Your gateway to this Dolomites tour is Bolzano, a beautiful small city filled with plazas and museums, home of the famous Ötzi iceman, and a pleasant Tyrolean ambiance. From Bolzano, you'll take a private shuttle to the village of St. Ulrich, also known by its Ladin name of Ortisei, for 6 nights. Ortisei is a charming village in the heart of the very traditional Val Gardena, with a pedestrian-only village core and miles of hiking trails radiating in every direction. On this tour you'll receive a Gardena pass good for free travel on the local busses and cablecars, and you'll find Ortisei to be a pleasant and central base for exploring the entire Val Gardena region. Optional nights in remote mountain huts can also be arranged on request. The standard tour includes a nice 3-star hotel Ortisei, while the deluxe tour upgrades you to a a friendly 4-star hotel, luxurious yet casual, with a pool and spa, and great food. You won't want to leave!

Your typical day starts with a delicious buffet breakfast at your hotel - a feast of freshly baked bread and croissants, local meats and cheeses, cereal, fruit, eggs, coffee and freshly squeezed juice - which gives you the energy needed for the day ahead. Before setting out on your hike, visit a bakery and market for lunch supplies, or bring some money for a stop in one of the alpine restaurants along your route. Soon, you'll be out on the trail for 6-8 hours, with many hiking options to choose from.

You should finish your hike around 4 pm, giving you time to wash up, relax, perhaps settle into the pool, or just gaze upon the outside panorama from your room balcony. After that, you'll enjoy dinner at your hotel restaurant. These are multi-course feasts, often featuring delicious local Austrian and Italian specialties. Our hotels all serve fabulous food, and dinners will be hearty, filling, well-earned and very delicious. Typically we leave one dinner free so you will have time to explore on your own in town.

The Dolomites is truly a special region. With gorgeous hotels and an attractive village to go with and numerous exciting hikes, this Dolomites tour will make an indelible impression.

Day 1 Arrive in Italy and transfer by train to Bolzano, your gateway to the Italian Dolomites. Bolzano is a pleasant city with large squares, outdoor markets, and an captivating natural history museum (home of the Ötzi iceman) and is worth a stop if you have extra time. We'll arrange a private taxi to pick you up in Bolzano, and take you on the 50 minute trip to Ortisei. (Ortisei)
Day 2-6 A scenic one-hour drive by private taxi brings you into the lovely Val Gardena, surrounded by mountains in the very heart of the Dolomites. Your base for hiking for the next 5 days will be the charming village of Ortisei, with narrow cobblestoned streets lined with elegant shops. Ortisei is surrounded by pleasant hiking trails and is blessed with beautiful views from every corner. We'll give you plenty of choices for our favorite dayhikes in the region, and fill you in on the local transportation options to get to nearby trailheads. Hike across the Alpe di Siusi, the largest mountain meadow in the Alps. Circumnavigate the trails surrounding the rugged Sassolungo and Sassopiatto peaks. Explore the U-shaped Langenthal valley or the high scenic meadow trails of Seceda, where you can look back on almost the entire region. In the evening, you can unwind in the sauna or pool and enjoy the gourmet cuisine at our tasteful hotels. (Ortisei)
Day 7 After breakfast, your taxi driver will meet you at your hotel to take you back to Bolzano.

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Prefer an inn-to-inn self-guided tour? See our Dolomites Val Gardena Traverse, a 6-night inn-to-inn tour of this same region.

Our self-guided prices are per person, based on two people sharing a standard double room, and include:
Standard tour: 6 nights prepaid 3-star hotel, 6 breakfasts, 5 dinners, private roundtrip taxi between Bolzano and Ortisei, 6 day Val Gardena card for free local bus and cablecar travel.
Deluxe tour: 6 nights prepaid 4-star hotel, 6 breakfasts, 5 dinners, private roundtrip taxi between Bolzano and Ortisei, 6 day Val Gardena card

All self-guided tours include hiking maps, detailed route descriptions (including longer, shorter, and rainy day options), train schedules, sightseeing suggestions, and lots of useful information to help ensure a successful trip. You'll also have a local contact to call if you have any questions or problems during your trip. The taxi transfers are optional, and can be left off if you prefer to take the local busses for a more affordable tour.

Not included are lunches, drinks with dinners, travel not covered by your Val Gardena cards, or extras charged to your room (such as laundry, internet, etc).

Availability is limited in August, but is usually possible to arrange. Our 4-star hotel on the deluxe Dolomites tour are wonderful, but Ortisei also has a pair of absolutely superb 5-star hotels that can be a very worthwhile splurge for a luxurious vacation. Please ask if you're interested.

If you'd like to lengthen or shorten this tour, upgrade hotels, or create a customized tour of the Dolomites from scratch, let us know. We have extensive experience in many parts of the Dolomites, and will be happy to work with you to build the hiking vacation that best suits your needs.

Learn more about custom and self-guided tours