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Guided Best of the Dolomites

Our Best of the Dolomites tour circles the famous Gardena Valley, with 4 great nights in village hotels and 2 memorable huts.

Guided Best of the Dolomites

Our Best of the Dolomites tour circles the famous Gardena Valley, with 4 great nights in village hotels and 2 memorable huts.

    Support
  • Guided Group,
    Style
  • Inn-To-Inn,
    Activity Level
  • Relaxed to Moderate,
  • Moderate to Challenging,

The Dolomites are a truly special region, with impressive mountains, quaint villages, flowery meadows, and a rich cultural diversity.

Here, the Italian, Austrian, and ancient Ladin cultures intermingle peacefully in the small, scattered villages in this mountainous corner of Italy. The Dolomites also boast a surprising variety of beautiful wildflowers in early summer in the meadows below the mountains. This inn-to-inn tour takes you on a circuit of the Val Gardena, our favorite corner of the Dolomites.

The Dolomites is truly a special region. With beautiful inns and hikes, this Dolomites tour will make an unforgettable vacation. If you don’t have time for our full traverse, this 6 night tour is the next best thing. Get away, breathe in the fresh mountain air and treat yourself to the relaxed Tyrolean lifestyle. It’s worth it.

Our guided tours are all guaranteed… if you sign up, the trip is going. Our guides will help you find the right pace on the trail and order the right wine once you stop. They make your life easy. If you want to hike, relax and not worry about a thing, this guided group Best of Dolomites Traverse is the best thing going.

 

See our Self-guided version

    Length
  • 7 days, 6 nights
    Departures
  • Jun 10 – Jun 16, 2024Sold Out!
  • Sep 2 – Sep 8, 2024
    Cost
  • $3695 Per Person
  • $650 Single Room

Itinerary At a Glance

Day 1-2

Ortisei

Ortisei is one of our favorite bases in the Dolomites. Walkable and incredibly scenic with miles of hiking trails in every direction. After favorite day hike above town, we’ll prepare to head across the Alpe di Siusi, the largest alpine meadow in the Alps.

Day 3-4

Schlernhaus to Plattkofel

We’ll spend 3 days hiking hut-to-hut across the Siusi meadows, first up to the historic mountaintop Schlernhaus hut, and then on to Plattkofel, a beautiful, newly renovated lodge at the base of an impressive mountain.

Days 5-7

Selva

After exploring the mountains around Plattkofel, we’ll descend to Selva, at the top of the Gardena valley. Another great day hike to a high alpine hut is the perfect finish.  A taxi will take you back to Bolzano for departure.

Included

Your tour will be led by an experienced Alpinehikers guide, with guided hikes daily. All transfers to and from trailheads are included. You’ll stay 4 nights in 3-star village hotels and 2 nights in remote inns and huts with private rooms (no singles at Plattkofel). All breakfasts, picnic lunches and dinners are included. Luggage transfers to all village hotels are also part of your tour, as well as group arrival taxi from Bolzano to Ortisei and return taxi from Selva to Bolzano.

Full Itinerary

Day 1

Ortisei

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 cozy and welcoming 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.

Hotel Sureghes or similar
  • Dinner

Day 2

Ortisei

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.

HIKE: 6-8 hours, 7 miles; Elevation: 400 ft. up, 3200 ft. down

Hotel Sureghes or similar
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Day 3

Schlernhaus hut

Hiking hut-to-hut, we’ll traverse the famous Alpe di Siusi, or Seiser Alm, 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 private rooms, and bathrooms down the hall. They have a wonderful lodge-like atmosphere and their beautiful dining room is a cozy place to relax in the evening enjoying a night high in the Dolomites.

HIKE: 5-7 hours, 9 miles; Elevation: 2600 ft. up, 1100 ft. down

Schlernhaus Hut
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Day 4

Plattkofel hut

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 and hot showers, Plattkofel is more like a comfortable mountain inn than a hut, with a quiet ambiance that allows us to relax and enjoy a beautiful evening high in the mountains.  Note there are no single rooms here.

HIKE: 5-7 hours, 8 miles; Elevation: 1250 ft. up, 1750 ft. down

Plattkofel hut
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Day 5

Selva

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.

HIKE: 5-7 hours, 7 miles; Elevation: 2000 ft. up, 2200 ft. down

Hotel Krone
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Day 6

Selva

For our final hike 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.

In the evening, you can enjoy a final farewell dinner at our tasteful village hotel.

HIKE: 6-8 hours, 9 miles; Elevation: 3150 ft. up, 3150 ft. down

Hotel Krone
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner

Day 7

depart

Today, you say goodbye to the Dolomites, and transfer to Bolzano for your post-trip destinations.

Departure: Venice or Münich. A 9:00 group taxi to Bolzano is included in your tour, arriving in Bolzano at 10:00, where you can catch a train.  We can arrange a private taxi for you, at extra cost, if you need a different departure time or destination.

  • Breakfast

Tour Options

Guided Best of the Dolomites

Inn-To-Inn

  • Great inn-to-inn choice for shorter hikes
  • An easy to moderate inn-to-inn with 4 stops in 6 nights
  • Private rooms all nights and luggage 4 nights
  • A beautiful mix of Tyrolean, Italian and local Ladin cultures
  • Historic mountaintop hut at Schlernhaus
  • All departures guaranteed. No minimum group size.
  • Friendly hotels and memorable cuisine
  • $3695Per Person
  • $650Single Room

Guided Classic Dolomites Traverse

Inn-To-Inn

  • All departures guaranteed. No minimum group size.
  • A moderate inn-to-inn with 7 stops in 10 nights
  • Private rooms 9 nights and luggage 7 of the 10 nights
  • A memorable mix of Tyrolean, Italian and local Ladin cultures
  • Historic mountaintop stops at Schlernhaus and Lagazuoi huts
  • Fabulous hotels and great food – high on comfort
  • Fascinating WWI history
  • $4895Per Person
  • $1050Single Room

Guided Deluxe Dolomites Traverse

Inn-To-Inn

  • All departures guaranteed. No minimum group size.
  • A moderate inn-to-inn with 5 stops in 10 nights
  • Luxurious stays in 4 and 5-star hotels every night
  • Beautiful spas and gourmet meals
  • A memorable mix of Tyrolean, Italian and local Ladin cultures
  • Fascinating WWI history
  • Great flexibility for easier or harder hikes
  • $6995Per Person
  • $1450Single Room

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