Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
The Dolomites: Cortina, Alta Badia and Val Gardena on foot
8 days from Venice: three nights in Cortina with the Tre Cime and Cinque Torri, three in Alta Badia with a rifugio lunch and Val Gardena, and a last night in Bolzano with Ötzi.
8 days · Round trip from Venice · up to 12 guests
The Marmolada, the highest peak of the Dolomites at 3,343 m, after an autumn snowfall Photo: Marco Bonomo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marmolada,_Italy.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Round trip from Venice
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 3 h on day 8No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Moderate
Walks of 2 to 5 hours on mountain paths on five days, at about 1,800 to 2,750 m. The longest is the optional Tre Cime loop: about 10 km with 400 to 500 m of climbing. Cable cars and chairlifts do the big climbs, and every walking day has an easy option, a shorter path or a seat on the rifugio terrace.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 1,075 (estimated price)
- Season
- Late June to mid-September
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Tre Cime di Lavaredo from Forcella Lavaredo, with the full loop or the easy level path to Rifugio Lavaredo
- First World War trenches at the Cinque Torri, then lunch at a rifugio under the towers
- The Lagazuoi cable car to 2,732 m, with the Marmolada glacier on a clear day and the war tunnel on foot if you like
- A long rifugio lunch beside the church of Santa Croce, then the Armentara meadows in flower
- Seceda's ridge above Val Gardena, or level walks on the Alpe di Siusi
- The Great Dolomite Road over Passo Pordoi to Lago di Carezza
- Ötzi, the 5,300-year-old Iceman, in Bolzano
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 1,075 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 3 h, on day 8.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Venice to Cortina d'Ampezzo
Venice Marco Polo Airport to Cortina d'Ampezzo
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Cortina d'Ampezzo
- Drive about 2.5 h
Fly into Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE).
Afternoon
Your See Sight Tours guide and driver meet the group in the arrivals hall early in the afternoon: plan to land by about 1 pm (the exact meeting time comes with your final itinerary). We drive north about 160 km, roughly two and a half hours, on the motorway past Treviso and Belluno and then up the Piave and Boite valleys, with a coffee stop on the way. The flat Venetian plain gives way to wooded valleys and then to the first pale limestone walls. Cortina d'Ampezzo sits at about 1,220 m in a wide green bowl ringed by the Tofane, Cristallo and Sorapiss, and co-hosted the 2026 Winter Olympics with Milan. After check-in, your guide walks you along the pedestrian Corso Italia to the tall bell tower of the parish church.
Evening
Then we sit down together to a welcome dinner and a short briefing on the week: the walks, the weather and how we split into easy and active groups.
Included
- Group pick-up at Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE)
- Orientation walk on Corso Italia with your guide
- Welcome dinner and briefing
Free time: Free hour before dinner
Activity: If you land later, we can arrange a private transfer at extra cost; ask when you book.
Cinque Torri and the open-air war museum
Cortina to the Cinque Torri chairlift and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Cortina d'Ampezzo
- Drive about 45 min
A gentle first day to get used to the height. We drive about 20 minutes west towards Passo Falzarego and ride the chairlift from Bai de Dones up to Rifugio Scoiattoli, about 2,250 m, at the foot of the Cinque Torri, five towers of rock standing alone above the meadows. From 1915 to 1917 this was the Italian side of the front against Austria-Hungary, and the trenches, gun posts and shelters here have been restored as an open-air museum. Your guide and our local walking leader take you through them on a loop of about an hour and a half.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal at a rifugio below the towers: polenta, canederli or barley soup, with the Tofane across the valley. If you want more, walk on to Rifugio Averau and up the steeper path to Rifugio Nuvolau at 2,575 m, one of the oldest huts in the Dolomites, before riding down. We are back in Cortina by mid-afternoon, and the rest of the day is yours.
Included
- Cinque Torri chairlift up and down
- Guided walk through the First World War trenches of the Cinque Torri open-air museum
- Sit-down lunch at a rifugio below the towers
Easier option: Stay on the terrace at Rifugio Scoiattoli after the trench loop, or ride down straight after lunch.
More active option: Walk on to Rifugio Averau and climb to Rifugio Nuvolau at 2,575 m for the view over Cortina, about 300 m more climbing and 2 hours extra.
Free time: Afternoon free in Cortina
Activity: About 3 to 4 km and 1.5 to 2 hours on foot on the standard walk, on rocky paths at about 2,250 m.
Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Lake Misurina
Cortina over Passo Tre Croci to Misurina and Rifugio Auronzo, then back to Cortina
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Cortina d'Ampezzo
- Drive about 1.5 h
We leave Cortina at 8 am, earlier than other days, because the toll road to Rifugio Auronzo fills fast in summer and the south faces are at their best before the crowds. It is about 25 km and 45 minutes over Passo Tre Croci and past Lake Misurina to the hut at 2,320 m. Then the group splits. The active walkers go round the Tre Cime with our licensed walking leader: under the south faces to Rifugio Lavaredo and up to Forcella Lavaredo, where all three north faces appear at once, then on to Rifugio Locatelli, Malga Langalm and back to Auronzo, about 10 km, 400 to 500 m of climbing and four hours on foot. The easy group walks the wide, nearly level track to Rifugio Lavaredo and back to Auronzo with your guide, then our van takes them down to stroll round Lake Misurina and the smaller Lake Antorno.
Afternoon
Lunch is booked for both groups: the loop walkers at Rifugio Locatelli, the lake walkers at a restaurant in Misurina. The van then collects the loop walkers at Auronzo, and we are back in Cortina by late afternoon.
Included
- Tre Cime toll road to Rifugio Auronzo
- The Tre Cime loop with a licensed local walking leader, or the level walk to Rifugio Lavaredo and Lake Misurina with your guide
- Sit-down lunch for both groups: at Rifugio Locatelli on the loop, or in Misurina for the lake walkers
Easier option: With your guide, the nearly level 1.7 km track from Rifugio Auronzo to Rifugio Lavaredo and back, then the van down to flat lake walks at Misurina and Antorno, with lunch in Misurina.
More active option: The full loop round the Tre Cime via Forcella Lavaredo, Rifugio Locatelli and Malga Langalm: about 10 km, 400 to 500 m of climbing, 4 hours on foot.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: 8 am departure. The loop is on good but stony paths at 2,300 to 2,450 m; bring a warm layer and rain gear.
Lagazuoi and over the passes to Alta Badia
Cortina to Passo Falzarego and the Lagazuoi cable car, then over Passo Valparola to Alta Badia
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Alta Badia
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
A slower breakfast, then we load the luggage and drive about 16 km up to Passo Falzarego at 2,105 m. The cable car lifts you to the Lagazuoi at 2,732 m, where the terrace of Rifugio Lagazuoi looks across the Tofane, Civetta and Pelmo and, on a clear day, the glacier of the Marmolada, the highest peak in the Dolomites at 3,343 m. In the First World War Austrian and Italian troops dug tunnels into this mountain to blast each other off it, and the Italian gallery has been restored. If you are steady on your feet you can walk down through it with helmet and head torch and our local walking leader, about 1.5 to 2 hours; everyone else rides the cable car back down.
Afternoon
Lunch is your choice, on the rifugio terrace or in the valley. We cross Passo Valparola into Val Badia, where people speak Ladin as well as Italian and German, and reach our hotel in Alta Badia early in the afternoon.
Evening
Tonight we eat together: Ladin dishes such as turtres and cajincí.
Included
- Lagazuoi cable car up and down
- Views from the Rifugio Lagazuoi terrace with your guide
- Dinner of Ladin dishes in Alta Badia
Easier option: Ride the cable car both ways and stay on the summit terrace.
More active option: Walk down through the restored First World War tunnel of the Lagazuoi with the walking leader, helmet and head torch supplied: about 600 m of descent, 1.5 to 2 hours, with steps and some cables.
Free time: Afternoon free in Alta Badia
Activity: The tunnel walk is steep and dark in places; it is not for anyone uneasy in confined spaces.
Santa Croce and the Armentara meadows
Alta Badia to Pedraces, the Santa Croce chairlifts and the Armentara meadows, back to Alta Badia
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Alta Badia
- Drive about 30 min
Afternoon
The rifugio lunch day, and the gentlest scenery of the trip. A short drive takes us to Pedraces, where chairlifts climb under the great west wall of Sas dla Crusc (Sasso di Santa Croce) to the pilgrimage church of Santa Croce at 2,045 m, built in the late 15th century, with the Puez and Odle peaks and the Sella across the valley. Lunch is at Rifugio Santa Croce beside the church, a long, unhurried meal of Ladin and South Tyrolean dishes, with time left for strudel. In the afternoon we walk south across the Armentara meadows under the cliffs, at their best for flowers in late June and July, then down through larch woods towards San Leonardo or La Villa, where the van waits: about 8 km and two and a half to three hours, mostly level or downhill. We are back at the hotel by late afternoon.
Included
- Santa Croce chairlifts from Pedraces
- The pilgrimage church of Santa Croce
- Sit-down lunch at Rifugio Santa Croce
- Guided walk across the Armentara meadows
Easier option: Ride the chairlifts back down after lunch and spend the afternoon in Alta Badia.
More active option: Walk up to Santa Croce from Badia on the old pilgrims' path instead of the chairlifts: about 700 m of climbing in 2 to 2.5 hours.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 8 km and 3 to 4 hours on foot in all, mostly on meadow paths.
Val Gardena: Seceda or the Alpe di Siusi
Alta Badia over Passo Gardena to Ortisei, then back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Alta Badia
- Drive about 2 h
We drive about 35 km and an hour over Passo Gardena at 2,121 m, under the walls of the Sella, and down into Val Gardena to Ortisei, a village known for its woodcarvers. Here you choose your walk.
Afternoon
The active walkers ride the cable car via Furnes up to Seceda at about 2,500 m, the grassy ridge whose sharp edge faces the jagged Odle peaks, and walk down with our walking leader past the Pieralongia rocks to Col Raiser, about 7 km, mostly downhill, three hours on foot, with lunch at a mountain hut on the way, then take the Col Raiser gondola down to Santa Cristina. The easy walkers take the gondola from Ortisei up to the Alpe di Siusi, a broad high pasture under Sassolungo and Sciliar, for level paths between farm huts and lunch at one of them. We meet in Ortisei in the afternoon for an hour in the woodcarving shops and by the old Val Gardena railway locomotive, then drive back over the pass.
Included
- Seceda cable car and Col Raiser gondola, or the Ortisei to Alpe di Siusi gondola
- Guided walk on Seceda or the Alpe di Siusi
- Sit-down lunch at a mountain hut
- Free time in Ortisei
Easier option: The Alpe di Siusi: level paths on a high pasture, as long or short as you like, with lunch at a farm hut.
More active option: Seceda to Col Raiser past the Pieralongia rocks: about 7 km, mostly downhill, with short climbs.
Free time: Evening free
Activity: If thunderstorms are forecast we swap this day with day 5.
The Great Dolomite Road to Bolzano and Ötzi
Alta Badia over Passo Campolongo and Passo Pordoi to Canazei, then Lago di Carezza and Bolzano
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Bolzano
- Drive about 2.5 h
Morning
We leave Alta Badia after breakfast and take the slow, high road to Bolzano, about 90 km and two and a half hours of driving with three stops. Over Passo Campolongo to Arabba, then up to Passo Pordoi at 2,239 m for coffee and a last look south to the Marmolada and its glacier. Down the hairpins to Canazei in Val di Fassa, with its old wooden houses, then over Passo Costalunga to Lago di Carezza, a small green lake under the spires of the Latemar, for a half-hour walk on the path around it.
Afternoon
We reach Bolzano at lunchtime (lunch is on your own in the old town), check in, and walk to the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology with timed tickets to see Ötzi, the man who died in the ice about 5,300 years ago and was found by two hikers in the Ötztal Alps in 1991, with his copper axe, bow and clothes.
Evening
The late afternoon is free under the arcades of Via dei Portici, then we meet for a farewell dinner.
Included
- Passo Pordoi viewpoint stop
- Canazei
- Walk around Lago di Carezza
- South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology and Ötzi, with timed entry
- Farewell dinner in Bolzano
Free time: Late afternoon free in Bolzano
Activity: An easy day on foot. The Ötzi museum opens Tuesday to Sunday, and on Mondays only in July, August and December, so departure dates are set around it.
Bolzano to Venice
Bolzano to Venice Marco Polo Airport, past Verona
- Breakfast
- Drive about 3 h
Morning
After breakfast your guide walks you to Piazza delle Erbe, where the fruit and vegetable stalls open from Monday to Saturday, then along Via Portici and down Via Cassa di Risparmio (Sparkassenstrasse) past the pale stone main building of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, and on to Piazza Walther, the main square, while the town is still quiet. We leave about 9:30 am for Venice Marco Polo Airport: about 260 km and three hours of driving, south down the Adige valley on the A22 past Trento and then east on the A4 past Verona and Padua, with a coffee stop on the way. We arrive around 1 pm, so book a flight leaving after about 4 pm. If you are flying from Verona, or taking the train on to somewhere else, we can drop you at Verona Villafranca Airport or Verona Porta Nuova station on the way, about an hour and three quarters from Bolzano. Your guide sees you to the airport doors and checks your flight before saying goodbye.
Included
- Morning walk from Piazza delle Erbe past the Free University to Piazza Walther
- Drop-off at Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), or at Verona airport or station on the way
Activity: Book a flight from Venice leaving after about 4 pm, or from Verona after about 1:30 pm.
- Venicestart
- Cortina d'Ampezzo3 nights
- Alta Badia3 nights
- Bolzano1 night
- Veniceend
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: Summer days in the valleys are warm, often 20 to 25 C, and cool at altitude, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms in July and August; early starts keep us off the high ground when they build. Late June and early July bring the meadow flowers at Armentara and on the Alpe di Siusi. Marmots whistle around the Tre Cime and Seceda, and chamois are often seen on the screes.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Walkers who want the famous Dolomites views without sleeping in huts
- Couples and friends of different fitness, since the big days split into easy and active walks
- Travellers who like a long lunch in the mountains as much as the walk
- Anyone who wants three nights per base and luggage moved for them
Not for you if you want
- Hut-to-hut trekkers or anyone looking for via ferrata and summits
- Step-free access: paths are stony and some lifts have steps
- Travellers outside the summer season: the lifts and rifugi close in autumn
- A city break in Venice: the trip goes straight to the mountains
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Cortina d'Ampezzo3 nights
- Alta Badia3 nights
- Bolzano1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights: 3 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, 3 in Alta Badia (Corvara or La Villa) and 1 in Bolzano
- Central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard with private bathrooms; we name each hotel when we confirm your dates
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Group pick-up and drop-off at Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), or drop-off at Verona on the last day
- Our own vehicle and driver for the whole trip, so no public bus timetables
- The Tre Cime toll road to Rifugio Auronzo
- Lifts: the Cinque Torri chairlift, the Lagazuoi cable car, the Santa Croce chairlifts, and the Seceda cable car with the Col Raiser gondola or the Alpe di Siusi gondola
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from Venice to Venice
- A licensed local walking leader on the walking days (days 2 to 6), so the group can split into an easy and an active walk
Activities
- Cortina: orientation walk and the Cinque Torri open-air First World War museum
- Tre Cime di Lavaredo: the full loop or the level walk to Rifugio Lavaredo, and Lake Misurina
- Lagazuoi summit, with the war tunnel walk as an option
- Alta Badia: Santa Croce church and the Armentara meadows
- Val Gardena: Seceda or the Alpe di Siusi, and Ortisei
- The Great Dolomite Road: Passo Pordoi, Canazei and Lago di Carezza
- Bolzano: Ötzi at the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology and a morning walk in the old town
- Helmets and head torches for the Lagazuoi tunnel
Meals
- 7 breakfasts
- 4 sit-down lunches at rifugi and mountain huts (days 2, 3, 5 and 6)
- 3 dinners: welcome dinner in Cortina, a Ladin dinner in Alta Badia and a farewell dinner in Bolzano
Not included
- International flights to and from Venice
- Travel insurance, which must cover hiking up to 3,000 m and mountain rescue
- Visas or travel authorisations, such as ETIAS when it starts
- Lunches on days 4 and 7 and dinners not listed
- Drinks
- Tips
- Private transfers for arrivals outside the group pick-up
- The local tourist tax, where a hotel charges it separately
- Personal expenses and walking gear
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 1,075 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, 7 breakfasts, 4 sit-down lunches at rifugi, 3 dinners, airport transfers, our own vehicle and driver throughout, the cable cars and chairlifts in the day plan, the Tre Cime toll road, Ötzi museum entry, your See Sight Tours guide and a licensed walking leader on the walking days.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to split into an easy and an active walk on the big days, to fit on one rifugio table at lunch and to move through lift queues quickly.
Who leads the walks?
Your See Sight Tours guide travels with you from Venice to Venice. On the walking days a licensed local walking leader joins the group, as Italian rules require for leading hikes, so one leads the active walk and the other the easy one.
How fit do I need to be for this Dolomites trip?
Moderate. If you can walk 3 to 4 hours on uneven paths with some climbing, you can do every active option. The hardest is the Tre Cime loop, about 10 km with 400 to 500 m of climbing. Every walking day has an easy option, and lifts do the big climbs.
Is this a hut-to-hut trek?
No. You sleep in central hotels in Cortina, Alta Badia and Bolzano, three nights in each mountain base, and our van moves your luggage. You eat lunch at rifugi, the mountain huts, but never carry more than a day pack.
I am travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
Rooms are priced twin share. A room of your own is from CAD 1,075 more, shown before you book, and it is the same room standard as everyone else's. Single rooms in Cortina are scarce in July and August, so ask early.
When is the best time to walk in the Dolomites?
Late June to mid-September, when the lifts and rifugi are open. Late June and July bring the meadow flowers, August is the warmest and busiest, and September has clear air and fewer people. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August, so we walk high in the morning.
What happens if the weather turns?
We watch the forecast every evening. On a stormy day we swap the Santa Croce and Val Gardena days, walk lower, or move the Tre Cime walk earlier. Lifts can close in high wind or lightning; if one does, your guide changes the route rather than cancelling the day.
How does booking work?
Choose a start date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours and nothing is charged until then. Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes: the small group starts from CAD 6,295 and the private trip from CAD 11,330.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide, walking leader and vehicle. If you would rather walk independently on your own dates, ask from the dates section and we will quote hotels and transfers.
Do Canadians need a visa for Italy?
No visa is needed for stays of up to 90 days in any 180. Your passport should be valid for at least three months after you leave the Schengen area. Check the status of the EU's ETIAS travel authorisation for visa-free visitors before you fly, and expect fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Can I add Venice, Florence or Rome?
Yes. The trip starts and ends at Venice airport, so you can add hotel nights in Venice before or after. Our Venice, Florence and Rome small-group trip also starts in Venice and pairs well with the Dolomites.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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