Meet the trip leader at 1pm at Venice Airport for a convenient private transfer into the mountains. A 2.5-hour transfer takes you to our first night’s hotel in San Candido-Innichen, Italy. You will have some time to explore the village and admire its beautiful wooden farmhouses adorned with geraniums and the odd smurf gnome! There is no accounting for taste, even in Italy. \Joking aside, it is a gorgeous alpine village with the stunning Baranci chain of mountains providing a dramatic backdrop. We will get together for a drink and an intro talk from the guides before dinner in the cozy "stuba" dining room. Overnight Post Hotel or Sporthotel Tyrol (or similar) in San Candido/Innichen. Hotel and dinner included.

 At 08:30 we have a 15-minute van transfer to the start of the hike into the beautiful secluded valley of Campo di Dentro. After 90 minutes we have a rest stop at the Tre Scarpieri rifugio, before continuing a climb up to towards the towering peaks of the Baranci chain. YOu have the option of climbing little Baranci for spectacular views across to the Tre Cime which punctuate the horizon with their three spires of rock. We then have a gradual downhill that eventually brings us to rifugio Baranci where we have lunch. Afterwards, you have the choice of hiking down to the village, taking a chair lift down, or the “Fun Bob” which descends a special concrete track like a summertime Bobsled, but much slower but still good fun. You’ll have time to explore the quaint village or enjoy the hotel spa before meeting for dinner in the hotel dining room. The Hike: 13 kms/8 mi, with optional 3.2 kms/2 mil extension. Total elevation gain 830 m/2,656 ft, Total elevation loss 895 m/ 2,864 ft, Total duration 4 hours, 5 hours with optional extension. Overnight: San Candido. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.

Today we transfer up to the high alpine meadow of Pratopiazza, which lies at 2,000 m (6,500 ft.). It’s surrounded by the Croda Rossa, Tofana, and Monte Cristallo Mountain ranges, and in June it is covered in a carpet of delicate wildflowers. A short ascent takes you to the Rifugio Vallandro, where you can enjoy a mid-morning cappuccino and strudel break. Then check out an Austrian fort from the First World War that affords commanding views over the former Imperial border between Hapsburg Austria and Italy. Loop back to the Rifugio Croda Rosa then descend through an open larch wood, along a sparkling mountain stream to the historic Hotel Bruckele, where we have lunch. Shuttle bank to the hotel where you can rest up in the hotel spa. The Hike: This day has different options, the easiest is 6 mi (10 kms) with 160 ft (50m) elev. gain and 1,760 ft (550m) elev. Duration 3 to 3.5 hours. The long option adds 2.5 mi (4 km), 480ft (150 m) elev. gain and 500 ft (160 m) elev. loss and duration 1.5 hours.  Overnight: San Candido. Hotel, breakfast and dinner 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 some of the most dramatic mountains in the Dolomites due to their extraordinary spiked shape, alignment, and subtle color changes that occur 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 look-outs dating from WWI. 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.

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 saphire 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 water 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. 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.

We transfer to Passo Falzarego and hike up to rifugio Averau for a coffee break. Depending on the weather we will either go up to the Rifugio Nuvolau – which means “rifugio in the clouds” in local dialect. As the name suggests, it offers spectacular views if the weather is clear. We then descent to hike amongst the “Cinque Torri” (five towers), whose jagged spires are often full of intrepid rock-climbers. This is also an open-air museum which displays the WWI positions and fortifications which the Italians occupied during their two-year struggle against the Austrians who were perched opposite them above the strategic Falzarego pass on the Lagazuoi ridge line. Lunch can be had at rifugio Scoiatolli which serves up superb regional cuisine. We take a chair lift back down in the afternoon and are transferred by van back to Cortina. 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. Tonight is a “free night” so you can dine anywhere you like. Your guides have lots of suggestions, and you may want to have a very special culinary experience and dine at one of Cortina’s two Michelin starred restaurants. The Hike: Distance 8.5 kms/5.3 mi Elevations gain 598 m/1,918 ft. Elevation loss 432 m/1,382 ft.  Duration 3.5 hours. Overnight: Cortina. Hotel and breakfast included. Dinner not included.

 A breathtaking gondola ride whisks us up to 2100m to Mount Faloria. Take in the stunning panorama before stating our hike which descends into the valley through beautiful larch forests. We eventually reach verdant fields where brown eyed cows happly graze their pastures. We stop for lunch at Rifugio Mietres, a classic all wood chalet with a stunning view over the valley and superb food. Afterwards, we continue our walk descending by foot into Cortina. The Hike: 10.9 kms/6.8 miles or 3.5 h mostly downhill with a total descent of 2,700feet. Hard packed dirt and rocky trails and some asphalt back in town. A final delicious dinner together to celebrate the week’s adventures. Overnight: Cortina. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.

We leave at 8:45 by van for a 2-hour transfer to the Venice airport. From there you can take a bus or water taxi into town or to the train station for onward travel. If you're flying out of Venice, don't book anything leaving before 1 or 2 p.m. to be sure. Earlier transfers can be arranged, at your expense. Breakfast and one group transfer 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.  

The hikes in the Dolomites are spectacular. This itinerary allows you to enjoy the magnificence of the mountain terrain in a more relaxed manner than our more rigorous itinerary. The use of chair-lifts and funiculars allows us to avoid the worst of the uphills and downhills; still, we are definitely in the mountains and often in rugged terrain. The paths are good but require good footing. We will be walking between 2.5 and 4 hours a day, which means between 10 - 14 kms (6 - 8.5 mi.).

Visit the Dolomites: great site about the area, see especially the section on culture, traditions, food, etc.
Val Pusteria: general site with weather forecast, photos, etc.
The Via Ferrata: very informative Wikipedia site on these unique trails
World War I in the Dolomites: a short history of some of the battle sites we encounter during our hikes
Cortina d’Ampezzo: very interesting site relating the history of Cortina and the area, going back to Neolithic times and stone-age human remains!
Speak Ladin? a short introduction to this ancient language, a remnant of the Roman occupation of 2,000 years ago