Hiking the Dolomites: Alta Via 1

Welcome to the Dolomites! We’ve got a week of jagged peaks, pine forests and mountain views as our backdrop. Lucky us. You’ll meet your crew in beautiful Belluno, then we’ll kick things off with a welcome dinner tonight.

Ready for your very first hike of the trip? This morning, we’ll hop on public transport and roll into the Zoldo Valley. Think: fresh air, forest trails, and fantastic Dolomites views. Okay, boots on! A Local Guide will join us for the trek, heading towards the slopes of Mount Pelmo as the scenery ramps up with every step. Today’s hike is around 6 km with roughly 700 metres of climbing to reach Rifugio Venezia, our mountain-home for the night. Bonus track: if you’re feeling extra energised, you’ll have the option to add Monte Penna (an extra 5 km with around 250 metres more uphill)

Set off from Rifugio Venezia and hike through conifer forest, opening up to wide views over the Zoldo Valley (with Mount Civetta stealing the show). Hungry? We’ll stop at an alpine hut in the meadows for a quick lunch and a chance to sample local produce. This afternoon, we’ll push on to Rifugio Coldai (trekking 12 km, with an elevation of 700m). It’s a proper hike, but the scenery’s doing most of the heavy lifting. And if you’re still feeling fresh come join us for an optional swing by Lake Coldai to catch it in that evening-light magic.

Goodbye, Rifugio Coldai. Today’s one of the most iconic Alta Via stages - crossing the Civetta Valley with that massive north-west face right beside us. Yep, this is big-mountain territory. First up: Rifugio Tissi, a panoramic “balcony” with front-row views of Civetta. Grab a drink, steal some sunshine, and get your camera rolling. Then we’ll keep moving towards Rifugio Vazzoler, covering around 10 km with about 400 metres of uphill. We’ll roll in just in time for Enrosadira (AKA that unforgettable, fiery sunset glow on the Dolomite cliffs). And… you guessed it: there’s an optional short detour to sprawl out on the Pelsa meadows.

Feeling well rested? Good. Today, we’ll set off from Rifugio Vazzoler and head into the southern stretch of the Alta Via. This is where it’ll start feeling wilder, quieter, and properly remote as we cross valleys beneath the Moiazza. Clocking around 10km today with roughly 600m of climbing, we’ll reach Rifugio Carestiato, perched on a rocky spur with big views over the Agordo Valley. Bonus track: if you’re keen, we’ll push on to Framont — a short, punchy summit detour with wide-open panoramas.

This morning, we’ll leave Rifugio Carestiato behind and step into Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park. It's the only national park in the Dolomites (and a seriously special one for untouched landscapes). Depending on the season, we’ll pass through clearings and trails dotted with wildflowers as we go. Clocking around 10km today with roughly 600m of climbing, we’ll reach Rifugio Carestiato, perched on a rocky spur with big views over the Agordo Valley. Bonus track: if you’re keen, we’ll push on to Framont — a short, punchy summit detour with wide-open panoramas.

Okay. Final stage. Ready? We’ll hike a long downhill through forests and alpine meadows, soaking up the last of the scenery as we go. We’ll drop about 1,000 metres overall (your legs will love this one). After around 10km on the trail, we’ll roll into Forno di Zoldo and celebrate properly with the town’s famous gelato. Hungry for more? You can take a quick detour to check out Lake Al Vach before we wrap. Aaaand, you did it! Our hike's officailly complete. We’ll hop on public transport back to Belluno, swap hiking boots for comfy shoes, and wind down at the end of our adventure.

And just like that, our time in the Dolomites comes to an end. Grab one last breakfast, line up for the final group pics, and stash those “remember when…” moments for later. Until next time!