How to Hike the Iconic Alta Via 1 Route in the Italian Dolomites

Alta Via 1 Dolomites Rundown

The famous Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites is a roughly 120 km (75 mi) route that runs from Lago di Braies in South Tyrol in the North all the way down South to a bus stop known as La Pissa just outside the picturesque town of Belluno. The AV1 is generally considered moderate to difficult, with approximately 7,400 m ( 24,000 ft) in elevation gain. Most hikers complete the hut-to-hut route in anywhere from 6-11 days. We chose to hike it in nine days, which felt perfect. You can do it in less days, but I wouldn’t. It can also be hiked with a guide, but I enjoyed my self guided Alta experience. What makes this trail so great is being able to take your time to experience the unique beauty of each stage, so having the extra time to complete it without feeling rushed is highly recommended.

The trail is supported by dozens of mountain huts, also known as refugios, that range from basic cabins to super well equipped accommodations. They all have exceptional food, views, and comfortable places to sleep. So you really can’t go wrong with any of them—though be warned, they will make it difficult to imagine carrying days worth of food in your backpack ever again.

Plan Ahead

My boyfriend Sal and I initially sat down to book our Dolomites Alta Via 1 trek eight months ahead of our target hiking date. And even then we still had to do some frantic emailing, calling, and rescheduling to get the dates we wanted. And just when we thought we had planned everything perfectly, as we started our journey to the trailhead we realized we forgot to purchase bus tickets that had sold out a month prior. Don’t do that. Consider this your 100th reminder to make a checklist of all your bookings and triple check it!

Part of planning ahead is also knowing that along the route there are no stores, no ATMs, no official campsites on the main route (though plenty of refugios), and depending on the month, water may be sparse, too.

Source: https://www.fieldmag.com/articles/alta-via-1-dolomites-italy-hiking-guide