Easy Hiking the Dolomites, Italy

The Trip

"Wow! The trip was more than I expected. Wonderful people and a great educational experience." - Former participant

Imagine yourself hiking with only your day pack through the dramatic beauty and grandeur of the Dolomites. These grand mountains are famous for their brilliant white color, vertical vistas, green valleys, and lush alpine meadows. During our 14 days together we’ll experience this abundant beauty.

The Dolomites are also famous for their contrasts: the geologic composition of the mountains includes both dolomitic and volcanic formations, and the cultural heritage of the area includes Italian and Tyrolean influences due to a boundary relocation at the end of World War I. In fact, each village or town has an Italian, German, and Ladin name. There are pockets in this area where the local language is Ladin, which originated from an ancient culture underlying the whole region. 

"I came away with an understanding of all aspects of the area; geological, cultural, environmental, and historical." - Former participant

Day 1: The group will meet at our hotel in Cortina at 6 p.m. After introductions, a trip summary, and a nice dinner, you are free to walk around this charming town before turning in for the night. You may want to arrive a day or two before the trip if you would like additional time to explore surrounding areas that we won’t be visiting on this trip. It’s also a good idea to resolve any jet lag issues before starting our scheduled outing.

Day 2: Today we will visit the Museum of Paleontology in Cortina to enjoy their collection and better understand the geology and formation of the Dolomites. After lunch in town, we will take a bus or taxi to a trail where we will go on a four mile hike to the beautiful Fanes Waterfall, which features excellent interpretative signs about the local plants and flowers.

Day 3: Our destination today is the famous hiking area called Tre Cime (The Three Peaks) which will be our most challenging hike of the trip (6.6 miles, with 1,600 feet of elevation gain and an equal amount of elevation loss). We’ll hike around these extraordinary rock spires, stopping for lunch at a small rifugio with a panoramic view of these iconic peaks, and then catch the public bus back to Cortina and our hotel. 

Day 4: We will leave Cortina and travel to the dramatic Cinque Torri (Five Towers). We’ll take a ski lift to get a close look at these amazing spires. Then, we’ll have some free time to explore an excellent open air museum, with a network of trenches and positions from the First World War. After taking the ski lift down we’ll hike to Passo Falzarego. About two miles and 800 feet elevation gain. From the pass we’ll take a cable car to the rifugio at Lagazuoi, perched high on a craggy mountain, offering unparalleled views of the whole Dolomite region.

Day 5: This morning we will wake up in the crisp mountain air at 9,000 feet and enjoy a great sunrise over the Dolomites. After breakfast, we’ll do a loop hike from our refugio. There is a huge sun deck at the refugio with amazing views of the Dolomites in every direction for your afternoon enjoyment, perhaps with a cappuccino in hand.

Day 6: Today we move to Corvara in the Ladin Val Badia by taxi. The Ladin culture dates from the 13th century and has a compelling history. In this area we will note signs in Ladin, Italian, and German. We will be dropped off at a trail where we hike along a beautiful stream to the town of Corvara and check into our hotel. That evening our host will give us an introduction to the hotel and area. Afterward we will have dinner in the hotel restaurant, which includes a notable salad bar and dessert bar.

Day 7: We will take a local bus to the town of Badia and enjoy a hike in the Parco Naturale Fanes, which usually offers a spectacular wildflower display in late June and excellent views of the Santa Croce cliffs. A woman deeply invested in the community and a member of the family that owns our hotel will most likely be the guide for our hike.  The hike is just under six miles with 600 feet of elevation gain and 1,500 feet of elevation loss.

Day 8: We’ll take a ski lift straight from our hotel and then hike across a long, broad plateau to the rifugio of Pralongia. There we will eat lunch and enjoy meadow vistas before returning to Corvara and dinner at our hotel. The round-trip hike is about five miles and the total elevation gain is about 1,000 feet.

Day 9: We will take a taxi to San Martin de Tur to visit the Ladin Museum, using an informative audio guide in English to enhance our experience.  Lunch will be in the museum café. In the afternoon people can enjoy the spa at the hotel or go on an optional short hike to Rifugio Franz Kostner.

Day 10: Our move to Selva, in the Val Gardena, will be accomplished with some hiking and the use of lifts. Before going to the hotel we’ll hike in the charming valley of Vallunga. About five miles round trip and 800 feet of elevation gain. After the hike we settle into our centrally located hotel. There will be time to explore this small town, perhaps enjoying a gelato, before dinner at our hotel.

Days 11-12: While we are in the Val Gardena area, we will have the opportunity for two hikes in the area; one in the Sassolungo, the other in a hanging valley, which we will access by a lift. On both nights we will return to our comfortable, family-owned and -run hotel for dinner.

Day 13: Today we take a bus to Bolzano, our final stop on this trip. Our hotel is centrally located, so after checking in you will have free time to explore the town. Today lunch is on your own before we visit the remarkable Otzi Archaeological Museum, home of the famous “iceman” Otzi. The body of this 5,000+ year-old man was found on a mountain pass in 1991 in nearly perfectly preserved condition. Archaeologists and forensic scientists continue to learn a great deal about primitive man by studying him and his tools, clothes, and the vegetable matter he was carrying. The cause of his death remains a mystery, although there are many opinions on how this occurred. We dine together for the last time tonight.

Day 14: After breakfast this morning we check out of our hotel, to either return home or continue travels to other destinations. Bolzano is located on a major railroad line, where trains are available going either north into Germany or south to Verona or Venice.

The leaders will make every reasonable effort to follow the posted itinerary. Please keep in mind that weather or other conditions beyond our control may cause us to modify our plans to ensure the safety and well being of the group.

Getting There

Our adventure will begin with introductions at our hotel at 6:00 p.m. on day 1. If you wish to arrive early to see more of this charming little city, you can make arrangements with the leader for an extra night or two at your own expense. Cortina is accessible by bus, either from the Venice airport or other bus transfer locations.

On the last day, our outing will end after breakfast at our hotel in Bolzano. This city is accessible by train from any nearby major city, including Venice, Milan, and Munich.

When making your travel arrangements, please note that the trip begins in Cortina and ends in Bolzano, a 2.5-hour train ride from Venice.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Accommodations will be double occupancy in hotels, with some people needing to share triple rooms for two nights at Refugio Lagazuoi. Every effort will be made to match single participants with compatible roommates. Typically, a double room features two twin beds in a room. Each bed is made up individually. In each hotel, we will be accommodated in rooms with en suite bathrooms. Each hotel has been selected for its location, good food, and historic interest. Our hotel in Corvara is a larger, more traditional hotel, but it has the feel of a village inn. This hotel features one of the most complete and interesting spas you will find anywhere, in which all guests are free to relax.

For our two nights at Refugio Lagazuoi, we will have a mix of room types: doubles, twins, and triple rooms, with bathrooms located down the hallway.  Earplugs are a good idea in case you are assigned to one of the triple rooms.

All meals, except two lunches, are included in the trip cost, beginning with dinner on day 1 and ending with breakfast on day 14. Our lunches will be either picnics or taken in refugios along the route of our hikes. This combination gives us the opportunity to sample the excellent varied foods of the region. This region boasts some of Italy’s finest cheeses and wines -- and don’t forget the (in)famous digestive, grappa! Vegetarians can easily be accommodated at all hotels. If you have other dietary restrictions, please contact the leader before signing up for this trip.

"The family-run inns provided much more than comfortable beds and good food." — Former participant

Trip Difficulty

This is a relaxed leisurely outing, intended for the intermediate hiker who is comfortable walking four to five hours each day, with stops for photography, scenery appreciation, snacks, and lunch. Our terrain includes pastoral rolling hills, broad meadows, some fairly steep ascents, and rocky paths, where we might encounter patches of snow, even in June and July. Valley elevations are 4,000 to 5,000 feet and hikes will normally take us no higher than 9,000 feet, the elevation at Refugio Lagazuoi. Everyone should plan on carrying day packs with water, lunch items, rain gear (tops and bottoms), hiking poles, and personal items. It is recommended that you prepare for this outing by taking regular day hikes at altitudes similar to the ones we will encounter, carrying your day pack and two liters of water. We will be hiking at a moderate pace and taking breaks.

Adequate preparation for this trip and good physical condition is important for the enjoyment of the outing; this is a group experience, and we want to be in the good health and ability that lets us enjoy ourselves and each other. Note that the most challenging hike of the trip is on day 3, which means that you need to overcome any jetlag and be ready for this challenging hike when it arrives early in the trip.

The weather in the Dolomites can be variable during the summer and as a result we may well experience everything from still, sunny warm days to snow storms and lightning storms. The schedule for any one day will be modified if we encounter stormy or unsafe conditions.

"The trip was exactly what it was described to be, 'easy hiking in the Dolomites.' We went at a pace that was comfortable for the group and that allowed us to appreciate the flora and fauna." -- Former participant

Equipment and Clothing

It’s important to have good quality equipment in good condition, including boots, rain gear (tops and bottoms), day packs with rain covers, poly clothing, waterproof hats, and the willingness to hike with them every day. Remember, there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing for the weather. If one person doesn’t bring adequate protective clothing, it can significantly impact the whole group and the hiking plan for the day. There is no climbing equipment or climbing experience required for this trip. However, experience with scree, rocky trails, and snow fields can be a plus. An extensive packing list will be furnished to participants. Hiking poles, as well as well-broken-in boots, are required.

References

Maps:

• Tabacco Carta Topographic #s 03,05,06 & 011-1:350000 Series (available in Cortina). The leader will make a laminated copy of the hike route available to the group each day.

Books:

• Stedman, Henry, Trekking in the Dolomites.
• Price, Gillian, Walking in the Dolomites – A Cicerone Guide.
• Goldsmith, James and Anne, The Dolomites Of Italy, A Travel Guide. (Out of print, but worth the effort if you can find a used copy.)

Websites:

• http://www.sudtirol.com/
• http://www.valgardena.it/
• http://www.altabadia.org/
• http://www.dolomiti.org

Conservation

This mountainous region has been the center of human activity for thousands of years, since the days when hunters established seasonal hunting camps in the valleys. Beginning in the Middle Ages, programs were instituted to protect grazing and wood-cutting rights. Today, more and more tourists are attracted to this beautiful area, both in summer and during the skiing season, and the Italian government is working actively to preserve the area, as well as to assure responsible tourism. Two systems of land management in the Dolomites ensure that land cannot be subdivided or reassigned to a new owner without permission.

Evacuation and Travel Insurance

The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.