Hiking Italy’s Val Gardena: Paradise Found in the Dolomites

Things to know

• What’s included?

  Included:

  • • Two professional English-speaking hiking guides for the duration of the entire hiking trip (qualified environmental hiking guide)
    • Accommodation for 6 nights in a 4-star hotel at Santa Cristina in Val Gardena (double occupancy, though for every tour departure, there are always 3 single rooms available at no surcharge—due to this limited availability, please note that a single supplement (double room) may be added after booking if there are no more single rooms available)
    • Half-board service with 6 breakfasts and 6 dinners with water included
    • Use of indoor and outdoor heated swimming pool, spa and gym of the hotel
    • Val Gardena MobilCard (use of all buses in the valley)
    • Parking space at the hotel and 11kW charging stations for electric cars
    • Free WiFi in hotel

  Special dietary requirements can be accommodated for this trekking tour of Val Gardena, just let us know upon booking.

  Not included:

  • • Transportation to Santa Cristina in Val Gardena
    • Tourist tax — €3,50 per day per person
    • Lunches at huts or packed lunches
    • Ski lifts — approximately €75 for the whole trip
    • Beverages other than water at breakfasts and dinners
    • Anything not specified under “what you get on this adventure”
    • Guide gratuities — optional
    • Travel and medical insurance — optional
• How fit do I need to be?

  For this Val Gardena trekking tour, you have to be in very good physical condition and have previous hiking experience. While you don’t need to have experience of multi-day hiking, you still need to be able to hike in mountainous terrain for five days in a row. Exact distances and altitude changes can be found in the day-by-day itinerary.

  Keep in mind that weather can be unpredictable in the Dolomites. Even though warm and dry weather is very coming in the summer (more so than in the rest of the Alps), there’s still a possibility for cool and wet days. You’ll have experienced and expert guides by your side the whole way through, so you’ll make breaks whenever necessary and adjust the route if the hiking gets too strenuous for the group.

  Looking for other adventures in the Dolomites? Check out this Alta Via hiking tour, a Dolomites hiking tour, or a hiking tour of the Venetian Alps at the foot of Dolomites.

• What do I need to bring?

  Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:

  • • Day pack large enough to carry all the items listed (around a 25-40L bag)
    • Hiking poles — optional
    • Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
    • Lightweight hiking boots or shoes
    • Comfortable hiking clothes
    • Casual clothes for when you’re not hiking
    • Spare clothes for layering
    • Waterproof rain jacket
    • Sunhat
    • Toiletries (sunscreen, hand sanitizer, bug spray, toilet paper, etc.)
    • Headlamp or flashlight
    • Sunglasses
    • Camera — optional (but recommended)

  Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.

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• Group sizes and age requirements

  Group sizes and pricing

  • • For this Val Gardena trekking tour, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 12:1.
    • It takes a minimum of 6 people for this tour to operate. The maximum group size is set at 25 participants.
    • This trekking tour of Val Gardena is confirmed 15 days at the latest prior to the departure date.

  Val Gardena trekking tours can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

  Min. age requirements

  • • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
    • Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join the hike on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.

  If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

• Getting there and meeting location

  To get to your trekking tour of Val Gardena, you have to get to Santa Cristina in Val Gardena. Most people fly into Innsbruck Airport (INN) or Verona Airport (VRN). Once at the airport, you can either rent a car to Santa Cristina or check our trains and buses—Italy is very well linked by rail. It will take you anywhere between 2 to 3.5 hours to reach Santa Cristina from these airports.

  You’ll meet your guides and your team on Day 1 of the tour, when you will check into your hotel and have a welcome drink at 6:30 pm. Make sure to arrange your flights accordingly.

• Safety measures in Italy

  We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance.

  With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more. Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.

  We also expect you to respect local regulations and take measures to protect yourselves, your guides, and the communities you’re traveling to. If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!

• Deposits and cancellation policy

  Deposits
  Secure your spot with a 30% deposit upon booking! The remaining 70% of the trip price must be paid 90 days prior to departure at the latest. If booking within 90 days of departure, the full amount is required at the time of booking.

  Cancellations
  Booking fees are non-refundable after a 48-hour grace period. During checkout, however, you can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options—Basic, Flexible, or Super Flexible. Depending on which one you choose, a different cancellation policy will apply to your booking.

  Basic

  • • If canceled within 48 hours of booking, a full refund will be issued.
    • If canceled 60 or more days before departure, a 70% refund of the total trip price will be issued.
    • If canceled within 59 days of departure, no refund will be issued.

  Flexible

  • • If canceled within 48 hours of booking, a full refund will be issued.
    • If canceled 60 or more days before departure, a full refund of the total trip price will be issued.
    • If canceled 30-59 days before departure, a 50% refund of the total trip price will be issued.
    • If canceled within 29 days of departure, no refund will be issued.

  Super Flexible

  • • If canceled within 48 hours of booking, a full refund will be issued.
    • If canceled 30 or more days before departure, a full refund of the total trip price will be issued.
    • If canceled within 29 days of departure, a 50% refund of the total trip price will be issued.

  Early Bird booking

  Want to be the first one to know when we publish new dates or secure your spot well in advance? Select a future month that suits you best and lock in your Early Bird spot in time with just a 10% deposit.

  As soon as our guides publish new tour dates, you’ll be the first one to know. We’ll hold your spot for 2 weeks until you choose the date that suits you best.

  More about how Early Bird bookings work below:

  • Only a 10% non-refundable deposit must be paid upon booking, but this deposit can be transferred to any other 57hours adventure in case the dates don’t end up working for you.
  • Once our guides publish new tour dates, we’ll reach out to you so you’ll be the first one to choose from newly released dates.
  • When you pick your date, you’ll confirm your booking by paying another 20% of the total trip amount (amounting to the standard 30% deposit).
  • Once the trip has been confirmed, the regular cancellation policy (found above) applies.
  • The remaining balance is due 90 days before the trip.