Italian Dolomites Hiking and Multisport

Hold our beers, gondoliers. This feral pack of women is hiking INTO THE ALPS. Be sure to fill up on breakfast before gathering just outside Venice at 10am with your fellow Explorer Chicks! We’ll strap into the SHE-nanigan Shuttle and head straight to the almighty Dolomites. After a 2-hour drive, we’ll stop for lunch and enjoy homemade alpine delicacies while golden eagles screech in the surrounding trees.

After stuffing ourselves with protein and carbs, we’ll drive 30 quick minutes to the start of our trailhead beneath the Tre Cime di Lavaredo––the Three Peaks of Lavaredo. These towering mountains are enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and among the most famous formations in the Alps. Grab your backpack and enjoy spectacular views of these jagged limestone peaks. Once we take a billion photos, we’ll make the easy hike to Dreizinnen Hut, where we spend our first night together. GROWNUP SLEEPOVERS RULE.

Kick back with an aperol spritz and drink in the crazy-beautiful sights of your first night with your new besties. We’ll have dinner in our mountain hut and start brainstorming Italian trail names.

Elevation Gain: 900′
Hiking Distance: 3.2 miles
Time: 2.5 hours hiking

Highest Elevation: 7,900′

Transfer: 3 hours
Accommodation: Mountain Hut
Meals: L-D

Morning coffee hits different when you’re 8,000 feet up, basking in the golden glow of the Tre Cime monoliths. While the rest of the world is still in bed playing Wordle, you’re soaking in panoramic alpine views, breathing in that crisp mountain air, and living the dream.

We’ll eat breakfast at the hut and prepare for the most badass day of our trip. We are getting an intro to mountaineering via-ferrata style. This means the mountain route will be equipped with fixed ladders, cables, and bridges. The via-ferrata warms us up nice and easy, and we’ll follow tunnels built during WWI.

The route gets more vertical and exposed the farther we go. You’ll need a decent level of fitness and hiking experience––and ideally zero fear of heights––to master these slopes. Our mountain guides will be there every step of the way to keep us safe and as sure-footed as an ibex.

Note: if the thought of heights makes your knees go weak, you 1000% don’t have to do the via ferrata. You’ll have the option to relax, explore on your own, go shopping, or enjoy some free time. And, If the whole group ain’t feeling the via ferrata, we can take an easier trail option. Blasting through discomfort is classic Explorer Chick, but we don’t want anyone clutching their rosary beads!

After our hike, we’ll drive 30 minutes to the Olympic town of Cortina d’Ampezzo for lunch and some drinks (or shopping to burn through that adrenaline!). After, we’ll drive another hour to the mountain village of Colfosco, where we’ll spend two nights with dreamy views of the Dolomites and soaking in the luxury alpine spa.

Elevation Gain: 900′
Hiking Distance: 3 miles
Time: 4-5 hours hiking

Highest Elevation: 8,500′

Transfer: 1.5 hours
Accommodation: Luxury Hotel
Meals: B-L-D

Ugh, more gorgeous rock formations on the agenda. After a filling breakfast we’re shuttling our booties over to Passo Falzarego to do the hike around Cinque Torri. See the five, gorgeous spires bursting out of the landscape? Those tectonic plates understood the assignment.

We’ll do an easy walk and enjoy a picnic lunch along the way. Located near Cortina d’Ampezzo, these iconic towers are a playground for climbers and hikers, offering breathtaking adventure in a stunning alpine setting.

For history enthusiasts, the area is also home to World War I historical sites, including well-preserved trenches and tunnels. After we get our fill of views, your afternoon is reserved for even more spa relaxation and pampering.

Elevation Gain: 1,400′
Hiking Distance: 4 miles
Time: 4 hours hiking

Highest Elevation: 7,431′

Transfer: 1 hour
Accommodation: Luxury Hotel
Meals: B-L-D

We’re in zero hurry today and will soak up every last leisurely moment in our hotel. BECAUSE UP NEXT IT’S PRIMITIVE MOUNTAIN HUT TIME, BABY! After breakfast and a short drive to yet another trailhead, we’ll embark on a 2-day hiking journey through the stunning Puez-Odle Nature Park. 

We’ll warm up nice and easy, enjoying stunning views of Peitlerkoffel north walls. As we climb to the Peitler Saddle, we’ll stroll along comfortable trails with wide open vistas across the stunning mountain meadows and the jagged white horizon above them. This is one of our most beautiful hikes and very much off-the-beaten path.

On the way, we’ll stop for lunch in a mountain hut and end the day in our cute little cabin, run by a lovely local family. We’ll be sleeping high up in the mountains in a much smaller, simpler, more authentic mountain hut. 

Elevation Gain: 2,450′
Hiking Distance: 4 miles
Time: 3-4 hours hiking

Highest Elevation: 7,500′

Transfer: 45 minutes
Accommodation: Mountain Hut
Meals: B-L-D

Enjoy a hearty breakfast with the best view before lacing up those hiking boots. Today we’ll head into the heart of Puez-Odle Nature Park to climb and descend a mountain pass with some intense gravel trails.

After, we’ll be rewarded with endless meadows rustling in the wind beneath the famous Seceda ridge. We’ll enjoy our final lunch in the mountain hut, take that Instagram shot of the Seceda ridgeline, and hop a cable car down to Val Gardena valley.

Tonight we’ll rest our heads in the darling town of Ortisei. Dinner is entirely up to you. Enjoy your free time as you explore this postcard perfect alpine village filled with hand-carved wooden sculptures.

Elevation Gain: 450′
Hiking Distance: 4 miles
Time: 3-4 hours hiking

Highest Elevation: 7,500′

Transfer: Cable car ride down to the valley
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: B-L

Oh good, we have your attention. After breakfast and an easy last morning in Ortisei, we’ll drive to the stunning South Tyrol wine region. Hop on your e-bike and coast along ridiculous side roads that look Photoshopped. You’re gliding through beautiful wine country and bucolic villages like it’s your job.

We’ll stop at a winery for lunch and enjoy a generous tasting. After, we’ll board a transfer to Riva del Garda, our home for the next two nights. Grab dinner on your own or with your new friends again this evening!

eBiking Distance: 15 miles

Highest Elevation: 4,100′

Transfer: 2 hours
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: B-L

It’s illegal to go to Italy without taking a cooking class, so that’s how we’ll start our last full day. We’ll take it slow today, preparing typical Italian dishes for 4 glorious hours that include plenty of wine breaks. After lunch, we’ll head to Lake Garda to board our sailing boat. Relax as we whip through the waters, or jump in and enjoy a swim as you gaze up at stunning mountain views.

We’ll spend 3-4 hours on the boat before breaking for our last supper at a local winery, oil mill, and restaurant.

Transfer: 1 hour

Highest Elevation: 215′
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals: B-L-D

After an easy morning and farewell breakfast, it’s time to board the transfer back to Venice and say our goodbyes. If you’re planning on extending your adventure, we can totally arrange a transfer to your next travel destination. Don’t you dare forget about us and can we please start a text thread called “Loose Dolomite Women?” 

Transfer: 2 hours
Meals: B

*Explorer Chick reserves the option to modify trip itineraries at the discretion of your tour director as necessary due to weather, conditions, illness, injury, group dynamics, availability, or other unforeseen incidents.