Snowshoeing in the Dolomites - Premium Adventure

Name: Snowshoeing in the Dolomites - Premium Adventure
Brand: Exodus
Rating: 4.8 (89 reviews)

89 reviews

Activity

Winter

Overview

Discover the most impressive mountain range in Italy

The Alta Pusteria valley, on the northern edge of the Dolomites, is an ideal destination for a winter hiking adventure with routes leading into Fanes-Sennes Natural Park, along the shoreline of Lago di Braies and beneath the jagged peaks of Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Wearing snowshoes or hiking books, we tackle forest trails and old military tracks to the magnificent viewpoints of Durrakopf and Strudelkopf, learning more about the impact of the First World War here along the way. Our base is the four-star Hotel Adler in the centre of Villabassa, the perfect place to unwind with Michelin-approved cuisine and a wellness centre.

Key Information

Trip Code: CIS
Ways to Travel: Guided Group, Premium Adventures
Countries: Italy
Carbon Footprint: 18kg CO2e per person per day

What's Included

All breakfasts, five picnic lunches and six dinners, one of which will be an authentic Tyrolean gourmet dinner
All accommodation
All transport and listed activities
Expert tour leader, chosen for their experience and great customer feedback
Group arrival and departure transfers available
Snowshoes, ice spikes/cleats and walking poles provided
Tips for local staff

Highlights

Walk through the spectacular scenery of the Dolomites
Explore areas only accessible by snowshoes
Relax in a four-star hotel with wellness centre

Itinerary

First Destination: Villabassa
Next Destination: Villabassa

Meals included:Dinner

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast

Meals included:Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Meals included:Breakfast

First Destination: Villabassa
Next Destination: Villabassa

The adventure begins at Hotel Adler, our excellent base in Villabassa (approximately 1hr 45min from Innsbruck airport). Get to know your guide and travel companions over a welcome dinner this evening.

Meals included:Dinner

We walk wonderful routes in the Fanes-Sennes Natural Park, along the shoreline of Lago di Braies and, on multiple occasions, with impressive views of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, arguably the most iconic image in the Dolomites. On Day 4, the hotel restaurant will delight your palate with an authentic Tyrolean gourmet dinner.

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Snowshoeing in the Dolomites – Premium Adventure

Enjoy a day at leisure to relax at the hotel and enjoy the spa facilities or try downhill or cross-country skiing.

Meals included:Breakfast

Forest trails and old military tracks take us to the magnificent viewpoints of Durrakopf (7,475ft/2,275m) and Strudelkopf (7,568ft/2,307m). Lunch stops at picturesque refuges give us the chance to absorb fascinating history from the First World War.

Meals included:Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

The adventure comes to an end after breakfast. We say goodbye to Hotel Adler, which may feel like a second home by now, before starting our return journey home.

Meals included:Breakfast

Dates & Prices

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Call us on 1 844 260 1517

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Accommodation

Hotel Adler, a four-star property in Villabassa

Considered the best in town, this four-star retreat has a privileged address on the village square. Rooms are traditional yet stylish and come with Hästens beds, each of which is created with natural materials.

The hotel, which has a Level 1 South Tyrol Sustainability certificate, is run by the Pircher family but began life as the home of nobleman Stefan von Kurz zum Thurn more than 400 years ago. You can see plenty of that heritage throughout the property.

The hub of social living will likely be the bar and fireplace room, where you can sip an aperitivo or perhaps a post-dinner gin and tonic, while enjoying the relaxed hubbub with the group (a local crowd often gathers here too). There’s also a good-sized pool for morning dips and a wellness centre with a sauna, steam room, solarium and small fitness centre.

Hotel Adler has also partnered with one of the world’s top restaurants, Atelier Moessmer Norbert Niederkofler. The three Michelin-starred restaurant runs masterclasses for Adler’s kitchen team and offers discounts for Adler’s guests – just a 1hr 15min drive away, it makes for a special treat on your free day.

Room upgrades

For even more comfort, Hotel Adler offers room upgrades for a special price, exclusive to Exodus travellers. There are various room types from which you can choose. Please speak to your sales representative for more details.

Worth knowing

There are a limited number of double rooms for single use available for a supplement.
Hotel Adler does not cater for vegans.

Essential Information

Trip Expert

Jenny Smith

Expert Leader: Italy

Introducing Jenny Winter specialist, mountain expert, people person.

This trip is rated Activity Level 3 (Moderate). For more information on our trip gradings, visit the Activity Level Guidelines page. If you have any queries about the difficulty of the trip, please contact us.

Activities: To tackle the trials, we either snowshoe or hike, depending on the weather and terrain. The tour leader always chooses the most suitable option. For fresh snow, we use snowshoes. If the terrain has icy patches or flattened snow, we use ice spikes/cleats (which are provided) over hiking boots. If there is no snow, we just wear hiking boots.

Hike durations: Expect to spend five to six hours in the mountains each day. No snowshoeing experience is necessary, but good health and fitness are important, as hiking in snow can be more tiring than summer walking. Some hiking at higher altitude and occasional longer/harder days may be involved.

Climate: Certain hikes are dependent on weather conditions and alternative routes may be chosen as necessary. The overriding priority on the trip is group safety and conditions are assessed daily by the tour leader. A route is chosen based on current conditions and the forecast for that day. Our tour leaders are required not to proceed with any proposed route (including those mentioned in the brochure or Trip Notes) if they believe the risk to be unacceptable.

Snowshoes: Snowshoes are adaptable to fit most hiking boot sizes; however, if you wear larger than UK size 12 boots (US13 or EU47) please let us know at the time of booking. We can then confirm if we can provide suitable snowshoes for you.

Start hotel: Hotel Adler, Von Kurz Platz 3, 39039 Villabassa Italy
Phone: +39 0474 745128
Recommended arrival time: You can arrive at any time today. There will be a welcome briefing in the evening, but if you miss it the leader will update you separately
Airport: Innsbruck Airport (INN)

Getting to the start hotel

The start hotel is approximately 1hr 45min drive from the airport. Exodus provides one group arrival transfer from the airport, which is timed to coincide with the arrival of a chosen flight from London, UK. You may join this transfer at no extra cost, provided you can be at the airport before the transfer leaves. Speak to your sales representative for the group arrival transfer times or to arrange a private transfer.

If you would like further information on joining this trip, please speak to your sales representative.

Catching your return flight

There’s a group departure transfer to the airport for customers who Exodus booked onto a chosen flight to London, UK. Please speak to your sales representative if you wish to join. If the group departure transfer does not suit your flight time, speak to your sales representative to arrange an alternative transfer.

Italy

Travellers from the UK, US and EU normally do not need a visa to enter Italy. Please note, visa requirements often change and it is your responsibility to obtain any required visas for this trip. Therefore, we recommend that you check with the nearest embassy or consulate of your chosen destination(s), including any countries you may be transiting or transferring through.

Some local governments provide guidance on what visas their citizens need. To help, we’ve gathered a selection of useful links below.

• Australia: www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/europe/italy
• Canada: www.travel.gc.ca/destinations/italy
• United Kingdom: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy/entry-requirements
• USA:  www.travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Italy.html

Please note: it is compulsory to carry ID with you at all times in Italy.

Seven breakfasts, five lunches and six dinners are included, one of which will be an authentic Tyrolean gourmet dinner

Dinners are usually taken in the hotel restaurant, where we enjoy a lovely set menu. Please note, the meal on the evening of Day 1 may be a cold buffet instead of a hot meal.

Dinner is not included on the free day, which may be an excellent opportunity to try the à la carte menu on offer at the hotel or a local pizzeria recommended by your leader. Vegetarians are catered for; however, as this area is renowned for its meats, please be aware there may not be as much variety.

Five pack lunches are provided by the hotel. Each morning there is a buffet with items to make your own lunch (eg cured meat/ham, cheeses, boiled eggs, tomato, cakes, fruit etc). To reduce the use of plastic and single-use items, the hotel provides reusable cutlery and a paper bag, though we recommend bringing a reusable container.

Throughout the Dolomites, winter can bring extended periods of fine, settled weather. From Christmas through to the end of February, average daytime temperatures range between -10C and 4C (14F and 39F) in the shade. These temperatures can feel surprisingly comfortable, largely because the air is very dry, and you will often be on the move. In periods of unsettled weather, the daytime temperature will rise to freezing point or higher, but it will feel much colder as the air carries much more moisture at these times. It can occasionally get windy, and the resulting wind chill can be significant.

As a certified B Corp, we’re on a mission to improve our social and environmental impact across all our adventures.

We do this through our innovative Thriving Nature, Thriving People plan.

This ‘nature positive’ approach is designed to help nature and communities thrive in harmony through practical solutions, such as reducing carbon and waste on our trips, supporting conservation projects through the Exodus Adventure Travels Foundation, and rewilding 100 square metres for every Exodus traveller.

Reviews

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Jack Gamble

Added May 2024

Just so so fantastic!

What a brilliant trip! The group were so friendly and go on so well! Jenny, our leader, was brilliant and the hotel was just idyllic... couldn't recommend it enough!

Most Inspirational Moment

Climbing to the peak opposite the Tre Cime di Lavaredo was particularly impressive! We had uninterrupted views and the weather was beautiful!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Jenny was the best! She was so passionate about everything, and had some great tips and advice about snowshoeing and the destination!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Layer up! When the sun is out, it can be really hot! but towards the end of the day or when the sun disappears it can get really cold, so make sure you have enough layers!

Peter Simons

Added January 2022

Far Exceeded expectation

This was my first Exodus trip and I was delighted with the experience. The beautiful, cosy, alpine Hotel Adler was fabulous. The food was outstanding and plentiful, 5 course suppers, a great, varied selection for breakfast and a well considered wine list. Each of the 5 walking days started with...

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