Day 1: Arrive Bolzano
Arrive in Bolzano (Bozen, 262m), the bilingual capital of South Tyrol. Private transfer to your premium hotel in the city center. Evening: welcome aperitivo on Piazza Walther, followed by dinner at a restaurant specializing in South Tyrolean cuisine — a fusion of Alpine and Mediterranean traditions. Meet your guides Caroline and Pino, who will brief you on the week ahead. Overnight Bolzano.
Day 2: Alpe di Siusi — Europe’s Largest Alpine Meadow
Cable car from Siusi allo Sciliar to Compaccio (1,854m) on the Alpe di Siusi — Europe’s largest high-altitude alpine meadow at 57 sq km, carpeted with wildflowers from June to August. Walk the panoramic trail across the meadow with the Sciliar (Schlern, 2,563m) massif as your constant companion. The view extends to the Sassolungo (3,181m) and the Sella Group in the distance. Lunch at a traditional malga (alpine dairy) for freshly made cheese and speck (Tyrolean smoked ham). Afternoon: hike to the Rifugio Bolzano (2,457m) beneath the Sciliar’s dramatic north face. Total: 12km, +600m, 5 hours. Return to Bolzano. Overnight Bolzano.
Day 3: Bolzano to Canazei — Val di Fassa
Morning transfer through the Val di Fassa, Ladin heartland of the Dolomites, to Canazei (1,465m). En route: stop at the Carezza Lake (Lago di Carezza, 1,534m), a small but intensely colored alpine lake where the Latemar massif reflects in rainbow hues of turquoise and emerald. Arrive in Canazei, a traditional Ladin village at the foot of the Sella Group. Afternoon hike: the Viel del Pan trail along the foot of the Marmolada — the Queen of the Dolomites at 3,343m, the range’s highest peak. This ancient path was once used by Venetian grain merchants crossing the mountains. Views of the Marmolada glacier, the only substantial glacier remaining in the Dolomites. Total: 10km, +400m, 4 hours. Overnight at a premium spa hotel in Canazei.
Day 4: Marmolada & Passo Pordoi
Drive up to Passo Pordoi (2,239m), one of the Dolomites’ great passes. Take the cable car to Sass Pordoi (2,950m) — the Terrace of the Dolomites — for a 360-degree panorama that includes the Marmolada, the Sella Group, the Sassolungo, and on clear days the Grossglockner in Austria. After descending, hike the Bindelweg trail to Rifugio Viel dal Pan, following the front line of 1915-1918 where Italian and Austro-Hungarian positions were separated by just tens of meters. Afternoon: visit the Marmolada Glacier Museum, the highest museum in Europe at 3,000m, documenting both the WWI City of Ice (a network of tunnels inside the glacier) and the glacier’s rapid retreat. Total: 8km, +300m, 3.5 hours. Overnight Canazei.
Day 5: Canazei to Cortina via Alta Badia
Transfer through the Alta Badia valley into the heart of the Dolomites. Stop in Corvara (1,568m) and San Cassiano (1,537m) — the gastronomic capital of the Dolomites with three Michelin-starred restaurants. Morning hike beneath the majestic walls of the Sella Group to the Santa Croce Church (2,045m), a pilgrimage site with breathtaking views. Afternoon drive over Passo Falzarego (2,105m) to arrive in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Evening: orientation walk on the Corso Italia. Overnight at a premium hotel in Cortina.
Day 6: Tre Cime di Lavaredo & Misurina
Transfer to the Tre Cime trailhead at Rifugio Auronzo (2,320m). With Caroline and Pino leading, walk the classic circuit with commentary on the geology, climbing history, and the battlegrounds of the White War. Stop at Rifugio Locatelli (2,405m) for a long lunch — the terrace view of the Tre Cime with the Laghi dei Piani in the foreground is legendary. Afternoon: descend to Lago di Misurina (1,754m), the largest natural lake in the Cadore region, where the air is said to be particularly beneficial for respiratory conditions. Return to Cortina. Total: 10km, +350m, 4.5 hours. Overnight Cortina.
Day 7: San Cassiano & Fanes Waterfall
Return to Alta Badia for a final walk in the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Nature Park. Hike from San Cassiano to the Fanes Waterfall, a 60m cascade plunging through a narrow limestone gorge. The trail passes through a landscape of dwarf pine, alpine roses, and fossilized coral — this entire area was a tropical seabed in the Triassic period 230 million years ago. Visit the Museum Ladin Ursus ladinicus, which documents the discovery of a cave bear that lived here 40,000 years ago. Afternoon return to Cortina. Farewell dinner: a tasting menu at one of Cortina’s finest restaurants. Overnight Cortina.
Day 8: Departure
Breakfast at your hotel. Private transfer to Venice Marco Polo Airport or Bolzano train station.
