Dolomites “Family” Hiking Tour

We’ll pick you up at 1:00 pm from the Porta Altinia Suites in Treviso for a private transfer into the mountains. After a scenic 2.5-hour drive, we arrive in San Candido / Innichen, our base for the night. You’ll have time to stroll the village, with its flower-decked wooden houses (and the occasional smurf gnome—no accounting for taste, even in Italy), all set beneath the dramatic Baranci peaks. We’ll gather for a welcome drink and a brief introduction from your guide before dinner in the hotel’s cosy stuba. Overnight at the Post Hotel, San Candido / Innichen. Hotel and dinner included.

At 9:00 am we drive 30 minutes into the beautiful Val di Casies for a gentle warm-up hike. The trail meanders through open meadows, traditional farmhouses, forested slopes, and sleepy hamlets—an easy introduction to a timeless Alpine landscape. The walk undulates gently with a gradual climb up the valley, and we stop for lunch at a cosy restaurant with wide views over peaks and pastures. Afterwards, we transfer to Dobbiaco for a short visit to the Visitors Centre and Museum, offering an introduction to Dolomite geology and the area’s World War I history. From here, you can choose a flat 5 km walk back to San Candido with your guides or a quick four-minute train ride. Back in town, there’s time to relax, explore, or unwind in the hotel pool and spa—or head to AcquaFun for a spin on the waterslide—before dinner in the hotel dining room. The Hike: 8.6 km/5.4 mi. 380 m/1215 ft elevation gain and loss. Duration: 3.25 hours moving time.  Overnight: San Candido. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.

Today we take a leisurely bike ride along the bike path from San Candido to Lienz, Austria. The 44 km (26 mile) bike ride is quite easy (it is a gradual 500 meter/1,700 ft descent)  and is recommended for families, even with small children. This unique bike trail cuts through a valley surrounded by breathtaking mountains on either side. The one-way ride takes about 2 ½ – 3 hours, but if you are tired, there are six train stations along the route where you can load yourself and the bike and return to San Candido. So, there is no pressure to complete the ride! Once in Lienz, we’ll park our bikes at the train station and visit the quaint Austrian village of Lienz. Lunch and free time to explore the town and its fascinating castle. If time permits, kids might opt to take an exciting ride on San Candido’s “Funbob,” a summertime version of the bobsled. Dinner in the village in San Candido’s best restaurant. Bike Ride: 44km/26mi on bike paths with a gradual 500 meter/1,700 ft descent. Overnight: San Candido. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included. The Funbob is not included. 

Start the day with a very early van transfer to the rifugio at Auronzo. Our hike takes us around the spectacular massif of the “Tre Cime di Lavaredo.” The "Three Peaks” are among the most dramatic mountains in the Dolomites, thanks to their extraordinary spiky shapes, alignment, and subtle color changes throughout the day. The Cima Grande (Big Peak) is the highest (3,000 m / 9,836 ft), followed by Cima Ovest (Western Peak) and Cima Piccola (Small Peak). Stop for lunch at a rifugio that offers magnificent views of the surrounding landscape, then continue back to the Auronzo rifugio past rock-faces honeycombed with lookouts dating from WWI. If you want to do the optional * Via Ferrata experience, today could be the day. Dinner at the Hotel Post. The Hike: 6.5 mil (11 km) and elev. gain/loss 1,200 ft (382 m)  loop walk. Duration 3 to 3.5 hours Overnight San Candido. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included. Via Ferrata experience not included. 

*The Monte Paterno via ferrata is one of the most evocative and accessible via ferrate in the Dolomites. It sits in the heart of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, combining big scenery with powerful First World War history. The route is moderately challenging and well protected, with fixed cables, ladders, and short exposed sections that feel exciting without being extreme. One of its most memorable features is the passage through WWI tunnels and trenches carved directly into the rock by Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops—cool, narrow, and atmospheric, they add a unique historical dimension to the climb. From the summit of Monte Paterno, the views are outstanding: the sheer north faces of the Tre Cime dominate the skyline. It’s an adventure—physically manageable for fit hikers who are not afraid of heights. It is possible for some people to do the Via Ferrata while the other part of the group do the regular hike with the Customwalks guide.

We leave the Sud Tyrol this morning and enter the Veneto region and its alpine gem, Cortina d’Ampezzo. As we draw closer to the wide valley where the town lies, the surrounding peaks of Monte Cristallo, Monte Pelmo, Croda da Lago, and the Tofanes fill your view. You will see why Cortina is considered to be the most ideally situated town in the Italian Alps. Today’s hike trades mountains and meadows for canyons and waterfalls. On this spectacular new hike, only recently opened, we zigzag upriver through wild rhododendron forests and along a gorgeous, sapphire-blue stream to pause at thunderous waterfalls. The trail takes you behind one of the falls for a unique perspective of looking out through the veil of tumbling water. You have free time this afternoon to explore lovely Cortina, perhaps visit the ethnographic museum detailing the region’s history and traditions, and certainly relax in one of the outdoor cafés. Your hotel for the next three nights is the historic Hotel Menardi, a  family-run 3-star hotel in Cortina d’Ampezzo with roots stretching back to the 19th century. Founded by the present owners, it was once a roadside farmhouse and inn. It has grown into a comfortable alpine retreat that blends authentic local charm with modern comforts, including a very nice spa. Dinner tonight in a stylish restaurant on Cortina’s main pedestrian street. The Hike: 11 km/ 6.8 mi Elevation. gain/loss 400 m/1312ft. Duration 4 hours. This is a partial loop hike. Hard-packed gravel roads and trails. Overnight: Cortina. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.

A ten-minute walk from the hotel, and we are at the base of Monte Faloria. A breathtaking gondola ride whisks us up to 2100m/6,700ft to the top of the mountain, where you will take in the stunning panorama before starting our hike. The trail immediately feels airy and alpine, contouring across open slopes before easing into beautiful larch and spruce forest. As you descend, the path alternates between gentle woodland sections and sunny clearings, always with glimpses back toward the dramatic skyline above Cortina d'Ampezzo. A natural pause comes at Rifugio Rio Gere where we can have cold drink or a yummy pastry. The trail continues downward on soft forest paths toward Rifugio Mietres, a wonderfully welcoming spot perched on a sunny terrace. It’s an ideal place for lunch, with sweeping views over the Ampezzo valley and the surrounding peaks. From here, the final stretch follows quiet trails and tracks, gently downhill, back into Cortina. This evening, you are free to dine wherever you like in Cortina. We have lots of suggestions, from a one-star Michelin restaurant to the local pizzeria. The Hike: 11.8 km/7.3mi, Elevation gain 85m/300ft Elevation loss 960m/3,100ft. Duration 3.5 hours. Overnight: Cortina. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.

We transfer to Passo Falzarego and hike up to Rifugio Averau for a well-earned coffee and strudel, with sweeping views right from the terrace. If conditions allow, we continue up to Rifugio Nuvolau—literally the “refuge in the clouds”—where, on a clear day, the panoramas are nothing short of breathtaking. From here, we descend into the dramatic landscape of the Cinque Torri, their jagged rock spires often dotted with fearless climbers. The area also serves as an open-air museum, with well-preserved World War I trenches and fortifications recalling the fierce fighting between Italian and Austrian troops along this strategic pass. We have lunch at Rifugio Scoiattoli, known for its excellent regional cooking, before a relaxing chairlift ride down and a short van transfer back to Cortina. Dinner at the delicious and cozy Ristorante Al Camin. Overnight: Cortina. Hotel and breakfast included. Dinner not included.

The tour ends this morning with a comfortable two-hour van transfer from Cortina d’Ampezzo to Treviso train station, arriving around 11:00 am. From Treviso, you can easily continue onward in Italy or reach Venice Marco Polo Airport by taxi, train, or bus (about 30 minutes by taxi). Treviso also makes a relaxed base for visiting Venice—easy daytime access to the city, with a quieter, more local atmosphere to return to in the evening. Breakfast and transfer to Treviso included.

Please note: Some itinerary details may change depending on your tour departure date. Whenever we run a tour, we make discoveries. Sometimes they are good discoveries, like a wonderful new trattoria, and sometimes bad, like a trail has been washed away. Therefore, we sometimes change our itinerary to improve it by adding wonderful new elements or removing elements that no longer work. Rest assured, we always aim to provide you with the best possible experience. We will advise you of any changes to the original itinerary before departure.