Dolomites Alta Via 1 Complete

Experienced hikers 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. There are two particularly long days on this trip; Day 8 & Day 9 where you can expect to be walking between 8-10 hours each day. We can split these days up if you prefer, please see the detailed itinerary for more info. You should be prepared to stay in remote yet charming ’Rifugi’ - these mountain huts give a great sense of camaraderie, with dormitories, and the option at times to have a private room. Great food, good company, and mouth-watering scenery, 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 in Scotland, the world renown Tour Du Mont Blanc and Germany's Moselle Cycle Path, to name but a few!

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

Groups > 10

The minimum age for this tour is: 18 Years

This walk is graded strenuous, due to the days where you have to carry your own pack, although grading is often subjective. It includes daily walks of between 9 and 16.5km with ascents of up to 900m, and 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. It may be possible to split some of the longer days of the itinerary, please see the detailed itinerary for more info. You should have a good level of walking fitness to get the most from this trip and be an experienced mountain walker.

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 San Sebastiano only breakfast is included, but you can buy dinner locally at the refugio. For your remaining hut 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 sometimes book private rooms in the huts on a double occpancy basis only (some with shared facilities 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. However, please note that private rooms in the mountain huts are in demand and extremely limited. If you wish to ask for a private room you need to BOOK EARLY. While we are always happy to request, it may not be possible to reserve private rooms in the mountain huts, and their lack of availability at the time of confirmation is not an accepted reason for cancellation. You must be comfortable with dormitory accommodation before booking your Alta Via 1.

Single Rooms & Solo Hikers

This trip is not available to solo hikers due to the remote terrain. For singles traveling in a larger private group, single rooms are not available in the huts and are only possible on the first and last nights (in hotel accommodation). A supplement for a single room in the hotels is required.

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 hike 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 hike wherever you choose, with the possibility of following the guidebook and/or reviewing the map to make your own route.

***July is busy on the Alta Via and you maybe not be able to book certain dates as the mountain huts are full. If you cannot find the availability for your dates, we can highly recommend one of our other Dolomites tours such as the Alta Via 1 South or one of our tours in the Tyrol.

***Should there be no availability in our first choice of rifugio we will book you into the next most suitable. Some of the walking days therefore become longer or shorter. This is all clearly described on booking and in the app.

This tour is available to start any day of the week from July to mid-September. August is 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.

This tour starts in Cortina (aka Cortina d’Ampezzo) in the province of Belluno.

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

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.

This tour ends in Belluno. 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 more information, please go to: Linee Extraurbane 2024-2025 | Dolomiti Bus

Bag transfer is not included for this tour.  You can store 1 larger bag per person (weight limit is 20kg/44lbs) and have them delivered from Cortina to Belluno so you only need to carry the gear in your pack that you need for hiking. 

If you wish to have your bags moved to the huts, this is available as an option at extra cost and with strict weight limits and size limitations (please inquire with your Sales Specialist about estimated pricing, exact cost is not available until your hut locations are confirmed). However please note that due to some of the huts' remoteness, transferring bags to each overnight location is impossible. If you opt for extra bag transfer, bags cannot be delivered to Rifugio Fanes, Rifugio Sennes/Lavarella, Rifugio Averau/Nuvolau, Rifugio Coldai, Rifugio Vazzoler and Rifugio Fontana. For these days, simply carry a few overnight things in your day pack to see you through until you are reunited with your larger bag. 

If you choose not to opt for baggage transfer, you will need to carry your full pack 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 luggage transfer providers who set a limit on how many bags/suitcases they will transfer between huts 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 (soft-sided duffel style) weighing a max of 10kg (22lbs) per person. There is no space in the rifugios for more baggage. We do not have control over the limits that these providers set. Therefore, it is very important that you read the luggage information specific to your tour before departure. If you do not adhere to these limits, there is a great possibility that you will be charged locally both for extra bags, or if they are too heavy. This limitation can be a challenge, especially as airlines generally have limits that are higher. However, our luggage providers have reasons for these limits (usually due to the Health and Safety of their employees) which we must respect.