Dolomites Alta Via 1 Classic

Experienced walkers will love this classic long-distance trail through the stunning high peaks of the Dolomites. 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. You should be prepared to stay in remote yet charming rifugios, mountain huts that give a great sense of camaraderie, with mixed-sex dormitories. Great food, good company, and scenery of jagged peaks and serene valleys, so….andiamo!

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!

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

Long-Distance Trails, Alpine Walking

The minimum age for this tour is: 18 Years

This walk is graded moderate to strenuous. It includes daily walks of between 7 and 20km with ascents of up to 1700m, and descents of up to 1500m. Not only are the walks challenging but between the huts you will also be required to carry your own pack. 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 fitness to get the most from this trip and be an experienced mountain walker/hiker. 

The landscape along the Alta Via 1 is breathtaking. The hike begins at the idyllic mountain lake, Lago di Braies. Along the way, you’ll traverse an impressive high-mountain landscape, featuring steep, towering rock peaks, dramatic scree slopes, and stunning views. The stages follow a mix of switchback footpaths, country lanes, both narrow and wide tracks and rough mountain paths. On several days, there are a few steep and exposed sections secured with ropes. Hikers should expect uneven but well-maintained terrain. There are no technical challenges, as we bypass any via ferrata's, and we strongly advise against attempting these sections. 

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 6 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).The only rifugio where dinner is not included is the Rifugio San Sebastiano at Passo Duran - dinner can be bought off the menu and paid for locally (you may not be overnighting here). Meals in the mountain huts are always simple, hearty fare.

As this is a self guided walk you will be responsible for navigation, decision making and safety during your trip. The Alta Via 1 is very well signposted with red-white colours and blue triangles with the nr 1 in the centre and yellow signposts. You will regularly find the markings on trees, rocks, fences etc. You will have access to detailed trip info and mapped tracks, via the Macs App.

This tour is available to book any day of the week between July and mid-September. It is a short booking season because of the possibility of early or late snow. 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 and indeed possible in the middle of September. 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. Around August 15th is particularly busy as it is a bank holiday in Italy, so avoid booking around this time if you can.

The Alta Via has gained more and more popularity over recent years, since it is a stunning part of the world. However, the rifugios (mountain huts) have not increased in capacity and are in great demand and fill up extremely quickly. This is why it is imperative that you BOOK EARLY.   

We work with various rifugios that open at different times of the year. Therefore, your confirmation will take longer than usual. (So, it can take months, rather than weeks or days) For example, if you book in the previous summer, you will not receive your confirmation until later in the year (i.e. October, November or December) depending on which huts we are booking for you. Some huts even open in January, so it could be as late as this. However, we will endeavour to keep you well-informed of the situation while you are waiting for confirmation, and please be rest assured that we are doing the best we can.    

If we cannot confirm you on an Alta Via tour there are plenty of other walks that we can recommend Walking in the Heart of the Dolomites and The Dolomites to Lake Garda. 

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. We recommend booking the bus well in advance.

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.

From Belluno you can take a train (changing at Conegliano) to Venice Santa Lucia station (approx. 2h30); see www.trenitalia.com for timetables. From here, take a bus from Venice Mestre to Venice Marco Polo Airport (35 mins). See timetable.

To return to Cortina from Belluno: Dolomiti Bus Lines 9 and 30 run between Belluno and Cortina, if you need to return there to collect any additional luggage (we can request if luggage be left at your first hotel in Cortina—subject to prior agreement). Journey time takes just over 1 hr. For timetables, see www.dolomitibus.it/dolomitibus/jsp/orari

Bag transfer is included from Cortina to Belluno, allowing you to hike only with the equipment you require and you will  be reunited with your main bag at the end of the hike.

As an optional extra, you can choose to have your bags delivered to some of the huts. However, due to some of the huts' remoteness, it is impossible to transfer bags to each overnight location. If you opt for bag transfer, bags cannot be delivered to Rifugio Fanes, Rifugio Sennes/Lavarella, Rifugio Averau/Nuvolau, Rifugio Coldai, Rifugio Vazzoler and Rifugio Fontana. On these days, simply carry a few overnight things in your day pack to see you through. If you choose not to opt for baggage transfer, you will need to carry your kit with you each day. Since you are staying in dormitory-style accommodation, you will need to bring a sleeping bag liner (or you can sometimes buy or hire one locally). Bed linen is provided when booking private rooms.

At Macs Adventure we work in partnership with many luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer per person, and also the weight of the bag/suitcase.

For the optional baggage transfers on the Alta Via the handlers are very strict with weight limits. You are only allowed to take one small bag (duffel style) weighing a max of 10kg (22lbs) per person. There is no space in the rifugios for more baggage.

Regardless if you are opting for the baggage transfers within the holiday one main bag of a max of 20kg will be transferred from Cortina to Belluno.  We do not have control over the limits that these providers set. Therefore, it is very important that you adhere to these limits as there is a great possibility that they will not take any additional or heavier bags. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits we must respect.