Backroads | Dolomites Family Multisport

Dolomites Family Multisport

Soaring high in the sky, Italy's majestic Dolomites play host to our exciting family adventure. Backroads takes the best of this fairy-tale setting - gorgeous scenery, welcoming hotels and delectable cuisine - and weaves them together with interludes of biking, hiking and plenty of options for kids and adults alike. Take in this dramatic landscape as we make our way up well-marked paths leading to quaint villages. Stroll through lofty meadows carpeted with wildflowers. Experience a delightful mixture of Italian and Germanic cultures, and dine on the region's distinctive culinary specialties. All the while, soak up invigorating mountain air on this unforgettable ascent toward alpine bliss.

Day 1 Cortina d'Ampezzo

Meet in Venice Shuttle to Borca di Cadore, a chic resort town encircled by stunning peaks and filled with stylish shops and cafés Mountain bike on a historic railway path that gently ascends to Cortina.

Days 2-3 La Villa

Indulge in a hearty alpine breakfast before taking a chairlift to the base of the imposing Cinque Torre, a group of five stone pinnacles Kids learn the basics of rock climbing from trained instructors Hike with our local guide to an open-air museum and explore World War I tunnels built into the hillside Bike through the scenic Ladin villages of the Val Badia, where conifer forests and a profusion of wildflowers give way to remarkable views of glaciers and lofty rock towers.

Days 4-6 Castelrotto

Take a gondola ride to the Alpe di Suisi, a pristine plateau of meadows and wetlands high above the valley Pedal alongside streams and rivers, admiring edelweiss and poppies along your path Hike to a rifugio where ancient folk traditions thrive Savor regional specialties, including polenta and grilled Taleggio cheese Marvel at breathtaking sunsets enhanced by the vivid pink stone of the surrounding mountains Walk through pine forests and past icy-cold Lago di Fiè Kids learn to make apple strudel, an alpine favorite.

ALPINE MAGIC : Casual Inns

Hotel Cortina (1 night): Well-situated in a pleasant pedestrian area, this hotel offers comfortable elegance in each of its guest rooms, a Jacuzzi and massage service.

Hotel Cristallo (2 nights): At this simple hotel, enjoy amazing views, a full-service wellness center and quintessential Dolomites hospitality.

Cavallino d'Oro (2 nights): Located in the market square, this charming hotel is decorated with traditional Tyrolean furnishings, and features a small spa and excellent restaurant.

Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain

Day 1

Level 1 3 Route Options Available
Biking 8, 13, 15 miles
0 - 500 feet elevation gain

Day 2

Levels 1 to 2 2-3 Route Options Available
Walking 3.1, 6 miles
1000 - 2500 feet elevation gain
Kids Rock Climbing 3 hours

Day 3

Level 1 3 Route Options Available
Biking 7, 10, 16 miles
0 - 500 feet elevation gain

Day 4

Levels 1 to 2 2 Route Options Available
Biking 12, 21 miles
500 - 1000 feet elevation gain

Day 5

Levels 1 to 2 2 Route Options Available
Hiking 4.6, 6.6 miles
1500 - 2000 feet elevation gain

Day 6

Level 1 1 Route Option Available
Walking 1 hour

On this Family Trip, our routes follow gentle terrain with no significant gain or loss in elevation. Liberal van shuttling is incorporated into the itinerary to facilitate our activities and mileage is kept moderate to enable you to spend more time exploring on your own.

Trips 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.

Activity Level	Average Time	Average Distance
		Biking	Walking & Hiking
Level 1	2-3 hours	10-20 mile	2-5 miles
Level 2	2-4 hours	21-30 miles	5-7 miles
Level 3	3-5 hours	31-40 miles	7-9 miles
Level 4	4-6 hours	41-55 miles	9-11 miles
Level 5	5-7+ hours	56-75+ miles	11-13+ miles

2008 DATES

FAMILY TRIPS

8/3-8Price: $3198 pp dbl. occ., (+ $460 for sgl. occ.)

The trip you have selected is different from the one displayed. Here's how:
Hotel Variation: On Days 4 and 5, we stay at the Hotel Emmy, which features a restaurant, swimming pool, hot tub and day spa.

2009 DATES

FAMILY TRIPS

Reserve early for the best available price. Prices may change during the course of the year--if they do change, the best prices are available earlier. Once you book your trip, your price is guaranteed.

Recommended Kids Ages

Minimum Ages:

Recommended minimum age for the trip: 9+ years

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+ cultural appreciation, difficulty of activities and route
9+ difficulty of activities and route
6+ several long adult dinners; parent may not be able to pull a Burley and/or there may be multiple activity restrictions
3+ riding is on bike paths, making it great for young kids; Burley and Piccolos are available; there are few or no activity restrictions; and no long dinners (or we offer alternatives)

Please note that a trip may feature an activity with an older age requirement than the minimum age recommendation for the trip. Younger kids are still welcome on the trip and while they will not be able to participate in the activity, the leaders will suggest an alternate activity. For safety reasons, children under 7 may not ride their own bikes and are required to ride on a Piccolo or in a Burley. For certain destinations, children must be 9 or older to ride their own bikes.

Trip praise

This was my 7th Backroads trip. All have been memorable and wonderful, but I do think this was the best. Backroads is truly the best. We had a fabulous time; it was great for my daughter and great for me. I love everything you do!!!!!!

Norma Formanek - San Mateo, CA

This trip completely exceeded our expectations. This was probably the best trip our family has taken in a long time, and our first with Backroads. We will definitely do another one. Our guides were really fantastic!

Robert Reay - Mountain View, CA

Traveling Backroads-style helped introduce our children to Europe and taught them how much richer travel is when you talk to the people, eat their food and give yourself over to their way of life.

Karen Traina - Wrightsville Beach, NC

Extremely well organized with a great balance of options for both adults and kids.

Craig Sutton - New Hope, PA

We had an absolutely fabulous time. Our guides were extremely knowledgeable, and accommodating. They were excellent to the kids. Our trip had kids from the ages of 8 to 19. All the kids were happy and had a great time. That in itself says a lot. The hiking was beautiful, the biking safe and picturesque, and the rock climbing an experience that my kids will always remember.

Jim Nella Kleinburg, Ontario

We went on the Dolomites multi-sport trip for our honeymoon. People asked us why we would want to do a Backroads trip as our honeymoon - they said that it seemed like a lot of work for a honeymoon. They were so wrong! The leaders went out of their way to make this the best week of my life!!! THANK YOU!

Jennifer Corrigan Boulder, CO