Austria/Italy
Alpine Hiking in Austria and Italy
Program No. 3331RJ
Traverse scenic paths through the magnificent Alps, discovering rich history, traditional villages and stunning alpine flora and fauna in some of Europe’s most pristine natural beauty.
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14 days
13 nights
33 meals
12B 11L 10D
1
In Transit
In Flight
5
Circular Hike Gaistal Valley
Seefeld
6
Seefelder Peak
Seefeld
8
Col Raiser, Dolomites, Italy
St. Ulrich
9
Sella and Langkofel, Dolomites, Italy
St. Ulrich
10
Bolzano, Italy
St. Ulrich
12
Nature Park Puez, Flitzer Scharte
St. Ulrich
13
Innsbruck, Austria
Innsbruck
14
Departures
In Flight
At a Glance
Explore the unparalleled beauty of two regions on opposite sides of the Alps: the Tyrol in Austria and the South Tyrol in Italy. Unearth similarities and contrasts in their culture, history, environment and architecture as you immerse yourself in the splendid beauty of the Dolomite mountain valley and gain appreciation for these two varied and unique cultures.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Hiking 4-10 miles daily on varied terrain; mountains, small trails that are mainly gravel and dirt, fields and meadows that have small stones. Sturdy walking/hiking shoes are required. Elevations up to 7,286 feet.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
What You'll Learn
- Explore the magnificent Tyrol regions of Austria and Italy to discover their cultural similarities and differences.
- Discover the Europa's oldest known natural human mummy, "Otzi," (the Iceman).
- Go on walking lectures that highlight the botany of the Dolomites -- including herbs and their healing powers.
Suggested Reading List
(15 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Alpine Hiking in Austria and Italy
Program Number: 3331
La Nouvelle Heloise
Rousseau may be best known for his political philosophy, but in this novel we see his softer side. This is the passionate story told through the letters of two lovers in a small town at the foot of the Alps.
Schlepping Through the Alps, My Search for Austria's Jewish Past with Its Last Wandering Shepherd
A hilarious and touching exploration of history, tradition and sheep. This account of travels in Austria with Hans Breuer, a shepherd who sings Yiddish folk songs to his sheep, is admittedly a comic quest, but it also delves into some of the darker corners of Austria's history in World War II.
Homestead
Set firmly in a small village in the Austrian Alps, these 12 interlinking stories are almost ethnographic in their rich detail of small town life. The stories range from the turn-of-the-century to the present, accurately charting change in the remote village.
Alps Map
This regional map (1:500,000), centered on the Alps, includes portions of Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and France.
Cuisines of the Alps
Subtitled "Recipes, Drinks, and Lore from France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Italy, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia," this colorful tour of the region's rustic cuisine offers more than 140 recipes, a section on regional wines and historical information.
The Austrians, A Thousand-Year Odyssey
Detailed, impressively researched and readable, this book is a wide-ranging narrative history of the last 1,000 years of Austria and the Austrian character.
The Alps, A Cultural History
Beattie explores the turbulent past and vibrant present of the Alps, where early pioneers of tourism, mountaineering and scientific research have each left their mark.
The Habsburg Empire, A New History
With a fresh approach to the Habsburgs' legacy, this panoramic history revises commonly held perspectives on the empire's effectiveness and its echoes in Europe today.
Eiger Dreams, Ventures Among Men and Mountains
A collection of some of Krakauer's (Into Thin Air) best journalism, these stories and essays focus on the mindset and determination of world-class mountaineers, including Alpine and Himalayan climbers.
Scrambles Amongst the Alps: In the Years 1860-69
Edward Whymper's classic account of Victorian-era mountaineering captures the geography, beauty and allure of the Alps.
The White War: Life and Death on the Italian Front
Thompson's history captures the drama, nationalist frenzy and pathos of WWI. The historian also traces the nearly forgotten, brutal three-year struggle to capture the Isonzo River sector in the rugged Alps and Dolomites from the Austro-Hungarian Empire in this epic history.
Walking in the Dolomites
A comprehensive walker's guide to the Dolomites geared to a wide variety of difficulty levels. Illustrated with photographs and maps.
Iceman: Uncovering the Life and Times of a Prehistoric Man Found in an Alpine Glacier
The complete story of the discovery of and controversy surrounding the frozen corpse of a prehistoric man found in the Tyrolian Alps.
Medusa, An Aurelio Zen Mystery
In this ninth book in the thoroughly enjoyable Aurelio Zen series, our worldly detective investigates a mysterious corpse in a long-abandoned military tunnel in the Dolomites.
Killing Dragons, The Conquest of the Alps
Fleming spins lively tales of man against nature in this entertaining history of the eccentrics, adventurers and publicity-hounds who sought to conquer the Alps, including Whymper and his first ascent of the Matterhorn 150 years ago.
Meals
33 Meals
12 Breakfasts
11 Lunches
10 Dinners
The following choices may be available when requested in advance: Low Fat, Vegetarian, Low Salt, Gluten Free
Lodging
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Display
- Sep 24, 2024 - Oct 07, 2024
- Sep 10, 2024 - Sep 23, 2024 (Seefeld to Innsbruck)
- Sep 17, 2024 - Sep 30, 2024 (Seefeld to Innsbruck)
- Sep 24, 2024 - Oct 07, 2024 (Seefeld to Innsbruck)
- May 27, 2025 - Jun 09, 2025 (Seefeld to Innsbruck)
- Jun 03, 2025 - Jun 16, 2025 (Seefeld to Innsbruck)
- Jun 10, 2025 - Jun 23, 2025 (Seefeld to Innsbruck)
- Jun 17, 2025 - Jun 30, 2025 (Seefeld to Innsbruck)
- Sep 09, 2025 - Sep 22, 2025 (Seefeld to Innsbruck)
- Sep 16, 2025 - Sep 29, 2025 (Seefeld to Innsbruck)
- Sep 23, 2025 - Oct 06, 2025 (Seefeld to Innsbruck)
5 nights
Seefeld
The four-star Hotel Seelos is situated amidst the majestic Wetterstein mountains and Stubaier Alpine mountain range. Designed in the traditional Tyrolean style, the hotel has retained its old charm while still keeping up with modern innovations. In authentic Austrian fashion, live music can be enjoyed during Sunday dinner and many evenings at the hotel are filled with dancing.
6 nights
Ortisei
This family run hotel is located in the middle of Ladin Val Gardena. Its position puts guests within minutes of the cable car to the Alpe di Siusi and the village center.
1 night
Innsbruck
The Hotel Grauer Bär enjoys an excellent downtown location directly behind the Landestheater and in the immediate vicinity of the Golden Roof and the Imperial Hofburg.
5 nights
Seefeld
The four-star Hotel Seelos is situated amidst the majestic Wetterstein mountains and Stubaier Alpine mountain range. Designed in the traditional Tyrolean style, the hotel has retained its old charm while still keeping up with modern innovations. In authentic Austrian fashion, live music can be enjoyed during Sunday dinner and many evenings at the hotel are filled with dancing.
6 nights
Ortisei
This family run hotel is located in the middle of Ladin Val Gardena. Its position puts guests within minutes of the cable car to the Alpe di Siusi and the village center.
1 night
Innsbruck
The Hotel Grauer Bär enjoys an excellent downtown location directly behind the Landestheater and in the immediate vicinity of the Golden Roof and the Imperial Hofburg.
5 nights
Seefeld
The four-star Hotel Seelos is situated amidst the majestic Wetterstein mountains and Stubaier Alpine mountain range. Designed in the traditional Tyrolean style, the hotel has retained its old charm while still keeping up with modern innovations. In authentic Austrian fashion, live music can be enjoyed during Sunday dinner and many evenings at the hotel are filled with dancing.
6 nights
Ortisei
This family run hotel is located in the middle of Ladin Val Gardena. Its position puts guests within minutes of the cable car to the Alpe di Siusi and the village center.
1 night
Innsbruck
The Hotel Grauer Bär enjoys an excellent downtown location directly behind the Landestheater and in the immediate vicinity of the Golden Roof and the Imperial Hofburg.
5 nights
Seefeld
The four-star Hotel Seelos is situated amidst the majestic Wetterstein mountains and Stubaier Alpine mountain range. Designed in the traditional Tyrolean style, the hotel has retained its old charm while still keeping up with modern innovations. In authentic Austrian fashion, live music can be enjoyed during Sunday dinner and many evenings at the hotel are filled with dancing.
6 nights
Ortisei
This family run hotel is located in the middle of Ladin Val Gardena. Its position puts guests within minutes of the cable car to the Alpe di Siusi and the village center.
1 night
Innsbruck
The Hotel Grauer Bär enjoys an excellent downtown location directly behind the Landestheater and in the immediate vicinity of the Golden Roof and the Imperial Hofburg.
5 nights
Seefeld
The four-star Hotel Seelos is situated amidst the majestic Wetterstein mountains and Stubaier Alpine mountain range. Designed in the traditional Tyrolean style, the hotel has retained its old charm while still keeping up with modern innovations. In authentic Austrian fashion, live music can be enjoyed during Sunday dinner and many evenings at the hotel are filled with dancing.
6 nights
Ortisei
This family run hotel is located in the middle of Ladin Val Gardena. Its position puts guests within minutes of the cable car to the Alpe di Siusi and the village center.
1 night
Innsbruck
The Hotel Grauer Bär enjoys an excellent downtown location directly behind the Landestheater and in the immediate vicinity of the Golden Roof and the Imperial Hofburg.
5 nights
Seefeld
The four-star Hotel Seelos is situated amidst the majestic Wetterstein mountains and Stubaier Alpine mountain range. Designed in the traditional Tyrolean style, the hotel has retained its old charm while still keeping up with modern innovations. In authentic Austrian fashion, live music can be enjoyed during Sunday dinner and many evenings at the hotel are filled with dancing.
6 nights
Ortisei
This family run hotel is located in the middle of Ladin Val Gardena. Its position puts guests within minutes of the cable car to the Alpe di Siusi and the village center.
1 night
Innsbruck
The Hotel Grauer Bär enjoys an excellent downtown location directly behind the Landestheater and in the immediate vicinity of the Golden Roof and the Imperial Hofburg.
5 nights
Seefeld
The four-star Hotel Seelos is situated amidst the majestic Wetterstein mountains and Stubaier Alpine mountain range. Designed in the traditional Tyrolean style, the hotel has retained its old charm while still keeping up with modern innovations. In authentic Austrian fashion, live music can be enjoyed during Sunday dinner and many evenings at the hotel are filled with dancing.
6 nights
Ortisei
This family run hotel is located in the middle of Ladin Val Gardena. Its position puts guests within minutes of the cable car to the Alpe di Siusi and the village center.
1 night
Innsbruck
The Hotel Grauer Bär enjoys an excellent downtown location directly behind the Landestheater and in the immediate vicinity of the Golden Roof and the Imperial Hofburg.
5 nights
Seefeld
The four-star Hotel Seelos is situated amidst the majestic Wetterstein mountains and Stubaier Alpine mountain range. Designed in the traditional Tyrolean style, the hotel has retained its old charm while still keeping up with modern innovations. In authentic Austrian fashion, live music can be enjoyed during Sunday dinner and many evenings at the hotel are filled with dancing.
6 nights
Ortisei
This family run hotel is located in the middle of Ladin Val Gardena. Its position puts guests within minutes of the cable car to the Alpe di Siusi and the village center.
1 night
Innsbruck
The Hotel Grauer Bär enjoys an excellent downtown location directly behind the Landestheater and in the immediate vicinity of the Golden Roof and the Imperial Hofburg.
5 nights
Seefeld
The four-star Hotel Seelos is situated amidst the majestic Wetterstein mountains and Stubaier Alpine mountain range. Designed in the traditional Tyrolean style, the hotel has retained its old charm while still keeping up with modern innovations. In authentic Austrian fashion, live music can be enjoyed during Sunday dinner and many evenings at the hotel are filled with dancing.
6 nights
Ortisei
This family run hotel is located in the middle of Ladin Val Gardena. Its position puts guests within minutes of the cable car to the Alpe di Siusi and the village center.
1 night
Innsbruck
The Hotel Grauer Bär enjoys an excellent downtown location directly behind the Landestheater and in the immediate vicinity of the Golden Roof and the Imperial Hofburg.
5 nights
Seefeld
The four-star Hotel Seelos is situated amidst the majestic Wetterstein mountains and Stubaier Alpine mountain range. Designed in the traditional Tyrolean style, the hotel has retained its old charm while still keeping up with modern innovations. In authentic Austrian fashion, live music can be enjoyed during Sunday dinner and many evenings at the hotel are filled with dancing.
6 nights
Ortisei
This family run hotel is located in the middle of Ladin Val Gardena. Its position puts guests within minutes of the cable car to the Alpe di Siusi and the village center.
1 night
Innsbruck
The Hotel Grauer Bär enjoys an excellent downtown location directly behind the Landestheater and in the immediate vicinity of the Golden Roof and the Imperial Hofburg.