7 days/6 nights

The Best of the Dolomites: Hiking & Gourmet

Trip Location:

DOLOMITES

Best of the Dolomites Hiking and Gourmet itinerary,

Always wanted to visit the Dolomites but didn’t know where to start? We’ve created the perfect trip combining our favorite hikes, iconic views, and unforgettable dining. You’ll explore two natural parks, hike through WWI tunnels, and experience the rich mix of Italian, German, and Ladin cultures in Alta Badia—“the heart of the Dolomites.” Along the way, enjoy everything from hearty meals in mountain inns to gourmet dining, with culinary influences from Veneto to South Tyrol. This is truly the best of the Dolomites—ready when you are!

Highlights

Experience the best of the Dolomites and everything this UNESCO World Heritage Site has to offer!

Discover glorious landscapes of pillars, pinnacles, and colossal rock walls of the Dolomite Mountains

Hike to the Santa Croce Sanctuary, and take in fabulous views across the Val Badia

Trek across an idyllic high alpine pasture, below the northern face of Croda Rossa Mountain and Prato Piazza

Traverse a section of the “Dolomieu Trail”, a notably panoramic track

Stay 6 nights in luxury hotels, enjoying gourmet cuisine, professional mountain guides, and private transportation throughout

Itinerary

Trip itinerary may vary based on weather conditions, fitness levels and abilities of participants, and/or the recommendations of the Dolomite Mountains Team and your mountain guide. Daily mileage and altitude gain may vary depending on the device used.

Day 1

Arrive in Cortina d’Ampezzo

Arrive in Cortina d’Ampezzo, a charming alpine resort surrounded by dramatic peaks and known for its Olympic legacy and year-round mountain adventures. After checking into your hotel, meet with a Dolomite Mountains representative for a trip briefing and receive all materials for your self-guided journey. Enjoy dinner at your hotel’s restaurant.

day 2

Hike along the spectacular section below the northern face of Croda Rossa Mountain and Prato Piazza, set in an idyllic high alpine pasture.
After breakfast take a short transfer to the start of your hike, today you'll enjoy superb views of the Croda Rossa Massif (2,965m / 9,725'), the Cristallo group (3,221m / 10,565') and the Fanes–Sennes–Braies Nature Park.
After a deserved lunch stop at a local rifugio, descend along a gravel road to Carbonin, where your private transfer awaits to take you back to your hotel in Cortina.
(~4-5 hours hiking 11 km / 6,6 miles, 858m / 2,814’ ascent, 812m / 2,663’ descent.)

Dinner included in a gourmet restaurant.

day 3

Hike a Loop around Prato Piazza

This morning begins with a private transfer to Passo Tre Croci, right above the north-east border of Cortina.
Today's hike will allow you to admire the view of the Cristallo mountain group to the north, the Tofane to the west behind the Cortina basin, and the Ciadin del Loudo to the south.
Hike a section of the panoramic “Dolomieu Trail,” providing stunning views of the classic Dolomite's rock layers as you hike through woods of larches and spruce pines just above Rio Gere. Take a transfer back to your hotel in Cortina.
(~5 hours hiking 11 km / 6,8 miles, 589m / 1,932' ascent, 706m / 2,315' descent.)

Tonight's dinner is included at a typical restaurant.

Day 4

Tardelba and Faloria

Hike to Passo Falzarego

Today’s hike offers both stunning scenery and a glimpse into WWI history near the former Habsburg-Italian border. Enjoy panoramic views of the iconic Cinque Torri—more than just five towers, this area is dotted with rocky spires and boulders above the treeline. Stop for lunch at a charming rifugio beneath Averau peak, then descend to Passo Falzarego and transfer to your hotel in Alta Badia. (~3–4 hours, 8.9 km / 5.5 miles). Dinner is included at a traditional restaurant.

Day 5

Today’s hike takes you from San Cassiano to the Santa Croce Sanctuary at the base of Sasso della Croce, passing through traditional Ladin hamlets called viles. After about two hours, reach the sanctuary and enjoy a classic Dolomites lunch at a nearby rifugio—don’t miss the Kaiserschmarren! Descend along the same path, then enjoy dinner at a gourmet restaurant. (~4–5 hours, 12.6 km / 7.8 miles)

Santa Croce Sanctuary

Today you will explore the Pralongia High Plateau, which can be reached on foot or by cable car, depending on your energy level. This area is surrounded by various mountains, the most renowned being Marmolada,(3,343m / 10,964'), Queen of the Dolomites, towering peak in this mountain group, and home to the largest remaining glacier. Once you arrive on the Plateau, there are plenty of rifugios (mountain inns) where you can rest, enjoy the amazing panorama and savour a delicious lunch while sipping a lovely glass of wine.
(1-6 hours hiking, depending on how long you wish to hike.)

Farewell dinner at the hotel.

Breakfast and departure on your own (private transfer available on request).

Day 6

Hike on the Pralongia Plateau

Day 7

Departure

Area map