Dolomites
One week itinerary including Venice and a hut to hut hike in Italy.
Did you know?
Dolomites
are a UNESCO heritage site – they are made of dolomitic limestone that gives the mountains their signature look.
Ötzi
is a 5000 year old well preserved mummy and was found in the Dolomites. You can see him in the Museum of Archaeology in Bolzano, Italy.
Languages
South Tyrol is an autonomous province in Northern Italy where people speak Italian and German.
Before you go!
Hut to hut hiking
- Pre-book the huts in advance. Even before you book your flights. The huts have limited spots available and it can get busy during the summer.
- Most huts are only open during the summer months (start of June till mid-October) and
often you can only email and call them to make a reservation. - Take cash with you! Not all huts accept credit card.
Santnerpasshütte (2734 m)
- Showers available (purchase a coin)
- Drinking water. Tap water is NOT drinkable. Can purchase bottled water.
- Power outlet available
- 4-course dinner and breakfast.
- Price stay 85 Euro pp (incl. dinner and breakfast)
- Request deposit of 40 Euro per person per night.
Tierser Alpl (2440 m)
- Showers available (purchase a coin)
- Drinking water. Tap water is safe to drink.
- Power outlet available
- Half board and a la carte available.
- Price stay 85 Euro pp (incl. dinner and breakfast)
Day 1 - Arrival in Venice
Spend the day in Venice. Check out the surrounding islands if you have been to Venice before. Public transport for 24 hours is about 21 Euro (2022). This includes the bus from Mestre to Venice and all the ACTV taxi buses that connect the islands. Start your day early as it will get busy on the taxi boat. Once you are on the main island of Venice it is only a short walk to P.le Roma D. Take boat 3 or 4.2 with the destination Murano.
The first island is Isola di San Michele, also called cemetery island. When Venice fell to Napoleon in 1797 the residents were forced to bury their dead on the San Michele island as the city of Venice floods several times a year and this made it less than sanitary.
Murano
Next stop is Murano. Murano is the second biggest island in the Venetian Lagoon and is world-renowned for its glassmaking. You can see this in all the shops that sell the glassware. You could visit the glass museum or you could visit one of the glass factories and see how the artisans make glass.
Burano
Take boat 12 from Murano to Burano. Burano is a smaller island and is famous for its lace and coloured houses. The legend is told that the residents painted the houses so the fishermen could find their way home when the days were foggy.
Enjoy the colourful houses, have some lunch on Burano island and make your way back to the main island of Venice. If you haven’t been to Venice explore the main island instead.
Feel like gelato? Try pistachio gelato from Gelateria Gallonetto.
Day 2 – Bolzano/ Bozen
Take the train from Mestre train station to Verona and change train to Bolzano. The train ride takes about 3 hours in total. You can pre-book tickets for the train on Trainline. Enjoy the nice view from the train. You will see endless vineyards and apple orchards.
Try to be in Bolzano around lunchtime to wander around the city. Bolzano is also called the gateway to the Dolomites and is surrounded by beautiful mountains. The city is a mix of German and Italian. You will notice this in the architecture, the food and the people speak German and Italian. If you love wine you could book a wine tour and try some nice wines from the area.
Getting hungry? Have a delicious pasta at Nussbaumer.
Day 3 – Lago di Carezza/ Karersee
It is going to be a full day of walking, so wake up early to catch bus 180 from Bolzano bus station to Karersee/ Lago di Carezza. The bus leaves every 20 minutes and stops right in front of the lake. There are toilets and cafes near the lake and there is a walking path that takes you around the lake. The path is mostly flat and takes about 20 minutes. If you go by car it takes about 30 minutes to drive from Bolzano to the lake. There is a big parking area next to the cafes, so don’t worry about parking.
Fill up those 2L waterbags and take bus 180 to the Paulina chairlift. The chairlift is not far from Karersee and the bus stops right in front of the chairlift. One way ticket up to Paulina hut is 13 Euro per person (2022).
Trek 1 - Destination Santnerpasshütte
Start your trek at the Paolina Hütte (2125m). Take route 552 from Paolina Hütte to Kölner Hütte (2300m). It takes about 1,5 hours to hike and it is mostly flat. It can get busy on this route with people hiking for the day. You will have a beautiful view of the Latemar mountains. Have lunch at Laurins Lounge and enjoy the panoramic views.
Behind Kölner Hütte is a short steep ascend up to the trail. Keep following this route till the trail splits. You will notice it is getting less crowded. If you are doing the Santer via ferrata, take the left trial (route 542). If you are hiking like me, take trail 550 in the direction of Tschagerjoch. Keep following the route till the trail splits. Take trail 541 towards Rifugio Vajolet (2243 m). Once at the rifugio take the trial up to Gartlhütte (Rifugio Re. Alberto) or Santnerpasshütte (Rifugio Passo Santner). It is still a steep walk to the Gartlhütte. If you are staying at the Santnerpasshütte you will have to walk past the Gartlhütte and go around the lake up to the Santnerpasshütte. If you are staying at the Gartlhütte walk to the Santnerpasshütte for sunset. The sunset and sunrise are really beautiful and definitely worth the 40 min walk.
Other huts in the area.
- Gartlhütte (Rifugio R. Alberto)
- Rifugio Vajolet
- Rifugio Paul Preuss
Day 4
Tip: Get up early to watch the sunrise over the Vajolet Towers!
Trek 2 Destination Tierser Alpl
After breakfast make your way back towards Rifugio Vajolet (takes about 40 minutes). Be careful walking down as the terrain is unstable. Today’s hike is descending more than trek 1. Once you reach Rifugio Vajolet start following trail 548 to Rifugio Passo Principe/ Grassleitenpasshütte (2601 m). Have a coffee and some apple strudel and continue your hike. Follow trail 11 down to the bottom. It is a descend and difficult to walk with the lose rocks. Sometimes it is difficult to see the markings, but once you get to the bottom take a left and follow the route till you get to Rifugio Bergamo/ Grassleitenhütte (2165 m). Watch how the terrain changes and enjoy the magnificent views. After lunch continue your way from Rifugio Bergamo/ Grassleitenhütte. Follow trail 3 towards Tierser Alpl. It is a small ascend before you will reach level ground. You will see the red roof of the hut. Enjoy a well-deserved Aperol spritz.
Day 5
Trek 3 Destination Passo Sella
The third trek is the longest route (13 km). The walk will be mostly level. Only at the end there is an ascend. During your walk you will hear the cow bells a lot. Enjoy the beautiful views of the valley as you leave Tierser Alpl. You will start on a gravel road down to Passo Duran, but will eventually walk in the fields and past the farms. Walk towards Plattkofelhütte (2300m). Once you arrive at the hut have a nice coffee and continue your way towards Langkofelhütte (2253 m). Take a break and have a nice lunch at Lankofelhütte. Take in the nice views. Fill up those waterbags and continue your way. The last track is a bit more unstable and this includes a steep ascend up to Toni Demetz Refuge (2685 m). Once up the top you can take the gondola lift down or you can walk down to Passo Sella (20 min). Take bus 471 to Wolkenstein and then bus 350 to Bolzano/ Bozen. Total travel time is 2 hours.
Day 6 - Bolzano/ Bozen
After breakfast make your way to the museum of Archeology in Bolzano. The museum has three floors that exhibit the “Tyrolean Iceman”, also named Ötzi and the artifacts that he carried with him 5300 years ago. It is an interesting story about how hikers found Ötzi and theories of how he passed away.
Feel like pizza? Try Forneria38 for their Napolitan pizza’s.
Feel like some bruschetta? Go to Fischbanke for some Aperol Spritz and bruschetta.
Where to stay in the Dolomites?
Before you book your transport it is important to decide on what you want to do during your stay in the Dolomites and where to base yourself. If you would like to do just day hikes you could stay in the Val Gardena area. Look for accommodation in Ortisei, Alpe di Suisi, Seceda, Seceda peaks, Sella Massif, Gran Cir, Passo Gardena.
If you want to see the wine region, you could base yourself in Bolzano. Look for places on Airbnb.
If you want to do a hut to hut hike you will have to decide on the route you want to take and on the huts you would like to stay at. It is important to book the huts in advance as it can get busy during the summer months.
I highly recommend staying at Santnerpasshütte and Tierser Alpl, but there are other huts to also have a look at. Here are some other options near the Rosengartenspitze and Torri del Vajolet:
- Rifugio Vajolet
- Rifugio Paul Preuss
- Gartlhütte
- Rifugio Catinaccio
- Rifugio Bergamo/ Grasleitenhütte
Best time to visit the Dolomites
It really depends what you are looking for. Hut to hut hiking is done in the summer months as most huts close for the winter. If you really want to hike in the snow than this is possible too. There are guided snowshoe tours in the Dolomites.
Getting to the Dolomites
It is not possible to fly directly to the Dolomites. You will have to fly to one of the major airports that are within a three to five hour radius of the area. There you can take the train to Bolzano/ Bozen or you could hire a car. You could fly to the major airports Venice or Munich or to one of the smaller airports Verona or Bologna. If you are renting a car you will have to pay attention to extra charges that may apply to take the car across the border.
Once you get to Bolzano/Bozen by train you still have to catch the bus out to one of the skilifts that can take you up to the mountain. The other option is to rent a car in Bolzano and drive to the mountain.
Below are the closest airports that connect to the Dolomites:
Italy
- Venice Mestre (change in Verona) | 3 hours to Bolzano
- Verona Porta Nuova | 1.5 hours to Bolzano
- Milan Centrale (change in Verona) | 4 hours to Bolzano
- Bologna Centrale | 3.5 hours to Bolzano
Austria
- Innsbruck HBF | 2 hours to Bolzano
Other airports that connect to Bolzano
- Münich (Germany) | 4 hours to Bolzano
- Zürich HB (Switzerland) | 7 hours and multiple changes to Bolzano
What to pack?
Have a look at my blog about what to pack for a hut to hut hike in the Dolomites.
Safety
Everyone has a different level of fitness and I can’t tell you whether you are fit enough to go hiking in the mountains. If you are comfortable using your hands to climb and are fit than you shouldn’t have a problem hiking in the Dolomites. For me it was definitely a fun challenge. I live in the Netherlands and most of the country is below sea level. I thought this trip was amazing and would definitely go again!
Insurance
Please make sure you have travel insurance. If something happens you will be able to get medical treatment and you can protect your gear when it gets damaged or stolen. I have my travel insurance with ANWB (Dutch travel insurance), but you could also go with World Nomads.