Dolomites Alta Via 1 Complete (Extended)

Dolomites Alta Via 1 Complete (extended)

14 Days & 13 Nights 5 Read 5 reviews

Walk high amongst the classic picture-postcard spires of the Dolomites
Savour sumptuous Italian food—flavourful pastas and firey grappas
Enjoy café-side people-watching in Cortina on your mid-trek rest day
The sense of achievement in completing one of Europe’s classic long distance trails
Capture glowing sunsets and mist-piercing peaks on camera

A well-paced two-week tour along the iconic Italian ‘High Route 1’ through the best of the Dolomiti mountains, with a mid-walk rest day to recharge and explore the region’s ‘hiking capital’ - Cortina. Start your journey in fashionable Cortina, located in a natural amphitheatre of mountains, including Tofane (3244m), Croda Rossa (3156m), Cristallo (3221m) and Sorapis (3205m), walk from hut-to-hut absorbing the spectacular mountain peaks, pine forests and lush pastures of the High Dolomites. Finish in the small town of Belluno; with its shops and cafés it is an ideal end to your trek.

What To Expect

Travel restrictions and resources, to and from any destination

This version of the full Alta Via 1 is extended, which means that although the hiking is still strenuous, it is broken up into shorter sections on some of the days. There is also a mid-trek rest day in the lovely town of Cortina, allowing you to catch your breath. Please note, if you’re travelling on the 'Alta Via Complete' or 'Alta Via South' tours in 2024 then there will be a slight change to the itinerary. The walking route itself is unchanged, so don't worry, you won't miss out on any of the Alta Via experience. We will be using different mountain huts on a few of the days, which means the daily distances walked will be slightly different, and actually more evenly paced than they were previously. Here are the details: Alta Via Complete (11 day tour): Day 6 we will normally use Rifugio Passo Staulanza as our first choice (depending on their availability), which means the walk will be 18 kms / 11 mi this day (previously it was 15 kms / 9 mi). Day 7 we will normally use Rifugio Vazzoler as our first choice (depending on their availability), which means the walk will be 17 kms / 11 mi this day (previously it was 10 kms / 6.5 mi). Day 8 we will still be using Rifugio Passo Duran (subject to availability), which means the walk will be 11 kms / 7 mi this day (previously it was 18 kms / 11 mi). Alta Via South: Day 3 we will normally use Rifugio Passo Staulanza as our first choice (depending on their availability), which means the walk will be 18 kms / 11 mi this day (previously it was 15 kms / 9 mi). Day 4 we will normally use Rifugio Vazzoler as our first choice (depending on their availability), which means the walk will be 17 kms / 11 mi this day (previously it was 18 kms / 11 mi). Day 5 we will still be using Rifugio Passo Duran (subject to availability), which means the walk will still be 11 kms / 7 mi this day.

Tour 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

Activity Level & Terrain

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.

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.

Accommodations

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). 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 4 nights in a comfortable 3* hotels (en suite room), and for 9 nights in mountain huts (mixed-sex dormitory accommodation
13 Breakfasts
8 Dinners (in the mountain huts/Rifugios but not at Rifugio San Sebastiano)
Route descriptions, guide book, Tabacco maps and a pre departure information pack
24-hour assistance by phone
Baggage Transfer from Cortina to Belluno

Excluded

Getting to Cortina and from Belluno
Travel Insurance
Lunches, dinners in Cortina and Belluno, 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

Additional nights during the trip
Private room supplement for the rifugios (subject to availability, rooms with either shared or en suite facilities).
Baggage transfers

When To Go

***July is an incredibly busy month on the Alta Via and therefore we have had to block out certain dates as a handful of the essential huts (Refugio Lavarella, Refugio Fanes and Refugio Lagazuoi) are already 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 Tyrol instead.***

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.

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 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 interational 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 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

Luggage Transfer

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. 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. Ninety-nine percent of the time they will only transfer one bag per person, but the allowed weight ranges from anything between 15 and 20kg per bag, depending on the tour you are taking. 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.

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