Trip Overview
Imagine what it would be like to walk on the moon… or along the floor of the ocean… On this unique itinerary, you’ll have plenty of inspiration to daydream about both! This trip is set entirely in the Dolomites’ Puez-Odle Natural Park above Val Gardena. Here you will hike hut-to-hut across lunar landscape plateaus, strewn with moon-like boulders, and beneath escarpments of dolomitic rock, formed 240-250 million years ago deep in the sea.
Begin your journey on the Rasciesa Plateau, getting your first vistas of the pale Dolomite rock, and the erosion that has exposed red porphyric and sandstone geology. Continue on to the undulating Adolf Munkel Weg, one of the most spectacular trails in the Dolomites! From here hike around the eastern base of the majestic and isolated Sass de Putia / Peitlerkofel, dotted with old huts originally built for use during the hay harvest, many of which today have been converted into rustic restaurants. Your final trail days will be on two of the four sections of the Dolorama Trail, where vast panoramas meet the Dolomites in this UNESCO World Heritage Site. Not only will you see some of the most beautiful vistas of the northernmost mountains of the Dolomites, you’ll also have views all the way to the South Tyrolean, Austrian, and Zillertal Alps. On your final day, stroll across the Rodenecker-Lüsner Alm, one of the largest high-mountain plateaus in Europe, which becomes a never-ending carpet of flowers in summertime!
This trip will take you across a variety of spectacular terrain within the Puez-Odle Natural Park, with everything from rocky, moon-like landscapes, to gentle old farm tracks, through beautiful green valleys, with vistas of striking weathered dolomite formations. It will offer you a unique look into the history of the rock that makes up the Dolomites, including the sedimentary dolomite formations, the strata of shallow marine origin with their abundance of fossils, and rocks shaped by erosion.
Plus you’ll have a view into the rich biodiversity of the region, as you transition from meadows to rocky terrain to forested landscapes.
Get in touch today to join us on this incredible hut-to-hut trip across the moon-like, elevated seafloor of the Dolomite Mountains, in Val Gardena’s Puez-Odle Natural Park!
Highlights
- Explore high above Val Gardena, hiking over passes and across plateaus in this UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Enjoy moderate hiking through Puez-Odle Natural Park, across lunar landscapes, with vistas created by former sea beds eroded through time
- Discover the Rasciesa Plateau, and take in your first breathtaking vistas across the Puez Group of mountains
- Walk along the eastern side of Sass de Putia – the northernmost summit of the Dolomites!
- Journey from hut-to-hut, enjoying the warm hospitality of a different mountain rifugio each night
- Hike on the Adolf Munkel Weg, one the most spectacular trails in all of the Dolomites!
- Savor vistas from the Dolorama Trail that stretch from the Dolomite Mountains all the way to the northern Alps!
- Stroll across Rodenecker-Lüsner Alm Plateau, one of the largest high-altitude plateaus in Europe
- Savor 3 nights in cozy, mountain rifugios
- Relax for 2 nights in hand-selected 3-star hotels in Val Gardena
Day By Day
Trip itinerary may vary based on weather conditions, fitness levels and abilities of participants, and/or the recommendations of the Dolomite Mountains Team and your mountain guide. Daily mileage and altitude gain may vary depending on the device used.
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Day 1
Hotel in Val Gardena (D)
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Day 2
Rifugio (B,D)
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Day 3
Rifugio (B,D)
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Day 4
Rifugio (B,D)
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Day 5
Hotel in Val Gardena (B,D)
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Day 6
Accommodation
Great hotels with Dolomite Mountains. Whether intimate lodge, family run B&B, or luxury spa resort, our hotels are unique, eminently local, and hard to leave.
Want to learn more about our Hotels and B&Bs?
The Dolomites has a multi-faceted culture and history that is reflected in each village we visit, and we make sure to provide you with the most authentic experience of the region possible through the hotels and B&Bs we offer. Hotels and chalets are available in the larger villages, while agriturismos (working farms with accommodations similar to B&Bs) are more common in rural areas. And we always make sure you have access to inspired regional cuisine and the best panoramas you can get in the Dolomites!
Prefer luxury accommodations?
You can also book a custom departure for this trip using our Luxury Hotels. For details, please contact us.
Want to learn more about our Mountain Inns & Rifugios?
Rifugios – or mountain huts in English – are the classic accommodation for hikers, climbers, mountaineers, and ski mountaineers in the Alps. Set in spectacular locations high in the Dolomites, rifugios are accessible only on foot (with a few exceptions that are reachable by car). These marvelous establishments are open primarily in the summer, with a select few in winter, and offer meals and sleeping facilities.The Dolomite rifugios are considered the best in the Alps. While some are dormitory style with bunk beds, many meet the standard of a simple guest house with private rooms and en-suite bathrooms, and each has its own unique character and charm. Bedding and linens are provided, hot showers are available, and meals are served in common dining areas – like a small mountain inn set high in the mountains with the most incredible vistas in the Dolomites. Whether you’re hiking in summer or skiing in winter, an overnight rifugio stay is not to miss on a Dolomite holiday.
To learn even more about rifugios in the Dolomites, check out our Rifugios in the Dolomites article and learn about one of the best ways to experience these incredible mountains!
The cost is based on the specified hotel category. (Please see the cost inclusions list). If you would like an upgrade, please get in touch with us for a quotation.
We will do our best to accommodate you in the specified class of accommodations. However, if there is no availability in this category, we will offer you the next available classification at a supplementary price.
Check out the high definition videos in our SUMMER VIDEO GALLERY!
READ Travel & Leisure: “Hot Spots of Italy’s Dolomite Mountains”
Still want more? Why not extend your adventure!
Dolomite Mountains offers fantastic extensions that you can enjoy before or after your trip in the Dolomites. Explore Venice, Verona, Lake Garda, Florence, or Milan, or any of the many other magical places found throughout Italy. There's no more perfect way to recover from jet lag upon arrival, or delay your return to reality at the end of your trip!
VIA FERRATA OPTION
Add a day (or more!) of climbing via ferrata with one of our UIAGM/IFMGA professional mountain guides! The vie ferrate, or iron paths of the Dolomites, allow non-climbers to discover the mountains in safety and adding a new dimension to hiking the pristine alpine wilderness of the Dolomites. Contact us for details!
Cost
All itineraries are subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control including, weather, road or trail conditions.
Guided Trip:
€ 2.980 per person (2 participants)
€ 2.160 per person (4 participants)
€ 1.890 per person (6 participants)
Self Guided Trip:
€ 1.390 per person (2 participants)
€ 1.310 per person (4 participants)
€ 1.270 per person (6 participants)
The cost is based on the specified hotel category. (Please see the cost inclusions list). If you would like an upgrade, please get in touch with us for a quotation.
We will do our best to accommodate you in the specified class of accommodations. However, if there is no availability in this category, we will offer you the next available classification at a supplementary price.
Important to note:
- There is a high-season 15% surcharge from July 13th to Sept 7th.
- There is a private-room supplement in Rifugi: €40 per Rifugio, per person per night (based on availability).
- Prices may increase between the time of quotation and booking. Your Dolomite Mountains consultant will inform you of any changes.
Cost Includes:
- Trip briefing
- Logistics and map of the area
- 2 nights accommodation in 3-star hotel in Val Gardena
- 3 nights accommodation in rifugio
- All breakfasts & dinners
- Local English-speaking Hiking Guide (guided trips)
- Lift tickets (if guided)
- Transfer on day 5
- A €15 donation to Wow Nature’s reforestation projects makes your trip carbon-neutral
- Local tourist tax
- Italian VAT tax
Itinerary in Pictures
Hiking in Heaven Above Val Gardena: Discover the peaks, passes, and plateaus of Puez-Odle Natural Park high above Val Gardena. Hike hut-to-hut, venturing across moon-like, rock-strewn plateaus that were once at the bottom of the ocean. Travel beneath towering Dolomite escarpments and alongside the northernmost peak of the Dolomites. And walk across high-altitude meadows, overflowing with wildflowers., taking in vistas that stretch from the Dolomites all the way to the Alps!
Itinerary Map
Area Map
