You arrive in Venice Mestre.
You can choose to stay at the four-star Hotel Plaza where we pick up the group tomorrow. It is conveniently located in front of the Mestre train station and 100 m from the shuttle stop that connects Mestre station with Venice airport. Venice itself is a ten minute train ride from this hotel. Or you can stay wherever you like in Venice and meet us tomorrow morning at the Plaza Mestre Hotel. Let us know your preference. If you want us to book you in for tonight at the Plaza, we will do so and add the cost of the room to your final invoice. Today is not included. 

Pick up and transfer to Cortina. Hike to Faloria Rifugio.
We pick you up at 10:00 am from the Hotel Plaza, in Mestre-Venice. Be dressed for hiking because, after our 2.5-hour private van transfer, followed by lunch at Rio Gere hut, we start our hike up to Rifugio Faloria from the Passo Tre Croci. You will hike along a World War One-era cobbled military road through larch forests. The road ends and becomes a path that gradually climbs out of the trees. You will be rewarded with a massive view of the looming saw-edged peaks of Mount Sorapis. Faloria Rifugio welcomes you at the end of the hike, and you will no doubt enjoy a glass of crisp prosecco or a cold beer on the scenic terrace before zooming down to Cortina in the cable car. Your knees will thank you for avoiding that 3,000 foot descent! Once in Cortina, a five minute walk brings you to your four star hotel located in the heart of the village. Check in, relax and then meet up for an aperitivo followed by dinner in one of our favorite restaurants in the village, The Hike: 7 kms/4.2 mi, 540m/1,725ft elevation again. Duration: 3 hours. Overnight: The four-star Hotel Alaska. Lunch, dinner, and hotel included. 

Falzarego Pass to the Cinque Torri.
(08:30) Private van transfer to Falzarego pass to start a gradual uphill hike towards the imposing walls of Averau mountain. We skirt around the southwest side to take in vast views over Passo Giau. In the distance, the Marmolada glacier clings to the highest peak of the Dolomites. A mid-morning coffee break is enjoyed at Averau Rifugio. 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 back to Cortina where you have time to enjoy the hotel spa before pizza night at "Al Passetto." The Hike: 7.6 km/4.8 mi. Duration: 3.5 hours. Elevation gain 547m/1,750ft. Elevation loss 411m/1,315 ft. Hard-packed gravel and rocky trails with a short steep section where you probably need to steady your hands and feet. Transfer time 30 minutes.Overnight Cortina. Breakfast, dinner, lifts, and transfers are included.

Transfer to Cimbanche. Hike to Fodara.
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.

 Loop hike to Biella.
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.

Hike to Fanes Rifugio. Lunch at Lavarella. 
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. 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. Overnight: Rifugio Fanes. Breakfast, dinner, and hotel/rifugio included.

Fanes Ibex Hike.
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.

Hike to Santa Croce for lunch. End in Badia.
You leave Fanes (your main bag is transported by 4X4) and cross the limestone escarpment. Small wooden walkways and bridges carry you over the streams to the far side of the bowl. The trail then climbs onto an arid hanging valley flanked by rock escarpments and peaks that curve up from the valley. We enjoy splendid isolation as it is rare to encounter other hikers on this trail. We crest and then drop down towards the Rifugio Santa Croce, one of the oldest mountain huts in the valley. Established in 1718, to this day, it serves the pilgrims who hike up to the sanctuary/church of Santa Croce, which stands adjacent. After lunch, we have a short walk to a chair lift, which will take us down to the village of Badia, where our four-star hotel is located. Those who cannot get enough hiking can opt to forego the chairlift and hike to the next village of San Cassiano, adding another couple hours of pleasant, easy hiking, and then transfer to Badia. Tonight, we have a very special dinner at “Maso Runch”, a beautiful family-run farm that clings to the valley's steep sides. Not only do they run a farm, but they also have a fabulous farm-to-fork restaurant where we will be served their traditional dishes. Once again, three generations of the family will look after us tonight. The Hike: 8.3kms/ 4.9 miles Elevation gain 760m/1560 ft. Duration: 4 hours. Hard-packed dirt and rocky trails. The optional afternoon hike: 6kms/ 4 miles. Elevation gain is negligible. Elevation loss 488 m/1560 ft. Hard-packed dirt and rocky trails. Transfer time to Badia: 15 mins. Overnight: 4-star Hotel Badia Hill or similar. Breakfast, dinner, and hotel/rifugio included.

Transfer from Badia to Venice airport
(08:00) Our adventure ends with a private 3 hour van transfer to the Venice Airport. We arrive by 11 am in time for flights departing after 1pm. We can also transfer you to Mestre train station where you can take a water taxi into Venice, or board a train for other destinations in Italy. If you require an earlier transfer, we can arrange that for you but at your expense. Transfer to Venice airport and breakfast included. 

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.