Dolomites Comfy Grand Traverse

We’ll pick you up at 10:30 am from the Porta Altinia Suites Hotel in Treviso. Be sure to dress for hiking! After a 2-hour and 15-minute private van ride, we’ll stop for lunch at the cozy Rio Gere hut before starting our hike from Passo Tre Croci. The trail follows a cobbled World War I military road through peaceful larch forests before opening up to reveal breathtaking views of the jagged peaks of Mount Sorapis. Our destination is Rifugio Faloria, where you can unwind with a crisp prosecco or cold beer on the panoramic terrace. After check-in, relax and join us for an aperitivo, followed by dinner with stunning sunset views followed by views onto the twinkling lights of Cortina which lays far below in the valley. The Hike: 7 kms/4.2 mi, 540m/1,725ft elevation again. Duration: 3 hours. Overnight: Faloria Rifugio. Lunch, dinner, and hotel/rifugio included. 

Watch the dawn unfold as the sun’s rays bathe the opposite peaks of Grand Tofanes and gently light up the valley below. The backdrop to this morning’s hike is the jagged rock spires of Monte Cristallo. You gradually drop down through a quiet evergreen forest to verdant fields where brown-eyed cows happily graze. Your guides will lead you to Rifugio Mietres, a classic all-wood chalet whose terrace offers a stunning view over the valley and onto distant towering peaks. We stop here for a delicious lunch before resuming the hike into Cortina, where you will have time to peruse the shops of this chic and historic resort town. You can even buy something because you will be whisked back up to Faloria Rifugio via a spectacular cable car ride.  The Hike: 10.8 kms/6.8 miles or 3.5h, mostly downhill with a total descent of 973 m/3,100 ft. Hard-packed dirt and rocky trails, and some asphalt road back in town. Overnight: Faloria Rifugio. Breakfast, dinner, and hotel/rifugio included.

After breakfast, you hop into our waiting van that takes you to the trailhead. We are dropped at the old frontier that once divided the Hapsburg Empire from the Kindom of Italy. The trail leads us behind abandoned barracks to a stone road built by the Austrians during the First World War. In time, the trail brings us to the vestiges of a WW1 Austrian artillery position. Happily, we wind our way down to a peaceful valley to have lunch at Ra Stua, a historic rifugio and farm. Afterward, you will hike beneath the rampant walls of a rocky escarpment to emerge onto a high plateau. From here, the vast view of a dozen or more peaks, both near and far, is breathtaking.  You will finish your day at Rifugio Fodara Vedla. It is surrounded by lush green meadows, stunted pines, and charming alpine huts still used by local farmers when they bring their animals up for summer grazing. The rifugio's rich history goes back a century to 1923 when Hans Mutschlechner transformed an abandoned WW1 barracks into a “Malga”/summer farmhouse and barn. This rifugio is still run by Han’s descendants. Arthur and Frieda man the bar, their daughter Lorena serves the meal while her husband David is the chef. The grandchildren also help wait at the tables. Dinner is in the lovely wood-paneled dining room. David produces excellent local cuisine from his state-of-the-art kitchen. The Hike: 11.8 kms/7 mi Elevation gain 900 m.2,900ft. Duration: 4.5 hours duration. Overnight: Rifugio Fodara Vedla. Breakfast, dinner, and hotel/rifugio included.

Wake up to the soft jangle of cow bells and the smell of brewing coffee. After a melodious breakfast, we head out for a loop hike to Seekofel Hütte, or Biella rifugio for lunch. Constructed of stone, it blends in harmoniously with the rocky flanks of Croda del Béco, which soars above the rifugio. Locally, the mountain is known as “the Abbess’s butt” for its rounded shape. Hikers with a sense of humor will no doubt be keen to ascend it for bragging rights. The view is stunning from the left cheek. After lunch, we return to the warm embrace of Fodara Vedla. Overnight: Rifugio Fodara Vedla. The Hike:  13.3 kms 525 m up. 4.5 hours duration. Breakfast, dinner, and hotel/rifugio included.

A gentle start this morning as you follow a trail made soft by a mat of pine needles. Then it is downhill to Rifugio Pederu for a mid-morning coffee and strudel break. Now this is civilized hiking!  The strudel will power you up the climb to the Fanes Plateau, a unique karst limestone expanse veined by babbling brooks. We have lunch at Lavarella Rifugio, where we are usually entertained by the antics of local marmots. Then it is a 15-minute hike to Rifugio Fanes, where we spend the night at 6,725 ft/2,050 m. Today’s hike is relatively short, but you have earned a light day after two big hikes in the preceding days. However, you can do an optional 2-3 hour afternoon hike to Passo di Sant'Antonio, for gorgeous views towards Monte Antelau or simply relax on the canvas deck chairs and take in the serenity of this place. This evening, Fanes boasts an ample menu for both food and wine, so we will dine a la carte. Try the “cajinci,” or “Schlutzkrapfen" in German, a local dish that’s a kind of ravioli with ricotta and spinach. Overnight: Rifugio Fanes.  The Hike: 10.5kms/6.5 mi  Terrain: hard-packed dirt with one long, steep descent; Elevation gain 2,300 ft (700 m) and loss 1,475 ft (450 m).Duration: 3.5 hours. Breakfast, dinner, and hotel/rifugio included.

Today we are in search of the rare mountain ibex, a species of wild goat that has only recently come back from the brink of extinction. They have been reintroduced into this part of the Fanes National Park. The males have impressive curved horns which can grow to five feet in length. Our hike takes us into a remote area where a herd of ibex ranges. The hike itself is spectacular as we climb high above the Fanes plateau, and if we see the Ibex, then it is an even more glorious day out. The turnaround point and our lunch spot is a high ridgeline that links together several high peaks and affords a huge view towards the eastern ranges. We enjoy a picnic lunch provided by our friends at Fanes hut and soak up the quiet and solitude. Not surprisingly, as we turn to face west and descend, the views are completely different from our morning hike! After our return to the rifugio, we have an informal tasting of some of the many excellent regional wines of Alto Adige and the Sud Tyrol. We purposely avoid the usual suspects, so you can try some Teroldego, Lagrein, and Blaugburgunder. Another delicious dinner in the stubbe. The Hike: 11.6 kms/7mi, Elevation gain and loss, 760m/2,400ft. Duration 4.5 hours. Overnight: Rifugio Fanes. Breakfast, picnic lunch, dinner, and hotel/rifugio included.

Leaving Fanes behind, you will traverse wooden walkways and bridges to cross the braided streams that flow across a karst plateau. The trail begins to climb into an arid, hanging valley, flanked by impressive rock walls and peaks. This remote path offers splendid isolation, with few other hikers in sight. We descend toward Rifugio Santa Croce, one of the oldest mountain huts in the region, established in 1718 to serve pilgrims visiting the nearby Santa Croce sanctuary. After a rewarding hike and a delicious lunch, you have a short walk to a chair lift that carries you down to the village of Badia, where our van transfer awaits. As we head toward the charming town of Conegliano for our final night, the majestic peaks of the Dolomites slowly fade into the distance. We check into the Hotel Canon d’Oro in the center of Conegliano. You will have some time before dinner to discover Conegliano, a town brimming with history, art, and natural beauty. Our final dinner is in a historic trattoria in the old town. The hike:8.3kms/ 4.9 miles Elevation gain 760m/1560 ft. Duration: 4 hours. Hard-packed dirt and rocky trails. Transfer time to Conegliano: 2.5 hours. Overnight: 4-star Hotel Canon D’Oro or similar. Breakfast, dinner, and hotel/rifugio included.

Our adventure ends in Conegliano. You can continue your journey within Italy from Conegliano train station, or take a taxi, train, or bus to get to nearby Venice International Airport. Travel time by taxi is 40 minutes. Or you can travel to Venice, which is also connected by taxi, train, and bus. Indeed, Conegliano is a good base from which to visit Venice. It is easy to explore Venice by day and retire to Conegliano’s low key, untouristy vibe for the evening. Breakfast included. 

Please note:

Some details of the itinerary may change according to the departure date of your tour. Whenever we run a tour we make new discoveries. Sometimes they are good discoveries, like a wonderful new trattoria, and sometimes they are bad, like a trail has been washed away. The result is that we sometimes change our itinerary to improve it by adding new wonderful elements to the tour or by removing something that does not work anymore. Rest assured, our goal is to always provide you with the best possible experience. We will advise you of any changes to the original itinerary prior to departure.