Walking the Italian Dolomites and Slovenia

We depart for Innsbruck, Austria via Vienna.

We arrive in Innsbruck, and transfer to our hotel in the picturesque village of Dobbiaco, Italy - the “Gateway to the Dolomites”. Situated on a high plateau, it has spectacular views of the Dolomite range. This afternoon we’ll have a guided orientation tour.

We walk from our hotel and meander through Tyrolean villages, which feature local old chapels and churches, each with their own unique frescoes.

Today’s walk features beautiful Lago di Braies. As we walk around this picturesque lake we will see the stunning colours of the mountains reflected on its surface. We will also see the famous wooden chalet at the foot of the lake and unique timber rowboats.

The Three Peaks (“Tre Cime”) is one of the most iconic symbols of the Dolomites. The three jagged peaks dominate the landscape and are an unmistakeable landmark that can be seen for miles around. Today’s route takes us toward the peaks of Cime Nove and Cime Ganda, to San Candido and along an old military route from the First World War, with fortifications and gun emplacements from that period.

Today’s route takes us along the crest of the Carniche Alps, starting with a cable car ascent up the 2014m Mount Elmo. From the summit, we follow an old military supply trail to the Sillianerhutte refuge in Austria, with spectacular views over the Austrian Alps. The descent will be by cable car with wonderful views of the Dolomites.

We travel through Austria to Bled, Slovenia where we will have an afternoon tour of this picturesque town, including a visit of medieval Bled Castle.

Today we will walk the amazing Vintgar Gorges, along a wooden walkway that criss-crosses the swirling Radovna River over rapids, waterfalls and pools before reaching Sum Waterfall. We then return to Bled in the afternoon and enjoy a leisurely boat tour on the lake with a stop at the central island.

We take a short bus ride to the Bohinj Lake region in Triglav National Park where we will walk in two groups with varied levels of difficulty. We then take a cable car up to reach a different summit with awe-inspiring panoramic vistas.

We depart for Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana. The city’s history has been influenced by its geographical position - the doorway to the Slavic world and the window to Germanic and Latin cultures. After a morning tour of Ljubljana we continue to the charming town of Piran on the Slovenian coast.

Today we enjoy a fantastic loop walk between the amazing coastline and the inviting Mediterranean countryside covered in olive groves. This walk offers extraordinary views of Croatia’s Istrian peninsula and the coast of Italy. We arrive in Strunjan Park with an opportunity to extend the walk along the coast atop high cliffs offering superb views of the Adriatic Sea. Then we will visit Strunjan Beach for a refreshing swim.

This morning we enjoy a guided walking tour of Piran. Situated at the tip of a narrow peninsula, it is one of the loveliest towns on the Adriatic coast. The Old Town, with its Venetian Gothic architecture, is one of the best-preserved historical towns in the Mediterranean. The afternoon is free to explore one of the unique museums, stroll the many winding alleyways or take a dip in the sea.

We proceed to the charming Veneto city of Treviso. On our walking tour we’ll explore the medieval city walls, canals, narrow cobble-stoned streets, and some of the food and wine boutiques selling local specialties. Enjoy some free time before this evening’s Farewell Dinner.

A short transfer takes us to the Venice airport for our direct flight to Toronto.