“The Ultimate Active Experience in the Dolomites”

Hiking in the Dolomites

TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Breathe in pure air and experience a variety of hikes among spectacular landscapes in a UNESCO World Heritage Site!
• Enjoy the atmosphere of mountain rifugios, in true mountaineer style
• Hike the tunnels constructed during World War I and explore the historical remains of this conflict
• Learn to climb a via ferrata, the “iron paths” of the Dolomites

Besides the exhilarating hiking, our family trip features a bike ride to Austria and return trip by train, swimming pools, waterslides, a summertime Funbob bobsled and the Adrenaline adventure park in Cortina where the kids can try their skills on zip-lines, tree-swings and a variety of exciting rope-courses.

Preview - The Italian Dolomites are truly a hiker's paradise. Thousands of trails wind their way between the fantastic pinnacles of these jagged mountains, which magically turn from pale gray to gold and pink at dusk. We set our tour in the South Tyrol, unquestionably the finest hiking in the Italian Alps. Our hikes are in the Braies National Park and the Ampezzo Dolomites. Most of our hiking trails are above the tree line, providing us with magnificent views of the Dolomite's elegant limestone spires and massive rock towers.

Via Ferrata. Literally translated as the iron way or iron path, the via ferrata runs throughout the Dolomites, incorporating a system of iron ladders to assist hikers on steep mountainous terrain. The trails were originally built and used by WWI soldiers fighting in this region. Your alpine guide provides you with the necessary helmets and harnesses to safely negotiate this exhilarating way to access spectacular mountain terrain.

We spend the first three nights in the village of San Candido, two nights traverse in mountain Inns and last in Cortina d'Ampezzo for two nights. San Candido is located in the Val di Pusteria, part of the Southern Tyrol. Until 1918, this region was part of the Austrian Tyrol and its people are largely of Germanic descent; many still speak the Latin-based Ladin language. Their local cuisine is a sublime marriage of flavors from Austria and Italy. Our last three nights are spent in Cortina d'Ampezzo. The village lies in a sunny basin at the junction of the Bigontina and Boite valleys. Host of the 1956 Winter Olympics, Cortina village is equal parts rustic beauty and chic Italian style. We spend our evenings in the comfort of small hotels nestled among the surrounding peaks. Cozy wood-paneled bedrooms and big fluffy duvets make for a great end to the day.

TRIP DETAILS

Length: 6n / 7d 

Start / Finish:  San Candido / Cortina d'Ampezzo

Activity Level: For everybody in good and active physical health.

Cost: Custom bespoke trip starting at €1,990 (includes 3 different accommodations in family hotels and charming rifugi with private rooms, meals as noted in itinerary, local English speaking UIAGM/IFMGA mountain guide during the entire trip, transfers as noted, via ferrata equipment for 2 days, meals as noted (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner), map of the area).

On our Family Trips: 

• when children share a room with two adults, youths between ages 7-11 receive a 15% discount;
• when children share a room with one adult or another child, a 10% discount is applied to the youth's trip price;
• when one child is in a single room, the full private room charge will apply. 

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ITINERARY
Trip itinerary may vary based on weather conditions, fitness levels and abilities of participants, and/or the recommendations of your guide.

Day 1 ~ Arrive in San Candido / Innichen, Dolomites
Arrive in San Candido / Innichen on your own (because the region is bilingual, villages and towns have both an Italian and Austrian name). Daily rail connections are available from Milan, Venice, Munich, and Innsbruck. Check into your hotel, and meet your guide for a trip briefing.

San Candido / Innichen (1,175m / 3,855') lies in the heart of Val Pusteria, also known as the "green valley." Depending on when you arrive, you may have some time to explore the village and admire its beautiful wooden farmhouses. 
D… Family Hotel in San Candido / Innichen

Day 2 ~ Bike Ride to Austria (or Hike)
Today we'll take a leisurely bike ride along the bike path from San Candido / Innichen to Lienz, Austria. This 44 kilometer (26 mile) bike ride is quite easy and is recommended for families with small children. This unique bike trail cuts through a valley surrounded by breathtaking mountains on either side. The one-way ride takes 2½ - 3 hours. However, if you are tired and do not want to complete the ride, there are six train stations along the route.  You can load yourself and your bike and continue to Lienz or return to San Candido – you are on vacation, after all, there is no pressure here!

Once in Lienz, we'll park our bikes at the train station and visit this quaint Austrian village. We'll have lunch here, and free time to explore the town and its fascinating castle. From here we return by train to San Candido. If time permits, kids might opt to take an exciting ride on San Candido's "Funbob," a summertime version of the bobsled.

A hiking option is available for groups who prefer not to bike.
B,D… Family Hotel in San Candido / Innichen

Day 3 ~ Hike or Via Ferrata
We start the day with a short van transfer up to the rifugio at Auronzo. From here our hike takes us around the spectacular massif of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo.  The Three Peaks are some of the most dramatic mountains in the Dolomites due to their extraordinary spike shape, alignment, and subtle color changes that occur throughout the day. The Cima Grande (Big Peak) is the highest (2,998m / 9,836'), followed by Cima Ovest (Western Peak), and Cima Piccola (Small Peak). We stop for lunch at a rifugio that offers magnificent views of the surrounding landscape, then continue down through alpine meadows to the valley below.

Via Ferrata Innerkofler, Monte Paterno:
This route is dedicated to two of the most famous protagonists of the Mountain War, Piero de Luca and Sepp Innerkofler, both accomplished mountaineers whose skills and local knowledge were vital to the military campaign during WWI.

The Via Ferrata Innerkofler is of the most beautiful and recommended via ferratas on this group, you ascend the Paternkofel (2,744m / 9,003') and descend through old WWI tunnels to the Three Pinnacle Hut.
B,D… Cortina d’Ampezzo

Day 4 ~ Via Ferrata Col dei Bos – Rifugio Lagazuoi – WWI Tunnels
After breakfast, we’ll transfer to Col Gallina and begin our short hike to the Via Ferrata Col dei Bos.  From the top of Col dei Bos, the views of the surrounding mountains are unforgettable. We descend to Rifugio Lagazuoi, our home for the night, featuring a marvelous terrace with a 360° view of the Dolomites. Mount Lagazuoi is a veritable castle of rock, with spires, turrets, and hidden military forts hidden deep within.

We will transfer children (and parents) who do not want to hike to Passo Falzarego to ride the cable car up to Rifugio Lagazuoi. From there, we’ll walk to the Galleria del Lagazuoi, a fascinating WWI museum carved into the mountains. Here the Italian and Austro–Hungarian armies dug shelters out of the mountains, transforming them into an impenetrable 20th century fortress of tunnels, trenches, and machine gun posts. Numerous routes take us on a behind-the-scenes tour of a dramatic, high-altitude battles that were unique in the history of man.
B,D… Rifugio

Day 5 ~ Rifugio Passo Giau
Descend by cable car to Passo Falzarego. From here, we hike under Cresta Gallina (Chickens’ Ridge) and reach a junction that leads us either to Rifugio Averau or Nuvolau. We descend on the path that drops south before heading southeast, gently downhill across loose rubble beneath Nuvolau (2,574m / 8,445'). The beautiful grassy slopes here are home to a colony of playful marmots. Apparently quite used to humans, they even pose for photos! As we pass beneath the soaring tower of Ra Gusela (2,595m / 8,514'), one of the most popular post-cards of the Dolomites, we arrive at Rifugio Passo Giau (2,236m / 7,336') for the night.
B,D… Rifugio

Day 6 ~ Cortina d'Ampezzo
From Rifugio Passo Giau, we hike up to Forcella Giau and along the Lastoni di Formin massif, arriving at the Rifugio Croda da Lago. The rifugio sits under an impressive massif (2,701m / 8,862') of the same name. Hike down to Cortina d'Ampezzo for our final evening.
B,D… Cortina d’Ampezzo

Day 7 ~ Depart
Breakfast and departure.
B…