
Walking the Dolomites of Alta Badia
This single centre, self-guided walking week gives easy access to some of the most stunning alpine scenery. Picture postcard villages surrounded by alpine meadows and the jagged limestone mountains of the UNESCO Dolomites.
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Reviews 5 Reviews5/5
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Vacation Style Holiday Type
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Family
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Luxury
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Self Guided
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Walking
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Activity Level Moderate plus
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In the heart of the Italian Dolomites, the Alta Badia region boasts some of the most spectacular alpine scenery as well as a reputation for excellent cuisine. The village of San Cassiano is no stranger to either and sits just 15km, as the crow flies, due West of Cortina d’Ampezzo (or 30km by road and the Falzarego Pass). Around 500m in altitude above the village lies a large area of beautiful alpine meadow, dotted with traditional wooden mountain huts and the most amazing panoramic views. At some points you have a 360-degree vista that spans from the Austrian Alps to the North to the Marmolada range to the South (the highest peaks in the Dolomites), with the Fanes Natural Park to the East and the Sella mountain range and Gardena Pass to the West – all stunning views in their own rights but when combined it’s almost mind-blowing!
With over 400kms of marked trails, just in this area of the Dolomites, a week’s walking from here allows you to discover the awe-inspiring beauty of this region. Amazingly, all of this is accessible on well-defined and well way marked paths either directly from the hotel, using the hotel’s shuttle service or via a short bus or cable car ride.
This area is steeped in WW1 history with some of the hardest fighting taking place between Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops in the mountains nearby. There is a WW1 Museum located in what was an Austro-Hungarian fortress and there are still tunnels that can be visited on the Lagazuoi mountain (although you do need a head for heights for this).
Famed for its varied cuisine – a mix of Italian and Austrian for the most part – Alta Badia has three restaurants with a total of 6 Michelin Stars between them, in just 15sqkm (5 stars between 2 restaurants in San Cassiano itself). The 2 Michelin Star restaurant just happens to be one of five restaurants in the Ciasa Salares, your home for the week, located just a short walk (or even shorter shuttle/bus ride) from the centre of San Cassiano. Run by the Wieser family, Stefan, Wilma and their son Jan Clemens, who is passionate about the hotel’s fantastic wine cellar, they manage to combine alpine chic in the decor with good old-fashioned hospitality. The five restaurants include an informal wine bar, a terrace restaurant, a main restaurant, tables in the wine cellar and of course the 2 Michelin Star Siriola restaurant. There are also two other very special rooms – the Cheese Room and the Chocolate Room. Other facilities include a library and lounge, a luxurious spa with indoor swimming pool, relaxation area, treatment rooms (3), sauna, steam room and an outdoor hot tub to soak away those aching limbs after a day of walking.
- All breakfasts and 4 dinners
- 7 nights in 4-star hotel with 2 Michelin Star restaurant and spa
- Route notes and maps
- Flights
- Arrival & departure transfers (available on request, inquire for supplement)
- Room upgrades and extra nights at selected hotels (inquire for prices and details)
- Single Supplement (available on request – inquire for supplement)
Highlights
- Stunning natural landscapes of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites: jagged limestone peaks, high alpine meadows and pine forests
- Over 400kms+ of marked walking trails; a great array of flora & fauna; unrivaled alpine views
- Explore charming alpine villages connected by bus and mountain lift system
- Historical WW1 museum and fighting tunnels in the nearby Lagazuoi mountain
- Fabulous **** family-run hotel with five restaurants (including one with two Michelin Stars), spa, indoor pool, outdoor hot tub, sauna and steam room
- Day 1 Day 1 - Arrive at Armentarola, San Cassiano
- Day 2 Day 2 Pralongia Walk 15km/9.5mi/5hr or 17km/10.5mi/5.5hr
- Day 3 Day 3 Santa Croce and Badia Walk 14km/9mi/5hr or 13km/8mi/4.5hr
- Day 4 Day 4 San Cassiano to Corvara Walk 11km/7mi/3.5hr or 16km/10mi/5.5hr
- Day 5 Day 5 Two Lakes of Badia Walk 10km/6mi/3.5hr
- Day 6 Day 6 Valparola Pass Walk 7km/4mi/2.5hr + extensions
- Day 7 Day 7 Fanes Natural Park Walk 15km/9.5mi/6hr or 10km/6mi/4.5hr
- Day 8 Day 8 - Leave San Cassiano

All breakfasts and 4 dinners are included.
Evening meals are served in the atmospheric candlelit dining room where high quality cuisine includes a weekly 5-course banquet and themed Tyrolean buffet evening.
Activity Level: 3 (Moderate)
This is a centre-based independent walking holiday. Walks can easily be extended/shortened by using the complimentary 7- day Mobil Card which gives unlimited access to local buses and selected cable cars and chairlifts. The walking is along varied and well signed footpaths, both at high altitude and in the lower valleys. There are moderate ascents on most days, and longish descents on days when a cable car is used to gain altitude. Walkers should have a good fitness level and be confident on uneven terrain. This trip is unsuitable for severe vertigo sufferers, but will appeal to people wanting challenging high level mountain walking by day, and luxury 4-star hotel accommodation at night.
As this is a self-guided holiday there is no group and no leader. There may be others on the same departure date as you, but you will not be organised together. You are provided with route notes for each day, which begin with an overview of the walk and advice on lunch, followed by detailed instructions. The route notes contain a 24 hour emergency assistance telephone number should you need it and in emergencies, the hotelier is normally able to dispatch a taxi or pick you up themselves. They may wish to charge for this service.
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Package Confirmed Dates | Trip Status Trip Status | Price (PP) Excluding Flights | Price (PP) Including Flights | |
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June 12, 2021
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Available |
$2,549.00 |
N/A |
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June 19, 2021
|
Available |
$2,549.00 |
N/A |
|
June 26, 2021
|
Available |
$2,549.00 |
N/A |
|
July 3, 2021
|
Available |
$2,549.00 |
N/A |
|
July 10, 2021
|
Available |
$2,549.00 |
N/A |
|
July 17, 2021
|
Available |
$2,549.00 |
N/A |
|
July 24, 2021
|
Available |
$3,179.00 |
N/A |
|
July 31, 2021
|
Available |
$3,179.00 |
N/A |
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August 7, 2021
|
Available |
$3,179.00 |
N/A |
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August 14, 2021
|
Available |
$3,349.00 |
N/A |
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August 21, 2021
|
Available |
$2,549.00 |
N/A |
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August 28, 2021
|
Available |
$2,549.00 |
N/A |
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September 4, 2021
|
Available |
$2,549.00 |
N/A |
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September 11, 2021
|
Available |
$2,549.00 |
N/A |
Mr Hesp
Go with the itinerary, or do your own thing with flights transfers and accommodation taken care of, its easy and stress free.
Mrs Wakeham
Very comfortable place to stay with excellent food great service and wonderful walking
Mrs Pizzoni
Hotel Ciasa Salares gave us a genuine mountain welcome. It was sophisticated without being pretentious. The food was of the finest quality and delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. The only criticism was that the advertised gym was unavailable twice due to it being booked out for the day by another party.
There was plenty of choice of walks for a week's break.
Mrs Stanley
Where to start? This was a fabulous holiday, so good that we have decided to return next year. The staff are delightful and cannot do enough to help even knowing what to do when confronted with a diabetic hypo. We enjoyed the splendid food, the wine and the ambience. The scenery is breath-taking. At 6000ft up the mountains still tower over the landscape. It really is a beautiful place with many well marked tracks for walking. There are cable cars to transport you to the alpine meadows which was a relief as I would have found the climb up challenging. If you would like a memorable holiday this is the place for you.
Mr Shortman
The holiday was excellent, the walking in the area was great, some challenging but easier options available. The hotel was superb, the staff were very friendly and helpful, food excellent and great facilities.