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Dolomites Alta Via 1 Highlights

5 Days & 4 Nights 5 Read 5 reviews
  • Pack-in three fantastic days of walking on the classic Alta Via 1
  • Enjoy spectacular views over peaks and valleys
  • Relax with a caffè latte in the hiking capital of Cortina
  • Watch the evening sun turn the peaks pink from your mountain hut
  • Indulge in tasty Italian mountain cuisine like polenta, cheese and apple strudel
Escape on a short break to the High Dolomites, enjoy three fantastic days on the iconic Alta Via 1, whilst being surrounded by the very best alpine scenery that the region has to offer. Combine a stay in chic Cortina with nights in authentic mountain Refugios. Explore the Fannes-Sennes national park, with its network of well way-marked trails beneath the jagged spires of the Croda da Lago. Admire the Tofana range, the scene of fierce fighting in WWI, as you walk through flower-filled pastures, shady forests, up switchback tracks and across boulder fields on your way between Rifugios where you will be greeted with a warm Italian welcome..

What To Expect

If you’re short on time but want to explore the high trails of the Dolomites on foot, this is a great tour for you. You’ll manage a good three days of walking at 1500-2500m, staying a couple of nights in traditional ‘rifugi’, topped-and-tailed with a stay in a lovely 3* hotel in bustling Cortina. You should be sure-footed and have a head for heights to really get the most from this trip. It is not suitable for people suffering from vertigo.

Trip Type:

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Activity:

Hut to Hut Walking | Walk from hut to hut, changing accommodation each night

This trip is suitable for:

Groups > 10

Ideal if you have an interest in:

  • Long-Distance Trails
  • Alpine Walking

Grade & Terrain

This walk is graded moderate to strenuous and includes daily walks of between 9 and 16.5km with ascents of up to 900m, descents of up to 1300m. You’ll be following switchback footpaths, country lanes, both narrow and wide tracks and rough mountain paths. You should be prepared for rocky and loose ground and unavoidable narrow paths across scree slopes. We have deliberately avoided routes involving via ferrata. Some of the ascents and descents are considerably steep and some can be exposed so require a good head for heights and sure-footedness in places. You should have a good level of walking fitness to get the most from this trip, and be an experienced mountain walker.

Navigation

As this is a self guided walk you will be responsible for navigation, decision making and safety during your trip. This walk is strenuous, crosses high mountain passes and the weather can change quickly. You should be able to navigate easily with a map and compass in poor visibility and be experienced in the mountains.We supply you with route notes for the recommended routes, as well as a comprehensive guidebook and Tabacco printed maps (1:25 000) and access to our smartphone navigation app along with GPX tracks, so you will have no problem following the route each day. You are of course free to walk wherever you choose, with the possibility of following the guidebook and/or reviewing the map to make your own route.

Accommodation Information

Accommodation Information

We specifically select your rifugi to give you a taste of warm Italian hospitality and so that you are able to join in the camaraderie with your fellow walkers. For the first and last nights of your tour, you will stay in a friendly 3* hotel on a breakfast basis. In Refugio Fanes only breakfast is included, but you can buy dinner locally at the refugio. For your remaining 4 nights you will stay on a half board basis in mountain huts - ‘rifugi’. They offer comfortable accommodation and good local food and drink. Some of the rifugi are more basic than others; they are a mixture of CAI (Italian Alpine Club) and privately-run properties.

Hut accommodation is booked in mixed-sex dormitories made up of alpine-style communal sleeping areas or in bunk beds. We can often book private rooms in the huts (some with shared and some with en suite) and where this type of room is available this is noted against each accommodation; this 'room upgrade' is at an optional supplement. Private rooms are popular and therefore always subject to availability. Please note that private rooms in the mountain huts are extremely limited. If you wish to ask for a private room you need to BOOK EARLY. While we are always happy to ask, it may not be possible to reserve private rooms in the mountain huts.

Single Rooms & Solo Walkers

This trip is not available to solo walkers due to the remote terrain and single rooms are not available except on the first and last nights (in hotel accommodation). A supplement is payable.

Meals

Breakfast is included each morning. Dinner is not included in Cortina or Belluno as there are plenty of restaurants to choose from. Whilst staying in the rifugi dinner is included (excluding drinks). Dinner is not included at Rifugio Fanes where dinner can be bought locally from an a la carte menu. Meals in the mountain huts are always simple, hearty fare.

Included
  • Accommodation for 2 nights in a comfortable 3* hotel (en suite room), and for 2 nights in mountain huts (mixed-sex dormitory accommodation)
  • 4 Breakfasts
  • 2 Dinners (in the mountain huts/Rifugios)
  • Route descriptions, guide book, Tabacco maps and a pre-departure information pack
  • 24-hour assistance by phone
Excluded
  • Gettting to and from Cortina
  • Travel Insurance
  • Lunches, dinners in Cortina, drinks & snacks
  • Public transportation, including buses, trains and cable cars
  • Personal expenses such as drinks, phone calls, extra transfers, tips, etc
  • Any items not specifically mentioned in the program
Extras

When To Go

***July is an incredibly busy month on the Alta Via and therefore we may block out certain dates should some of the essential huts (Refugio Lavarella, Refugio Fanes and Refugio Lagazuoi) be fully booked. If the dates available do not suit you but you would like to travel to the Dolomites in July we would recommend considering one of our other Dolomites trips such as the Alta Via 1 South or one of our trips in the Tyrol instead.

***Should there be no availability in Rifugio Lagazuoi we will need to book Rifugio Col Gallina or Rifugio Scotoni, both will require extra walking to be reached.

This tour is available to start any day of the week from July to September. Upgrades to private rooms will be shown as an option during the booking process. Option & extension prices will be displayed as part of the booking process. Please note that private rooms in the mountain huts are extremely limited. If you wish to ask for a private room you need to BOOK EARLY. While we are always happy to ask, it may not be possible to reserve private rooms in the mountain huts. The best time to walk is July to mid-September, with August the most popular month (with the locals too!) and so busier in the huts. It is not unheard of for snow to fall on higher ground during the summer, and patches of snow may still be present into July. For this reason, we offer the walk starting from the beginning of July. July and August are the hottest months and carry the greatest risk of thunderstorms, which can be torrential and usually occur in the afternoon—being well-prepared and equipped for all these eventualities is essential.

Getting to the Start

By Air: Venice Marco Polo Airport is the most convenient airport, with various international airlines operating here. The smaller Venice Treviso Airport is serviced by low-cost carrier Ryanair (London Stansted, Bristol, East Midlands, Leeds Bradford).

Private Transfers: We are able to arrange taxi transfers for you in Italy (bookable in advance at a supplement) from Venice Airports. Please get in touch to enquire about how we can help with transfer arrangements in Italy.

From Venice Marco Polo airport (or Venice Mestre bus station): it is possible to take the Cortina Express to Cortina (approx. 2h20); departures are twice daily, usually in the afternoon, so please ensure you check their website for timetables.

From Venice Treviso Airport: From the airport take a bus (approx.12 mins) to Treviso, then from Treviso Sud there is an ATVO bus once a day to Cortina (approx. 2 hrs). Or you can take a bus from Treviso town to Venice Mestre or Marco Polo Airport for onward connections with the Cortina Express (see above). Check the timetable on the ATVO website.

Getting from the End

From Cortina, use any of the methods mentioned above to return to Venice.

What personal equipment do I need?
How far in advance do I need to book?
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Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Cortina Day 2 Bus to Lago di Braies. Walk to Rifugio Sennes 6 miles / 10 km Day 3 Walk to Rifugio Fanes 6 miles / 10 km Day 4 Walk to Lagazuoi. Travel to Cortina 7.5 miles / 12 km Day 5 Onward Travel

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