Italy: Hiking, Villages, and Culture in the Dolomites

Arrive in Pesariis
Welcome to Italy! The Dolomites are a region of unparalleled beauty and inspiration, well-known for its tiny villages and farms set high in the mountains among green fields and great drifts of summer flowers. Though the picturesque villages are secluded and far apart, the quality of life is as legendary as its alpine hikes, pure mountain air, and photogenic views of the world.

During your adventure, you’ll get to know your expert Italian guide who will lead you and help you imagine life on the mountainside, far above the beautiful valleys below. You are also accompanied by an AdventureWomen Ambassador, committed to helping make your experience a fun and personally rewarding adventure, and cheering you on as you reach beyond your comfort zone to take on new
challenges in your own unique way!

Arrive in Venice, Italy (VCE) before 11:00AM today.

You will be picked up at the Venice airport by your guide. Start your journey across the countryside, learning about the region from your guide, and learn more about the intrepid women in your group on
this two-and-a-half-hour drive.

Head out for a walking orientation of Pesariis, known as the town of the clocks.

Enjoy a lively welcome dinner as you get to know your fellow travelers this evening. Share stories and learn about why each woman in your trip is excited to explore the Dolomites! Savor the recipes made from local ingredients.

Dinner

Overnight: Farmhouse Sot la Napa

Pesariis
Take a cooking class with a local woman and her daughters. This will be a journey through time – the kitchen has a lot of history, and the recipes have been handed down from generation to generation. Enjoy the creations you’ve made for lunch with your new AdventureWomen friends.

This afternoon, head out on a gentle hike towards Stavoli di Orias. You’ll hike for about an hour and a half, which will get you ready for tomorrow’s hike! Imagine life here high on the mountainside as you feast your eyes on the green Italian valleys far below.

(Hiking time 2.5 hours, 500’ elevation gain)

Enjoy dinner on your own this evening.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Farmhouse Sot la Napa

Pesariis
Head out early to start the hour-long drive to the trailhead of Mount Coglians.

Start your hike to the peak of Mount Coglians. The path will start in pine woods, and as you near the peak, it will open up into pastures. (Total hiking time 7-8 hours, 4,700’ elevation gain)

After enjoying the view at the top of Mount Coglians, descend 2,300 feet in about an hour and a half to the Marinelli Hut, where you will have lunch. The hut is famous for its cuisine, and a delicious stop after your morning’s accomplishment.

Continue your descent after lunch. You’ll hike another 2,400 feet down in about an hour and a half. Drive back to Pesariis.

Have dinner on your own this evening.

Hiking Information: Total hiking for the day will be 7-8 hours with 4,700’
elevation gain.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Farmhouse Sot la Napa

Pesariis to Cortina d’Ampezzo
Meet two harpsichord makers at a local workshop. Learn about all of the stages of harpsichord construction, starting with the selection of wood and finally learning about the decorations they choose.

Join a local family for lunch in their home – a typical alpine chalet. The couple hosting you are remarkable; the woman is a fabulous cook, and her husband is a sommelier, so you will have an opportunity to learn about food and wine pairings.

After lunch, drive for two hours to Cortina d’Ampezzo. Enjoy a walk through the narrow local streets to help you learn your way around town.

You’ll have some free time to explore and have dinner on your own in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Breakfast, Lunch

Overnight: Hotel de la Poste

Cortina d’Ampezzo
After a 45-minute drive, start your hike of the Tre Cime Loop. The hike is on moderate terrain and will take you around some of the most panoramic spots in the Dolomites over four or five hours. Enjoy a picnic lunch along the way. (Hiking time 4-5 hours, 500’ elevation gain)

Take the afternoon to explore Cortina on your own. Do some shopping, spend some time at a café, indulge in a glass of wine with your new friends, or just relax at your lovely hotel.

Enjoy dinner with your group this evening.

If you have the energy, after dinner head to the Helmut Ullrich Astronomical Observatory. This experience is unforgettable. Soak in the panoramic view of the stars and planets under a natural cupola at an elevation of almost 6,000 feet.

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Hotel de la Poste

Cortina d’Ampezzo to Sassolungo

Pack just a few things into an overnight bag for today; you’ll leave your main luggage behind as you overnight in a mountain hut!

Drive about two hours to Pian de Frataces. Take the cable car to an amazing natural terrace that takes you through a fir and larch forest dotted with typical wooden huts and barns.

For those who are interested, you can embrace the challenge of trying a Via Ferrata, a protected climbing route, as part of a class with a professional guide. A Via Ferrata is a trail built with a steel cable rail fixed to the rock, metal steps, ladders, suspension bridges, and zip wires. Learn to traverse and climb like a pro!

Enjoy a fortifying lunch at a mountain hut.

Hike on a panoramic path along the plateau, and reach the Sasso Piatto hut, where your group will spend the night. Spend some time before dinner swapping stories about your adventures on the Via Ferrata this afternoon! (Total hiking time 4-5 hours. 2,300’ elevation gain)

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Overnight: Sasso Piatto Hut

Sassolungo to Moena
Wake up early today and visit a nearby mountain cheese farm where you will share the experience of the morning milking alongside local shepherds and learn about the process of artisanal cheese making. Enjoy a delicious, fresh breakfast before continuing down to the valley.

Walk across alpine pastures and then through forests down to the charming village of Campitello di Fassa. Enjoy lunch on your own. Taste some of the regional specialties – canederli, gulash, and strudel! (Hiking time 2-3 hours, mostly flat.)

Explore the lovely town of Bolzano on your own this afternoon. Stretch your legs, poke around in some local shops, or just sit and enjoy a coffee. Have dinner as a group this evening.

Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: Hotel Central

Bolzano
Explore Bolzano on foot with a guide, learning about the town center, visiting the local cathedral with its Gothic bell tower, and the Piazza Walther, home to characteristic wooden houses with amazingly detailed decorations.

After lunch on your own, visit the local archaeological museum, where you can explore the exhibits. The main attraction here is Ötzi, the mummy of a 5,000-year-old man found in the Similaun glacier near the Italian-Austrian border.

Head back to Bolzano where you can try a small local restaurant for dinner on your own with a few of your new friends! here you can try a small local restaurant for dinner on your own with a few of your new friends!

Breakfast

Overnight: Parkhotel Laurin

Bolzano to Venice

Say goodbye to Bolzano as you start the final leg of your journey, a three-hour drive to Venice

Check in to your hotel and then enjoy lunch on your own in Venice.

Walk from the hotel to the famous Piazza San Marco on a guided tour of the city. and then take the Vaporetto to Tessiture Bevilacqua. Enjoy a private visit to the fabric workshop to see the third generation of women producing these precious fabrics, which are shipped to the most important royal houses of the world.

Enjoy a delicious farewell dinner. The mountain views, the villages, the fresh air, the people – everyone in your group may have different “favorite moments” but you can all agree that hiking through the Dolomites was made all the better in the company of women.

Breakfast, Dinner

Overnight: Palazzo Barocci

Depart Venice
Say goodbye to your new AdventureWomen friends as you transfer to the airport for your flights home.

Depart Venice, Italy (VCE) any time after 2:00PM today.

Breakfast

Please note: AdventureWomen will attempt to adhere to the itinerary as much as possible. However, certain conditions (political, climatic, environmental, and cultural) may necessitate changes in the itinerary. AdventureWomen reserves the right to alter any itinerary at any time, if necessary. We will attempt to notify participants of changes as far in advance as possible. Costs incurred by such changes will be the responsibility of the participants.