Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers
Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.
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25 Reviews
4.8 out of
5
Reviews
Debby Orsini
Reviewed August 2025
Magnificent Dolomites!
Our premium hiking experience in the Dolomites with Exodus surpassed our expectations- the scenery, hotel accommodations, food, guide and hiking group were first rate. The choice of trails and the advice given for our day off were spot-on. I recommend this trip without reservation for everyone who enjoys a challenging itinerary in a breathtakingly beautiful environment!
Most Inspirational Moment
The early morning climb to the Tre Cime de Lavaredo, before the tourists arrived
Thoughts on Group Leader
Mark Brown was our guide. Everyone in our 14-person group admired his skill, tact, thoughtfulness and expert information. He looked out for everyone in the group and was always available to offer suggestions, encouragement and insights to local customs and history.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Poles and lighter weight hiking boots or trail shoes for the rocky ground. Come prepared to take on both challenging ascents and descents and to enjoy wonderful accommodations and food at the Hotel Adler!
John Boam
Reviewed August 2025
Wow!
Grade 5 – This was an epic adventure in every way, the hikes, the scenery, the hotel, the food, it was all brilliant. If you fancy a challenge and you like the look of the Dolomites, what are you waiting for? Go for it, you won’t be disappointed.
Most Inspirational Moment
Ah, there were so many but I guess when we summited the Durrenstein 2,839m under clear blue skies comes close to the top, as does the night we had the hotel's winery to ourselves for the Tyrolean dinning experience, and a note on the food it's definitely a case of quality over quantity but we loved it, it always tasted great and it delivered for powering us up those hills.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our tour guide Mark Brown was great, always enthusiastic, full of energy, super knowledgable and unflappable, just what you want from a guide.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make sure you're fit before you go, take poles because they really help on the climbs and the downhill sections, and make sure your kit is fully waterproof as the weather is often varied to say the least.
lewis Salt
Reviewed July 2025
Just do it!
Grade 5- Classic Dolomite Hike. Simply Stunning. Beautiful hikes through the northern Dolomites with views of the iconic Drie Zinnen peaks. The hotel was lovely and the leader really brought it all together. Thank you Thomas.
Most Inspirational Moment
Hiking to the top of Monte Piano and seeing the Austo-Hungarian Trenchs vs the Itialina trenches only 500m away from each other at 2000m up a mountain.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas Mahlknecht was fantastic. HIs local knowledge was excellent with great organization. His ability to speak German, Italian and English in the same sentence was such a asset to overall experience. thank you Thomas.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Bring your hiking boots and be preapered for a hiking holiday! Its truly a hikers holiday. long days out on the hill with a lot of ground covered. especially on the grade 5.
Scott Powell
Reviewed July 2025
An Amazing Hiking Experience with Exodus
If you haven’t hiked in the Italian Dolomites, you are missing out. The mountains and region are simply stunning. I chose the Level 5 hike and it did not disappoint. The Hotel Adler was a great base and the evening meals were truly gourmet and comprised multiple courses.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our group leader, Mark was fantastic. His deep knowledge of the region and the hiking trails made all the difference.
Advice for Potential Travellers
You are likely to encounter at least one or two days of rain. Make sure to bring waterproof clothing. I also found it helpful to have hiking poles.
Lisa Wright
Reviewed July 2025
Absolutely loved it!
Wow what a fabulous holiday! Our guide Thomas was brilliant, so easy to get along with, just a really nice guy! The hotel Adler was also great, the rooms are small but have everything you need plus you never spend any time in them. The food is outstanding especially the evening meal where you have 4 courses! We were very well fed and the people who work there were lovely and couldn’t do enough for you! The pool area is also really nice and great after a long hike! Be prepared for naked people in the sauna though 🙂
On to the hiking! I was a bit worried if it would be too hard but it wasn’t (level 3) it was perfect! You do need a fairly good level of fitness to make it enjoyable though. The stair stepper in the gym helped a lot. Hiking poles were a knee saver so take them if you need them but you can also borrow them from the hotel.
The scenery was absolutely stunning, it almost doesn’t look real. It’s hard to pick which was my favourite walk as they all had different things to enjoy. I particularly enjoyed the plentiful mountain huts for coffee & strudel stops!
The pace was good, everyone kept together and we had a really lovely group! After the hikes we all enjoyed a much deserved drink sat outside the hotel which was so nice.
It was a fabulous trip, our 4th one with Exodus and I can’t recommend them enough!
Most Inspirational Moment
It’s so hard to pick! Hiking in scenery like the dolomites does something to your brain chemistry! It just makes you feel so good!
Thoughts on Group Leader
Thomas was great! He was so friendly and funny and I really enjoyed chatting to him about his life and what brought him to taking groups of people hiking! You won’t be disappointed if you get Thomas as your guide :)
Advice for Potential Travellers
Make sure you do some exercise before hand! I was so glad I did as I managed all the hiking with no soreness! The ups can be quite long but there was no rush. Take poles for the downs! We went in mid June and there was no issues with mosquitos or ticks which was great! The weather was also amazing so pack plenty of suncream! And enjoy, the scenery really is breath taking!
Cheryl Davis
Reviewed October 2024
Trekking the Dolomites
The accommodations at the Adler were better than expected. The room was lovely and the staff (especially Jesus) were very friendly and efficient.
The hiking agenda had to be adjusted due to deteriorating weather conditions but it did not take away from the experience for me. Such a beautiful place!
Most Inspirational Moment
Every day had inspiring moments. The sheer beauty of the mountains and lakes and learning the history in the area provided much fodder for reflection and inspiration.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Our leader Jenny was wonderful. She worked incredibly hard to accommodate the different levels of skill while providing us the best experience by modifying the agenda according to changing weather conditions. She was extremely knowledgeable about the area and I learned a lot while hiking every day. She was also a lot of fun! Thank you so much Jenny!
Advice for Potential Travellers
READ THE TRIP NOTES & TRAIN!!! Be honest about your level of fitness before signing up for trekking holidays. Be prepared for all weather conditions and have the right gear.
Karen Schober
Reviewed October 2024
Dramatic Dolomites
Wow…we have done years of hiking and climbing in mountains all over the world and the Dolomites do not disappoint . The geology and WWI history make the mountains very unique. Add in the charm of walking through green pastures with the sounds of cow bells and church bells, and you have quite the scene. Be ready for some good elevation gains and not a lot of switchbacks. The strudel and coffee stops at the Refugios help fuel the hikes. Hotel Adler is a great base camp. Spacious rooms and equipment storage with boot dryers plus old world charm. I wish I could say good things about the dinners. The billed Tyrolean special dinner was all fish (?). The vegetarian offerings were sad. The pasta was hard as was the risotto, and when I mentioned it to the waiter I was told dismissively it was “al dente”. The breakfast was delish and varied.
Most Inspirational Moment
The circuit around Tre Time was worth the price of the trip.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Andrea was super capable and personable. We felt he was a bit of an introvert and almost uneasy talking to a group.
Advice for Potential Travellers
The hikes are rated 3, but they are not easy! Be in shape for some elevation. Mid September was 10 degrees below normal temps and there was new snow a few days before we arrived. (The snow was gorgeous on the peaks) Bring plenty of layers. I used hand warmers on every hike.
Lynn Sadlowski
Reviewed September 2024
Awesome hiking destination
The hiking in the Dolomites was awesome. One day was a little long 20km and not very interesting given the extra distance. But overall, I enjoyed all the hikes. The food is the hotel was disappointing. As a vegetarian, my choices were limited and the servings were quite small. One day we had 3/4 of a potatoes as our main. Another day it was a marinated vegetable. The advertised Tryrolian dinner was also not very good. Although the waiter was able to secure a chicken schnitzel and fries for those of us not eating beef.
Dinners were also too long after. Full day of hiking.
Most Inspirational Moment
Standing in front of and among the Tre Cimes.
Thoughts on Group Leader
He tried hard. He was quiet at time. While we appreciated him allowing us to go at our pace, we worried a bit when he spit us the groups and sent some of us on our own.
Advice for Potential Travellers
Ask for menus in advance and try to get alternative meals prepared. Be prepared to hike longer and longer amounts than described in the trip notes.
Helene Belanger
Reviewed September 2024
Excellent trip
What a fabulous week in the Dolomites
Most Inspirational Moment
The last hike meandering in the midst of so many trails at the summit. Views were out of this world.
And the hotel! Eclectic Austrian chalet type of room. Hotel filled with amazing things around every corner. Great owner/ staff. I would return in a heart beat
Thoughts on Group Leader
Rob was amazing; his mountaineering and geology knowledge, was more than expected. Perfect skills for a leader. And very funny!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Read hiking trip description in details; there was no surprise for me as it was pretty much what was written in website. There will be ups and downs, and lots of it 😌.
Rita Lin
Reviewed August 2024
Hiking without camping
Just finished a week of classic premium Dolomite hike. It was so much fun and we learned so much about this area. This is a beautiful area. So much history. We stayed the historic Adlers Hotel in Villabassa ( Niederdorf). Its location is very convenient with convenience stores and bus and train station just a few steps away. The rooms were spacious and comfortable. There is a pool and sauna in the hotel. Every meal was fabulous. There are no complaints about the food or service. There will be transport every morning to take us closer to the trailheads. The ability to come back every night to the same hotel is a great luxury. The hikes can be pretty strenuous but it is also incredible fun. We usually leave around 8:30 and comes back around 5pm. Picnic lunches at locations with spectacular views. Stiina, our guide takes us to different terrains and views every day. Not one day is the same. There are routes that I would not have thought it was a route and yet she took us through it. Stiina was fun and gave us clear instructions the night before so we know where we are going and what to expect. The group max at 16 including Stiina and this seems to be a prefect number. There is a variety of ages that comes to this trip. Loved it and definitely recommend this to anyone who loves hiking but prefer not to camp.
Most Inspirational Moment
The lunch spot for our hike to Tre Cime di Lavaredo was interesting.
Thoughts on Group Leader
Stiina was great!
Advice for Potential Travellers
Can be hot in the summer. Appropriate hiking shoes, layers, rain gear, water sunscreen, hat . Will have fun and meet other fun people!
