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Hiking the Alta Via Route in the Dolomites

Itinerary
Alta Via I
Guide(s)
Augustina Lagos Marmol, Dolomite Mountains
Trip options

Add-ons

Hut availability * 

The huts along Alta Via begin accepting next year’s reservations in October, at which point your guide will do their best to book your chosen dates. Please be aware that dates may change due to hut availability, so we recommend waiting to make travel arrangements until your trip is confirmed. Fodara, Fanes and Lagazuoi are generally huts that are booked.

Single occupancy

Huts offer dormitory-style accommodations and single supplement/twin rooms are not available. For the 2 nights spent at a hotel in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the rooms are twin-shared. If you’d like to have a room to yourself, and not share it with anybody else, add the single supplement to your booking.

Hiking the Alta Via Route in the Dolomites
Itinerary
Alta Via I
People
1 Person
Date(s)
--
Duration
6 day
Guide(s)
Augustina Lagos Marmol, Dolomite Mountains
Reserve deposit (30%) $0
Second Payment Amount: $0

  • Winding through 60 stunning kilometers (37 miles) of high mountain passes, valley paths, and everything in between, this 7-day itinerary takes you to the most picturesque section of the 120km-long (75 mile) Alta Via I. Starting in the picturesque Cortina d’Ampezzo and ending at the Passo Duran, this long-distance trek is the ultimate adventure for beginner and intermediate hikers that want to experience the Dolomites without a commitment to the thru-hike.

    • As you arrive in Cortina d’Ampezzo on your own, check into the hotel (private transfer available on request). Cortina d’Ampezzo (1,224 m / 4,016 ft) is a charming alpine resort town surrounded by stunning peaks. It enjoys a reputation for great skiing and in the summer attracts hikers and climbers with its rocky faces of the nearby mountains. In the afternoon, you will meet with your guide who will provide a trip briefing and orientation. Depending on when you arrive, you may have time to explore Cortina d’Ampezzo’s pedestrian walkway, the Corso Italia.

      Your extra luggage will stay in Cortina until the last day of your trip.

      Accommodation: Hotel in Cortina d’Ampezzo 

      Cortina D'Ampezzo Itaiy

    • In the morning, take a private transfer to Malga Ra Stua (1,688 m / 5,538 ft), a cozy farm set in a valley lying between the Croda Rossa and Lavinores Dolomite groups, at the entrance of the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Reserve. Clusters of old log-built farmsteads adorn the mountainsides called Viles—a typical feature of the Ladin-speaking valleys. Today you will hike in the Sennes section of the Nature Reserve, along the Alta Via 1.

      Hiking: ~5 hours, 12 km (7.4 miles)
      Elevation gain/loss: +920 m (+3,018 ft), -630 m (-2,067 ft)
      Meals: Breakfast and dinner
      Accommodation: Mountain hut

    • Depart your rifugio in the morning, and hike downhill towards Rifugio Pederù (1,548 m / 5,079 ft). The trail travels on a steep dirt road for an hour and a half (the last part of the road approaching the rifugio is a 20% slope). From Rifugio Pederù, hike uphill in the direction of Lago di Limo. When you reach Lake Lé Piciodel you’ll walk through a charming landscape studded with little lakes and rounded mountain-tops along the Ru d’Al Plan River. Continue toward your rifugio for tonight, located beneath the Limo Pass, and enjoy a splendid view of the Tofane Mountains.

      Walking: ~4 hours, 8.1 km (5.1 miles)
      Elevation gain/loss: +530 m (+1,740 ft), -460 m (-1,510 ft)
      Meals: Breakfast and dinner
      Accommodation: Mountain hut 

      Pederu rifugio

    • Today you’ll hike through the Altopiano di Fanes to the Lagazuoi Massif. Enjoy beautiful panoramas of the Western Dolomites and the Marmolada Massif. Alta Via 1 continues through the beautiful high meadow and karst formations, climbing to the Forcella del Lago, a narrow and dramatic gap in the mountain with a trail descent through steep talus on the south side. Reach Lago di Lagazuoi whose green waters are framed by pines and walls of the Cima del Lago and the Cima Scotoni. Continue along the long, steady climb to your rifugio.  Along the way, you’ll come across ruins from the First World War. 

      Walking: ~6-7 hours, 12.7 km (7.9 miles)
      Elevation gain/loss: +1,050 m (+3,445 ft), -390 m (-1,280 ft)
      Meals: Breakfast and dinner
      Accommodation: Mountain hut

      Cute cows in the Dolomites

    • Starting at Rifugio Lagazuoi, descend to the main road. Hike below the memorable Tofana di Rozes, ascending Forcella Lagazuoi (2,573 m / 8,442 ft), Forcella Travenanzes (2,507m / 8,225’), and Forcella Col dei Bos (2,331 m / 7,648 ft). Then, trek along trenches, ascend some beautiful forests and reach the Cinque Torri area. Stop at Rifugio Scoiattoli for lunch, with incredible vistas around. If you wish, you can pay a visit to an open-air WWI museum before proceeding through the rock towers to Passo Giau. Wave to the climbers on the walls along the way! In Passo Giau, you’ll be picked up and transferred to Cortina for your final night.

      Walking: ~5-6 hours, 11.6 km (7 miles)
      Elevation gain/loss: +582 m (+1,908 ft), -1,040 m (-3,412 ft)
      Meals: Breakfast
      Accommodation: Hotel in Cortina d’Ampezzo

      Cinque Torri in the Dolomites, sunny day

    • After a good night sleep, join your group for breakfast and get ready to depart on your own (private transfer on request).

      Meals: Breakfast

      Summer in Cortina d’Ampezzo

    • Included:

        • Local English-speaking hiking guide
        • 6-day Alta Via I hiking adventure
        • Most meals, as listed in the itinerary
          • 5 breakfasts
          • 3 dinners
        • Accommodation for 5 nights
          • 2 nights at a 3-star hotel in Cortina d’Ampezzo
          • 3 nights at mountain huts with shared dormitories
        • Airport transfers (from/to Venice Marco Polo Airport), a circa 2-hour ride
          • Arrival day: from Venice Marco Polo Airport to Cortina d’Ampezzo at 2pm
          • Departure day: from Cortina d’Ampezzo to Venice airport at 9am
        • Transfers on Day 2 and 5
        • Local tourist tax
        • Italian VAT tax
        • A €15 donation to Wow Nature’s reforestation projects makes your trip carbon-neutral
        • All logistics and a map of the area

      Add-ons:

        • Single supplement

      Not included:

        • Lunches, personal drinks, coffee and snacks
        • Luggage transfers — clients must hike with a pack weighing roughly 15lbs (including a sleeping bag liner/sheet)
        • Everything not indicated in the itinerary or under “Included”
        • Any additional expenses
        • Guide gratuities — optional
        • Travel and medical insurance

    • The Alta Via I hiking adventure can be completed by any normal fit hiker with previous experience with multi-day hikes, who are prepared to walk for between 4 and 8 hours per day for 4 days in a row. It will greatly help your enjoyment of the trek to arrive fit at the start, used to walks of similar distance and height gain to those that you are about to face.  There are no via ferrata sections on this tour!

      The most you’ll hike within a day is 12.7 km (7.9 miles), and the most you’ll gain in elevation is 920 m (3,018 ft). Day-by-day distances and elevation changes can be found in the itinerary.

      Keep in mind that you’ll be carrying a backpack, probably around 15 lbs. You will have to pack your own clothing, toiletries, and other personal items. No need to worry about cooked food and bedding—the huts (except a linen or sleeping bag liner which is recommended).

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

        • Backpack with a load-bearing waist harness (30- 50L bag)
        • Waterproof backpack cover
        • Water bottle or hydration bladder (2L capacity)
        • Light pillow-case and silk or nylon sheets*
        • Small towel for the shower
        • Toiletries (hand sanitizer, bug spray, toilet paper, etc.)
        • Trekking poles — optional
        • Sunglasses and SPF sunscreen
        • Camera — optional (but recommended)

      *Sleeping sheets are often provided by the huts, but it’s always best to bring your own just in case.

      Here’s a list of clothes you need to bring:

      The summer months have warm temperatures and plenty of sun. While temperatures may reach 25°C (80°F) on the valley floors during the day, evenings can be as cool as 10°C (50°F). As you gain elevation, it will get colder. For every 1,000m you climb, the temperature will drop for 6.5°C (3.6°F for every 1,000 feet). What may be a 27°C (80°F) day in Alta Badia could be 15°C (60°F) on one of the summits during the day, and 0°C (30s°F) in the evening. 

        • Long hiking pants
        • Thermal layers (long-sleeved top and long pants for the cold nights)
        • Light shorts for warmer days or for lounging in the rifugio
        • Lightweight down jacket
        • Lightweight Gore-Tex, or equivalent, rain/wind parka and pant
        • Lightweight T-shirts
        • Lightweight hiking socks, liner socks, and athletic socks
        • Sleepwear
        • Baseball cap or sun hat with wide brim
        • 3/4-finger leather glove for dexterity for Via Ferratas
        • Sturdy hiking boots, and make sure they’re broken in before your trip
        • Hiking boot or shoe that accepts crampons for AVII trips
        • Lightweight shoes, slippers or flip flops (hiking boots are not allowed in most rifugios)

      Synthetic fabrics are the most effective barrier against the cold. They provide the best insulation, they are light in weight, wick away perspiration, and dry quickly if wet.

    • Group sizes:

        • The usual client-to-guide ratio for this hiking tour along Alta Via 1 is 6:1.
        • The standard group size on these Dolomites hiking tours is 6 guests and 1 guide, and the maximum group size is 10. Solo traveler are welcome!
        • It takes a minimum of 4-6 people for this tour to operate. The maximum group size is set at 10 participants.

      If you’re traveling with a larger party, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

      Age requirements:

        • Everybody over the age of 18 is welcome to book this hiking adventure.
        • Minors may be permitted to join private tours on a case-by-case basis.

      If you plan to hike with anyone under the age of 18, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

      If you plan to hike with anyone under the age of 18, please contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

    • To get to the Dolomites, most people fly into Venice International Airport Marco Polo (VCE). Another options include Klagenfurt (2.5 hours), Trieste (2.5 hours), Verona (3 hours), and Innsbruck (3 hours) and a small regional Bolzano Airport in the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy.

      If you’re flying into Venice Marco Polo Airport, a group shuttle from there to Cortina d’Ampezzo is included in the price of the tour (and back as well). The group shuttle departs at 2pm on arrival day and at 9am on departure day.

      Apart from the organized shuttle that’s included in the price of the tour, you can take a shuttle service on your own or rent a car to reach Cortina d’Ampezzo.

    • We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!

      Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.

      Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!

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