WINE + walking TOUR: THE ITALIAN ALPS & DOLOMITES

Trekking (and wine!) in two alpine regions of Italy

• The Sound of Music meets Sideways! A wine tour spotlighting the Austrian-flavored culture of Südtirol / Alto Adige

• Hikes of 3 to 5 hours in two spectacular mountain zones: Italian Alps & Dolomites

• Private, sit-down tastings at Elena Walch, Cantina Terlano & more

• Visit Bolzano and the Ice Age man Özti

ITINERARY

DAY 1 – LOOP HIKE AROUND LAKE CALDARO

After a pick-up at the Trento train station, we drive north to scenic Lake Caldaro and check into our hotel. After brunch at Manincor winery, we do an easy two-hour hike on the weinstrasse (wine roads) that pass through vineyards and forests on the ridge, then wind back to town through a crazy quilt of vineyards and apple orchards on the valley floor. Our reward is an informal introduction at our hotel to a sparkling wine called Trento DOC, which uses the champagne method. Finally, we’ll get better acquainted with Tyrolean cuisine at dinner overlooking the lake.
L, D • Goldener Stern in Caldaro

DAY 2 – GEWÜRTZTRAMINER’s BIRTHPLACE

Today we’re back on the ridge overlooking the Adige valley floor. This is a point-to-point hike from Caldaro to Cortaccia, passing along wooded paths, paved wine roads, and vineyards. It’s a day of easy hiking amidst Tyrolean scenery and picturesque villages. Post-hike, we have a tour and tasting at Elena Walch, one of the leading private, family-run wineries in this land of wine cooperatives. She was an architect, then married into an old winemaking family that started making wine in 1860. In the cellar, we’ll see giant barrels that date back to this time. Dinner is in Caldaro.
B, D • Goldener Stern in Caldaro

DAY 3 – MT. VIGILJOCH IN THE ALPS

Today’s hike starts with a cable-car ride that takes us up 6,000’ to our trailhead on Mt. Vigilio or Vigiljoch. From here, our loop hike goes through classic alpine landscapes—thick pine forests, Sound of Music meadows, grazing cows, rustic mountain refuges, and scenic vistas. 

We’ll lunch at a mountain rifugio on canederli, hearty goulash soup, blueberry crepes, or fresh apple strudel, then return through more pine forests and rocky clearings to the funicular. 

Our afternoon tasting is at Cantina Terlano. Founded in 1893, this is one of Alto Adige's oldest cooperatives and undoubtedly one of the best, with stellar gewürtzraminer, pinot bianco, lagrein, merlot, and pinot nero. 

Dinner will be near Caldaro, where we’ll see how indigenous grapes like schiava and lagrein pair with the local cuisine.
B, D • Goldener Stern in Caldaro

DAY 4 – A DAY IN BOLZANO with OTZI THE ICEMAN

During this transition day, we stop in Bolzano, dubbed the Gateway to the Dolomites. There will be free time to visit the museum of Ötzi the Iceman, Europe’s oldest mummy, who lived about 3,000 BC and was discovered in a melting glacier in the Alps. Bolzano also offers outdoor markets, historic churches, a lively café culture, and great outdoor-adventure clothing stores

Our next stop is Loacker winery, just outside of Bolzano. In Italy, Loacker is famous for making cookies. In the 1970s, Rainer Loacker left the family firm to do his own thing. After first creating a homeopathic company, he founded this winery in 1979, making it organic from the start. It’s now biodynamic, with very good wines.

Then we leave the Alps and transfer to the western Dolomites, a two-hour drive over several mountain passes. Home base will be Canazei, one of the main winter centers in the Val di Fassa. This lateral valley offers access to some of the Dolomites’ most popular hiking routes: the Sella, Marmolada, and Sasso Lungo mountain groups. It’s also home to Ladini culture, whose language is as close as one gets to living Latin. Dinner might feature a region favorite—deer pasta with teroldego wine—or perhaps a fig-and-pear ravioli topped with poppy seed, accompanied by a spicy gewürtztraminer.
B, D • Hotel Rita

DAY 5 – DOLOMITES HIKE: THE SASSOPIATTO LOOP

Today we walk the Emperor’s Way, in the Dolomites’ Sassolungo & Sassopiatto mountain groups, a popular destination for hikers that’s crisscrossed by trails and climbing routes. We start from Passo Sella at the bottom of the group and hike to the Sassopiatto Refuge. This 3- to 4-hour walk is in an alpine valley full of larch pines and open meadows, and offers impressive views of Mt. Sassolungo, the highest peak at 10,436’. It’s called Friedrich August Way, because the Austrian emperor used to vacation here and was very fond of this valley. 

Afterwards, if time allows, we’ll visit the Ladino museum, where videos bring to life their masked dances, old-style farming, cooking, and crafts. Dinner is on your own in Canazei. 
D • Hotel Rita

DAY 6 – THE DOLOMITES’ ROAD OF BREAD: PORDOI PASS

The Viel dal Pan (Road of Bread) is one of the most panoramic and popular trails along a mountain range in the center of the Dolomites. Connecting the Pordoi and Fedaia passes with the plain, this was an important route for commerce and communications in prehistoric and medieval times. 

We’ll shuttle by van to our trailhead at the Pordoi Pass, then do a steady but gradual climb up a broad path until we reach the ridge. From here we wind our way between mountain refuges and votive chapels, walking along an easy path that offers spectacular vistas of verdant meadows and craggy mountains, including the star: Marmolada, the Dolomites’ tallest peak, with Lake Fedaia at its foot. One can see why Marmolada is where Pope John Paul II loved to ski. 

After refueling on spicy goulash (or pizza), we’ll visit a war memorial dedicated to the German soldiers of both World Wars and hear some history from our guides. Then we return to Canazei for our farewell dinner. 
B, D • Hotel Rita

DAY 7 – ARRIVEDERCI!

A shuttle to the Trento train station (about 2 hours) and assistance with your travel plans.

Want an alpine wine tour without the hiking? Join our wine tour in Alto Adige and Valpolicella, called Amarone & Alto Adige.

TRIP NOTES

Hiking Level of Difficulty
Though alpine hiking sounds difficult, have no fear. The lower Alps in the wine country of Aldo Adige is not so fierce, while in the Dolomites we pick very popular, do-able trails. No technical hiking or climbing skills needed—though being in shape always helps! Our hikes alternate between trails in the Adige river valley and mountain hikes. When in the valley, we walk on wooded trails, quiet gravel lanes, and marked paths that cut through the vineyards and apple groves. These are relatively easy walks. The other hikes are at higher altitudes. Fortunately, the heavy lifting is done by cable car, which takes us up to our trailheads in the Alps. Here we’re hiking on trails through pine forests and open meadows. There is some climbing, but it’s in small pieces and nothing too extreme. In the Dolomites, we go to our trailheads by van. Here again we’re on broad trails; the climbs are gradual and quite do-able.

You'll need hiking boots, or at least good walking shoes with deep treads. If you have walking sticks, now’s the ideal time to bring them! 

Airport
Venice, Milan, or Innsbruck (Austria) 

Pre-tour
Plan to land in Italy or Austria a day before the tour begins; that’s necessary to be at our starting point on time. Most people spend the preceding night in either Verona (1 hour by train from Venice) or Trento (2 hours from Venice). If you land in Innsbruck, it is advisable to arrive in Trento the day before our tour begins. Contact us for details. For hotel suggestions, email us or consult a good hotel search engine, such as TripAdvisor.com or Hotels.com. 

Meeting point
Our meeting point is the Trento train station, a charming historic city midway between Verona and Bolzano. If you’re coming from Verona that morning, you‘ll take the 9 a.m. train, arriving in Trento at 10 a.m. (Precise train details will be in your information packet.) 

Departure day
On the final day, we leave by 9:30 and shuttle to the train station of Trento, arriving by 11:30 a.m. During the tour, we can help you interpret the train schedule and buy your return tickets, if assistance is desired. 

Italian train schedule
Here's the English-language version of TrenItalia. Be aware that the schedule is posted only several months in advance, so if you're looking for long-range dates, try something sooner, just to get an idea of departure frequency and trip length.

Trip extensions
Venice is an obvious choice for pre- or post-tour travel. But if you’ve already been there, done that, we recommend Verona. Founded by Romans on the banks of the Adige River, the city has layers upon layers of history. It boasts one of the largest Roman coliseums, dozens of churches laden with art, the home of Shakespeare’s Juliet Capulet, lively outdoor markets, and streets lined with elegant shops.

Travel insurance
This is recommended to protect you from needless loss caused by last-minute cancellations, lost luggage, and more. Three sources are Travelex Insurance, (800) 228-9792; CSA Travel Protection, (800) 348-9505; and Travel Guard, (800) 826-1300.

Weather
When packing, check www.weather.com. Go to “Caldaro, Italy” and “Canazei, Italy” to get a general idea of temperatures and forecast. Because of the altitude, the Dolomites can be brisk, even in late June, with spring snow still on the ground and daytime temperatures in the 40s or 50s. The Adige River valley will be much warmer—in the 60s, 70s, or even hotter on the valley floor—with summer hiking clothes in order.

For cancellation policy & more, see our General Information page.

2020 dates
Contact us to set up dates. Minimum size: 4

Price for custom tour
$3,995/person for group of 2
Inquire about discounts for groups of 4 or more.
Single supplement: $400
Add 3% commission if paying by credit card.

Price based on accompanying 7-day itinerary for 4 pax with double occupancy; discounts for larger groups. Modifications are possible, including the number of days, level of accommodations, amount of wine tastings, and inclusion of meals.

Optional: If you open your tour for others to join, you could potentially save money. We’ll quote a price for a guaranteed departure for your core group, then a lesser price if others sign up too. That tour will be added to our 2020 Calendar.

Meet & depart
Trento train station

What's included
- 6 nights accommodations (double room) in one 4-star and one 3-star hotel, with breakfast buffet
- 5 gourmet dinners (three courses with wine)
- 1 welcome lunch
- All wine tastings mentioned

What's not included
- Air travel
- 1 dinner on your own & most lunches
- After-dinner drinks, or special wines at tastings that are not part of what is provided to the group
- Items of a personal nature
- Anything not specified as included