Snowshoeing in the Dolomites - Premium Adventure

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.

Sustainability and Impact

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 though 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.

Is this trip for you?

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.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.

Vaccinations and Health

Italy

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, rabies and tick-borne encephalitis. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic.

Visa

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.

Food & Drink

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.

Weather

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.