At my home in the hills of Umbria in central Italy, the wolves usually begin howling after dark. There is a pack in the hills behind my house, and when they call out, another pack often answers from farther away. I have never seen a wolf in all the time I have lived here, but my neighbors have. They own a farm down the road, and more and more often, they have watched wolves circle in as the sun rises, testing the flock, only to be chased off by the Maremma Sheepdogs that protect it. My neighbors told me that once, a single dog managed to hold off an entire pack.
What I've realized is that it was never about seeing one. It is about knowing something wild moves through the same hills, just beyond sight. On long walks at dusk, I sometimes pause when I hear movement in trees too dense to see through. If a wolf is there, it has almost certainly seen me first. I may never catch sight of it, but the possibility makes me stop and listen.
Across Europe, small outfitters now run trips built around that same sense of possibility, tracking packs through Italian forests, following prints through the snow in Sweden and placing photographers in remote hides overnight in Finland. Some trips cost thousands. A sighting remains the prize and, when it happens, people talk about it for years.
For hundreds of years, people in Europe saw the wolf as a villain, appearing in old stories and chasing Little Red Riding Hood through the forest. But in Italy, the wolf had a different image. The she-wolf who cared for Romulus and Remus is still a symbol of Rome. The real wolf is even more fascinating than these legends, especially now that it is coming back to areas where it has not lived for generations.
A 2025 study in PLOS Sustainability and Transformation found that over 21,500 wolves lived in Europe by 2022, which is a 58% increase over ten years. Germany's 2024-25 count recorded 219 wolf packs, up from just one in 2000-01. ISPRA's first nationwide estimate put Italy's wolf population at 3,307 in 2020-21, with about 946 in the Alps. A later estimate for 2023-24 raised the Alpine number to 1,124. Wolves started returning to France from Italy in the early 1990s, and a 2026 study estimated an average of 1,013 wolves in France for the winter of 2023-24. This is one of the most remarkable predator recoveries in modern Europe, happening in areas like farms, villages, and ski resorts where people once thought large carnivores were gone for good.
It's important to clarify that headline number since they could be much higher. Cecilia Di Bernardi, the study's lead author and a researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, told me in an interview, "Some countries have very detailed monitoring: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Italian Alps and Scandinavia track close to every individual wolf genetically. Some of the largest populations, such as those in Bulgaria and Romania, are less intensively monitored. So, the 21,500 figure is an expert-based estimate drawing on the most accurate source available in each country."
Wolves in these regions were not brought back by people. Instead, they made their own way back, moving from surviving groups and crossing borders, highways, and even some of the most populated areas in the world. "It's really a combination of socio-ecological drivers, but legal protection has been the turning point," Di Bernardi said. "Wolves have been listed under the Bern Convention and the EU Habitats Directive since the 1970s to 1990s, and that consistent, wide-range protection across borders is what allowed the species to recover at all." The return of wild ungulate populations, more forests, fewer people living in rural areas, and generally positive public opinion also played a role. "Importantly, these conditions set the baseline for recovery across all four large carnivores, but wolves, as ecological generalists, had a faster and further recovery than the others."
Even scientists who study wolves closely admit they were surprised by how quickly the population grew. "We were so focused on trying to avoid extinction of the few wolves left in Italy that we did not pay much attention to the health of wolf numbers in eastern countries, where numbers were relatively healthy. The speed of the increase surprised us. The current numbers are still small from a biological point of view, especially when considering that the range is huge," says Luigi Boitani, Chairman of the Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe, who has worked on wolf conservation in Europe since the 1970s.
The scale of that return is also documented in Wolf, an award-winning documentary by Dutch wildlife filmmaker Cees van Kempen. Van Kempen tells me he spent more than 1,000 days filming in European forests and drew on interviews with more than a dozen scientists and wolf experts to trace the species' return from Poland through Germany to the Netherlands. The film combines rare footage of wild wolves with research into how the animals have spread across some of Europe's most densely populated landscapes.
Cees says, "Of course, it is wonderful that the wolf has returned to the Netherlands after 150 years. This is a reward for the nature conservation policies of the past decades, which have allowed the ecosystem to recover so that the wolf feels at home again in our forests."
The central Apennines offer one of Italy's most established wolf-watching experiences. Days begin before sunrise, with tracking through beech forests, open mountain terrain and valleys used by deer, wild boar and the endangered Marsican brown bear.
The European Nature Trust (TENT) was started in 2000 by British conservationist Paul Lister, who also owns the Alladale Wilderness Reserve in the Scottish Highlands. This charity supports rewilding, education, and community projects across Europe, such as efforts to help wolves and bears live alongside people in Abruzzo. TENT offers a four-night Winter Wolf Adventure, with two trips planned for 2027. Each trip costs about $3,250 per person and is limited to ten guests. Conservationists from Io Non Ho Paura Del Lupo lead the tours and show guests how they help wolves and local communities coexist. In 2027, the trips will be hosted by Adam Weymouth, author of Lone Wolf, a book about the return of wolves in Europe.
Paul Lister described a broader shift in how Europeans are approaching wildlife travel. "We love connecting people to nature at TENT," he told me in an interview. "Conscious wildlife experiences in the wilder parts of Europe can be just as iconic as an African safari, or other wildlife experiences further afield. But the reality is that we're learning to reconnect with the nature of our continent. Europe has stunning ecosystems that need protecting during the climate and biodiversity crises. We are yearning for meaningful experiences in locations that offer something different. And it's places like Abruzzo that are now really delivering that for the more curious nature lover in Europe."
Abruzzo is also where small populations of wolves and bears survived "during periods of intense persecution across the 1900s," Lister notes. Those wolves helped seed Italy's recovery and the later recolonization of the western Alps and France. That history is now translating into demand: "Together, TENT and our partners at Wildlife Adventures have definitely experienced an increase in demand for wolf and bear-focused activities," Lister says, pointing to a study estimating that the Marsican bear alone generated $15 million of promotional exposure for the Abruzzo region between 2015 and 2020.
The trips themselves run four and five nights, built around guides Lister calls "some of the most experienced in Europe." "Every morning and evening we provide opportunities to look for bears and wolves, and always factor in daily exercise," he says. "They have built an intimate understanding of their local landscape, knowing exactly where wolves and bears are likely to be." Guests also meet local shepherds and small-business owners to learn how traditional methods of coexistence are being revived and eat authentic Italian cuisine between outings.
Abruzzo, Lister argues, has become the best place in Europe to actually see both species. "The open valleys and forested mountains provide the perfect habitat with excellent visibility," he says. So far, guests have seen wolves on every one of TENT's Coexistence Adventures. Still, he's careful not to promise more than nature can deliver. "There are never any guarantees, and this is the beauty of nature. It's what makes encounters special," he says. "But we give our guests high chances, namely because of the guide's and our NGO partner's experience, along with the region itself." Even without a sighting, he adds, a howl alone can be unforgettable: a "very magical behavior" often heard from the Terraegna Mountain Refuge, "right in the middle of prime wolf habitat."
The forests of Bergslagen are close enough to Stockholm for a long weekend but feel far removed once the roads disappear. WildSweden's three-day, hotel-based trip follows tracks through active wolf territory before guests wait for howls after dark. Seeing a wolf is rare. Hearing one is considerably more likely. The trip currently costs around $1,000 per person and is limited to seven guests. The company's "Wolf Howling Experience" offers two nights deep in wolf territory, sleeping in hammocks under the trees. Much Better Adventures also runs a Search for the Grey Wolf package through the Scandinavian Wolf Project, which teaches guests about the conservation work underway to protect the animals.
This option is perfect for travelers who prefer waiting quietly to hiking. The photography hides are near the Russian border, surrounded by taiga forest, bogs, and wetlands where wolves, bears, and wolverines roam. Wildlife Safaris Finland organizes these safaris. The company was started by well-known wildlife photographer Lassi Rautiainen, who has spent decades working with large carnivores in this area.
"I had my first customers in Kuhmo in 1991. Now we have about 1,000 guests from 34 countries," Rautiainen tells me in an interview. During the spring and summer season, guests settle into the hides in the late afternoon and remain there through the night. "From April through July, we go to the hides at 5 p.m. and return at 8 a.m. the next morning."
The long wait is often worth it. "Wolves are here four or five nights every week," Rautiainen says. "Sometimes they come regularly for two or three weeks, and sometimes they are gone for several days." He suggests that travelers hoping to photograph wolves should stay longer instead of just one night. "Normally, everyone who buys a five-night safari will get photos of wolves. Customers who stay only one or two nights can miss the wolves."
The Riaño Mountains have become one of Europe's best-known regions for watching wild wolves. Several packs occupy open mountain valleys where guides can scan distant slopes without disturbing the animals. WildWatching Spain has led Iberian wolf trips here since 2011 and says it works with more than 20 natural-history travel agencies and hundreds of private clients each year.
Day trips generally include morning and afternoon excursions, with the main season running from mid-July through late October. Sierra de la Culebra in Zamora Province is another long-established wolf-watching region.
Di Bernardi says Spain's pattern differs from Central Europe: "Spain is one of the countries with over 1,000 wolves, yet unlike the rapid geographic spread we've seen in Central Europe, the Spanish population has stayed largely concentrated in its historical northwestern range."
This primeval lowland forest on the Polish-Belarusian border offers a different style of wolf trip, following tracks through old-growth woodland also inhabited by European bison and Eurasian lynx. Wild Poland runs a dedicated Wolves and Lynx Expedition led by an experienced tracker. Sightings remain uncertain, but winter snow can reveal prints, scent markings and the routes used by a resident pack.
Some of France's longest-established wolf territories lie in the southern Alps, including Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, the Ubaye Valley, the Massif des Monges and the mountains surrounding Mercantour National Park. Undiscovered Mountains runs a four-day responsible wolf-tracking trip with an expert guide, using an ancient church in an abandoned Alpine hamlet as its base. Part of the trip price supports the local wolf-monitoring network.
Accommodations range from family-run mountain hotels and historic country estates to hammocks in the forest, remote cabins and even an old church in an abandoned Alpine hamlet. That variety is part of what makes these trips feel adventurous and real.
Hotel Sport Daniel, Italy - The European Nature Trust uses this family-run four-star hotel for its Abruzzo departures. Set near the center of Pescasseroli inside Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, it offers mountain views and a convenient base for outings that begin before sunrise.
Färna Herrgård, Sweden - WildSweden uses this historic country estate as the base for trips into the forests of Bergslagen. Its position between lakes and active wolf territory provides easy access to tracking walks and nighttime listening sessions.
Hotel Kalevala, Kuhmo, Finland - Set at the edge of Finland's taiga, the hotel offers wildlife packages with transfers to purpose-built photography hides. Guests spend the night watching for wolves, bears and wolverines before returning to the hotel the following morning.
Casa Rural La Era, Lario, Spain - This location is close to the Anciles Valley and Burón, both within territory regularly used by Iberian wolves. Its location inside the Riaño Mountains makes it a well-placed base for guided tracking trips through the surrounding valleys.
Wolf Lodge, Northern Norway - For travelers who would rather not leave a sighting to chance, this is a very different experience. Located inside the wolf enclosure at Polar Park, the lodge offers close views of wolves accustomed to human contact. Private stays include a wildlife host, giving guests a more predictable alternative to tracking wolves in the wild.
Responsible wolf tourism is built around uncertainty. The best trips keep groups small, protect den locations and avoid baiting or repeatedly playing recorded howls. The Large Carnivore Initiative for Europe advises operators not to change the animals' natural behavior, and any company promising a close wild sighting should be treated with suspicion.
Di Bernardi is equally direct: "Certainly tourism that encourages feeding or close approach should be avoided, wolves should be left wild."
Paul Lister describes applying that same caution on TENT's Abruzzo trips. "Our trips are always guided conscientiously," he says. "We always observe wildlife from a distance, unlike other wildlife destinations where the wildlife has sometimes become semi-habituated to human presence." Forest and mountain hikes, he adds, "always operate on principles of 'leave no trace,' never disturbing the natural dynamics of the region. We keep group sizes small, and because we work at the interface of NGOs and small-scale ecotourism businesses, everything in the experience is conscientiously thought through to minimize disturbance to wildlife."
Tracking trips can direct money to local guides, family-run hotels and conservation work, even though the broader economic value of wolf tourism remains understudied. In Romania, Travel Carpathia says 70% of revenue from Comisu stays remains in local communities and that all profits support conservation work.
Lister makes the same case for Abruzzo's carnivores. "Ecotourism is a fundamental part of creating sustainable green economies in Europe's wild areas," he says. "It's a critical part of placing a tangible economic and cultural value on wildlife."
He points to Yellowstone, where the return of wolves "now estimates $80m of annual increased revenue to the region because of the presence of wolves." Restaurants, accommodation and shops all benefit from that year-round visitation, he says.
"This creates a virtuous cycle, where local people tangibly benefit from the presence of wildlife through sustainably increased visitation," Lister says. He points out that places like Abruzzo have "experienced crippling waves of rural-urban migration, where young people have left to seek employment in cities." According to Lister, wildlife and the green economies it supports give people "a reason to return and help invigorate the rural transition."
Since launching in 2025, he says, TENT's Coexistence Adventures already generate more than £60,000 annually for bear and wolf-coexistence projects: money that "has been allocated to coexistence projects helping real people live alongside wildlife."
That caution matters as wolf management changes across Europe. The Bern Convention moved the wolf from "strictly protected" to "protected" on March 7, 2025, and the EU amendment moving wolves from Annex IV to Annex V of the Habitats Directive entered into force on July 14, 2025. Member states must transpose the change into national law by January 15, 2027, but they may retain stricter protections.
"EU nature law sets a floor, not a ceiling," Dr. Guillaume Chapron, who co-led the 2025 study with Di Bernardi, tells me. "Countries cannot let the species go extinct, re-eradicate it or delay its recovery forever." Governments will have greater freedom to authorize hunting and other forms of lethal management, but wolf populations must still reach and remain at a favorable conservation status. Di Bernardi expects the change to mean "more reliance on lethal tools and less focus on prevention."
Europe's wolves are no longer only a conservation story. They now support guides, lodges, photographers and specialized trips from the Apennines to the Arctic. A species that vanished from much of the continent is now bringing travelers into some of its wildest corners.
I still hope to see the wolves behind my house someday. But I now understand why responsible guides never guarantee a sighting. Whether that ever happens is entirely up to the wolves.
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This article was originally published on Forbes.com