 SIT Package Highlights include:• Private English speaking tour leader for 7 days
• Accommodation: 1 night Trento, 2 nights Val Badia, 1 night Rifugio Fanes, 2 nights Cortina d’Ampezzo in good 3 Star/4 Star hotels (1 night 3-star level
‘mountain hut’)
• Meals: all breakfasts, 4 dinners (in great restaurants!), 3 lunches
• All private & public transfers as indicated throughout the entire itinerary
• Entrance fees of all sites along the itinerary
• All special activities as outlined in the day by day itinerary
• Luggage transport; All gratuities for baggage, porters & hotel service
The tour does not includeDeparture taxes; Visas; Travel Insurance; Drink & meals not mentioned in
the itinerary; Optional additional tours or activities; Tips; Items of a personal
nature.
Level of difficultyMostly moderately easy walks, along well maintained footpaths, with nonetheless
rough surfaces. On some days particular stretches are difficult for
those suffering from vertigo (but NOT dangerous!). On these days alternative
options are available. Extensions or shortcuts are also possible on most
days. A high standard of fitness is not necessary but you should be able to
walk for up to 5 hours a day in hot sun on dusty or stony tracks.
Dates & Prices per person from:15 to 21 June, 13 to 19 July
- Double $2048 Single supplement $190
24 to 30 August
- Double $2206 Single supplement $206
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Hiking through the world’s most beautiful mountains, from Trento to Cortina
d’Ampezzo. Stroll through alpine meadows, invigorating mountains
exploring the alpine scenery and savouring the hearty gourmet cuisines
along the way. Experience the diversity in culture and dialects as you pass
through the towns of Trento, Val Badia and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Day 1 (Verona) Trento
The starting point of our tour is the beautiful city of Trento, the most northern Italian speaking city, on the frontier between Mediterranean and Alpine cultures. And it seems to have taken the best of both worlds! We settle in our hotel and here, at 4 PM in the afternoon, we will meet our tour leader and fellow travellers for a short introduction on what lies ahead for the next week. Then we make a relaxed afternoon walk through the historical city centre, with its beautifully painted facades. Here we have our ‘aperitivo’ and then may wish to spend some time for relaxation in the hotel. But also the Castello del Buonconsiglio is definitely worth a visit! In the evening we go out for dinner together in a nice restaurant which offers the typical regional cuisine.
Total walking time: around 4-5 hours. Total driving: around 1,5 hour. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner
Day 2 Trento, Mount Marmolada, LaVilla
After breakfast this morning, we travel by private minibus up North and then penetrate into a landscape dominated by enormous pinnacles that must be seen to be believed – the mighty Dolomites! We first travel up the Adige valley and then into the Val di Fiemme, passing some charming villages along the road. Here we can make a short coffee stop and buy our stuff for a good picnic lunch, before travelling on towards one of the most beautiful peaks of the Dolomites, Mount Marmolada. Here we make a great walk, not to the top, but along the Lake of Fedaia and down into the valley of Canazei, with spectacular views on Mount Marmolada. If the weather permits we can also take the lift up onto the Marmalada and make a beautiful roundwalk. After our walk we drive to the famous Sella pass, from where we walk down into the Gardena valley, one of the prettiest valleys of the massive and may be have a drink in one of the villages along the road. At the end of the afternoon we arrive in the Alta Badia valley, dotted with lovely alpine villages, vibrant meadows and pastures. Our base here is in LaVilla. In the evening we can take a sauna, and then enjoy a dinner with local specialties in our hotel.
Total walking time: around 3-4 hours. Total driving: around 2,5 hours. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner.
Day 3 LaVilla, Puez Plateau
After breakfast this morning, we walk (optional bus) to the small village of Colfosco, from where we start our hike onto the Puez Plateau. A first stop can be made at a beautifully located mountain hut, overlooking the whole Val Gardena (optional 4WD-ride to here). Then we continue our climb onto the high plain. Here we make a beautiful walk, with amazing views, towards the mountain hut, (‘Rifugio’ or ‘Utia’, in local dialect) of Puez. We pass along the impressive Ciampani Mountain, following partly the ‘Alta Via delle Dolomiti’. Somewhere near the hut (or at the hut itself) we enjoy a (picnic) lunch in the mountains. Then, along the edge of the Vallunga and the Col Dalla Sone we continue our walk on the high plain. We come along the Gherdenaccia pass and then start the descent, with great views on the Fanes – Sennes range in front of us, all the way down to our hotel in LaVilla. In the late afternoon we recover in the sauna to relax from our hard walk and in the evening there are several options to go for a nice dinner.
Total walking time: around 5-6 hours. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch.
Day 4 Val Badia, San Vigilio, Pederù, Fanes Valley
We enjoy a hearty breakfast in the hotel to prepare for our hike up into the Fanes-Sénnes range. A short scenic drive by private minibus takes us to San Vigilio. Here we have the option to visit a very interesting museum on the Dolomites. Then we start to climb up into the valley, until reaching the mountain restaurant of Pederù, where we can stop for a quick snack. From here, our hike starts as we ascend into the real mountains, climbing towards the pass of the Fanes Valley, underneath the towering Col de Ru (2076 m.), beautifully coloured. From this pass on the path flattens out, and it becomes a very scenic easy walk into a quintessential Alpine setting – the splendid Fanes valley. We hike along two spectacular alpine lakes, and end our walk ends at the beautifully located – and luxurious – mountain hut of Fanes, where we’ll spend the night.
Total walking time: around 3-4 hours.
Total driving: around 1 hour. Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner.
Day 5 Fanes, Alta Via, Lagazuoi, Cortina d’Ampezzo
Today’s hike starts directly from the front door of our hut after breakfast. This part of our journey sees us enter the real world of the Dolomites with the presence of the great mountains – Cima Scotòni and the Cima Fànes Sud. These mountains are perforated by mazes of the operations during World War I (1915-18), bitterly fought in this area. We hike the ‘Alta Via’ of the Dolomites (also called the ‘High Route’ number 1), a long-distance footpath that traverses the Dolomites from north to south. Our route passes alongside some of the most impressive scenery of the area. At the end of the afternoon we reach the shores of the gentle lake of Lagazuòi and the Rifugio Lagazuoi (2773m) which is awesomely sited, with world-class mountain views. Here we can enjoy a drink, before travelling down by cable car into the valley. We’ll experience one of the world’s finest views here: the surrounding valleys disappear into the shadows, highlighting rock pinnacles which—still exposed to sunlight—take on an extraordinary palette of ever-changing colours. Down in the valley our minibus waits for us and brings us back to Cortina.
Total walking time: around 5-6 hours (several shorter options). Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner.
Day 6 Cortina & the Tre Cime di Lavaredo
After the challenging walks of the last two days, we make an easier walk today. But a splendid one, around the Tre Cime (‘three tops’) of Lavaredo, one of the most famous postcard images of the Dolomites. A short drive brings us to the Misurina Lake, and then up to the Auronzo hut, from where our walk starts: along the three mountain tops of Lavaredo we walk towards the Rifugio Locatelli (Drei Zinnen Hutte). Then we cross to the other side of the mountain chain and we enjoy excellent views of the North face of the Tre Cime. Along a beautiful path we return to the Auronzo hut, from where we take the bus back. Now we have to possibility to recover and discover the charm of the valley of Cortina d’Ampezzo, a famous resort for the Italian jet set. We relax a while along the shores of Lake Misurina, with the option for a nice stroll along the lake shore, in the beautiful and relaxing surroundings, before travelling back down to Cortina. In the evening we enjoy our last great meal, our farewell dinner to the Dolomites!
Total walking time: around 3-4 (+1) hours (several shorter options). Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch.
Day 7 Cortina, Venice
This morning after breakfast, our journey ends. We can opt to spend some more time in the Dolomites, or travel down to Venice, which can easily be reached by public transport. A transfer back to Venice can be arranged at any time.
Meals included: 1 breakfast
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