Explore the Dolomites
Drive & Hike Tour
Holiday Type:
Drive & Hike
When:
June to October
Centres:
Cortina & Canazei
Length:
8 days (suggested)
Grade:
Flexible
2024 Price:
From £ 1550.00
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Hike through the spectacular limestone towers of the Dolomites
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Enjoy a warm welcome and delicious Italian food
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Wander past famous peaks such as Cinque Torri and Sassolungo
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Discover a UNESCO World Heritage Site rich in history
There are few sights as stunning as the sun setting on the towering limestone peaks of the Italian Dolomites. Discover this famous UNESCO World Heritage Site where mighty peaks rise up above airy forests and glittering mountain lakes.
Your first stay is in the town of Cortina, a busy centre of outdoor activities, but also a fantastic place to sample local Italian dishes or perhaps just wander the streets with an ice cream. From here head up to Passo Falzarego, and walk up to the Cinque Torri, some of the most famous limestone towers in the Dolomites. Step back in time and explore the Lagazuoi tunnels and trenches, the extensive underground network leftover from WW1, surrounded by rock spires steeped in history.
After Cortina, it’s a short drive to Canazei, a quieter but just as well placed mountain town. Start with the classic hiking circuit around the mighty Sassolungo massif, with plenty of opportunity to stop in one of the many mountain refuges along the way. Then there’s the mighty Piz Boe, an amazing viewpoint at 3152m (easily accessible by the Pordoi cable car).
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Our Drive & Hike holidays take you to some of the best hiking destinations in Europe, on a self-drive basis, giving you complete flexibility to travel on your own timetable. Spend a few nights in each location, in comfortable accommodation, rather than checking in and out daily. Our itineraries are designed to feature walks which are all within approximately 1 hour’s drive of your accommodation, with a few hours’ driving whenever you change location. Our packages include a hire car as default, but you are also welcome to use your own vehicle if you prefer.
Each day we have set out a specific hiking route which makes the most of the area. A detailed guidebook, map, online mapping and GPX route is provided for each route. However, as this is a self-guided trip, you can of course choose an alternative hike, depending on your preference, and perhaps the weather! Your information pack will therefore also include plenty of alternative hiking routes in each area, of varying difficulty.
Photo Gallery
Explore the Dolomites Itinerary
▼ Day 1: Arrive in Cortina
Arrive in Cortina, a busy resort town of many shops and restaurants, which makes a great base for exploring the area. Cortina is easily accessible, a mere 2 hour drive from Venice, 4.5 from Milan, or 2.5 from Innsbruck.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Cortina
▼ Day 2: Cinque Torri and Nuvolau
12km & 719m ascent (7.5 miles & 2358ft)
From Cortina it's a 20 minute drive up to Passo Falzarego, a convenient launch pad for many walks. The limestone mountain of Nuvolau is immediately visible ahead of you as you start off uphill through sparse forest and grassland. What looks to be an impregnable peak from a distance is actually a straightforward walk up, and from the top the panoramic views are amazing. This being the Dolomites, there is also a rifugio offering food and drink perched on the summit. Then it’s down to the Cinque Torri, a group of jagged rock towers rising inexplicably from the ground. Return to Passo Falzarego for the drive back to Cortina.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Cortina
▼ Day 3: The Lagazuoi Tunnels
6.1km & 622m ascent (3.8 miles & 2040ft)
Returning again to Passo Falzarego, you will head northwards this morning, up a mountain some consider even more spectacular than the Nuvolau - Lagazuoi. From the pass it’s either a 2 hour walk or a 10 minute cable car up to Rifugio Lagazuoi, which is just short of the eponymous summit. This was a fiercely contested area in WW1, and many of the trenches, tunnels and caves remain. One of these tunnels is an optional descent route to take back down to Passo Falzarego.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Cortina
▼ Day 4: The Sorapiss Mountain
12.7km & 851m ascent (7.9 miles & 2792ft)
A 15 minute drive takes you from Cortina to Passo Tre Croci, by the magnificent Sorapiss mountain. At a glance it looks utterly inaccessible, but from this direction there is a good path into a huge bowl, where you’ll find the turquoise waters of Lago del Sorapis, surrounded by the long arms of the mountain. Rifugio Vandelli is a good halfway point to stop for a coffee break, before heading back over the Forcella Marcoira pass to the car park.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Cortina
▼ Day 5: Travel from Cortina to Canazei
It’s a 1.5 hour drive from Cortina to Canazei in the Val di Fassa, where the mighty Sassolungo massif looms above. The town is also a centre of Ladin culture and language - the vast majority of the residents of Canazei speak Ladin, rather than Italian, as their first language.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Canazei
▼ Day 6: Circumnavigation of the Sassolungo
17.3km & 777m ascent (10.7 miles & 2549ft)
A short drive takes you up to the Sellajoch pass, from which you can begin one of the classic walks of the Dolomites. A straightforward and well-marked trail follows ancient shepherds' routes and farm tracks as you circumnavigate the many spectacular spires of limestone which make up the Sassolungo. Whilst the road is out of sight the whole time, multiple rifugios dot the route, offering local dishes and a refreshing drink . On the north side of the route, snowy Alpine peaks can be seen in the distance.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Canazei
▼ Day 7: Piz Boe and the Sella Group
8.5km & 637m ascent (5.3 miles & 2090ft)
From Passo Pordoi, a gondola whisks you up to almost 3000m above sea level, to your start point in the midst of the Sella Group of mountains. Dominating views of the area, the Sella Group is a massive collection of rocky peaks - but from your start point at Sas de Pordoi, the tops of this group can be explored on good paths with limited ascent. Take some time to explore this otherworldly, almost mars-like landscape. Just a few hundred metre’s worth of ascent will take you up to the Piz Boe, the high point of this group, at 3151m.
Accommodation:
Guest House or Hotel in Canazei
▼ Day 8: Depart Canazei
From Canazei it’s a straightforward journey by car to Venice (2.5 hours), Milan (4 hours) or Innsbruck (2.5 hours).
Explore the Dolomites Route Map
What’s Included?
✔ 7 nights accommodation
✔ Breakfast every morning
✔ 8 Days Hire Car
✔ Detailed Itinerary, Map & Guidebook
✔ GPX Waypoints and online mapping
✔ 24/7 Emergency Phone Number
What’s not Included?
X Travel Insurance
X Flights to and from the holiday
X Lunches
Optional Extras
? Rail Transport to and from the holiday
? Taxi Transfers to and from the holiday
? Luggage Transfers
Accommodation & Prices
On our Drive & Hike itineraries we aim to book all accommodations on a B&B basis. However, we will always ensure that there are options for dinner either at your accommodation or nearby, and provide restaurant recommendations in your information pack. Our packages are priced on the assumption of an Economy Manual Hire Car - please just let us know if you would prefer to upgrade or remove this.
Standard
2024 Price: from £ 1,550.00 GBP per person (Request a Quote)
Accommodation will be in en-suite rooms, in a mixture of 2 to 3 star hotels, or good quality, comfortable Guest Houses.
Luxury
2024 Price: from £ 2,200.00 GBP per person (Request a Quote)
Accommodation will be in en-suite rooms, in a mixture of luxury 4* star hotels, or boutique Guest Houses.
FAQs
What is a self-guided holiday? When is the best time to travel? How do I get to the start of my holiday?
Please head to our FAQs page for all answers. Alternatively, please don’t hesitate to send us an email or give us a call with any questions about our holidays.