A walking holiday in the Dolomites

A first walking holiday - it exceeded our expectations - now converted and truly looking forward to booking again - with Inntravel.

Why Inntravel - at the end of the day we are busy, we wanted a week walking and Inntravel competely nailed it - hotels (3/4 of them were superb), locations , routes and route plans, folder - loved it all - went without a hitch - a true holiday - thank you.

Our highlight was the walk around the three peaks from Dobbiaco. The scenery was stunning from start to finish. As suggested in the walk description would recommend leaving on the early morning bus to make the most of the day. The walks around Lago di Braies and Lago di Dobbiaco are beautiful and well worth doing. 

 Think this was our 10th Inntravel holiday and one of the best!  Stunning scenery in the Dolomites, excellent food and fantastic hikes.  

The Dolomites were much more beautiful than we expected, even from the pictures. It was a lovely week at just the right pace with well selected stops and hotels. We will be back!

This was a holiday of many highlights: arriving at Lago di Braies and looking out over the lake from our hotel balcony; the setting of Hotel Baur on Lago di Dobbiaco, again a lovely view of the lake; walking round the Three Peaks Tre Cime di Lavaredo was amazing (and we took far too many photos!); walking along the crest from Mt Elmo with wonderful views. We really felt we were in the heart of the Dolomites, with mountain views every day. It was a great mix of Austria and Italy! A really memorable holiday.

Another fantastic holiday with Inntravel. It was our twelfth and one of the best. Fantastic scenery, walking that wasn't too challenging and plenty of cafe stops en route. The accommodation throughout the week was excellent. Special mention to the campari spritz at Hotel Baur am See. One suggestion - if you can avoid staying at the Lakes over the weekend as they get very busy. Also we didn't particularly enjoy the walk around the 3 peaks - far too crowded. If you do this walk definitely take a picnic as the Refuges are very busy, we got to Refuge Locatelli at about noon and they had run out of almost all food. In contrast the Sillianer Hutte on the Monte Elmo hut was delightful - best apfel strudel of the trip and great views.

A brilliant walking holiday in fantastic surroundings. It fully lived up to expectations

We truly loved our week with Inntravel; the Windschar and the Three peaks hotels were great but we found the Baur am See and the Braies Hotel full of character and we enjoyed our stay there. The walks we preferred were those higher up rather than in the valleys; San Candido is worth a stroll and we loved the Museum of the Dolomites.

We had wonderful weather for the most part and were able to enjoy some stunning scenery. I am afraid we were unable to do the last two days of walking but our companions enjoyed their time.

There were many highlights to the two week holiday [The High Alpine Way followed by The Dolomites' Three Peaks].
The High Alpine Way is a fine walk with superb vistas over the Val Venosta. It is also a very quiet and peaceful walk. We encountered few other people doing the walk. If people are capable of managing the full route from Tanas to St Martin they should not hesitate in doing so as the section of the day after Talatsch is the probably the best part of the whole walk.
The Dolomites' Three Peaks is an interesting and varied combination of routes. The walk around Die Drei Zinnen was spectacular. The walks between the hotels were an interesting contrast to this. A contrast that we thoroughly enjoyed. On the final days walk to Mt Elmo we actually went to the summit of this mountain. Super views eastwards down the Val Pusteria/Pustertal and northwards to the high Austrian mountains. We left the recommended route to go up the south ridge path, a little eroded but not difficult. We descended the east ridge directly to the col below the Sillian Hut. It adds about 30 minutes to the walk.

The walk around the Drei Zinnen was spectacular. German and Italian are the main languages and most of the footpaths are dual signed with the German (Austrian) often taking precedence - this also applies when clarifying directions with local people!

Great holiday ,varied walks through stunning scenery.

Hotels Saalerwirat & Drei Zinnen wonderful with great food , hotels Lago de Braies & Hotel Baur am See clean , very basic but in stunning stops by lakes.

The holiday was excellent and the weather was perfect. All the walks were in great locations as were the hotels. There was a good mixture of terrain and some lovely forest walks as well as spectacular ones with three peaks. They were challenging in places but what we were expecting and we were then ready for a good meal in the evening. The first and last hotels were superb and the food delicious. The setting of the middle two hotels were great on the lakes and made up for the fact that they were rather tired looking hotels. Adequate but no more, however, staff were friendly in all hotels. The views were superb and the destinations were all superb. We loved the contrast of meadow land and mountains. Plenty to see and explore and I would highly recommend the holiday.

As ever, the travel and organisation were excellent. We will be coming again! This was our second trip with Inntravel and it didn't disappoint.  

The Saalerwirt was a great place to start our holiday. Everyone was friendly and obliging and Magdalena, in the Spa was amazing. Her ‘tasters’ were superb - a special lady.

Unfortunately the service at dinner was too slow for our liking.

A walk with spectacular scenery where you can also take in the relaxed Italian life style and good food and wine! We benefited from being early in the season so the routes were not busy but too early for some of the refuges to be fully open. It is well worth taking time out to visit the towns along the route for example San Candido and Sesto where there were interesting old streets, ancient churches and great cafes. There is plenty of opportunity to vary the walk if weather is difficult on the higher ground. 

Absolutely superb organisation. Took all of the stress out of arranging and organising the holiday. Everything went so smoothly; the choices of hotels, locations and walks was excellent - this has obviously been extremely well researched and thought out by the Inntravel team. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend and look forward to booking another holiday with you.

My partner and I made this into a 10 day holiday, opting for two extra nights at the Windschar, and one extra at the Drei Zinnen. We had been to this area of the Dolomites a few years ago on a (independent) cross country skiing holiday, and always vowed we would return one Summer. A combination of some fantastic walking and almost uninterrupted warm sunshine each day made this an unforgettable holiday. I certainly felt a lot fitter by the end of the holiday, and estimated that we covered nearly a 100 miles of wonderfully varied terrain all in all. The hotels were of a good/excellent standard throughout, and highlights included swimming in the outdoor pool at the Windschar; the incredible lake views from our balconies at Hotel Lago di Braies and Hotel Baur am See; hiring a pedalo on Lake Dobbiaco; and the amazing walk to Moso taking in the high route (including the long loop around Monte Paterno) and the famous Tre Cime. Oh, and the Hotel Drei Zinnen take on a Negroni cocktail (you only needed one!)

This was a great trip with amazing scenery and good walking routes. Drei Zinnen in particular was spectacular, and the two lakes are both beautiful. I had good weather in September - mostly clear and sunny but without being too hot. I understand that Lago de Braies gets very busy with tourists in August (apparently there is a popular Italian detective drama set there which brings in a lot of crowds) so I would suggest timing your trip to avoid weekends for days 2 and 3.

All the hotels were good - the second one appears to have had some recent refurbishment. The food was excellent with four course meals every night (five courses at the last hotel). Local transport is good with reliable local buses and trains every half hour between Fortezza (for changes to Innsbruck or Verona) and San Candido via several towns on route, and are free with the holiday pass.

we had a fantastic time, the Dolomites are so breathtaking we are already looking to book the next visit. 

This was our second hike with Inntravel and we have enjoyed both. We were challenged with the hikes, but not overwhelmed. We love the self guided aspect of the holiday, that we have the comfort of knowing our luggage will be transferred and we will have a room and food awaiting the end of a long day of hiking. We saw some beautiful scenery and we have new respect for the scenery, architecture and the lovely people of Northern Italy. We were also lucky to meet several other people doing the same hike and enjoyed comparing notes at the end of each day. 

Coming well prepared with layers of clothing, rain gear, sun hats, good sturdy shoes or boots, walking poles and compass are recommended. We had a bit of rain, cool some mornings but then switched to shorts for some of the walks. Zip off hiking pants worked well for this trip. The walking notes are excellent but we found having our map and compass helped to confirm direction. Be sure to go over your map and highlight routes before you begin your hike and check weather before setting out as you are heading into mountain trails. I have a fear of heights but managed well on this hike as the trails are well defined and wide enough through the steeper areas. 

Three out of four hotels were great, but when faced with the poorer hotel we kept in mind that hotels are limited in these areas and best to just get out and enjoy the surroundings. Learning a few simple words in German and Italian are also beneficial as there is not a lot of English spoken in this area. We found it fun to learn and the folks at the hotels and restaurants respected that we tried. 

Overall a wonderful holiday and we are looking forward to another adventure very soon. 

We really enjoyed the holiday. Varied routes. Lago di Braies was a real highlight. Tres Cime was busy but still really spectacular. On the second day we took the route to Drei Zinnen over Tres Cime again. The descent was long but varied and not too steep. It was great to go past Tres Cime again. 

The steam room and cold plunge pool at Drei Zinnen were really special and much appreciated after the walking. 

We enjoyed the hotels in Saalen and Moso. These were very comfortable with excellent food and service. The walk around the Drei Zinnen was a truly spectacular day out, which was also very popular! However, this didn't spoil the truly breathtaking views and there was still no problem in getting served with food and drinks in the refuges. The final walk we did from St Vito via cable car was excellent with spectacular views. We included the summit of Monte Elmo and took the cable car down again rather than the walk down through the forest, which made for a less strenuous but still worthwhile day. The Sillianer Hutte was closed for refurbishment but there was a portacabin cafe in operation.

Another Inntravel Triumph. Our fifth hotel to hotel walking holiday with Inntravel and a return to the stunning Dolomites, where it all began. The scenery in the Dolomites is spectacular.  A return for us to grade 2/3 meant I was glad to have done some  additional training! The walks were varied and every day had scenic highlights. Day two and four were particularly memorable. For the day four Tre Cime loop we split up due to my vertigo I did not do the full loop recommended but walked on the tourist track to the Locatelli Hut, turned ’right’ and walked down the track to meet my husband as he came off the path across the scree slope. He walks fast and I dawdled so I only had a 45 minute wait for him and then we went back up to Locatelli for lunch before completing the loop on 105. I’d recommend splitting up like this for couples in our position (adventurer/vertigo sufferer).

the first and last hotels are two of the best we’ve ever stayed in with Inntravel. The spa at the Saalerwirt so tranquil it made for a great relaxing start to the holiday. The food at the Drei Zinnen was wonderful. We also had a super welcome there as we arrived like drowned rats after a five hour walk in the pouring rain. We were told to leave all our wet stuff outside our bedroom door from whence it disappeared in minutes to reappear the next morning all dried and on hangers and boots dried full of newspapers. Such a small gesture was a lovely touch.

Already looking forward to booking our next trip.

This was our second holiday with Inntravel and having had an amazing first holiday in Bavaria we were a little anxious this would not live up the high level that had been set. However we need not have worried! We had the most incredible time! The hikes were challenging but not overly so and well worth it for the breathtaking scenery and views. Hotels Drei Zinnen and Saalerwirt were fantastic with friendly and welcoming staff, superb facilities and food that would not be out of place in some of the most acclaimed restaurants. We missed out the 3rd hotel and had an extra night in Drei Zinnen which we would definitely recommend. 

Fly to beautiful Verona and see an opera at the Arena, an amazing start to the walking holiday in the stunning Dolomites. The paths are all waymarked and clear and the walking notes excellent. You will get a warm welcome at most of the hotels, but the best was saved until last with the outstanding warmth, quality and cuisine of the Hotel Drei Zinnen at Moso. Other things recommended is hiring a bike of the 5000 available in San Candido and cycle , all downhill, to Lienz in Austria, 45 km then leave your bike at the hire company, tour the beautiful town and get the train back.

Best walks were the higher level ones, with spectacular views if weather was clear. The Cime walk was great, and we appreciated the longer, less busy route. If travelling in August, expect crowds in some places. Lago de Braies was particularly busy when we arrived: we walked around the lake, and in some places we were essentially in a queue. Can’t blame people for wanting to visit such beautiful spots. Crowds thinned considerably by evening, and the mist rising on the lake was beautiful. First and last hotels were fantastic.

Another excellent Inntravel walking holiday. Tre Cime was a great day; one awe inspiring view after another and with strategically located refuges to quench your thirst (although they were very busy). Another highlight was the Mt Helm walk although we varied the suggested route by walking up to the summit of Mt Helm itself and then along the ridge to Sillianer Hütte (which was undergoing substantial rebuilding and closed), turning back from there to return along the lower "popular" path back to the Helm Restaurant and cable car station and getting the cable car down. This did mean retracing our steps to a degree but as the views were so wonderful this was hardly a drawback. It also meant that other than the relatively short steep path to the summit the walking was easygoing which was very welcome on our last day. The setting of all the hotels cannot be faulted. Saalerwirt and Drei Zinnen were first class (we had an extra night at both). Saalerwirt was really welcoming and friendly; the natural pool area is a great place just to relax and we enjoyed eating al fresco on the terrace. Drei Zinnen was very good indeed, terrific food, nice spa and comfortable lounge areas. One night at Hotel Lago di Braies was enough although the view was stunning.

We flew to Innsbruck and our journey from there was disrupted by the fact that because of ongoing engineering works there were no trains from Innsbruck to Brenner. There was a replacement bus service which we thought was going to take us to Brenner but in fact dropped us at Steinach from where we had to wait for a local train to get to Brenner and then another change for the train to Fortezza and then the final change for San Lorenzo. I don't know how long this is going on for but if travelling from Innsbruck be prepared.

A wonderful holiday in a stunning area. We will definitely return at a future date.

We were a family of 4, celebrating "mum's" 50th and the kids' 21st & 18th. We were concerned that the walking might be too much for the parents as we aren't walkers but that wasn't an issue with good footwear. It was work- but it was good and we earned dinner. We were very impressed with the hotels, the food, locations and views. Everything went smoothly, the baggage transfers were easy and we loved our trip. Thoroughly recommend Inntravel. I probably should have asked them to take care of our travel arrangements to the start and after the end too.

The walk around Mt Helm was superb. The Malga Farm served excellent food and drink options and the view from there was superb.  The climb over Kuhwiesenkopf was excellent and provided a great lunch stop. The settings for Hotel Di Braies and Hotel Baur were beautiful. The situation of the Hotel Drei Zinnen really added to the holiday experience due to location and setting. Re helpful tips - it might be worth adding to the walking notes to keep their eyes peeled for the red and white way marks on trees, rocks and walls.  You get used to what to look for, but beginners may not realise. 

This was our first walking holiday and our first trip with Inntravel. It certainly won't be our last. We felt supported but independent and all the arrangements were excellent.

The structure of the holiday, each day in a valley with charming towns followed by a day high up in the raw crags, gives a wonderful overall experience of the South Tyrol. We thoroughly recommend a visit to the Grand Hotel Dobbiaco with its excellent explanation of the geology and history of the Dolomites on Day 5. Another excellent Inntravel walk!

Perhaps you could make more of the usefulness of the Travel Pass. It was mentioned as a bit of a throwaway line in the notes. It is free and excellent! You quote the costs of buses e.g. on journey to Tre Cime. In fact with the travel pass even the journey to the Tre Cime was free.  Also we asked you for a quote for a public transport return to our first hotel in Maria Salen to collect our car. On your information there was little difference between the price you quoted for public transport and the cost of the taxi. In fact with our travel pass we could have done almost all the journey for nothing (apart from a taxi from San Lorenzo to the hotel in Maria Salen). For those who were not in a hurry this might have been preferable to the £84 taxi.

But overall the holiday was excellent and most enjoyable. Stunning scenery, good hotels and delicious food. Another Inntravel triumph.

The holiday was the challenge we needed. Fantastic scenery dispite the weather. Lots of fresh air and exercise with the added motivation of having the necessity to reach the next hotel. Whilst the weather was poor, in a way it created a great atmosphere, for two of the days we were walking during snow showers, (the 3 peaks trek and the alternative, shorter route, on the last day). The last day's trek we never met a soul in the conditions. The first and last hotels were excellent and we made full use of the facilities. The others were disappointing.

Our first holiday with Inntravel turned out to be a great experience. The attention to detail, the excellent choice of accommodation and the routes made our trip a memorable one. We would use Inntravel again and would recommend them to others.

Great trip. Inntravel put together great hikes, hotels and travel logistics.

Our holiday was epic! Your itinerary was spot on, breaking us in gently with a walk to San Lorenzo followed by a hike over the mountain to Wildsee and finishing with a magnificent walk in the snow on the mountain tops above Moos. Wet weather clothing is also essential on this type of holiday in this region.

This region is spectacularly beautiful, and exceeded all our expectations. Everyone you meet is friendly and helpful. When you walk up through the treeline and into a lush meadow with the mountains in the background it is like walking into a piece of heaven.

Magnificent mountain views, beautiful turquoise lakes set among high peaks and working pastureland managed in a traditional way, in an area that was in Austria until 1918. The Tre Cime are a dramatic sight, but it might be best to time your day there to avoid weekends as it gets so many visitors. The Langalm Refugio is particularly nice - their locally sourced food is all carried up by rucksack. We wished we'd booked an extra night at the excellent Hotel Drie Zinnen.

Highlights: The final 2 walks at Croda Rossa & Mt. Elmo were great. We enjoyed going up high in the chair lifts, then walking amongst the mountains.

We will definitely go on a walking holiday with Inntravel again. The staff we friendly, accurate and helpful. Hotels were great - we could never have found them (or the routes) without them. 100%!

The Three Peaks are breathtaking and we were very glad that we had two days to enjoy them (taking the high route to Moso on day 5, which we absolutely recommend if weather permits). The hike on the fourth day is strenuous in parts, but well worth the effort. At Hotel Baur, we would recommend an upgrade for the room, especially as one spends two days there.

The first and last hotels were a delight with friendly, efficient staff. We were very lucky with beautiful weather for this wonderful hiking area.

Very convenient public transport  from the hotel to the beginning of the 3 Cimes hiking day.

Thank you to the Inntravel team who efficiently answered all questions prior to the trip.

I loved it all

We loved this very special walking holiday and were blessed with a week of great weather. The hike in the 3 peaks national park was just outstanding and something that I will remember forever. Another highlight was the Hotel Drei Zinnen which is a little gem - old fashioned hospitality at its best. 

This was an amazing holiday from start to finish.  The routes provided plenty of variety (mountains, forest trails, open pastures), the hotels were individual and although the Hotels Prago di Braies and Baur are definitely quirky we wouldn't have changed them for anywhere else as the locations were simply stunning.  We definitely recommend this to other Inntravel travellers.  One tip for others - the bus up to the Three Peaks gets very crowded and not everyone can get on.  People were waiting for more than an hour to get on to the bus and there were tales of people who were left behind by the last bus.  So it might be worthwhile organising a taxi, especially if there are more than two of you.

I actually think that 7 nights is not long enough for this holiday. We added on 2 extra nights and enjoyed an extra night in Lago Di Braies and in Moso. It gave us more time to enjoy the areas as the walks themselves are mostly full days. But we thoroughly enjoyed the holiday and would recommend it as one of the best Inntravel trips we have done. The Sudtirol province has so much to offer and I can only see this area growing in popularity as more people discover how much it has to offer.

The High Alpine Way is a beautiful walk through a stunning mountainous region which was peaceful, unspoilt and rich in wonderful scenery, views and natural beauty. The walks provided a real opportunity to experience the culture, custom and traditions of Alpine life, the routes, often at high altitude were extremely rewarding. We received a warm welcome everywhere, and a variety of tasty enjoyable meals, often individually prepared and sourced from the owner's gardens and fields.

The Dolomites' Three Peaks provided the opportunity to see the wonderful lakes, mountains and scenery of the Dolomites as well as visiting such attractive small towns like San Candido, San Lorenzo and Brunico for a real feel of this beautiful region.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers enjoyed two holidays: The High Alpine Way, followed by The Dolomites’ Three Peaks - both self-guided walking holidays.

The Three Peaks was a wonderful holiday, great views, really in the heart of the Dolomites. No two days the same. Good variety of walks - high up, through forests, some days ascending and descending, some days cable car up and descending by walking. The hotels with pools, saunas etc (or lakes to swim in) helped us relax and unwind after our long walks. It was a wonderful holiday, our second in the Dolomites with Inntravel, and we look forward to our next one!

Zur Goldene Rose is an exceptional hotel with a wide range of beautiful walks in the Schnalstal. The first and fourth hotels on week 1 were excellent, the second so/so but Baur am See was poor; there are better options in Toblach, even staying in one of the rifugios. 

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers did our Dolomites Three Peaks holiday followed by our Traditions of South Tyrol holiday (the Zur Goldene Rose is the accommodation for the latter holiday).

We are truly impressed with Inntravel. Everything for our travel, hiking, and accommodation was perfectly arranged from start to finish, and so well thought out - there were no glitches at all. We were particularly impressed with the meticulous walking notes for each day's hike. Highlights were the hotel in Turin, the view from Kuhwiesenkopf, Lago di Braies (the lake is ethereal when viewed from the room's balcony), the Tre Cime hike, the many lovely forest walks, and the dinners at Hotel Drei Zinnen. All the hotels were comfortable, all our rooms had beautiful views, all had friendly staff. It was a very memorable trip and we will certainly turn to Inntravel the next time we want to do an inn-to-inn hike. Sincere thanks to everyone there for their friendly and thorough work!

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers did our Grand Hotel Sitea, Turin City add-on, followed by The Dolomites’ Three Peaks - A Self-Guided Walking Holiday

We had a fabulous holiday in a stunning region of the Alps. I personally loved the variety of quirky hotels and then, one or two of these, as a suprise appearing at the end of our walks in the most amazing locations. My wife might have preferred a bit more consistency in the 'top-end luxury' bracket to be fair, which two of the four hotels did provide. The food was generally superb, english was widely spoken and the locals very freindly.

We are already planning our '3rd' holiday with inntravel now for next year.

Thanks.