Ready, set, go! It's amazing, the activities you'll pack in during these six sensational days. You'll be biking old railway paths. Taking chairlifts and gondola rides among Italy's most dramatic peaks and spires. Getting a mountain goat's view of limestone massifs, deep valleys and alpine lakes. Exploring World War I trenches carved into the hillsides. Enjoying a hearty lunch at a traditional hiker's hut. Rock climbing lessons for kids and wine tastings for grown-ups. It's pure family fun in an incredible alpine playground called the Dolomites.
Day 1 Michelin-starred cuisine
at Tivoli - a delectable way to kick off the trip! 
Mountain bike along the twists and turns of an old railway path to Cortina d'Ampezzo, a posh town surrounded by stunning peaks and filled with shops and cafés.
Day 2 Ride a chairlift to Rifugio Scoiattoli for dramatic views of the Cinque Torri,
a group of famous stone pinnacles Want to dig into the past? Our guided walk reveals World War I bunkers and trenches, and an open-air museum near Passo di Falzarego Kids get the hang of rock climbing with an expert mountaineer.
Day 3 Italy and Austria come together in a multicultural mosaic
Pedal through Val Badia's scenic Ladin villages, conifer forests and flower-carpeted fields Glaciers and lofty rock towers - talk about remarkable scenery! Youngsters take an exhilarating zip-line ride in Colfosco before their fun-filled pizza feast.
Day 4 Explore hidden valleys and majestic mountains,
arriving on the pristine Alpe di Siusi plateau by gondola Alpine gentians and poppies color your bike route Try grilled Taleggio cheese, sausage with mushrooms and polenta and other local specialties.
Days 5-6 Strudel-making with a local chef
for the younger set Hike to a rifugio where ancient folk traditions thrive Gaze at beautiful Fiè allo Sciliar with its onion-shaped church steeple.
Trip Highlights
- Italy and Austria come together in a multicultural mosaic
- Explore hidden valleys and majestic mountains
- Ride a chairlift to Rifugio Scoiattoli for dramatic views of the Cinque Torri
- Strudel-making with a local chef
- Learn rock climbing basics with an expert mountaineer
Premiere Inns
Cristallo Hotel Spa & Golf (1 night): This distinctly Italian hotel, located amid mountain peaks above well-heeled Cortina, has hosted countless dignitaries and famous people, including Leo Tolstoy, since it opened in 1901. (pool, spa, golf)
Hotel Ciasa Salares (2 nights): Set in a sprawling green meadow surrounded by lush forests. The Michelin-starred restaurant's wine list displays 1,850 labels. (pool, spa)
Romantik Hotel Turm (2 nights): A 13th-century hotel with Tyrolean-style décor, delicious regional cuisine prepared by proprietor and renowned chef Stefan Pramstrahler. (pool, spa)
Routes For All Abilities
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of
interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one
day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat
from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each
day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
| Daily Route Options | |||||||||||
| Day | Activity | EASYGOING | ACTIVE | AVID | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 | |||||||
| miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | miles | feet gain | ||
| 1 | Biking | 7 | 600 | ||||||||
| Biking | 14 | 1200 | |||||||||
| 2 | Walking | 1.0* | 300 | 2.2* | 1200 | 3.5* | 1700 | ||||
| Kids | Rock climbing (3 hours) | ||||||||||
| 3 | Biking | 7* | 300 | 14* | 1000 | 21 | 1600 | ||||
| Kids | Zip-lining excursion at adventure park (2 hours) | ||||||||||
| Other | Optional hiking, paragliding or golf | ||||||||||
| 4 | Biking | 9* | 200 | 16* | 500 | 21* | 1000 | ||||
| Other | Afternoon hikes | ||||||||||
| 5 | Walking | 5.9 | 1200 | 8.6 | 1500 | ||||||
| Walking | 6.6 | 1200 | |||||||||
| Kids | Strudel-making lesson (1 hour) | ||||||||||
| 6 | Walking | 2.1 | 100 | ||||||||
On this trip, we'll be using titanium mountain bikes that are just right for the non-technical dirt road riding as well as the paved riding. (approximately 0% dirt and 100% paved).
* Includes a shuttle
2013 Dates & Pricing*
FAMILY TRIPS
- 6/23-28 Price: $4398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.)
- 6/30-7/5 Price: $4398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.)
- 7/7-12 Price: $4298 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.)
- 7/14-19 Price: $4398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.)
- 7/28-8/2 Price: $4398 pp dbl. occ., (+ $900 for sgl. occ.)
*Prices may change. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.
Recommended Kids Ages
Minimum Ages:
- Recommended minimum age for the trip: 9 years
- Minimum age restriction to ride own bike: 9 years
- Minimum age restriction to rock climb: 7 years
- Minimum restriction for zip-line excursion: height of 4.5 feet/140cm
- No Burleys or Piccolos available on this trip
General Info on Minimum Ages:
We strongly encourage families to join our Family Trips, designed with kid- and adult-friendly features. Please note that we have a minimum age requirement of 1 year for all Inn trips and 2 years for all Camping trips. Other than that, we do not restrict trips to a minimum age except in the rare case of a hotel age restriction. We do, however, recommend minimum ages based on the following criteria:- 12+ amount of cultural appreciation, difficulty of activities, routes
- 9+ difficulty of activities/activity age restrictions, routes
- 6+ several longer dinners, routes are difficult for pulling a Burley and therefore not appropriate for younger children, difficulty of activities/activity age restrictions
Guest Trip Reviews
We treated our children & grandchildren to this trip. My husband & I have taken other Backroads trips & our expectations were already high. This trip exceeded our expectations. Our age range was from age 7 to age 69. Everyone had an awesome experience!- Green Valley, AZ
We had an absolutely marvelous time. Our leaders were fabulous, fun and accommodating. We look forward to another Backroads trip in the future. Thanks for the great memories!!- Winnetka, IL
Our family really enjoyed the trip--it was really terrific for our kids! They loved the exercise, activities and the many options available. The leaders were outstanding--very thoughtful and courteous. It was a memorable vacation.- Kentfield, CA
I must sound like a broken record because, as always, our Backroads trip was wonderful. Everything about it met or exceeded expectations and we will be back again soon!- Winter Haven, FL
I have some beautiful memories of my daughter screaming with joy through the alpine meadows and other trails.
This was the BEST vacation of our lives and we owe it all to Backroads and in particular our three leaders. We will definitely look to do another Backroads trip in the near future because of this experience.- Yarmouth, ME
Everything was so special and the kids had a wonderful time every minute of the day! The mountaineer guide was excellent. So incredibly informative and great with the kids.- West Palm Beach, FL