Grand Tour of the Alta Badia Hut-to-Hut Walking Holiday

Travel overview

Travel to the Dolomites. We recommend flying to Venice Marco Polo Airport and joining our scheduled airport transfer. Included in the cost of your holiday, it departs at 1400 prompt on Saturdays & Wednesdays. Journey Time – 3hrs.

3* Hotel, Arabba (half-board)

Your holiday begins with an overnight stay in the mountain village of Arabba, dramatically located under the towering walls of Monte Sella. As a key strategic place on any itinerary that circumnavigates Monte Sella (and there a few!), Arabba attracts road cyclists, mountain bikers, hikers and, in winter, skiers! It has a supermarket and a variety of shops, as well as a small selection of cafes, bars and restaurants. We provide good half-board accommodation, either at Hotel Malita or Hotel Evaldo, perfect for a fabulous dinner, a good night’s sleep, and a generous breakfast ahead of your adventure.

Walk overview

Rifugio Gardenacia (half-board)

Rifugio Gardenacia occupies a heavenly location in a high pasture on the Gardenaccia plateau at 2,050m. From this natural terrace, the most captivating scenery is eastwards towards the Fanes massif. The setting is peaceful and remote with long horizons and a true sense of being high up. The hospitality is warm and welcoming, whilst the house is traditional and rustic, offering simple comfort. Dinner is a sociable highlight of the evening, as guests chat over generous Ladin-inspired mountain dishes. After a good night’s sleep, breakfast provides a hearty and reliable start for the walking ahead.

Walk overview

Rifugio Santa Croce (half-board)

Rifugio Santa Croce sits in a striking alpine setting, dwarfed by the monumental cliffs of the Fanes massif. It is awe-inspiring to look up at them from your accommodation. The house epitomises a centuries-old style of Tyrolean architecture, but it is as comfortable and cosy, as it is traditional and rustic, with some delightfully simple hospitality touches. In the characterful bar and dining room, guests are treated to authentic and hearty dinners that embrace regional mountain cuisine. Finally, be sure to look out for the phenomenal ‘Enrosadira,’ when the rockface above Santa Croce is turned fiery-red by the sunset.

Walk overview

Leaving Rifugio Santa Croce, the route begins gently in idyllic landscapes of tranquil woodland and flower-rich upland pastures. As the path climbs, the landscape opens dramatically, ultimately revealing the vast limestone amphitheatre of the Fanes massif. The ascent to the high point is steep and exposed in places, with loose scree and rocky sections underfoot, though scrambling is not required. From here, wide-open views accompany a steady descent into the sheltered alpine pastures of Munt de Pices Fanes. You now experience the sense of being genuinely remote, although it is not long until two rifugios come into view below. One of them is Rifugio Lavarella and it is a welcoming reward for completion of a majestic mountain day.

Rifugio Lavarella (half-board)

Rifugio Lavarella sits in a gloriously alpine setting near the bottom of a natural bowl. It overlooks rich flower meadows and gushing streams, which can drown out the gentle clanging of cow bells. On arrival, you wend your way to reception by traversing an extensive sun terrace, where walkers sip on well-earned refreshment, absorbed by their surroundings. Inside, it is characterful and beautifully presented. The welcome is warm; the rooms are attractive and it is hard not to enjoy the anticpation of spending a night in such an exquisite location. As in every rifugio, expect to be heartily fed during a 3-course dinner and, in the morning, from a generous breakfast buffet.

Walk overview

Today’s hike begins on the celebrated Alta Via 1, initially following tracks that are flanked on all sides by dramatic jagged peaks, soaring above pleasant high pastures and the occasional tarn . After approximately 3kms, you join a waymarked off-shoot, which presents you with a short climb, which eases into gentler terrain, before a steep, occasionally exposed, descent drops you to the striking Lake Lagacio. This is a highlight of the day, which can be absorbed over a restorative pause at one of two delightfully situated rifugios. In the afternoon, a long, steady ascent exposes you to the mesmerising ‘Hidden Valley’ as you close in on Rifugio Lagazuoi, perched at the top of the valley with arguably the best 360 panoramas in the Dolomites. And the good news? You are here for 2 nights.

Rifugio Lagazuoi (half-board - likely to be dormitory)

Rifugio Lagazuoi is spectacularly perched high above the Falzarego Pass, commanding one of the most captivating views in the entire Dolomites. The close-ups in one direction are just as mindboggling as the vast panoramas in the other. Don’t miss these vistas at sunset – nor at sunrise! Accommodation is in comfortable and recently-refurbished bedrooms, many with multiple beds. (Private rooms are available at a supplement, but they are likely to be unavailable unless requested very early). Evenings are a convivial pleasure, as general camaraderie prevails over a delicious 3-course dinner. In the morning, a buffet breakfast sends you on your way suitably fuelled up.

Walk overview

Today, you choose how to spend your day. You might simply opt to unwind at Rifugio Lagazuoi with a book, a good lunch and an afternoon nap. Alternatively, you can stay very local by exploring the fascinating labyrinth of WWI tunnels, carved deep into Monte Lagazuoi by Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops, occasionally bringing you out to dramatic look-out posts on the edge of the rockface. If you are eager to keep walking, a sublime circular hike leads to Rifugio Nuvolau, the oldest hut in the Dolomites, located amidst a natural theatre of stunning rock formations high above Cortina (approx. 4½ hours, 470m ascent and descent).

Rifugio Lagazuoi (half-board)

Tonight’s half-board accommodation is a second night in Rifugio Lagazuoi.

Walk overview

Day 7 begins with a descent from Rifugio Lagazuoi to Passo Falzarego, tracing the southern slopes of the Setsas range. The trail alternates between shaded woodland, flower-filled meadows, and dramatic boulder fields before opening onto the wide Pralongia plateau, a natural vantage point with sweeping views of all 7 of the Dolomites’ 3000m giants. From here, walkers may descend towards Arabba (or Corvara) stopping for lunch at one of the welcoming rifugios along the route. This is a perfect final day to reflect on a week of unique alpine adventure amid unforgettable scenery. (If you choose to descend to Corvara, you can return to Arabba by bus or taxi).

3* Hotel, Arabba (half-board)

You return to Arabba for your final night. It is likely – but not always definite – that you will stay at the hotel you visted on Day 1. If not, it will be a hotel of a similar standard, offering good half-board accommodation near the village centre. Why not enjoy a celebratory 3-course dinner and reflect on the experiences and landscapes of the last few days? Either way, you should sleep well!

Travel

If you depart on a Saturday or Wednesday, you are likely to have booked a Collett’s transfer back to Venice Marco Polo, which is included in the cost of your holiday. Otherwise, it’s private taxi or independent onward travel.