Walking in the Heart of the Dolomites
- Centre-based hiking in South Tyrol's traditional Alta Badia region
- Rewarding walks through flower-filled meadows dotted with wooden huts and Alpine cows
- Discover the Ladin culture, hospitality and cuisine; all dinners are included
- Enjoy spectacular views over the Dolomites from viewpoints at 2,500m
- Relax at the end of a hike with a beer at your comfortable 3* hotel
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Brunico or Cortina, transfer to CorvaraBrunico can be easily reached by train from Innsbruck, Munich, Verona, or Venice airports or Cortina by bus from Venice. From either Brunico or Cortina a transfer brings you to Corvara taking just under an hour.
Corvara is the largest and liveliest of the six Ladin villages that make up the Alta Badia region. The Ladin people, culture, and language date back centuries and they are known for their proud traditions and hospitality. Check into your hotel and wander around the picturesque centre, taking in the beautiful wooden buildings and marvelling at the dramatic backdrop of the Dolomite mountains.
On this tour dinner is included every night of your stay at your accommodation.
Anna–Maria and family are waiting to welcome you to their hotel. Consisting of 34 comfortable rooms decorated in traditional South Tyrolean style and all with a balcony, this cosy hotel in the centre of Corvara is the ideal base for discovering the surrounding trails. Relax at the end of the day in the sauna, whirlpool or Turkish bath before enjoying a fine evening meal in the hotel's on-site restaurant.
Hotel Pradat is a family-run hotel with a front row view of the Dolomites and a spacious spa area with panoramic views, Finnish sauna, bio sauna, steam bath and relaxation room. All rooms are equipped with flat-screen TV and Wi-Fi.
A morning transfer (30 mins) brings you to the Valparola Pass and the start of your first hike. This mountain pass up until World War One marked the border between Austria and Italy. After 29 months of war, neither side made any progress across this Alpine Front. Today’s walk is thankfully much more peaceful, and you’ll soon find yourself suspended on a balcony that contours high in the mountains, poised between the rocky cliffs of Settsass Peak on your right, extensive views on your left, and the Marmolada Glacier directly ahead. It’s a high alpine world of grey rock and green grass with a sprinkling of wildflowers adding colour as you reach the open expanse of the Pralongia Plateau. Enjoy extraordinary views of the peaks and valleys of the Val Badia, it’s the perfect spot for a break before a pleasant descent to Corvara past grazing cows and ancient farming huts.
Ascent/Descent: 236m/842m
Anna–Maria and family are waiting to welcome you to their hotel. Consisting of 34 comfortable rooms decorated in traditional South Tyrolean style and all with a balcony, this cosy hotel in the centre of Corvara is the ideal base for discovering the surrounding trails. Relax at the end of the day in the sauna, whirlpool or Turkish bath before enjoying a fine evening meal in the hotel's on-site restaurant.
Hotel Pradat is a family-run hotel with a front row view of the Dolomites and a spacious spa area with panoramic views, Finnish sauna, bio sauna, steam bath and relaxation room. All rooms are equipped with flat-screen TV and Wi-Fi.
Enjoy a leisurely breakfast in your hotel before setting off for today’s hike. The Boė Gondola makes a dizzying transition from the bustling charm of Corvara to a new world high above the treeline at 2,224m. Over there, the cascading ice of the Marmolada Glacier appears level with you. Look down, and the valley you’ve emerged from appears like a miniature village. Look up, past the pirouetting paragliders and the Franz Kostner Hut appears as an impenetrable fortress camouflaged against the Sella Massif. Ascend a short section of easy Via Ferratta (no equipment required) just before reaching the Franz Kostner Rifugio. This traditional mountain hut is located at 2,500 m and is a wonderful lunch stop. A gradual descent is the perfect way to walk off lunch, but you also have the option of taking chair lifts and cable cars all the way back into Corvara.
Ascent/Descent: 414m/1,063m
Anna–Maria and family are waiting to welcome you to their hotel. Consisting of 34 comfortable rooms decorated in traditional South Tyrolean style and all with a balcony, this cosy hotel in the centre of Corvara is the ideal base for discovering the surrounding trails. Relax at the end of the day in the sauna, whirlpool or Turkish bath before enjoying a fine evening meal in the hotel's on-site restaurant.
Hotel Pradat is a family-run hotel with a front row view of the Dolomites and a spacious spa area with panoramic views, Finnish sauna, bio sauna, steam bath and relaxation room. All rooms are equipped with flat-screen TV and Wi-Fi.
A short transfer (15 mins) brings you to the Gardena Pass at 2,134m where today’s hike through the Puez-Geisler Nature Park begins. The footpath twists unwaveringly up towards a cliff face, your path remaining hidden until the last moment when it slides into a narrow crevice and you emerge in the heart of the mountain itself, surrounded by cliffs and jagged spires. You'll zig-zag uphill until you step onto the first mountain pass of the day, Forcela Cier Scharte. The path contours through a valley, and then rears up to another pass, Forcela de Crespëina. Step across the col and into a lunar landscape, free of buildings and ski infrastructure. Continue on the gently undulating path to Rifugio Puez, the perfect place for an atmospheric lunch. The path descends to Corvara beside Sasshonger whose steep, craggy peak seems to rise beside you like a shark's fin surfacing the water.
Ascent/Descent: 618m/1,221m
Anna–Maria and family are waiting to welcome you to their hotel. Consisting of 34 comfortable rooms decorated in traditional South Tyrolean style and all with a balcony, this cosy hotel in the centre of Corvara is the ideal base for discovering the surrounding trails. Relax at the end of the day in the sauna, whirlpool or Turkish bath before enjoying a fine evening meal in the hotel's on-site restaurant.
Hotel Pradat is a family-run hotel with a front row view of the Dolomites and a spacious spa area with panoramic views, Finnish sauna, bio sauna, steam bath and relaxation room. All rooms are equipped with flat-screen TV and Wi-Fi.
Today's walk takes you on foot directly from Corvara. This would be a pleasant walk anywhere in the world – beside a trickling river, through a forest, across pastoral land, and through traditional hamlets - but in Val Badia, it becomes an epic journey, with stunning mountains and rock-walls that form a dramatic backdrop above and behind it all.
After the previous hikes, peering down into the valley from grand vantage points like a detached spectator, it’s thrilling to be in the valley itself. Here, Ladin heritage thrives, and you’ll pass charming hamlets and villages with traditional architecture and quaint churches, locals busy mowing their pastures, and restaurants and rifugios offering tasty to sample along the way.
Ascent/Descent: 788m/788m
Anna–Maria and family are waiting to welcome you to their hotel. Consisting of 34 comfortable rooms decorated in traditional South Tyrolean style and all with a balcony, this cosy hotel in the centre of Corvara is the ideal base for discovering the surrounding trails. Relax at the end of the day in the sauna, whirlpool or Turkish bath before enjoying a fine evening meal in the hotel's on-site restaurant.
Hotel Pradat is a family-run hotel with a front row view of the Dolomites and a spacious spa area with panoramic views, Finnish sauna, bio sauna, steam bath and relaxation room. All rooms are equipped with flat-screen TV and Wi-Fi.
A ten-minute transfer brings you to the Santa Croce Chair Lift. After riding the chairlift, you then board the La Crusc 2 Gondola, and step out at 2,045 m to find yourself craning your neck to admire the nearly 900 metres of vertical rock. The Sas dla Crusc rock-wall dominates the Badia Valley and today's walk.
The footpath traverses high above the valley, passing through forests and pastures dotted with wooden cabins. Arrive at Rit Mountain Hut, a great opportunity to stop for a refreshing drink and take in the views. From here it is all downhill to La Val.
La Val-Wengen is off the main valley road, giving it a peaceful, untouched ambiance. It’s also the epicentre of Ladin culture, with the highest number of native Ladin speakers anywhere in the world - 97.6% of residents. Since 2015, La Val-Wengen has been recognised as South Tyrol’s first official ‘hiking village’. It has great infrastructure for walkers with many trails starting directly from the village and, as the only area in Val Badia to escape ski-lifts, these hikes remain all the more pristine. Enjoy a drink here before your transfer (included) back to Corvara.
Ascent/Descent: 532m/1,200m
Anna–Maria and family are waiting to welcome you to their hotel. Consisting of 34 comfortable rooms decorated in traditional South Tyrolean style and all with a balcony, this cosy hotel in the centre of Corvara is the ideal base for discovering the surrounding trails. Relax at the end of the day in the sauna, whirlpool or Turkish bath before enjoying a fine evening meal in the hotel's on-site restaurant.
Hotel Pradat is a family-run hotel with a front row view of the Dolomites and a spacious spa area with panoramic views, Finnish sauna, bio sauna, steam bath and relaxation room. All rooms are equipped with flat-screen TV and Wi-Fi.
From Corvara, an included transfer (approx. 50 mins) brings you back to Brunico or Cortina from where you can continue your onward journey.
Please inform us of whether you are departing from Cortina or Brunico and your expected departure time as soon as possible.
This trip has a carbon score of 18kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 18kg is equivalent to 1 8-oz steak. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?This itinerary is ideal for those who prefer to have just one base for their hiking holiday, or who wish to travel to the Alta Badia during busy periods when minimum night stays at hotels are required (local events, holidays and August) If you are a keen walker who loves the mountains and wants to experience the very best of the Dolomites without compromising on comfort, then this is the tour for you. Stay in a lovely 3* hotel in a picture perfect alpine valley. You should be sure-footed, have a head for heights and not suffer from vertigo to fully enjoy this trip. Surrounded by lush green valleys and dramatic snow capped peaks, what's not to love!
Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way in Scotland, the world renown Tour Du Mont Blanc and Germany's Moselle Cycle Path, to name but a few!
Single Centre Walking | Stay in one location throughout your trip, exploring the region with a mix of loop and point-to-point walks and with time to discover an area, town, or village in-depth.
Solo Travellers
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This itinerary is rated as moderate to strenuous with the average daily distance being 12km. Each day has significant ascent and descent and the paths are a mixture of woodland trails, rocky mountain paths, gravel tracks and scree paths. Some paths are narrow and exposed so a head for heights and a sure foot is required. There are some sections of easy Via Ferrata (metal wires, ladders, foot holds bolted into the rock) to overcome. These don't require any specialist equipment and are similar to an easy scramble. To get the most of this trip, you should be in good physical shape and be an experienced walker, having already done some Alpine walking. You should also be comfortable using cable cars and chair lifts as this itinerary involves a few of these to get to the start/end of walks.
You will spend 7 nights in a comfortable, family run 3* hotel in the village of Corvara. The hotels we use have been hand-picked and all offer a warm welcome to hikers. The accommodation we normally use is indicated in the itinerary, however is subject to availability and therefore alternatives of an equal standard may be offered (hotel facilities may change if only alternative properties are available—should you have any specific requirements, please let us know).
Single Rooms and Solo Walkers
Single rooms are available should someone in your party want their own room and a single room supplement is payable. This tour is available to solo walkers but you must be an experienced and confident walker, having already done some Alpine hiking. Some paths are narrow and exposed so a head for heights and a sure foot is required. There are some sections of easy Via Ferrata (metal wires, ladders, foot holds bolted into the rock) to overcome. These don't require any specialist equipment and are similar to an easy scramble. The trails we have chosen are well-frequented however you should still be comfortable walking in rough terrain alone.
Meals
6 Breakfasts are included and are a buffet selection with lots of sweet treats like pastries, homemade jams fruit and cereals. Savoury tastes are also catered for with bread, cheese, ham and eggs available.
6 Dinners are included at the hotel restaurant. We have included evening meals as all hotels have wonderful on-site restaurants which offer great value for money, as well as an insight into the hospitality and cuisine of the Val Badia. Dinner is often a set menu with a few choices and consists of at least 3 courses. You will likely experience at least one traditional 'South Tyrol' or 'Ladin' evening which is a feast of local specialities including Knoedel (bread dumpling) usually served with homemade Sauerkraut and cheese, barley soup, polenta, speck, local cheeses, spinach pastries and sweet treats like apple strudel and cream.
The route is well waymarked. We also provide you with detailed turn-by-turn route notes and maps. You will also have access to the Macs Adventure Smartphone App enabling you to follow the route using your phone's GPS so you will have no problems finding the way. You can simply download the GPX tracks to your phone for offline use and off you go!
- 6 Nights accommodation in a 3* hotel
- 6 Breakfasts
- 6 Dinners
- Transfer from Brunico train station to your hotel
- Transfer to Brunico train station from your hotel
- Transfers as per the itinerary
- Detailed information pack, route notes and access to our navigation App
- 24/7 telephone support from our UK office
- Travel to and from Brunico train station
- Cable car/chair lift tickets (a pass can be purchased locally for approx. 65 euros) or buses
- Travel Insurance
- Lunches
- Drinks and Snacks
- Personal Equipment
- Single Room Supplement (s)
- Extra nights along the way
This trip is available to start any day of the week from the beginning of July to mid-September, subject to availability. In July, you can experience Alpine flowers at their finest while in bloom. September often brings pleasant temperatures and a more relaxed atmosphere. Availability in August is very hard to come by as this is the main holiday-making month for the Italians and indeed many other European countries, the hiking trails and the towns will be busy. For a more pleasant experience, we recommend July or September. The season is relatively short due to the high-altitude nature of this tour, which can mean snow is a possibility even in June and in October.
On the 2nd of July 2023, the Maratona dles Dolomites, a world-famous road bike marathon, takes place, which involves road closures, limited public transport and in-demand accommodation. For this reason, we are unable to confirm any bookings starting around the time of the marathon.
Corvara is based in the very north of Italy and so you can access it from a number of neighbouring countries like Germany and Austria as well as from Italian transport hubs. The closest airports are Innsbruck (Austria), Munich (Germany), and Verona and Venice in Italy.
The easiest airport to access Corvara from is Venice Marco Polo Airport as there are direct buses to Cortina that take around 2 hours. Bus services are bookable online, through Atvo (Line 29) or Cortina Express.
From all the above airports, you can take a shuttle bus or train to the main train stations of each city, then take a train to Brunico (also written as Bruneck). The journey takes approx. 3 hours from Innsbruck, 3 hours 40 mins from Verona, 4 hours 40 mins from Munich, or 5 hours from Venice. All routes require a change of trains. Train information can be found on the German, Austrian , or Italian Railway websites.
In Brunico or Cortina, you’ll be met by a taxi transfer and taken to your hotel in Corvara, which takes around 50 minutes. Please inform us of whether you are arriving in Cortina or Brunico and your expected arrival time as soon as possible.
From Corvara, you’ll be collected from your hotel and taken back to Brunico train station or Cortina bus station. The transfer time is approx. 50 mins, so we recommend allowing at least an hour if you are planning on catching a specific train/bus.
Cable cars and chair lifts:This itinerary makes extensive use of the local cable cars and chair lifts, allowing you to start hiking at altitude, without spending too much time in the tree line. Each cable car/chair lift takes about 5 mins. We highly recommend purchasing a lift pass from the Tourist Information Centre in Corvara upon arrival. There are various options to choose from, for this particular itinerary, the 5 of 7 card is best. This means you can use the pass on any 5 days within a week. Once it has been activated for the day, it can be used as many times as required that day. The cost is approx. 65 euros per person. Up to date information can be found at the Alta Badia Tourist Board's website.
The reviews for this tour up until December 2019, are based on a previous itinerary. As of December 2019, changes have been made to the itinerary.
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