Hiking IN the DOLOMITES
SEPT 25-OCT 2, 2027
PRIVATE TRIP
Dramatic, imposing, unforgettable. The Dolomites rival any mountain range on Earth for natural beauty. Join an International Mountain Leader to walk through the national parks of Fanes-Sennes and Dolomiti di Sesto, trekking among the jagged peaks and gazing over the extraordinary three spires of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. We stay in the traditional village of Villabassa, where spectacular scenery meets a fiercely proud Tyrolean heritage. Our home for the week is Hotel Adler, with a wonderful spa and renowned fine-dining restaurant within its 400-year-old walls.
Highlights + Inclusions + Not Included + Map + Terrain + Mileage
Cost: $3475 per person/double occupancy; land only
Non-Refundable Deposit: $850
Single Supplement: $570
Final Balance Due: June 2027
Comfort Level: Superior; “Accommodation rated as Superior Comfort includes hotels and lodges that combine good amenities, local character and great service. Expect an extra-special feature or two, such as a great location, well-designed communal areas, extensive grounds, a swimming pool, beautiful view or great restaurant.
Rooms are usually well kitted out with amenities and have air conditioning as standard where needed.
Most of the hotels we rate as Superior Comfort are equivalent to a European four-star property.”
CHALLENGE LEVEL 3/5: Moderate; “The inclusion of more hilly or even mountainous terrain makes this grade suitable for fit and frequent hikers. Underfoot conditions could be rocky or with some loose gravel; on wider trails, we may encounter some steep drops to one side. The maximum ascent could be up to 3,600ft (1,100m) in one day. We typically walk for four to seven hours per day.”
We'll be walking approximately 6-8 hours per day.
Terrain: Low altitude; good paths with some steep ascents
Day 2: Distance: 8mi (13km); ascent: 1,663ft (507m); descent: 521ft (159m); Extension to the Malga for coffees 1mi (1.5km); ascent 246ft (75m)
Day 3: Distance: 9.3mi (15km); ascent: 2,438ft (600m); descent: 2,365ft (721m)
Day 4: Distance: 9.3mi (15km); ascent: 1,640ft (500m); descent: 3,281ft (1,000m)
Day 5: FREE DAY
Day 6: Distance: 6.83mi (11km); ascent: 1,817ft (554m); descent: 1,765ft (538m)
Day 7: Distance: 8.5mi (13.7km); ascent: 2,450ft (747m); descent: 2,857ft (871m)
What's Included
All accommodation: 7 Premium nights (Hotel Adler)
All breakfasts, five lunches, six dinners, one of which will be an authentic Tyrolean gourmet dinner
Immersive itinerary with all transport and listed activities
Expert tour leader to enhance your adventure, chosen for their experience and great customer feedback
Group arrival and departure transfers available
Highlights
Hike through Norway’s stunning fjords, the most immersive way to experience the natural wonders
Ride the Flåm railway, one of the most beautiful and steep train journeys in the world
Enjoy a ferry cruise through the dramatic sheer cliffs of Naerøyfjord (Narrow Fjord)
Visit the award-winning Norwegian Glacier Museum to discover the secrets of the landscape
Stay at Nes Gard, a family farm on the edge of Lustrafjord
Key Information
Accommodation: 8 Classic nights (2 hotel, 6 guesthouse) Can be upgraded by request.
Five days of walking
Travel by minibus, train and ferry
Minimum age: 16
Countries visited: Norway
What's Included
All breakfasts, seven packed lunches and six dinners
All accommodation
All land transport and listed activities
Tour leader throughout
Group arrival and departure transfers available
What's Not Included
Travel insurance (REQUIRED): Must have a minimum of $250,000 coverage for emergency medical treatment and medical transportation.
Single accommodation (available on request)
Visas or vaccinations
Saturday SEPT 25
Transfer from Marco Polo airport Venice to our home for the week
If you'd like to extend your trip to spend a few days in Venice, I HIGHLY recommend that you do it on the front end if you can. I spent time in Venice on the back end of my first hiking trip here, and it was jarring. I was exhausted (in the best way) and my heart was overflowing with true awe. Spending 7 days living in the present moment, 5 of them in nature, with some of the most extraordinary people in existence, is pure gold--the kind of treasure you can't describe with words.
What I wish for you is that you explore the city before our mountain adventure, which will also help with acclimating to the new time zone and recovering from the long flight, so you can just sit in and truly absorb the magic of our week in the mountains on your flight home.
Once we're checked into our rooms at the Hotel Adler in Villabassa, our guide will give a short briefing to give an overview of the week ahead. The hotel is handily located on the village square, so any free time can be spent with a little stroll around, perhaps up past the church or down to the river. The church is built over a sacred pagan site, and they left a window to the ancient ruins in the middle of the floor--it's so cool!
Alternatively, we can soak up the cozy atmosphere with a relaxing drink in the bar or on the patio overlooking the square. We'll be in prosecco country, and the prosecco is ON TAP.
Meals included: Dinner
Sunday September 26
Lago di Braies
The ideal start to visiting this vast area is a walk straight from the hotel through the very pretty, flower-filled Braies Valley. We walk through small villages and farmland until we reach the magnificent Lago di Braies itself, one of the 297 glacial lakes in the area. It is certainly one of the most beautiful, surrounded by jagged peaks that are reflected in the extraordinary mirror-like surface of the water. We follow the route of SS hostages, the leaders of 19 countries who were freed after the second world war by the inhabitants of Villabassa.
Distance: 8mi (13km); ascent: 1,663ft (507m); descent: 521ft (159m)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Monday may 29
Summit Molden peak, an excellent viewpoint for Sognefjord
After a short transfer, we have a picturesque walk to the top of Molden (3,360ft/1,116m), where we can marvel at the profound chasm that is Sognefjord.
Molden is often called the finest viewpoint in Sogn, with an amazing fjord view. With 1,970ft (600m) of elevation gain over 2.6mi (4.2km), the path is neither too steep nor strenuous. Halfway, we stop at the mountain farm of Svarthiller, where we get the first scenic views of the fjord.
After, we visit Urnes Stave Church, the oldest stave church in Norway and a World Heritage site.
Classic accommodation: Nes Gard (or similar)
Distance covered: 6mi (9km)
Ascent: 2,034ft (620m); Descent: 2,034ft (620m); Activity hours: 4
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Tuesday may 30
Transfer to Jostedal Valley; hike and boat trip on glacial lake; optional glacier walk
After breakfast, we have an approximately 40-minute transfer to Jostedal National Park, the home of Jostedal glacier, a mammoth ice cap covering vast swathes of the park itself.
It has nearly 30 glacial arms and today we visit two, starting with a walk to the Nigards Glacier where we get up close to the glacier. If you’d like to get even closer, you can join an optional guided walk on the glacier, using crampons and an ice axe to help you navigate.
After, we drive to the Bergset Glacier, a mighty ice wall covering the upper part of Krundalen valley. Here, we have a short walk towards this glacier fall before we head back to Nes Gard.
Classic accommodation: Nes Gard (or similar)
Distance covered: 6mi (10km)
Ascent: 656ft (200m); Descent: 656ft (200m); Activity hours: 6
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
wednesday May 31
Hike into Mørkrisdalen Valley
We hike into Mørkrisdalen today, one of the most scenic valleys in Norway. The walk starts in a narrow canyon dominated by a waterfall. As we continue, the canyon opens into a wide valley of moorland with wildflowers and traditional Norwegian summer cottages.
Afterwards, we say goodbye to Nes Gard and transfer (approximately 1hr 30min) to our second guesthouse in the fjords, the Fjærland Fjordstove in Fjærland, which has a waterfront location and views of a glacier.
Classic accommodation: Fjærland Fjordstove (or similar)
Distance covered: 7mi (11km)
Ascent: 1,148ft (350m); Descent: 1,148ft (350m); Activity hours: 6
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Thursday june 1
Hike to Anestølen
After a short morning transfer (approximately 20 minutes), we begin our walk by following a mostly flat gravel road, which offers panoramic views of the Barnakona peak. We arrive in Anestølen, a summer farm for goats, and enjoy our lunch while our tour leader tells us stories about how farming life has evolved here over the years.
The second part of the walk after Anestølen is a bit steeper and rocky in some sections. We return along the same path and continue our walk until we meet our transfer vehicle to take us back to the guesthouse.
Classic accommodation: Fjærland Fjordstove (or similar)
Distance covered: 7mi (12km)
Ascent: 1,640ft (500m); Descent: 1,640ft (500m); Activity hours: 5-6
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Friday june 2
Besshovden hike; visit the Norwegian Glacier Museum
We start the day with a short transfer to the start point of today’s hike. The route (which takes three to four hours) is one of the most popular in the area and when we reach the top of Besshovden viewpoint, we see why. From the summit, we enjoy majestic views of the Fjærlandsfjorden fjord and the Jostedalsbreen glacier. During summer, you may even see people securing hammocks here to spend the night under the stars.
After, we have a short transfer to the Norwegian Glacier Museum, an angular slice of modern architecture backdropped by the ancient mountain peaks. Here, we can spend 1hr 30min enjoying a fascinating insight into the local landscape, the glaciers and how the climate crisis is impacting them.
Please note: the order of this day may be reversed, depending on the weather.
Classic accommodation: Fjærland Fjordstove (or similar)
Distance covered: 5mi (8km)
Ascent: 1,312ft (400m); Descent: 1,312ft (400m); Activity hours: 4-5
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
saturday june 3
Flåm railway; to Bergen
After breakfast, we have a transfer (approximately two hours) to Flåm, where we ride the Flåm railway, one of the most beautiful and steep train journeys in the world. When we are back in Flåm, we continue to Bergen. We arrive around 4pm and then have time to explore the city.
Classic accommodation: Thon Orion Hotel (or similar)
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch
sunday june 4
End Bergen
The adventure ends in Bergen after breakfast. You can begin your return journey home, or if you’d like a bit more time to explore the city, speak to me about extending your stay.
Meals included: Breakfast
Join us on this extraordinary experience!