Escape the city and spend a day in the Dolomite Mountains on a full-day trip from Venice! With an expert driver-guide to tell you all about the region, you’ll see two of the area’s finest lakes, Lake Santa Caterina and Lake Misurina, headed up by the heart-stopping Tre Cime di Lavaredo peaks. Enjoy lunch in a traditional ‘trattoria’ (own expense), soak up the scenery on a bracing mountain walk, and then enjoy free time to explore the chic ski resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Numbers are limited to 8 on this small-group tour, ensuring you’ll see the best of the Dolomites with personalized attention from your driver-guide.

Highlights

• Day trip to the UNESCO-listed Dolomite Mountains from Venice
• Stop in the village of Pieve di Cadore, birthplace of the Renaissance painter Titian
• Take a break at two breathtakingly beautiful mountain lakes: Lake Santa Caterina and Lake Misurina – the ‘Pearl of the Dolomites’
• Explore the mountain trails on a self-guided walk, if you wish
• Spend time at leisure in Cortina d’Ampezzo and peruse its elegant boutiques
• Small-group tour with a maximum of 8 ensures a more personalized experience

What You Can Expect

Meet your driver-guide in central Venice and then leave the city by luxury minivan, traveling north through the Veneto countryside and into the Sesto region in the Dolomite Mountains. Stop for a coffee (own expense) in Pieve di Cadore, a gorgeous little village known for being the birthplace of the Renaissance painter Titian, and then continue to Lake Santa Caterina.

Stretch your legs on a quick stroll, admiring the lakeside scenery, and then continue by coach to Lake Misurina — known as the ‘Pearl of the Dolomites.’ Have your camera poised, ready to capture breathtaking shots of the lake against the backdrop of Tre Cime di Lavaredo – the Dolomite’s three distinctive peaks. Travel toward the peaks by coach, stopping at a vantage point to soak up the serene mountain views.

Rest at a local trattoria for lunch (own expense), and then choose to either take a walk or stay at the restaurant and relax. If you opt to do the walk, follow your guide’s explanations and walk along one of the gentler mountain trails to see more of the area’s sublime scenery, as well as its mountain flora and fauna.

Leave the foothills of Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the afternoon and travel by coach to the swanky ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo, where affluent Italians go not just to ski, but to see and be seen. Stop for photos at a panoramic viewpoint and drink in views of the bustling town encircled by towering mountains.

Enjoy free time in Cortina to do as little or as much as you want. Perhaps browse its elegant boutiques, or visit one of the street-side cafés for a coffee (own expense). Meet your driver-guide back at the pre-arranged time, and return to Venice, passing the peaks of the Dolomite bathed in the late-afternoon sun. Your tour finishes at the start point in the early evening.

Details

Inclusions

• Driver/guide
• Easy self-guided nature walk (optional)
• Transport by air-conditioned minibus

Exclusions

• Gratuities (optional)
• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Food and drink, unless specified

Additional info

• Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability

Minimum numbers apply. There is a possibility of cancellation after confirmation if there are not enough passengers to meet requirements. In the event of this occurring, you will be offered an alternative or full refund

• The visit to the foothills of Tre Cime di Lavaredo is seasonal (end of May to October) subject to weather conditions. When it is not possible to access it, you will spend more time in Cortina instead
• Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately

Schedule

Departure point

Central Venice, in Tronchetto

Departure time

9:00

Duration

8 hours 30 minutes (approx.)

Return details

Concludes at Piazzale Roma in Venice