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Dolomites Val Gardena & Ampezzo

The Dolomites mountains of northern Italy are so spectacular they’ve been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s a vast area with nine sub-regions, so we have a number of itineraries  that offer fantastic hiking with a delicious meal and comfortable hotel at the end of the day. See below for one of our favorites.

Duration: 6 nights/7 days
Dates: available upon request, contact us for details
Trip starts/ends: Bolzano train station/Venice airport or train station
Activity level: 3+ to 5 – HIKE: Classical hiking with rough and rocky terrain, sustained hills, and more mileage. Some departures may have easier hikes (3+) while most would rate a 4, and up to 5 for the most challenging [more info]
Group size: min 4 - max 14

Highlights

  • Hike past fields of wildflowers, deep pine forests, charming mountain huts and the picturesque villages of this amazing Unesco World Heritage Site
  • Admire the dramatic jagged peaks formed by fossilized coral reefs
  • Enjoy hearty and delicious Tyrolean-Italian fusion cuisine
  • Explore the picturesque villages of the Val Gardena and Val d’Ampezzo
  • Tour the remains of WW I bunkers and tunnels and learn about the area’s fascinating history
  • Experience authentic South Tyrolean cuisine, from dumplings and strudel to hearty pastas
  • Learn about the traditional Ladin culture, who even have their own language

Trip price includes

  • 6 nights in 3 and 4-star hotels
  • 6 breakfasts and dinners
  • all visits and transfers as per itinerary
  • gondolas and chairlifts as per itinerary
  • at least 1 bilingual guide to accompany you throughout the week

Not included

  • 6 lunches
  • drinks other than water at meals
  • anything not mentioned in the inclusions

ITINERARY

Days 1-3: Arrival and hiking around Ortisei

Meet your guide at the Bolzano train station for a private transfer to Ortisei, your home for the next three nights. Enjoy a warm-up walk this afternoon to breathe in the fresh mountain air and then enjoy two days of fabulous hiking with some of the best views in Europe. We take chairlifts and buses to start our hikes and enjoy the fresh air at altitudes upwards of 2,500 m (8,200 ft). Hike past spiky limestone massifs with towering pinnacles that jut up into the sky. We stop for lunch every day at welcoming mountain huts that surprisingly put out some of the best pastas and soups we’ve ever had! Top it off with a piece of pie and an espresso and you’re good to go for another few hours! Relax post-hike at the hotel pool or with a soak in the spa. We dine together again every evening. Overnight Ortisei. Hotel and dinner included.

 

Days 4-6: Transfer and hike around the Val d’Ampezzo

You’ll see the scenery shift as we head east into the Veneto region but the scenery is no less dramatic. Hike around the Cinque Torri (the “Five Towers,” a group of vertical rocks that draw rock-climbers from around the world) and the nearby Nuvolau peak. You can also explore the open-air WWI museum which bears witness to the harrowing battles that were fought here in trenches and tunnels. Our other hikes take you to a crystalline mountain lake that you can dip your toes into as you enjoy a picnic lunch, and through a vast meadow that’s used for grazing land. Relax back at the hotel sauna before dinner. 3 nights Cortina.

 

Day 7: Tour Ends

Your tour ends this morning with a 2-hr transfer to the international airport in Venice. Let us know if you’d like us to schedule a few days here for you!

 

Getting there and away: You can fly to the Venice airport and then take a 4-hr train to Bolzano, then fly out of Venice again at the end of the trip. Bolzano is also about 4 hrs from Milan by train (with one change).