Self-guided · Italian Dolomites
Seven days
in the pale mountains
above Cortina.
The most iconic corner of the Dolomites — Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Lago di Braies, the Fanes and Sennes plateaus — walked refuge to refuge over seven days, with a twin room every night.
- Days
- 7
- Distance
- 94 km
- Ascent
- 5,100 m
- Grade
- Moderate to challenging (3/4) · one short cabled traverse
“An amazing and very memorable experience”Bhagyashree & Akhil · Tour du Mont Blanc
Read the reviewsTrip Essentials
The walk
Pale limestone towers,
green plateaus,
the shape of an Alpine dream.
The Dolomites sit in the far north-east of Italy, up against the Austrian border. It's a bilingual, sometimes trilingual, country — German, Italian and the old Ladin dialect share signposts here — and the mountains themselves are unlike anything else in the Alps. Pale limestone spires, near-vertical walls, and between them the greenest high pastures you'll walk on all summer.
This tour spends a week in the very heart of it. It starts under the three iconic towers of Tre Cime di Lavaredo, drops into Lake Braies, climbs onto the vast Sennes and Fanes plateaus, and finishes on a long balcony walk down to Cortina d'Ampezzo. The paths are excellent, one short passage is cable-secured, and the refuges are the good kind — proper Alpine hospitality, twin rooms, dinner around a shared table.
It's a comfort trip: every night in a private twin room (some with en-suite), luggage transfer available for most stages, and daily distances kept to four to six hours on the trail so you can actually stop at the panoramas rather than run past them.
The route, day by day.
A fixed self-guided package: every stage, every night's accommodation and every luggage transfer is arranged before you set off.
- 01
Rifugio Auronzo → Tre Cime tour
3.5 h · +/− 350 m · 9 kmBus from Cortina up to the Rifugio Auronzo, then a circular walk at the foot of the famous Tre Cime di Lavaredo — the three towers — passing the Locatelli refuge and back. A short, spectacular first day. Overnight at the Auronzo refuge.
- 02
Landro Valley → Strudelsattel → Prato Piazza
7.5–8 h · +1050 m / −1360 m · 20 kmA long day. Descend the north face of the Tre Cime into the Landro valley, then climb steeply — a short 50 m cabled traverse around the Strudelkopf — over the Specie Pass and down to the magnificent Prato Piazza pasture. Overnight on the plateau.
- 03
Prato Piazza → Lake Braies → Sennes
5 h · +880 m / −400 m · 11 kmShort bus transfer to Lake Braies, then a climb up a rocky valley to the Riciogogn Pass (2,331 m) and down onto the vast Sennes plateau. Two nights here — settle in.
- 04
Sennes → Gran de Foses lake → Croda del Becco (optional)
5–7 h · up to +/− 970 m · 13–17 kmA loop day. Continue across the Sennes plateau to the Gran de Foses lake and the Biella refuge for a proper coffee break. The full option climbs Croda del Becco — a 360° promontory over Braies and Austria. Return to Fodara across the plateau.
- 05
Pederü → Fanes plateau → Bechei Dessora
4–7.5 h · +/− 600–1260 m · 10–16 kmLong descent to Pederü, then back up the Fanes valley alongside its strangely-coloured moraines. A detour to Lé Vert lake or a longer ridge walk to the Bechei Dessora pass and back. Two nights on the Fanes plateau.
- 06
Fanes plateau — circular
5.5 h · +/− 800 m · 14 kmA circular day on the western Fanes plateau — Ju dla Crusc pass, Medesc pass, Lake Parom — with sweeping views of the pale Dolomite peaks in every direction. Back to the refuge for a second night.
- 07
Forcela de Lech → Valparola Pass → Cortina
4–6 h · up to +860 m / −700 m · 11–14 kmThe final crossing. Take either the shorter Col de Locia or the fuller Forcela de Lech — a window in the mountain opening onto a long descent past Lake Lagazuoi and the Scotoni pasture. One more climb to the Valparola pass and a bus back to Cortina.
Where you'll stay
A good bed at the end of every day.
Six nights in Dolomite mountain refuges. Three nights in a twin room with shared bathroom; three nights in a twin room with en-suite. Bed linen provided; towels aren't — bring your own or a travel towel. All refuges have hot showers, though in drier summers access is not guaranteed.
Getting there
Cortina d'Ampezzo is reachable by train from Venice or Milan (via bus for the last leg) or by air into Venice Marco Polo and a 2-hour bus transfer. Cortina Express runs the main routes.
What's included?
A fixed self-guided package — accommodation, luggage transfer and route notes all taken care of before you arrive.
Six nights in refuges on a half-board basis — twin rooms throughout
Bed linen provided
Route notes, Tabacco 1:25,000 maps and a printed roadbook for the group
Digital route notes on your phone
All planning, booking and support before and during the walk
Luggage transfer between accommodations (optional add-on)
Not included
- Tourist taxes, which some accommodation may ask you to pay locally
- Picnic lunches (bookable via each refuge)
- Bus from Cortina to Auronzo and any local buses/cable cars on the tour (approx. €25 per person)
- Shower tokens (some refuges)
- Personal expenses, drinks (bottled water at dinner is usually charged, about €4 per 1.5 l)
- Cancellation insurance
- Guiding — self-guided, you are responsible for your own safety
Reviews from walkers
What it's like to travel with us.
Every review here comes from someone who actually travelled with us — we only ask once the trip's over, and we don't edit what they say.
From walkers on our other trails.
Different routes, same team doing the planning, the bookings and the hand-holding — so these say a lot about what to expect here too.
“An amazing and very memorable experience”
We had a really wonderful experience and are very happy that we went ahead with the trek. It was challenging at times, but overall it was an amazing and very memorable experience. The scenery, the trails and the whole journey were absolutely beautiful. Bhagyashree did have some issues with her knee during the trek, which made a few sections difficult. We didn't let that stop us — we completed most of the trek and, wherever necessary, adapted our plans and took a bus or train for certain stretches rather than putting too much strain on her knee. Managing the trek despite the knee issue made the achievement feel even more special.
Thank you once again for all your help and guidance in planning the trek. Will definitely recommend Big Trail Adventures to all.
“Solo or in a group, I would do this again tomorrow!”
One of the best experiences I have had. I did this solo and felt supported all the way with the BigTrailAdventures team, especially in inclement weather. The vistas were incredible and overnight accommodation was faultlessly organised. Pushing myself during the day ( I ran rather than walked the trail), and then being fed and watered in a hotel in the evening was a treat.
The planning was exceptional and all details were covered.
There is a special time every day when you are overcome with the beauty of the nature that you are seeing, the sweeping vistas and the gratitude for being able to experience this. It rejuvenates your soul.
“Awesome support from start to finish”
The hike, which challenged me in different ways each day, was great. There was so much to see in every direction. The Highlands are simply stunning, clouds and all. The stays were good for the most part, some better than others (one night my room was above the kitchen so it was quite noisy until late into the night and the haunted Inn was a bit much for me :)). The Rowardennan Hotel and Craig Nevis guesthouse were my favorites. All of them offered great breakfasts and most had dinner options with good selections as well.
The planning was amazing. No glitches, except for one minor one at the start where the luggage van changed their drop off location without my knowledge. Thankfully Craig was there in the morning and quickly figured out where they were and even dropped off my luggage for me. Everything else was planned and executed perfectly; my itinerary for each day included great detail of what to expect. The app was awesome and my friends and family loved tracking me every day with the GPS. I had read that the West Highland Way is very popular in spring (when I initially had planned to go) and late summer. It took a lot of back and forth communication about potential dates but Craig very patiently worked it all out. All communication was prompt and thorough. I very much appreciate all the support I received prior and during my adventure!! Thank you Craig!
There are so many moments I will carry with me for a long time, like my first glimpse of the Highlands, all the water everywhere, the coos, day 2 along Loch Lomond when I wished I was a mountain goat and was grateful that it did not rain, arriving at Kingshouse after 19 miles, midges (haha), and so much more.
This route. These nights.
One clear price.
You are booking the itinerary above: your walking days, your overnight stays and the support that carries you between them.
Organising this trail for friends? Build a group trip with individual payments
- Free cancellation to 60 days
- Confirmation within 24 hrs
- ABTOT financially protected
We'll start planning your trip right away. Not happy with anything? We'll adjust it or refund you — no questions asked.
The Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust Limited (ABTOT) provides financial protection under The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018 for Big Trail Adventures (member 5690). Protection is provided for non-flight packages. Full details in our booking conditions.
Things walkers ask us.
How hard is the cabled traverse on day 2?
It's about 50 metres of cable-secured path around the Strudelkopf on generally-good terrain. It's not a via ferrata and no harness is needed, but you should be steady on your feet and comfortable with a bit of exposure. If that worries you, tell us at enquiry and we'll talk through it.
How fit do I need to be?
Level 3 out of 4. Four to six hours of walking a day on average, with about 850 m of ascent, and one long day at 7.5–8 hours. Marked trails throughout, no technical difficulty beyond the short cabled passage. Cardio training in the months before helps.
Can I book for one person?
The tour is designed for a minimum of two people sharing a twin room. Solo walkers are possible with a single-room supplement subject to availability — tell us on the enquiry form and we'll come back with a quote.
Do the refuges book up early?
Yes — the Dolomite refuges are the most in-demand mountain accommodation in Europe. Get your enquiry in as early as you can, ideally by January for that summer.
Do you handle payments and refunds?
Yes. You book with Big Trail Adventures, pay us, and we handle everything. Cancellation terms are set out in our booking conditions.
Is the Heart of the Dolomites tour self-guided?
Yes. This is a self-guided trip: you walk the 94 km route independently, with no guide and no group. Accommodation for all 6 nights is booked for you, route notes and maps are provided, and there is local support in the region if anything goes wrong.
Do I need a guide or can I walk it alone?
No guide is needed. The route is walked on marked paths with the notes and mapping supplied in your pack. You choose your own start date within the season (20 June to 12 September) and walk each day at your own pace.
Who arranges the accommodation?
We do. Six nights in Dolomite mountain refuges. Three nights in a twin room with shared bathroom; three nights in a twin room with en-suite. Bed linen provided; towels aren't — bring your own or a travel towel. All refuges have hot showers, though in drier summers access is not guaranteed.