TOUR AT A GLANCE -Dolomites Hiking Tour
Duration: 8 Days/7 Nights
Departures 2010: September 4 or private departures.
Departing from: San Candido, 9 a.m. on Sunday Day 2
Trip ends: with a transfer to the Conegliano train station, Day 8
Trip price: €2,000 per person based on double occupancy and minimum 6 people (€2,300 for 4). Single supplement €200.
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All dates are Guaranteed departures. You can create your own date for a small group
The Dolomites mountains of northern Italy offer some of the most spectacular hiking in the world. Jagged limestone peaks rise high above green valleys dotted with wildflowers and blue glacial lakes. The food is rich and hearty, with local Tyrolean specialties like polenta and gnocchi, and the wines are among the best in Italy. Our trip brings you challenging hiking as well as comfort and relaxation in small, family-run hotels. As a special treat for those who are keen for a little adventure, we offer the opportunity (weather permitting) for an optional hike along a stretch of the famous Via Ferrata. Literally translated as “the Iron Way,” the Via Ferrata runs throughout the Dolomites, incorporating a system of iron ladders to assist hikers on steep mountainous terrain. 
The trails were originally built and used by WWI soldiers fighting in this region. Our local alpine guide provides you with the necessary helmets and harnesses to safely negotiate this exhilarating way to access spectacular mountain terrain (optional hike, supplemental fee required).
We spend the first four nights in the village of San Candido, part of the Southern Tyrol. Until 1918, this region was part of the Austrian Tyrol and its people are largely of Germanic descent; many still speak the Latin-based Ladin language. Their local cuisine is a sublime marriage of flavors from Austria and Italy. Our last three nights are spent in Cortina, often considered one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
Day 1 – Saturday: Independent arrival to San Candido/Innichen. Daily rail connections are available from Milan, Venice, Munich and Innsbruck. Since the region is bilingual, the villages and towns in this region have both an Italian and Austrian name. Depending on when you get in, you will have some time to explore the village and admire its beautiful wooden farmhouses. The group will meet tomorrow morning. Overnight Post Hotel in San Candido/Innichen. Hotel included. Dinner not included.
Day 2 – Sunday: Meet your guides and fellow hikers at breakfast. After a brief orientation, we set off directly from the village for our hike, stopping for lunch at a mountain-side rifugio along the way. San Candido-Innichen is situated in the beautiful Upper Pusteria Valley and is surrounded by thick pine forests and crowned by the jagged peaks of the Baranci chain. In the early evening you will have time to admire this charming town’s Romanesque and Baroque churches and visit the ancient thermal baths or simply relax at a café in the village piazza. O/N San Candido. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 3 – Monday:After breakfast we transfer to the trailhead for a scenic and challenging hike to Ponticello. 
Our efforts are rewarded with a constantly changing alpine panorama en route to our lunch spot in an alpine meadow. The wildflower meadows create a colorful counterpart to the stark limestone peaks, offering great photo ops! After lunch we continue towards Ponticello, descending through verdant pine forests and along mountain streams. O/N San Candido. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 4 – Tuesday: We start the day with a short van transfer up 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 spike shape, alignment and subtle color changes that occur throughout the day. The Cima Grande (Big Peak) is the highest (9836′), followed by Cima Ovest (Western Peak) and Cima Piccola (Small Peak). We stop for lunch at a rifugio that offers magnificent views of the surrounding landscape, then continue down through alpine meadows to the valley below. This afternoon, we may have the opportunity for an optional hike along a stretch of the famous Via Ferrata. The Via Ferrata (translated as the “Iron Way”) runs throughout the Dolomites, incorporating a system of iron ladders to assist hikers on steep mountainous terrain (optional hike, supplemental fee required). O/N San Candido. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 5 – Wednesday: We leave the Sud Tyrol region this morning and hike towards the Veneto 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 our view. As we gaze upon this sublime scene, it becomes easy to understand why Cortina is considered to be the most perfectly situated town in the Italian Alps. Those who prefer a shorter day can catch a bus from our lunch stop in Cimabanche and explore Cortina on your own. We spend the next two nights at the locally famous Hotel Menardi, owned by a family that has been in the hotel business for 300 years! Before dinner you might enjoy a whirlpool in the hotel spa. Overnight at the Hotel Menardi in Cortina. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 6 – Thursday: Today starts with an unforgettable cable-car ride from Cortina up the side of Monte Faloria. Then we have a spectacular hike, traversing around the mountain and over a pass before descending to a turquoise alpine lake. Try the delicious local specialty, “canederli,” for lunch before descending into the verdant alpine forest surrounding Cortina. A less vigorous alternative is to explore lovely Cortina and perhaps relax in one of the outdoor cafés. Return to Cortina where you will have free time to explore Cortina village. This evening you are free to dine wherever you like in Cortina. O/N Cortina. Hotel and breakfast included. Dinner not included.
Day 7 – Friday: Depending on the weather we will either go up to the Rifugio Nuvolau, which means “rifugio in the clouds” in local dialect but offers spectacular views if it is clear, or we will hike amongst the “Cinque Torri” (five towers) whose towering spires dwarf all those below. Tonight we’ll enjoy a special farewell dinner at Ristorante El Zoco to celebrate the week’s adventures. O/N Cortina. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 8 – Saturday: We leave at 9:00 by van for a 1-1/2 hour transfer to the train station in Conegliano (about 45-mins from Venice). From here you can make connections for other destinations; or maybe you’d like to extend your trip by a few days to explore the fantastic city of Venice. We can also take you to the Venice airport, estimated arrival around noon. Breakfast included.
The walks in the Dolomites are the most challenging that we offer. The paths are good, but you require good footing and should be used to hiking. 
The actual terrain is no steeper than our Cinque Terre walk, for example, but the distances we hike in a day are a little longer. We often take a chair-lift, cable-car of funicular up or down various stretches, allowing spectacular views and for an easier hike. We have designed the trip so that there is always some free time in the late afternoon so you can relax, read, or explore the towns where we stay. Breakfast is included every day, and dinners reflect the excellent traditional food of the region. Daily distance between 8 and 16 kms.
Useful Links –
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
General Information
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The Qualifications: This trip is rated moderately challenging. There are many steep and rugged sections of trail where some prior hiking experience is beneficial. Generally we hike about 5-6 hours a day, including up to 3,000 feet of elevation gain and loss. The Via Ferrata: Weather permitting, we offer you the opportunity to go with a qualified Alpine guide along the Via Ferrata. This is an optional hike that we make available to all trip participants (for a fee of €45 — about $55), however we reserve the right to exclude any participant if we think he/she is not of sound body, or mind! The Via Ferrata is not for the faint of heart: you wear full climbing harnesses and helmets (equipment is provided) that enables the guide to lead you in safety into difficult mountain terrain where some easy rock climbing is required. Trip Cost Includes: All accommodation (4 nights San Candido/Innichen, 3 nights Cortina in 3-star hotels); 7 breakfasts and 5 dinners; bilingual guide or guides; all van transfers and luggage transfers, including final transfer to the train station. Getting there (this will redirect you to our “Getting to the Trip” page) Booking: e-mail us to receive a booking contract (or use the “Reservation” page). Insurance: We highly recommend the purchase of Trip Insurance. We recommend “Travel Guard” to our American clients, just click on the logo below, while Canadian residents can click here. Australian, New Zealander, and British travelers, please consult your insurance brokers.  We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! |
