It costs €700 to plan your own 8-day hike of the Alta Via 1 Dolomites.
This cost is based on a real itinerary using 2023 costs, including:
7 nights in shared accommodation (dorms) in mountain huts
7 days of breakfast and lunch at the accommodation (half board)
8 days of picnic lunch and snacks
Alta Via 1 Dolomites 8 Day Itinerary, as shown in our trip planning app.
This cost will vary depending on the number of days on the trail, and your accommodation, food, and transport preferences. So, how do you calculate how much it will cost for your trip? Here are a few sample itineraries using actual 2023 costs to help you out!
Before you go ahead and book your Alta Via 1 trip, make sure to factor in any additional costs that may apply to you, such as flights to Italy/Europe, transfers to/from the airport, transport along the trail (i.e. cable car or bus), new hiking gear, travel insurance, and beverages (non-alcoholic or alcoholic). More on these costs are below.
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Let’s break down the costs that go into hiking the Alta Via 1 Dolomites (AV1) trail
1. Preferred accommodation
There are 3 main accommodation types on the Alta Via 1 Dolomites trail which you can select;
Campgrounds: This includes campgrounds located at/near the entrance to three Natural Parks located along the trail. These full-service campgrounds typically offer hot showers, toilets, water, electricity, kitchen, and food.
Camping Palafavera - example of a 3* campground located along the trail
Shared room (dorms): These rooms are offered by most mountain huts, but you will even find them in some villages too. Occasionally there is a sink in the room, however, showers and toilets are typically outside in common areas. The room sizes vary from 4 to 18 beds.
Rifugio Biella - example of a mountain hut that offers shared room (dormitory) accommodation
Private room: Usually this is a single, double, triple, or quad room that has a private bathroom and shower. These rooms are offered at some mountain huts and hotels along the trail.
Rifugio Lagazuoi - example of a mountain hut that offers private room accommodation
You will notice that the term ‘preferred’ is used for the accommodation selection. This is because the table highlights actual itineraries rather than simply assuming you can stay in your selected accommodation type every night, which in most cases is not possible. For example, private rooms in mountain huts aren't possible every night for anyone hiking for 4+ days, and campgrounds aren’t possible every night. Therefore most itineraries need to include a mix of different accommodation types. This is how itinerary building works in practice, so it’s the same approach I’ve taken with the cost calculation.
When the preferred accommodation type for any given night is not available, the next closest option has been selected. The next closest option for each accommodation type is;
No Campground > Shared room (dorms) selected
No Shared room (dorms) > Private room (double) selected
No Private room > Shared room (dorms) selected
You’ll see in the table how many nights have been allocated with the preferred accommodation type vs. the next closest option. The number of nights in your preferred accommodation type can usually be increased if you incorporate some public transport into your plan.
Use our trip planning app to easily add public transport (i.e gondola, bus) to skip ahead.
2. Lunch
There are 3 options for lunch while hiking the Alta Via 1 Dolomites trail:
Fresh gnocchi for lunch on the patio at Rifugio Tissi
Make my own lunch: A generous 10 EUR estimated. Assumes you’ll be picking up a hearty selection of food from supermarkets/bakeries.
Takeaway picnic from accommodation: 10 EUR calculated based on an average of over 10 providers along the trail. These packed lunches are all a bit different but usually contain a sandwich, fruit, cheese, and something sweet.
Dine at a cafe/restaurant along the trail: 20 EUR estimated based on choosing something warm (e.g.: pasta, hearty soup & bread) and a piece of fruit pie or drink.
If you assume option 1 or 2, this cost is already included in the cost table above. However if you assume option 3, add 10 EUR per day to your own calculation.
3. Dinner
There are 2 options for dinner while hiking the Alta Via 1 Dolomites trail:
Polenta, mushrooms, local cheese, bread and a cold beer at Rifugio San Sebastiano.
Make my own dinner (camping): 12 EUR estimated. This assumes you’ll be eating freeze-dried meals or picking up food for dinner at supermarkets to prepare if camping.
Dine at the accommodation: 20 EUR estimated. Most accommodations along the trail offer half board which includes a hearty 3-course dinner served family style. Where half board is available, the actual cost for the location has been used. Where the itinerary has a night at a location that does not offer half board, 20 EUR has been estimated based on a main meal al a carte choice (e.g.: pasta, ragu and polenta, steak).
These costs are already included in the cost table above. Option 1 for nights in a campground, option 2 for nights in a mountain hut.
4. Breakfast
There are 2 options for breakfast while hiking the Alta Via 1 Dolomites trail:
Cappuccino and apple strudel from Rifugio Scotoni
Make my own breakfast (camping): 8 EUR estimated. This assumes you’ll be bread/pastries, fruit, and coffee purchased at supermarkets.
Dine at the accommodation: Most accommodations along the trail offer half board which includes a breakfast buffet. Where half board is available, the actual cost for the location has been used. Where the itinerary has a night at a location that does not offer half board, 10 EUR has been estimated based on a simple breakfast (e.g.: coffee and pastry).
These costs are already included in the cost table above. Option 1 for nights in a campground, option 2 for nights in a mountain hut.
OTHER TRIP COSTS TO CONSIDER
While the cost table will provide you with the main cost to hike the Alta Via 1, there are some others that you may need to factor into your plan.
Lagazuoi Cable Car connecting Falzarego Pass to Rifugio Lagazuoi
Flights to Venice/Milan/Europe
This depends on where you’re coming from and what class you fly so I’ve not included it.
Transfers to/from the airport
Given there are numerous airports and start locations on the trail, we’ve not built this into the cost table.
Transportation along the trail
There are several options along the trail to take public transportation to skip ahead, such as cable cars and buses. No estimate is provided as this may or may not apply to your itinerary.
New hiking gear
No estimate is provided as it depends on the situation of each hiker. We provide a gear list in the planning portal to help you do an inventory check.
Travel Insurance
No estimate is provided due to being based on location, age, and coverage/excess preferences
Dinner at Ristorante da Arnola, connected to Camping Al Plan
Beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
Hiking certainly makes you thirsty and sometimes at the end of a long day, you need something a little stronger than water. Alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are not included in the cost estimates but are available for sale at all the mountain huts along the way. Expect to pay between EUR 3-7 for a glass of wine, bottle of beer from the region or aperol spritz.
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