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Easyish Dolomites Culinary Hike Write a review
In 2023, we launched our Luxury Dolomites Culinary Hiking Tour, which was a resounding success. By 2024, we had another fully booked group. Surprisingly, our guests fully embraced the luxury of staying in a 5-star hotel and dining at Michelin-starred restaurants. Due to popular demand, we’re offering the tour again in 2025!
This adventure combines spectacular Alpine hikes (we’ve made them “easier than usual,” but they’re not “easy”) through the breathtaking Dolomites with top-tier culinary experiences. You'll spend three nights at the cozy, unpretentious Hotel Tofana in San Cassiano, followed by three nights at the luxurious 5-star Grand Hotel Savoia in Cortina. Dinners include two Michelin-starred gems: one in Corvara, the other in Cortina. Plus, you’ll have the option to attend a “show cooking” session with rising Michelin starred chef Simone Cantafio at La Stua de Michil.
This tour is a celebration of indulgence—from the jaw-dropping mountain views to the lavish comforts of Hotel Savoia and the unforgettable cuisine.
Included:
Not included:, lunches, spa/wellness treatments, drinks other than water at meals, and discretionary gratuities for the guides. The optional "Show Cooking" experience has a supplement of €100 Euro per person.
Easyish Dolomites Culinary Hike itinerary Request full itinerary
Welcome! Tomorrow, we’ll meet you at the Porta Altinia Suites Hotel in Treviso. Treviso is a charming gem just a stone’s throw from Venice. We like Treviso because it offers an authentic Italian experience. You can stroll alongside the locals during their evening passeggiata along the emerald canals and elegant, arcaded streets. Or, unwind at a café in the sophisticated Piazza dei Signori and embrace the relaxed pace of Italian life. We’re happy to book you in at the Porta Altinia Suites or suggest another option in Treviso for you. Alternatively, you can stay in Venice and travel to Treviso by train, bus, or taxi the next morning. Travel time from Venice Airport to Treviso is around 30 minutes by taxi. Just let us know your preference! Please note: accommodations tonight are not included in the tour price, but we’ll add the hotel cost to your final invoice if we arrange it. Overnight: You will probably want to stay in Venice or Treviso.
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 walk: 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 Scoiatolli. 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 apertivo on the hotel terrace followed by dinner at “Dolomeats” 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.
Meadows, gravel roads, and tarmac. Overnight: San Cassiano. Hotel, breakfast, dinner, lifts and transfers included.
This tour is an Activity Level 3 out of 5 = Moderate
In general: This is a Moderate tour for fit hikers who will find the hikes a satisfying workout, while less-fit hikers will find them challenging but do-able and have a great sense of achievement at the end of the week.
Terrain: Rolling to hilly terrain with some steep ascents and descents.
Actual hiking time: Between 3-5 hours per day, mostly in the morning and afternoon.
Distances: Usually 7 - 12 km (5 - 7 mi) daily. Max distance 11.8km (6 mi).
Surfaces: Trails are a mix of compact earth or dirt tracks, gravel roads, and rocky, uneven wooded trails.
Footing: Good, but you must pay attention to where and how you place your feet. Proper hiking shoes with thick soles and good treads are required. Sports sandals, running shoes, and tennis shoes are not adequate.
Specifics: Note: this is the easiest version of our Dolomites hiking tour, even easier than our Dolomites Lite, but you will still be in an alpine environment with some sustained climbs, just not as long and steep as our classic tour. The elevation gain and loss are less dramatic than in our classic tour, and the terrain is less technical. HOWEVER, you will cross some rock falls, so you need to have good balance and be otherwise steady on your feet. There is one short stretch on Day 6 when we have to “scramble” up and down some short sections. This means you might need to use your hands as well as your feet. Your guides will be there to give you a hand. You will also probably opt to put your bum down on some of the sections going down to avoid overly large and long steps down. It is all very doable.
Hiking Poles: Highly recommended but not required, and if you habitually use hiking pole you will regret it if you don’t have them.
Compared to the Cinque Terre: The Cinque Terre is the perfect example of a 3+ rated tour. Our most common comment about the Cinque Terre Hike and other tours rated 3+ is “More challenging than I expected but I am glad I did it”.
Other: This tour is appropriate for “sporty and fit” first-time hikers who enjoy walking and have good balance. People with hip and knee issues might find this tour challenging because of the terrain and the duration of the hikes.
As a point of reference, what is a 1 out of 5 Activity rating? A 1 out of 5 rated tour is a tour without any hiking. Walks would be in towns, cities, and villages, and the countryside walks would be on paved or gravel/dirt roads and occasionally on some packed earth trails. Elevation gain and loss would be negligible.
As a point of reference, what is a 5 out of 5 Activity rating? A 5 out of 5 rated tour is a tour that would be physically challenging and technically difficult even for very fit and experienced hikers. The hikes would have steep ascents and descents on narrow, exposed trails with challenging footing, such as on scree fields or through rock falls and boulders. Distances would be up to 25 km/16 miles per day and feature ascents of over 1,000 m/3,200 feet daily. A 5 out of 5 tour would also mean you would carry a heavier-than-normal pack. None of our tours are rated 5 out of 5. Our most challenging tours are 4.5 out of 5, and they are: the Dolomites Alta Via (because of some exposed trail that requires some technical expertise) and our Republic of Georgia tour, which has some long hikes with over 1,000 meters of elevation gain.
Getting There: We pick you up from Treviso Porta Altinia Hotel at 1 pm on Day 1. A 2.5 hour private transfer takes you and your luggage to San Candido.
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.
4
Overall, I would say we were satisfied with the trip. We've been on several adventure tours in the past and this trip was not quite as good as we had hoped. The guides were extremely friendly and helpful but we felt the itinerary was too much on a timetable, too rushed. Since we had most of our afternoons free, we would have liked more time on the trails to socialize, meander, and enjoy the fellowship of our group. We often felt rushed to be at a certain place at a certain time. There was not enough time to simply stop and smell the roses ( or in this case, enjoy the views). Additionally, of the two lodging venues, the first was considerably better than the second. The second venue was adequate but certainly not up to the standards of a 4/5 star hotel. It would be our recommendation to finish at the nicer venue - always save the best for last. The restaurant choices were excellent. We had great food at every venue and were able to fully enjoy the regional cuisine. The Michelin Star restaurants were excellent but the highlight was getting to meet the Chef and his team at La Perla in Corvara.
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Overall, I would say we were satisfied with the trip. We've been on several adventure tours in the past and this trip was not quite as good as we had hoped. The guides were extremely friendly and helpful but we felt the itinerary was too much on a timetable, too rushed. Since we had most of our afternoons free, we would have liked more time on the trails to socialize, meander, and enjoy the fellowship of our group. We often felt rushed to be at a certain place at a certain time. There was not enough time to simply stop and smell the roses ( or in this case, enjoy the views).
Additionally, of the two lodging venues, the first was considerably better than the second. The second venue was adequate but certainly not up to the standards of a 4/5 star hotel. It would be our recommendation to finish at the nicer venue - always save the best for last.
The restaurant choices were excellent. We had great food at every venue and were able to fully enjoy the regional cuisine. The Michelin Star restaurants were excellent but the highlight was getting to meet the Chef and his team at La Perla in Corvara.
by Cary G
