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Alta Via 1 Self Guided 7-day Active AV1-7

Trail marking on the Alta Via 1
Enjoying open green meadows on the AV1
One of the last passes on the Alta Via 1
Beautiful views near Rifugio Coldai on the Alta Via 1
Looking back toward Passo Falzarego on the AV1

Highlights

  • GO hike hut to hut across the Italian Dolomites, which are cherished for their unique beauty and war history
  • GO back in time and immerse yourself in World War I history
  • GO take alternate routings to enjoy comfortable trails that avoid exposure that is typical on trails throughout the Dolomites and the Alps

The Alta Via 1 trek is Italy's highlight long-distance hiking trail and leads awe-struck hikers through the Dolomites from north to south. This route is famous, and for very good reason. Along the way are a multitude of comfortable mountain huts. What makes this tour truly stand out is the World War I history, as it passes by former battlefields, fortification remnants, and other clues that this serene environment was not always so peaceful. We recommend doing some reading on World War I history in the Dolomites before the tour, to make it that much more interesting.
Crossing the Alta Via 1 in only 7 days, means the hiking days will be longer and more challenging than following a standard, 10-day itinerary.

​There are multiple variations to the Alta Via 1, and we have chosen primarily routes that are comfortable for most hikers, meaning minimum exposure. A via ferrata lies at the very end of the Alta Via I, but our route exits beforehand. If you are interested in the via ferrata, please reach out to us and let us know, so we can plan your tour accordingly.
Before committing to the Alta Via 1, we definitely recommend you check out our self-guided itineraries for the Best of the Dolomites Trek as well.

 

Alta Via 1 – 2023 Booking Update
Updated February 10, 2023

 

We are successfully booking itineraries for the Alta Via 1. Although the accommodations are filling up earlier than normal this year, we are still booking great itineraries. Currently, we have the most availability in late July and August. Late June, early July and September are best booked with a very flexible date range and flexibility regarding accommodation type and some creative solutions (which may involve using off-trail accommodations).

Due to the tight booking situation this year, we recommend you book as soon as you are ready.

We can book the best itineraries for customers who provide us with a flexible date range (the bigger the better). If private rooms are a priority for you, a flexible date range of 2 to 4 weeks is best. If you are unable to provide such a wide date range, we do have some alternate accommodations we can use that aren’t located directly on the route, but still are not disruptive to your itinerary.

Note: Many books and blogs mention early September as a “less-crowded” time to visit the Alta Via 1. However, for the past two years, the huts have been booked up for September even before they were booked up for July or August. There is currently more availability on the Alta Via 1 in July and August than there is in September. Pushing later into September doesn’t bring any advantages, because the huts at the beginning of the route stay full until mid-September and the huts at the end of the route close around September 20th. We currently recommend July and August for Alta Via 1 tours. We discourage June bookings due to likely snow conditions on the route.

We encourage you to check out our Best of the Dolomites Trek. It’s a fantastic alternative to the Alta Via 1 (in some ways even better), and we have much more availability along this tour.

 

Length        7 days

Season        July through early-September

Airport       Airport: Venice, Italy

Physical Condition

Technical Difficulty

Read more about difficulty ratings

Responsible Travel Score:
12/15 Responsible Travel Leader
(detailed summary available in Tour Documents)

Only 20% payment due at the time of booking!

Tour Media

Itinerary
Map
Skills Required
Tour Documents
Pricing
Add-ons

Useful Links

Booking Process

  1. Initiate the booking process by selecting the green button labeled, GO Book the Tour
  2. Complete the fields in the booking process and continue on to process the deposit (usually 20%, sometimes 30%) via Paypal (Paypal account not needed)
  3. We'll start checking availability and working on your bookings. As long as there is availability, we will book the accommodations and send you your eGuidebook within 21 days of the booking (this may take longer for custom tours and last-minute tours). This will include GPS waypoints of the accommodations and will be in a format that can be saved on your smartphone for convenient use on the tour. If any changes need to be made during the tour, there will be a phone number available to you during the tour, although additional charges may apply

If there are any issues with availability, we will contact you and work with you to find an alternative solution. If we are unable to find one, we will refund the deposit in full.

The remaining balance for the tour is due 30 days prior to the first date of the tour.

Group Discount

Only one discount will be applied per tour participant. Discounts are only applicable to tours. Discounts are not applicable to fees or additional services, such as Airport to Airport Packages or bicycle rentals.

Groups of 6 or more: 15% discount for all participants & customize an existing tour without Customization Fees

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