Overview
The Dolomites are an awesome spectacle, their rose-tinted pinnacles and towers soaring above lush meadows and storybook villages. With your choice of moderate or challenging hiking options each day, we head out on trails renowned for their views of the regal Marmolada (10,968'), the highest peak in the Dolomites, and the colossal ghostly pillars of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. By day, we savor some of Europe’s most eye-catching mountain scenery, and by night, we sleep in comfortable hotels. Mouth-watering Italian-Tyrolean cuisine fuels our hikes, and we’ll spend one night at a spectacular mountaintop lodge to watch alpenglow over the peaks.
Amazing trip, well planned, flexible staff and itinerary. Staff had great relationships with hotel and lodging hosts, chefs, making it even more special! What could be better than to have a world class mountain guide steering you around a beautiful setting like the Dolomites?
— Dana W., Spokane, WA
Days 1-3
Venice / Passo Giau / Civetta Massif
Our first hike starts right from our hotel and brings us through beautiful meadows to Ambrizolla Pass, with grand views of the Tofane massif and the Cortina Valley below. Another hike reveals the majestic Pelmo, called “the Doge’s Cap” by patriotic Venetians, and the Civetta, shaped like an enormous trident.
Venice / Passo Giau / Civetta Massif - Days 1-3
Albergo Passo Giau
Days 1 to 3 (3 nights), Passo Giau, ItalyThis 9-room family-run auberge is very special, wonderfully quiet, and set on one of the main mountain passes above Cortina. Diego and Claudia and their son Igor offer us a warm welcome as well as excellent meals and wines from their cellar. Up here on the pass, away from civilization, it is easy to feel a part of these amazing mountains. The sunset lingers in the evenings, taking on endless shades of pink and purple on the great pinnacles of dolomite rock—it’s a magical base for our hikes.
Day 4
Rifugio Lagazuoi
A challenging hike (with moderate options) rewards us with panoramas stretching from Tofane to Marmolada as we head up to Rifugio Lagazuoi by trail or by cable car. This lodge has a stunning location and we’re on top of the world here, surrounded by breathtaking peaks and the silence of the mountains. We explore the haunting World War I tunnels carved into the mountains by Italian soldiers in 1916 and 1917. Tonight we’ll savor a cold beer or a glass of wine before dinner and enjoy our mountaintop setting and the pinnacles’ ever-changing hues.
Rifugio Lagazuoi - Day 4
Rifugio Lagazuoi
Day 4 (1 night), Dolomites, Italy360-degree panoramas of the spires of the Dolomites, including glorious Tofano, Cristallo, and Marmolada, are at our fingertips at Rifugio Lagazuoi, a privately owned hike-in lodge with a stunning location atop Mount Lagazuoi. Here we are on top of the world, above the clouds and the birds, amid the silence of the mountains. We stay in dormitory-style rooms with toilets/sinks down the hall. Hot showers are available on the lower floor. The lodge has a beautiful wood-paneled dining room with huge windows and an outdoor terrace where we can watch breathtaking sunsets.
Days 5-8
Cortina d’Ampezzo / Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Cortina’s most famous mountain massif includes the Tofane di Roses, Tofane di Mezzo, and Tofane di Dentro, three sheer peaks all over 10,500 feet and renowned by alpinists worldwide. We circle the Tofane massif via a remote valley dotted with wildflowers and crystal-clear springs, with chamoix grazing in high alpine meadows. Our moderate option leads along a trail below the great spires of the Tofane di Roses and continues along the Alta Via 1, a long-distance footpath traversing the Dolomites from north to south. We also hike into the magnificent realm of the famed Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the steep, yellow-pink spires that offer quintessential Dolomites scenery. Depart on Day 8 via Venice, or extend your stay in this ancient city.
Cortina d’Ampezzo / Tre Cime di Lavaredo - Days 5-8
Hotel de la Poste
Days 5 to 7 (3 nights), Cortina d'Ampezzo, ItalyWith a perfect location in the heart of the pedestrian zone, this chalet-style hotel is a Cortina landmark, originally built in 1835 as a stop for mail coaches. “The Posta” has been in the hands of the Maniago family for the last century and has a grand dining room and a celebrated bar. Rooms are very well appointed and have either town views or mountain views.
Hiking in the Cortina Dolomites
Highlights
Highlights
Details
6 hiking days, choice of moderate to steep trails, 3-7 hours a day, altitudes from 5,000-9,100 feet, van support (for luggage or if you wish to skip a day's hike). This is a strenuous hiking trip, read “What the Trip is Like” for more details.
