Italy & Dolomites Hiking Tours

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As an Active Adventures traveller, It’s essential you take out travel insurance to cover the likes of personal injury, medical expenses, trip cancellation for your travel with us. Please head to our Travel Insurance page for more in-depth information and insurance provider options. It’s also important to check your insurance covers all the activities you’ll be partaking in, in case you’re travelling to altitude or looking at extreme sports.

Our preferred Travel Partner Fuzion Travel can assist with you with flights and other travel arrangements. Let them know your preferred travel plans, including any stopovers or extra nights’ accommodation, and they’ll put everything in place for you. They offer a total travel solution and five star service that you’ll want to tell your friends about!

Accommodation
On your Italian trip you'll stay in a variety of places depending on the destination and activities. For the most part you'll stay in comfortable B&B’s around the country. Whilst during the trek in Fanes-Senes-Braies Natural Park on the Dolomiti trek, you'll stay in mountain lodges, known locally as rifugio’s.

Transport
Your transport will be a mixture of private vehicle, bike, kayak and your very own two feet on our trips in Italy. All your transport is included from the start of your trip and we'll drop you at the airport at the end. The details are all listed in the trip specific itineraries.

Meals
All your meals are included as described in the itinerary except on your free days. We have found that people enjoy checking out what is on offer by themselves sometimes, so you can go and see what's out there! On every other day and especially after any long hikes, we've chosen places to eat that can cater for our hearty appetites, work well with our small groups (they know we are coming) and provide us with an authentic destination specific culinary experience. There are always options for you, so you can either be brave or choose something more familiar. You can be assured that on all our trips we will make sure you are very well fed, and Europe's vast array of cuisine won't disappoint you!

Trip leaders
Our trips are all led by an experienced Trip Leader alongside a local specialist guide. Our Trip Leaders are very proud to work with Active Adventures and often lead our trips for many years, for which we are very lucky and very grateful, as it means we're able to consistently offer a fantastic level of service. They work closely with our local specialist guides to provide you with a seamless, fun, exciting and memorable trip. They will happily share with you as much or as little as you want to know about the history, culture, social aspects and lifestyle of the country you are visiting.

We generally take up to 14 people per trip, although this can vary, and all our trips have at least two of our guides to look after you (apart from the occasions we have a small group). We have found that our trips tend to attract a particular kind of person and many people have commented that the social scene was one of the highlights of their trip!

Our trip fares are based on a twin-share rate (two people per room), though in certain places, ie; the refuge/refugio’s on the Dolomites Adventure, you'll be sharing a room with up to 10 people and there will be a large bathroom with private cubicles which is shared by everyone at that accommodation.

Once you've booked your trip, you'll have access to a gear list in your portal on exactly what to bring along. The gear list is carefully thought out to provide you with everything you need to be warm and happy, or cool and relaxed, whatever the weather! So it is best to bring everything we recommend along, if you don't bring everything you need, we can't guarantee your comfort.

You will need proper hiking boots - trail shoes are not good enough. We'll be taking you to some awesome places where you'll be hiking over a variety of terrain, therefore your boots should have full ankle support and a stiff sole with a high profile tread. It's also important that whichever footwear you decide to bring that it's well broken-in and waterproofed before you come down. If you have good ankles that will be able to cope pretty well with varied terrain, then good hiking shoes should be fine, but if not then hiking boots will give you better support.

Famous for its incredible pasta, creamy risottos and wood-fired pizzas, Italy's cuisine is known across the world. An authentic Italian meal is a true culinary experience, they enjoy leisurely meals of many courses, with a great melding of flavors, aromas, colors and textures. Plentiful fruits, vegetables, grains, cheeses, meats and fish in each meal. In the North of Italy, fish (such as cod, or baccalà), potatoes, rice, corn (maize), sausages, pork, and different types of cheese are the most common ingredients. Cheese, cold cuts and wine are central to Italian cuisine, along with pizza and coffee (especially espresso).

We are accustomed to catering to the following special diets:

• vegan (no meat or animal products)
• vegetarian (no meat products)
• fishatarian (vegetarian, and eat fish)
• no red meat (eat chicken & fish)
• gluten intolerant (no wheat, rye, barley or oats)
• lactose intolerant (no dairy products)

You will get the opportunity to specify your particular requirements when you fill in our pre-trip questionnaire. If you have any other dietary requirements please let us know well in advance, via email or the online questionnaire.

The currency in Italy is the Euro €.

Our trips include all transportation, guiding, meals and activities (except where indicated on the itinerary). Most people like to bring a little extra to cover a round of drinks at the pub, take home some souvenirs, book a tour and eat out on their free day, and tip our guides if they've had a great time. 

Usually the easiest thing to do is use your credit or debit card to withdraw money directly from your home account, in local currency. There are plenty of ATM's and banks in larger towns in Europe, and ATM's will accept all major credit cards and many debit cards. Cash advances are the most convenient way to get cash.

For the majority of the summer season Italy is in the Central European (CET), which is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Italy operate on a 220V AC system with Plug Type C which consists of two round parallel pins while the wall plug has two holes where it is connected.

WiFi is available almost everywhere in cities and easy enough to find in most towns/villages so you can rely on having regularly access during your trip. If you have data roaming switched on, then you'll be able to use the internet on your smartphone, but beware of the fees! WiFi is available at most of the accommodations that you'll be staying at, sometimes for a small cost so check this out at each location when you arrive. There is no WiFi on the Multi-day hike and we’re sometimes without reception.

Italy has a predominantly Mediterranean climate with mild, sometimes rainy winters and sunny, hot, and usually dry summers. In northern Italy and the Dolomites, expect hot summers good for swimming in mountain lakes and hiking the Dolomites, with average temperatures are in the mid 20's C (80F) on the valley floors and cooler, of course, as you climb in altitude.

As the capital of the Veneto Region of Northern Italy, Venice actually lies on 117 small islands that are connected by a series of bridges and separated by a network of canals. Visit the St. Mark’s Basilica, it’s a sublime piece of architecture that has stood the test of time since its creation in 1092 and remains one of the most important religious buildings in Northern Italy. Canale Grande is the largest canal, more like a river, only four bridges span the grand canal as generally people and tourists travel along the canal, not over it. Consider walking along sections of the canal, admiring the buildings that line it, and watching the busy water traffic of Venice. Or if you’re looking for a spot of relaxation and to get away from the bulk of the tourists, the Lido is the place to go. This separate island creates a barrier between Venice and the Adriatic Sea and features a long stretch of beautiful beach to enjoy.

You can catch a local train from the airport to the centre of town, and Milan is a walkable city with priceless works of art, eccentric beautiful buildings, world-class restaurants and oases of calm. We recommend visiting the Milan Cathedral, it’s a truly monumental building and is famed for its sublime architecture and took over 600 years to complete. Explore the Grand Gallery, this cross shaped mall is covered via four glass panelled arms that let in the sunlight perfectly, whilst the walls and shop fronts are decorated with ornate panelling and stucco artwork. Wander around Castello Sforzesco, this 15th century castle has a central location in Milan and is set in extensive grounds and gardens, at the front of the castle stands an immense brick wall lined with battlements and frame by a central guard tower. If you feel like seeing more the Torre Branca is a large observation tower, ‘Torre Littoria’, that stands at a colossal 108.6m high, constructed in 1933, from here you have unparalleled views of the city of Milan and can see for miles.