Dolomites Family Adventure

Dolomites Family Adventure Itinerary:

• Day 1

  Your trip begins in San Candido - Innichen, Italy. Daily rail connections are available from Milan, Venice, Munich and Innsbruck. The villages in this region have both Italian and Austrian names as our trip takes place close to the Austrian border. Depending on arrival time, you can opt to explore the town independently this afternoon and admire its beautiful wooden farmhouses or just relax and begin getting accustomed to the time change. We spend the first four nights of the itinerary in our San Candido hotel, a short walk/taxi ride from the train station. Meals and rail transfer on your own. Hotel included.

• Day 2

  At breakfast in the hotel lobby, we meet our guides and traveling companions for the week. After introductions and a brief orientation, participants interested in hiking will set off on a lovely walk directly from the village, stopping for lunch at a mountainside rifugio (full-service mountain hut) along the way. San Candido – Innichen is beautifully situated in the Upper Pusteria Valley and is fringed by a thick fir forest and crowned by the jagged peaks of the Baranci chain, visible in clear weather from our trail. Before dinner, we’ll have some time to appreciate San Candido’s charming Romanesque and Baroque-style churches and visit the ancient thermal baths or soak up the atmosphere at a café in the village piazza. Breakfast and dinner included.

• Day 3

  After breakfast, we’ll grab our bikes for a leisurely ride along the bike path to the small Eastern Tyrolean town of Lienz, Austria. This unique 26-mile route cuts through a lovely valley lined with breathtaking mountain scenery on either side. The one-way ride takes approximately three hours but numerous rail stations along the way allow those wishing to shorten their day to jump aboard the train with their bikes and return to San-Candido. Once in Lienz, we’ll park our bikes and explore this quaint Austrian village on foot. After lunch and perhaps a visit to the town’s medieval castle, Schloss Bruck, we’ll board the train for the quick trip back to San-Candido.  Later this afternoon, kids may opt to take an exciting ride on San Candido’s Funbob, a summertime version of the bobsled. Breakfast and dinner included.

• Day 4

  This morning we board a local bus for a short ride up to the neighboring village of Auronzo and take a hike around the massif of Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The extraordinary shape, alignment and subtly changing colors of these “Three Peaks” make them some of the most dramatic formations in the Dolomites. The Cima Grande (Big Peak) is the highest at 9,836’, followed by Cima Ovest (Western Peak) and Cima Piccola (Small Peak). We stop for lunch at a rifugio with panoramic views of the rugged landscape, and then continue down through alpine meadows to the valley below. This afternoon, we have the opportunity for an optional hike on the famous Via Ferrata, or “Iron Way,” which runs throughout the Dolomites. Originally built and used during World War I by soldiers fighting battles in this region, the Via Ferrata is a system of iron ladders and cables that assists hikers over mountainous terrain. The Via Ferrata offers routes suitable for both adults and children, and all hikes are led by certified mountain guides. Breakfast and dinner included. The optional hike on the Via Ferrata is not included in the trip cost.

• Day 5

  Today we head for the Veneto and its alpine gem, Cortina d’Ampezzo. It’s easy to understand why Cortina is considered to be the most perfectly situated village in the Italian Alps, with its surrounding peaks of Monte Cristallo, Monte Pelmo, Croda da Lago, and the Tofanes. Those who wish to spend additional time in Cortina and shorten their hiking day can do so by taking a bus there from our lunch stop in Cimabanche. We spend the next three nights at the comfortable Hotel Menardi, complete with a relaxing spa center. This locally famous hotel is owned by a family that has been in the hotel business for over three centuries. Breakfast and dinner included.

• Day 6

  We begin our day with a dramatic gondola ride up the side of nearby Monte Falloria to our trailhead. We traverse the mountain, taking in the breathtaking views all around before crossing over a high pass and descending to a lovely turquoise lake below. We’ll have the opportunity to try a delicious lunch of “canederli” (bread dumplings) before heading back down through the alpine forest to our hotel. Trip members may also choose instead to spend a less vigorous day today exploring lovely Cortina and its environs. There’s plenty of opportunity for shopping, strolling and perhaps just relaxing in an open-air café and enjoying the spectacular setting of this wonderful resort. For children and parents interested in an afternoon activity, your guides will accompany you on a short walk to the Cortina Parco Aventura (Adventure Park Adrenaline Center) where visitors can choose from three different rope courses and test their skills on zip-lines, tree climbing and bridge crossings. Additional fun-filled options at the park include a bobsled ride with certified pilot. Dinner tonight is on your own, allowing families to choose from one of the many wonderful local restaurants.  Breakfast included.

• Day 7

  Today’s hike takes us up into the Cinque Torri, the glorious mountain group just south of Passo Falzarego which rises up in isolation on the northern edge of the Averau Plateau. Once a massive single tower, this rock formation eroded and collapsed to form the current jumble of colossal boulders that make up the Cinque Torri, an area quite popular with rock climbers. Families may opt for a more leisurely hike today, led by a Cortina naturalist who will identify local flora and fauna and weave in some colorful storytelling.
  
  We enjoy a special farewell dinner tonight at the Ristorante El Zoco and recap the week’s adventures one last time. Breakfast and dinner included. 

• Day 8

  A private van transfer to the Conegliano train station (approx. 45 minutes from Venice) has been arranged for us this morning. We anticipate a 9 a.m. departure from Cortina with a convenient 10:30 a.m. arrival in Conegliano. From here, you can make a rail connection to your departure gateway or to fantastic Venice where you may opt to spend a few additional days wandering the city’s narrow, twisted streets and admiring its architecture and canals. Breakfast and transfer to Conegliano included.

Although we do our best to adhere to the schedule listed above, this itinerary is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control.

If you specifically request single accommodations, you will be asked to pay the full single supplement noted on the trip itinerary. If you wish to share accommodations, we will assign you a roommate if one is available. If a roommate cannot be found, you will be asked to pay a reduced single fee, which is half of the full single supplement. Please be advised there are a limited number of single rooms available.

Hotel accommodations with private baths; 7 breakfasts and 5 dinners; bilingual guides; cycling excursion (bikes included) on Day 3; admission to Cortina Adventure Park on Day 6; luggage transportation and transfer to the Conegliano train station at trip’s end.

Air transportation; transfer to hotel in San Candido-Innichen and transfer to departure gateway after drop-off in Venice; 1 breakfast, 7 lunches and 2 dinners; optional hikes on the Via Ferrata and optional nature walk in Cortina; alcoholic beverages and soft drinks; gratuities; laundry and items of a personal nature.

This adventure is rated as Moderate [3] but we have structured the itinerary to provide options for family members of all ages.  Most of this itinerary’s hikes are similar in length and level of difficulty as our standard Dolomites Discovery, with the exception of a few days where hikes have been excluded or slightly modified to allow time for family activities. Parents and children alike planning to participate in all hiking excursions should be in good physical condition and be prepared for 4-6 hours of alpine hiking on most days. To maximize your enjoyment of the trip and to avoid sore muscles, we suggest beginning a regular exercise regimen at least 2 - 3 months prior to departure. Recommended exercises include hiking, jogging, cycling and/or swimming. The better shape you are in, the more fun you will have! We have chosen our guides for family departures based on their proven ability to interact with and assess the ability level of adventurers of all ages.

Sunshine is typical during the month of July, with daytime temperatures averaging 55º - 65º F at higher elevations and 65º - 75º in the valleys below. As this trip takes place in the mountains, weather patterns can be unpredictable and change rapidly. Although all-day rain storms are unusual, showers are a possibility at any time of the year, making adequate raingear a necessity for this adventure.

This trip is subject to the booking information set forth in the current REI Adventures Reservation Information. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A full gear list and pre-departure information is sent upon sign-up. We highly recommend the purchase of travel insurance through REI Adventures. If coverage is purchased at the time of your initial reservation, the 'Pre-existing Conditions Exclusion' is waived (certain exclusions apply).

We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! Why wait? Space is limited, reserve your adventure today.

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