Cortina Runcation: Best Trail Runs in the Dolomites

All Levels Trip: Summer 2025

Overview

Sample Trip Itinerary Summer 2025

Day 1

Welcome to Cortina!

Our trip will start early afternoon with a meet-and-greet and orientation meeting to meet the guides and go over the logistics and itinerary of the upcoming week! Your guide will get you checked in at the hotel. You’ll have the rest of the evening free to enjoy an optional flat shakeout run, take a walk, or enjoy the many restaurants in town.

Optional flat shakeout option available from hotel

Cortina 3/4-star hotel* with breakfast included

*depending on group size and availability

DAY 2

         Lago di Sorapis Lake Run

After a delicious breakfast with Italian coffees, pastries, cereals, fruits, eggs, and more, your guide will meet you at your hotel for your first day on the trails in the Dolomites. Your destination today is the famous Lago di Sorapis, famous for its turquoise blue waters surrounded by pale Dolomite limestone. It will be a day to acclimatize to the trails in the area with paths through forests opening to views of some of the mountain groups Cristallo, Popena, Cadini di Misurina and Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Enjoy views from the scenic alpine lake sitting under the “Dito di Dio” (“God’s Finger”) formation towering almost 9,000 feet above. On the way back you'll stop for a late lunch or snack before returning to Cortina.

~7-9 miles

+/- 2,400 feet elevation gain

Cortina 3/4-star hotel with breakfast included

Private transfer to and from guided run included

DAY 3

To Tre Cime!

After breakfast you'll get an early start to one of the most famous formations in the entire Dolomites. Along the way you'll pass Lago Misurina with the option for a short stop before continuing towards the Tre Cime, or "Three Towers." Your route for the day circumnavigates these massive limestone towers that shoot up into the sky. If you look closely you might spot climbers scaling the walls of these cliffs! You'll enjoy a rolling singletrack run with views of the towers as well as beautiful mountains that extend far into the distance. You'll have the chance to stop at an Italian rifugio along the way for a coffee or larger meal and arrive back into Cortina by the afternoon and continue exploring this Italian mountain town.

~9 miles

+/- 2,400 feet elevation gain

Cortina 3/4-star hotel with breakfast included

Private transfer to and from guided run included

Entrance fee included

DAY 4

Top of the Mountain

After enjoying breakfast at the hotel, your guides will meet you for an adventure to one of the most jaw-dropping mountain huts in the Dolomites. You'll bypass thousands of feet of climbing and be dropped off with views stretching back to Cortina and over into the surrounding valleys. Watch climbers and hikers scale the via ferrata up to the base and enjoy a coffee from the sun deck before the running starts! Today you'll enjoy some incredible downhill in a mixture of smooth and runnable fire roads to more technical terrain (at this point in the week you'll be ready for it)! You'll descend from the mountain crossing mountain passes famous amongst cyclists and finish with a singletrack trail through a meadow to enjoy lunch with a view! You'll make your way back to Cortina impressed by the transition of landscapes and culinary environments in this special place.

~ 8-10 miles (depending on group)

+/- 0-2,000 feet elevation gain (depending on route)

Cortina 3/4-star hotel with breakfast included

Private transfer to guided run included

DAY 5

Cortina to Alta Badia

For your final full day on the trail, you'll enjoy a final breakfast in Cortina before your final big adventure on the trails. As you ascend out of town you'll pass waterfalls, fields of marmots, and the best cappuccino and apple strudel stop in the Dolomites. Celebrate the end of your climbing before running through towering formations and descending into the adjacent valley of Alta Badia. Your 4-star hotel for the evening has multiple spa treatments, saunas, jacuzzis, and wellness center amenities to enjoy along with an excellent bar and restaurant to celebrate your week in the Dolomites. Enjoy your final evening in this special place!

~15 miles

+/- 3,200 feet

Alta Badia 4-star hotel with breakfast included

Access to wellness spa included

Complimentary aperitiff, local meats and cheeses, and dessert bar included

Private transfer to guided run included

Baggage transfer included

DAY 6

Goodbye Dolomites!

For your final morning, you'll enjoy an early breakfast and coffee at your hotel before departing back to Cortina in the morning. You'll say goodbyes to new running friends and the Dolomites and depart with tons of memories.

What’s included

Trip logistics of route planning, lodging, and transportation reservations

A 8:1 ratio of guide to participants

A 3/4-star hotel in the chic Cortina d'Ampezzo (pricing based on double accommodation) and 4-start hotel in the heart of Alta Badia with access to a wellness spa including indoor and outdoor wood-fired saunas and jacuzzis with mountain views, cold plunges, steam rooms, a wellness center, and more

A full breakfast spread daily including coffees, teas, juices, fresh-baked pastries, cereals, fruits, yogurts, eggs, pancakes, and more

Baggage transport from accommodations

Transportation to and from Cortina to day trip trail run locations each day, including private vans, lift tickets, and park entry fees

Knowledgable local expert guide and running coach along the entire route*

*Please note, this Runcation includes private trail running guides during the trail running portion of the day from early morning until late afternoon. In your afternoons and evenings you will be unguided and free to explore!

Not included

International airfare

Alcoholic beverages and lunch/snacks/dinner during the day

Travel Insurance

Extra expenses due to a change in itinerary or in case of you having to shorten the day or trip as a whole (including personal return trips to the airport/next destination/etc.)

A small city tourist tax to be paid in cash in person upon checkout (normally 1-3 euros per person/day)

Before You Go

Passport: Must have a valid passport valid through 6 months upon date of travel.

Travel Insurance: Must have travel insurance prior to start of trip. 

Trip Difficulty: Level 1 (More Info Here on Trip Levels)

Prepare for your trip

Fitness/Pacing:

While there are guides to accommodate a variety of paces for attending runners, this trip requires participants to cover the mileage and elevation gain as described in the itinerary. While uphills are hiked, the flats and downhills must be jogged or run (no pace requirement). Training for this trip is highly recommended, and you can participate in the 12-week group training program designed specifically for this trip as a package add-on to ensure you're able to tackle the trails and get maximum enjoyment of this running retreat!

Weather:

Although the weather in late summer is often ideal, weather in the mountains is variable and trail conditions are subject to change on an hourly basis! Route subjective to change based on the safety of conditions and climate of the trail.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Please inquire for the full cancellation policy.

HOW TO ARRIVE

This trip starts in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The closest international airport to Cortina d’Ampezzo is in Venice, Italy. The Venice Marco Polo airport is 148km away and the smaller Canova di Treviso airport is 136km away. There are a few shared shuttles per day between Venice (Marco Polo Airport, Mestre, or Piazzale Roma) and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. We provide more information on recommended shuttles in your trip packet. You can also elect to book a private transfer or rent a car.