Dolomites

We meet in Bolzano in the afternoon and travel by private vehicle into the Dolomites, heading first to the hotel to check in and drop off our luggage as we settle into this mountain holiday.

After a short rest, we drive to the Val di Funes, stopping briefly at Santa Maddalena, where the white church and the rock peaks share a single frame, the valley's most classic view. We then walk into the valley, stroll a section of the Adolf Munkel Trail, and wait for the sunset on a grassy mountain slope or near a mountain hut.

Dinner back at the hotel, in the Diamant Spa Resort's gourmet restaurant: traditional South Tyrolean cuisine.

We set off early to reach the Alpe di Siusi, Europe's largest high-alpine meadow, before the crowds pour in. The grass is still wet, the Sassolungo peak is still in slanting light, and there is no one around.

Leaving the main routes aside, we follow a quieter path across the meadows, no rushing, no clock. Lunch is at a mountain hut: Knödel, cheese and apple juice, sitting on a bench looking at the mountains.

In the afternoon, you're free to choose:

An early start up the mountain on the first cable car of the day, ahead of the peak crowds. Seceda stands at 2,519m, and the jagged ridge of the Fermeda Towers is one of the most recognizable skylines in the Dolomites.

Rather than just stopping at the viewing platform for photos, we continue along the ridge for a stretch and really walk into it: the wind is strong, the South Tyrolean valleys lie below, and the ridge drops away into open air on both sides. After lunch at a mountain hut we head down and drive to the Eisacktaler Kellerei winery for a tasting.

After the tasting, we cross straight over two mountain passes, Passo Sella and Passo Pordoi, on our transfer to Cortina, a scenic drive of about 1.5 hours.

Dinner is at a local restaurant in Cortina, to experience the local food culture.

An early-morning drive to Lake Braies, about 50 minutes. Before the visitors arrive, the whole lake is still; as a wooden boat glides across, you can hear the oars slip into the water. A 45-minute rowing window gives you time to feel the quiet this lake ought to have.

We then head into the Tre Cime area and hike a selected highlights section, avoiding the busiest times and routes. Lunch is at the Rifugio Locatelli hut, at 2,405m, with the three great rock towers right in front of the window, so close they feel a little unreal. After lunch we return via Forcella Lavaredo, completing the loop.

With about 7–8 hours on the move in total, this is the most physically demanding day of the whole itinerary.

In the morning, ride an e-bike along the mountain lanes around Cortina: no cars, just the wind and the rock faces. It isn't a hard ride; it's a chance to take in the scale of these mountains at a different speed. Free time at midday to wander the town, have an Italian lunch or a snack, and stroll at your own pace.

In the afternoon, check in to the Grand Hotel Savoia Cortina d'Ampezzo, built in 1912 and part of Radisson Collection, which in its history has hosted Churchill, Roosevelt and Sophia Loren. The SPA is open all day: heated indoor pool, Jacuzzi, sauna, steam bath and massage treatments. After the Three Peaks and the via ferrata, this day is deliberately designed as a recovery point.

Dinner is the group's farewell dinner, included in the trip, at the Savoy restaurant, a historic 1912 building decorated with Dolomite stone and murals.

Check out after breakfast. Our private vehicle heads south along the SS51, stopping at Passo Tre Croci as we slowly make our way out of the mountains. On the way we make a short stop at a winery for one last local experience on the journey back, moving from the rocky landscape of the Dolomites to the vineyards of the Veneto wine region. Arrival at Venice Marco Polo Airport in the afternoon.