Walking in the Heart of the Dolomites

This itinerary is ideal for those who prefer to have just one base for their hiking holiday, or who wish to travel to the Alta Badia during busy periods when minimum night stays at hotels are required (local events, holidays and August) If you are a keen walker who loves the mountains and wants to experience the very best of the Dolomites without compromising on comfort, then this is the tour for you. Stay in a lovely 3* hotel in a picture perfect alpine valley. You should be sure-footed, have a head for heights and not suffer from vertigo to fully enjoy this trip. Surrounded by lush green valleys and dramatic snow capped peaks, what's not to love!

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!

Single Centre Walking | Stay in one location throughout your trip, exploring the region with a mix of loop and point-to-point walks and with time to discover an area, town, or village in-depth.

Solo Travellers

The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years

This itinerary is rated as moderate to strenuous with the average daily distance being 12km. Each day has significant ascent and descent and the paths are a mixture of woodland trails, rocky mountain paths, gravel tracks and scree paths. Some paths are narrow and exposed so a head for heights and a sure foot is required. There are some sections of easy Via Ferrata (metal wires, ladders, foot holds bolted into the rock) to overcome. These don't require any specialist equipment and are similar to an easy scramble. To get the most of this trip, you should be in good physical shape and be an experienced walker, having already done some Alpine walking. You should also be comfortable using cable cars and chair lifts as this itinerary involves a few of these to get to the start/end of walks.

You will spend 7 nights in a comfortable, family run 3* hotel in the village of Corvara. The hotels we use have been hand-picked and all offer a warm welcome to hikers. The accommodation we normally use is indicated in the itinerary, however is subject to availability and therefore alternatives of an equal standard may be offered (hotel facilities may change if only alternative properties are available—should you have any specific requirements, please let us know). 

Single Rooms and Solo Walkers

Single rooms are available should someone in your party want their own room and a single room supplement is payable. This tour is available to solo walkers but you must be an experienced and confident walker, having already done some Alpine hiking. Some paths are narrow and exposed so a head for heights and a sure foot is required. There are some sections of easy Via Ferrata (metal wires, ladders, foot holds bolted into the rock) to overcome. These don't require any specialist equipment and are similar to an easy scramble. The trails we have chosen are well-frequented however you should still be comfortable walking in rough terrain alone. 

Meals

6 Breakfasts are included and are a buffet selection with lots of sweet treats like pastries, homemade jams fruit and cereals. Savoury tastes are also catered for with bread, cheese, ham and eggs available.

6 Dinners are included at the hotel restaurant. We have included evening meals as all hotels have wonderful on-site restaurants which offer great value for money, as well as an insight into the hospitality and cuisine of the Val Badia. Dinner is often a set menu with a few choices and consists of at least 3 courses. You will likely experience at least one traditional 'South Tyrol' or 'Ladin' evening which is a feast of local specialities including Knoedel (bread dumpling) usually served with homemade Sauerkraut and cheese, barley soup, polenta, speck, local cheeses, spinach pastries and sweet treats like apple strudel and cream.  

The route is well waymarked. We also provide you with detailed turn-by-turn route notes and maps. You will also have access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone App enabling you to follow the route using your phone's GPS so you will have no problems finding the way. You can simply download the GPX tracks to your phone for offline use and off you go!

This trip is available to start any day of the week from the beginning of July to mid-September, subject to availability. In July, you can experience Alpine flowers at their finest while in bloom. September often brings pleasant temperatures and a more relaxed atmosphere. Availability in August is very hard to come by as this is the main holiday-making month for the Italians and indeed many other European countries, the hiking trails and the towns will be busy. For a more pleasant experience, we recommend July or September. The season is relatively short due to the high-altitude nature of this tour, which can mean snow is a possibility even in June and in October.

On the 2nd of July 2023, the Maratona dles Dolomites, a world-famous road bike marathon, takes place, which involves road closures, limited public transport and in-demand accommodation. For this reason, we are unable to confirm any bookings starting around the time of the marathon.

Corvara is based in the very north of Italy and so you can access it from a number of neighbouring countries like Germany and Austria as well as from Italian transport hubs. The closest airports are Innsbruck (Austria), Munich (Germany), and Verona and Venice in Italy.

The easiest airport to access Corvara from is Venice Marco Polo Airport as there are direct buses to Cortina that take around 2 hours. Bus services are bookable online, through Atvo (Line 29) or Cortina Express.

From all the above airports, you can take a shuttle bus or train to the main train stations of each city, then take a train to Brunico (also written as Bruneck). The journey takes approx. 3 hours from Innsbruck, 3 hours 40 mins from Verona, 4 hours 40 mins from Munich, or 5 hours from Venice. All routes require a change of trains. Train information can be found on the German, Austrian , or Italian Railway websites.

In Brunico or Cortina, you’ll be met by a taxi transfer and taken to your hotel in Corvara, which takes around 50 minutes. Please inform us of whether you are arriving in Cortina or Brunico and your expected arrival time as soon as possible.

From Corvara, you’ll be collected from your hotel and taken back to Brunico train station or Cortina bus station. The transfer time is approx. 50 mins, so we recommend allowing at least an hour if you are planning on catching a specific train/bus.