Dolomites Culinary Hike

We’ll meet you at 13:30 at the Porta Altinia Suites Hotel in Treviso, ready for your Dolomites adventure! A three hour transfer takes us to the picturesque mountain village of San Cassiano in Alta Badia. Nestled at the foot of the Dolomite peaks of Lavarella and Conturines, San Cassiano is one of the highest villages in the Dolomites at 1,537 meters above sea level. Its small historic center is still the vibrant hub of the village, with its cafés, gellateria, and small shops. We check into our four-star hotel and then set out for an easy 90 minute hike to stretch your legs before an aperitivo and then dinner at Mumant, an elegant restaurant featuring delicious dishes that are revisited versions of traditional Ladin recipes. The hike: 4 km/2.5 mi Duration: about 1h 30mins. Surface. Paved walkways and hard-packed dirt trails. Very Easy. Overnight San Cassiano. Hotel, aperitivo, and dinner included. Transfer time from Treviso is 3 hours.

09:30 we meet for a short transfer to the trailhead for a scenic hike through meadows and forests along "The Path of the Larches." Starting from Rifugio Santa Croce, one of the oldest mountain huts in the valley, established in 1718 for pilgrims visiting the nearby Santa Croce sanctuary, we’ll descend beneath the towering cliffs of Kruzkofte before entering the serene larch forest. Along the way, you'll pass ancient wooden farmhouses with slate stone roofs before returning to San Cassiano for a light lunch. This afternoon, you may* do the unforgettable show cooking demonstration/cooking lesson with one-star Michelin Chef Simone of La Stua de Michil. This is ostensibly about cooking, but it is also a unique opportunity to spend time with the affable, generous, and brilliant chef Simone and to get an insight into what it takes to become a Michelin-starred chef. Otherwise, you can explore the village which has both an excellent pastry shop and gelateria in the piazza. Tonight's dinner is in the local pizzeria. We recommend the speck and finferli mushroom pizza. Delicious! The hike: 7.8 km/4.9 mi. Duration 2.5 hours, Elevation gain is negligible. Elevation loss is 488 m/1560 ft. Hard-packed dirt and rocky trails. Overnight: San Cassiano. Hotel, breakfast, dinner, lifts and transfers included. * The Show Cooking Demonstration is optional and has a supplement of €100 Euro per person.

Today, you'll explore the charming Ladin farmsteads that dot the scenic Alta Badia countryside. You will hike past remote hamlets, farmhouses, and wooden barns, all seemingly locked in time several centuries ago. Our trail leads to the picturesque Church of Santa Barbara. The church was built by local miners to honor their patron saint and its steeple has served as a beacon to the faithful since 1491. We settle into the Agriturismo Ciablun for a delicious lunch of homemade Ladin culinary specialties. This is km zero eating as the cheese and charcuterie are produced on the farm. After lunch, we’ll complete the loop and return to our pickup point for a transfer back to San Cassiano. Dinner this evening is a very special culinary event as we dine at the 1-star Michelin restaurant La Stua de Michil in the neighboring village of Corvara. Chef Simone Cantafio previously was the head chef and manager at the Bras family’s two Michelin-starred Toya restaurant on the island of Hokkaido. He has had one Michelin star in Corvara for three years, and we predict another one will soon arrive. The hike: 8.1 kms/5 miles or 3h, elev. gain/loss 432 m/ 1500 ft. Meadows, gravel roads and tarmac. Transfer: 20 mins. Overnight: San Cassiano. Hotel, breakfast, dinner, lifts and transfers included.

(08:30) We transfer you to Col Gallina, near the historic Falzarego pass to start a gradual uphill hike towards Averau mountain. Keen hikers will want to climb up to Rifugio Nuvolau – “rifugio in the clouds” before continuing to the “Cinque Torri” (five towers), whose jagged spires are a mecca for intrepid rock climbers. The trail takes you through an open-air museum of WWI trenches, bunkers, and huts that made up the Italian positions that faced the Austrians who were perched above them at Lagazuoi. Our lunch destination is Rifugio Scoiattoli. After lunch, save your knees, relax, digest, and take the chairlift into the valley. We transfer you to Cortina, and check into the historic 5-star Grand Hotel Savoia. We treat you to an aperitivo on the hotel terrace followed by dinner at “Dolom'eats” in the village. The Hike: 6.4 km/4.2 mi. Duration: 3 hours. Elevation gain 410m/1312ft. Elevation loss 265m/850 ft. Hard-packed gravel and rock trails. Transfer time 30 minutes. Overnight Cortina. Breakfast, dinner, lifts, and transfers are included.

(08:00) A transfer takes us up to over 2,000 meters to Auronzo Rifugio for the start of our hike around the soaring spires of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, an icon of the Southern Tyrol. The vertical rock face changes temperament with passing clouds and sunbreaks. The highest peak (Cima Grande) rises to 9,836 ft. (2,998 m). We hike right around the peaks, stopping for a simple lunch at a very small mountain hut before completing the loop around the peaks. Return to Cortina around 15:45 in time to explore the village and its galleries and shops. Tonight, we take you to dine at Al Camin, a cozy wood-paneled restaurant featuring excellent regional cuisine with flair. The Hike: 7.3 kms 4.5 mil or 3 to 3.5 hours and elev. gain/loss 224m/ 715 ft   loop walk. Hard packed gravel roads and trails. Overnight Cortina. Hotel, breakfast, dinner and transfers included.  

A breathtaking gondola ride whisks you up to 2100m to Mount Faloria. Take in the stunning panorama before the hike, which descends into the valley through a beautiful larch forest. You eventually reach verdant fields where brown-eyed cows happily graze their pastures. We stop for lunch at Rifugio Mietres, a classic all-wood chalet with a stunning view over the valley. Afterward, you continue the hike descending by foot into Cortina, where you will have time to enjoy a cool glass of something at a sunny cafe or indulge in the hotel spa.  This evening is our second Michelin-star dining experience, this time at “San Brite”, an elegant restaurant of restrained sophistication. Chef-owner Riccardo Gaspari uses produce from his own farm/Malga, which we hiked past today. The emphasis here is on healthy, delicious, local cuisine. A truly impressive cantina of Italian and French wines ensures an exquisite dining experience and a fitting end to our week of indulgence. The Hike: 10.8 km/6.8 miles or 3.5h, mostly downhill with a total descent of 973 m/3,100 ft. Hard-packed dirt, rocky trails, and some asphalt in town. Overnight Cortina. Breakfast, dinner, and lifts are included. 

The tour ends this morning with a two-hour van transfer from Cortina to Treviso station. We will arrive around 11 a.m. You can continue your journey within Italy from Treviso train station, or take a taxi, train, or bus to get to nearby Venice International Airport. Travel time by taxi is 30 minutes. Or you can travel to Venice, which is also connected by taxi, train, and bus. Indeed, Treviso is a good base from which to visit Venice. It is easy to explore Venice by day and retire to Treviso’s low key, untouristy vibe for the evening. 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 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 by removing something that does not work anymore. 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.

Getting There: We pick you up from Treviso Porta Altinia Hotel at 12 pm on Day 1. A 3 hour private transfer takes you and your luggage to San Cassiano. 

Air: The most convenient airport to the trip is Venice. Other airports in Northern Italy include Verona or Milan (Linate or Malpensa). For a complete list of Itlian airports and a selection of low-cost airlines, see our "Transport Info" page.

Rail: Venice is well connected by highspeed rail lines to all principal cities in Italy. See the Trenitalia website (in English) at this link. For alternative high-speed rail travel, see the Italo website. For complete information on using the Italian train system, see our blog post. See the Austrian rail system website here if you are coming in from Innsbruck.

Getting Away at the End of the Trip: the trip ends with a private van transfer to the Treviso train station, arriving around 11:00 a.m. From there you can get a bus or train into Venice or to the train station. See our "Transport Info" page for more information on transportation alternatives to the Venice airport.

If you book a trip with us you will receive detailed information about how to get to the start of your trip.