Arrive in Italy and and meet our shuttle in Bolzano. If you are arriving early, we can help with extra nights in Bolzano or with arrangements on getting to Ortisei independently. Ortisei is a lovely little village surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Gardena Valley.

You’ll meet your guide, talk about the trip to come. Ortisei is a pleasant walkable village and is blessed with beautiful views from every corner. We’ll stay in a comfortable and cozy 3-star hotel.

Arrival: Venice or Münich. Plan to arrive in Bolzano by 4 pm for the group meeting the day your tour starts.   Venice is about 4 hrs from Bolzano by train, and Münich is about 5½ hrs away.  It’s a good idea to arrive a day in Europe a day early so you have plenty of time for this journey.

Today, we might start with a cable car ride to a ridge high above town, and take a dayhike through high scenic meadows to the Brogles hut, where you can scan practically the entire Gardena Valley and gaze upon the jagged needles of the Puez-Odle peaks.

Afterwards, spend a little time in town. Ortisei is a beautiful village with shops and cafes lining their cobblestoned, pedestrian-only main road. The village pool and spa is a great place to relax for a couple hours before dinner.

Hiking hut-to-hut, we’ll traverse the famous Alpe di Siusi, the largest meadow in the Alps. We’ll first make an unforgettable gourmet stop at Gostner Schwaige for lunch, and then after a mellow crossing of the meadows, we’ll tackle the steep ascent to the mountaintop Schlernhaus.

Schlernhaus is fairly rustic, with a mis private rooms (no singles) and dorms, with bathrooms down the hall. They have a great lodge-like atmosphere and their beautiful dining room is a cozy place to relax in the evening enjoying a night high in the Dolomites.

Today we’ll continue along the ridgeline high above the rolling green hills of the Alpe di Siusi, with breathtaking views in every direction. We’ll stop for lunch at the beautiful Tires hut, and finish the day at Plattkofel hut.

For those with extra energy and time, an alternate hike up to the peak of Sasso Piatto will reward you with spectacular views of the whole region. With comfortable private rooms (no singles) and hot showers, Plattkofel is more like a comfortable mountain inn than a hut, with beautiful rooms, great food, and welcoming feel that allows us to relax and enjoy a beautiful evening high in the mountains.

Today we descend from Plattkofel and make our way to Selva, circling around the towering, jagged Sassolungo group. After a stop at a dramatic mountain hut tucked inside a cirque of mountains, we’ll cross a series of meadows to a cable car that whisks us down to town.

Selva is a lovely little village surrounded by the stunning scenery of the Gardena Valley, with peaceful trails in every direction.

Today we’ll work our way up and explore the high meadows of the dramatic Puez-Odle mountain group, and perhaps stopping in at places like the Regensberger or Stevia huts along the way.

The scenery is stunning and includes the iconic Seceda meadows.  Afterwards, spend some time wandering the quiet pathways through town or relax at our hotel.

We’ll start out with a mellow hike through the glacially-carved U-shaped Vallunga Valley, climbing to the Puez hut high above the valley. A rocky traverse from here leads to the next valley and down to the village of Corvara, in the Alta Badia region.

An easier option starts with a bus or gondola ride to the Gardena Pass, where the massive Sella Mountain dominates your view. An easy descending trail through meadows winds down to Corvara from here.

We have a lot of great options today. One great hike visits the Kostner hut, set on a high rock balcony on the slopes of the Sella.  An optional strenuous ascent to the Piz Boé peak is great for high mountain views.

This is a fairly mellow day over the meadows of Pralongia, the ridge that separates Corvara and San Cassiano, with mellow trails, great views, and lots of restaurants to stop at along the way.  There are many options for longer or shorter days.

If you’d like a harder hike, you can make the steep out-and-back excursion to the peak of Setsas from Pralongia, which should add about 3 hours to the hike, and leads to unforgettable panoramic views from the peak.

We’ll finish with 2 nights in a fabulous 4-star hotel in San Cassiano.

Finally, we’ll cap our trip with a with a dramatic hike high above the valley to the rifugio Lagazuoi, a popular hut perched at the summit of a mountain with incredible views and rich history. The direct trail is an uphill route through a quiet valley, with optional detours for a longer day.

Lagazuoi was the scene of fierce fighting in WWI, and many tunnels and artifacts remain to this day.

Return to San Cassiano by bus for a final, celebratory evening

Today we say arrivederci, and depart for our post-tour destinations.

Departure: Venice. A 9:00 group taxi to Venice is included in your tour, arriving at Venice airport at 12:00, or you can be dropped off Piazzale Roma if you are staying in Venice.   We can arrange a private taxi for you, at extra cost, if you need a different departure time or destination.