take if somebody actually wants to ski.
What to bring is more important here than on any other page of this site. Waterproof boots that come above the ankle, layers rather than one thick coat, gloves, sunglasses — the glare off snow is the thing visitors are least ready for — and a change of socks. The guides supply the snowshoes and the poles; nobody supplies dry feet.
The drive is the other half of the planning. The last stretch up to either area is a mountain road in winter, and in a bad week it wants proper tyres or chains, which hire cars in Rome do not always carry. Going with a guide who drives it every week, or with a driver who does, is the version of this day that does not end at the side of a road.
Guided outings, cross-country lessons and the small ski areas, sorted by how far the drive is. Snowshoeing is most of what is here and needs no skill at all; the guides run half days and full days, and several end somewhere warm with something to eat.
Closest to Rome first. Never by who pays us.
On the trailGuided snowshoe outings on off-trail routes in the Simbruini, with TSL snowshoes and winter Nordic walking poles included in the price, sanitised after each use.
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On the trailGuided snowshoe walks in the snow-covered woods of the Monti Simbruini, on routes of different difficulty from beginner outings on packed snow to longer hikes.
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On the trailCross-country skiing lessons on the FISI-approved loops at Monte Livata and on the touring route linking Campo dell'Osso to Monna dell'Orso.
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Off roadA two-hour guided quad ride after dark from Campaegli across to Livata and Campo dell'Osso, the ski area of the Monti Simbruini.
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On the trailSnowshoes, poles and a guide are included: you turn up and walk onto the snow.
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On the trailGuided snowshoe outings on Monte Terminillo, with occasional itineraries on the Gran Sasso, Monti della Laga and Monti del Cicolano.
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On the trailA snowshoe route from near Campoforgna through snow-covered beech woods to the Rifugio Sebastiani and the Sella di Leonessa, led by two qualified environmental hiking guides.
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On the trailA morning snowshoe hike from Pian de' Valli with an AIGAE environmental hiking guide.
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On the trailLessons at Pian de' Valli from the largest ski school in Lazio, founded in 1960, with forty instructors covering alpine skiing, snowboard and nordic skiing.
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On the trailGuided snowshoe outings on Monte Terminillo run by a company of qualified hiking guides, in a plain version and in a version ending with dinner in a mountain refuge.
See the dayThe Simbruini above Subiaco, Livata and Campaegli, and the Terminillo behind Rieti — with everything else those places offer when the snow is not there. It is the same country that carries the rafting, the canyoning and the monasteries in the other three seasons, which is worth knowing if the forecast turns against you.
Best fit for this section first, then whatever you can book today. Closest to Rome breaks a tie. Never by who pays us.
Down the riverFive kilometres down the Aniene. Helmet and paddle included, shuttle to the start.
€25 per person
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On the trailA long but not difficult ring hike starting from the small settlement of Campaegli and reaching the summit of Monte Autore.
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On the trailA visit to the monastery of San Benedetto, built against the rock face above the Aniene valley, where Benedict lived as a hermit.
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On the trailA ring hike from the Serra Sant'Antonio pass above Filettino to the summit of Monte Viglio, the highest peak of the Monti Cantari at the eastern edge of the Simbruini park.
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On the trailA ring hike starting at the car park of the Santissima Trinità sanctuary above Vallepietra, along the Alta Via del Parco and part of the Frassati path, crossing the karst depres…
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In the hot waterA wellness session in an apiary set inside the beech forest of the Simbruini park, built on apitherapy practices: bee humming, api-aromatherapy and api-sound.
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On the trailClimbing on an indoor artificial wall with routes for every level and an instructor always present.
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On the trailA slow, guided sensory walk in the beech forest of the Simbruini, led by a certified forest bathing guide.
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On the waterIndividual or small-group lessons on the Aniene, starting from the basics: reading the current, handling the paddle and moving safely.
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Down the riverA stretch of the Aniene done on foot, through gorges, with jumps, natural slides and rope descents.
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With your handsGuided tours of a working beekeeping farm at Monte Livata, following the life cycle of the bees from the gathering of nectar to the finished honey.
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Under the groundA trip that combines caving with canyoning progression techniques: you walk through underground chambers, cross fixed sections and rope traverses with a helmet, harness and head…
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On two wheelsGuided electric bike rides on the trails of the Monti Simbruini park.
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On the trailGuided walks in the Monti Simbruini regional park led by certified AIGAE guides, from gentle walks to demanding summit hikes.
See the dayDriving time from the middle of Rome, on the road network and without traffic. It tells you whether the day stands up; it is not a timetable.
Getting there
The day stays yours: you leave when you want, stop where you want, and come back when the light goes.
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See prices on LocalrentNo parking to find, no wrong turns, and you leave when the day is done.
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See prices on Welcome PickupsIn the mountains east and north-east, yes, most winters — the Simbruini above Subiaco and the Terminillo above Rieti. How much and when varies every year, and the guides listed here know what this week looks like.
There are small areas rather than resorts: cross-country tracks at Campo dell'Osso and lessons and lifts at Pian de' Valli on the Terminillo. For serious downhill skiing, Abruzzo is the next stop and it is further.
None at all. If you can walk uphill slowly for a couple of hours you can snowshoe. The guides provide the shoes and poles; you bring warm layers and waterproof boots.
Roughly an hour and a half to the Simbruini and nearer two to the Terminillo, without traffic and without snow on the road. In winter the last stretch can want proper tyres, which is one argument for going with somebody who does it every week.
The Simbruini mountains above Subiaco, about an hour and a half east of the city — Livata, Campaegli and Campo dell'Osso. The Terminillo above Rieti is higher, has lifts, and is nearer two hours. Both hold snow through most winters.
On a made track, boots. Off it, snowshoes, which is what the guided outings on this page are for — they let you walk across deep snow instead of through it. The shoes and poles come with the guide; the boots and the warm layers are yours.
It is one of the better winter days for a family, because a snowshoe walk moves at whatever pace the slowest person sets and there is no lift queue involved. Where an operator sets a minimum age it is on the card, and it is worth ringing to say what ages are coming.
Broadly January to March at the altitudes these guides work at, and it varies every year. Nobody can promise it and we are not going to. The guides listed here are up there weekly and will tell you what this week looks like; their number is on the card.
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