Hiking from Alta Badia to Cortina d'Ampezzo

Arrive in Alta Badia on your own (private transfer available on request) and check into your hotel. Located in a large valley surrounded all around by the gorgeous peaks of the Dolomites, Alta Badia is truly the “heart of the Dolomites.” Geographically in the South Tyrol (Südtirol), this area was part of Austria prior to the First World War. Here you’ll find unique mountain scenery with villages rich in natural beauty and ancient traditions, witness the simple everyday life of the local people (the “Ladini”), as well as the customs and traditions of the ancient Ladin culture. 
In the afternoon, meet with your guide (or a Dolomite Mountains representative for self guided trips) who will provide a trip briefing, orientation, maps and everything necessary for your adventure in the Dolomites.

Today you’ll hike to the Santa Croce Sanctuary at the base of the Sasso della Croce (Sass dla Crusc for the Ladin-speaking population). Hike uphill through a number of closely-knit hamlets formed of clusters of ancient shingle-roofed timber farmhouses and barns, known as viles, or small communities, characteristic of Val Badia.
It takes about two hours from San Cassiano to reach the church and sanctuary of Ospizio S. Croce (2,045m / 6,710').  There is a charming rifugio here, where you can enjoy a traditional Dolomites lunch. Don’t miss the famous Kaiserschmarren, a crepe-like pancake with powdered sugar and jam! Descend to San Cassiano, on the same path. After lunch, return to your hotel on the same path.
(~4-5 hours hiking, 11 km / 7 miles, 590m / 1,935' ascent and descent.)

After breakfast, take a private transfer to a restaurant built just at the edge of the Fanes-Sennes-Braies Natural Park, located in an incredible setting. From here, begin your hike with a steep, one-and-one-half-hour ascent. Shortly after, you will enter in a fairytale valley, set between mountains, carpeted with green pastures. You’ll hike numerous ups and downs for about three hours, until you reach a cozy mountain hut. This cheery converted farm offers light meals (option to have lunch here). Pass by a local lake, a beautiful mountain lake at 2,159 meters (7,083'). In summer, the waters here are surrounded by gentians, buttercups, and globe flowers. Descend to reach your rifugio for tonight.
(~4-5 hours hiking, 9.1km / 5.7 miles, 520m / 1,705' ascent, 200m / 660' descent.)

The hike to the Alpe di Sennes uplands entails a good range of scenery and habitats: grandiose Dolomite groups headed by the Croda Rossa are foremost features, their lower flanks cloaked by flourishing woods of a healthy mix of evergreen conifer and deciduous species. Todays hike will be on a stony track, a former wartime mule route, traversing a series of grassy basins dotted with bushes and dwarf mountain pine, the ideal home of marmots and chamois. Enjoy superb view east on the Croda Rossa Massif (2,818m / 9,245'), so-called for its blood-red rock due to the presence of iron oxide.

From your rifugio, follow the trail towards Rifugio Malga Ra Stua (1,688 m / 5,538'), a cozy hut-cum-dairy farm set in a valley lying between the Croda Rossa (northeast) and Lavinores (west) Dolomite groups. The name “stua” comes from “dam” (the nearby stream used to be harnessed for energy to operate machinery for the medieval quarry of red stone next to the hut). Take a private transfer to your hotel in Cortina.
(~4-5 hours hiking, 10.1 km / 6.3 miles, 300m / 985' ascent, 600m / 1,970' descent. Option for a longer hike.)

Cortina d’Ampezzo is a charming alpine resort town surrounded by stunning peaks. Host to the 1956 Winter Olympics, and co-host to the forthcoming 2026 Winter Olympics, Cortina enjoys a reputation for great skiing in winter, and in the summer attracts hikers and climbers who challenge the rocky faces of the nearby mountains. This chic Venetian town also caters to the high society crowd, offering many year-round social activities, shopping, and fine dining. 

This morning begins with a private transfer to the trailhead from where your trek begins, along Val dei Chenópe valley, which takes the name from the stream ‘Ru de Chenópe’.
Hike along the spectacular section below the northern face of Croda Rossa Mountain and Prato Piazza, set in an idyllic high alpine pasture valley.
Reach a local rifugio located at 2,040m (6,690'), the perfect lunch stop. Here you will enjoy fantastic views of the Croda Rossa Massif (Red Wall in English, Rote Wand in German), the Cristallo group, the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, and the Natural Park of Fanes–Sennes–Braies. Once you arrive, there is an optional additional hike to the top of the Picco di Vallandro / Monte Specie (2,838m / 9,311'). After lunch, descend along the gravel road to Carbonin for your private transfer back to Cortina.
(~4-5 hours hiking, 10km / 6 miles, 50m / 1,640' ascent, 560m / 1,840' descent. Additional hike to Picco di Vallandro / Monte Specie: 3.4km / 1.8 miles, 860m / 2,822' ascent, 30m / 98' descent one way.)

Breakfast and departure on your own (private transfer available on request).