Dolomites - Itinerary
Itinerary
Dolomites in Spring/Autumn Photo Tour (7 Nights)
The Italian Dolomites are one of those places in the world that you have to experience at least once in a life time, and there is no better time to visit than in the Spring or in Autumn. This magical eight-day tour in Northern Italy offer a splendour of photographic opportunities, with some truly unique sceneries, ever changing-light and mesmerising views.
Embark on a journey through iconic landscape, rugged mountains, alpine lakes with colour reflections out of this world, snow-white peaks, breathtaking lush green valleys and picturesque villages. Let us help you capture the best of Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Alpe di Siusi, Val di Funes, Seceda, Passo Gardena, Passo di Giau, Lago di Braies, Lago d’Antorno, Carezza. Our tour leaders have been travelling these parts of the world for many years and will be there to assist you with your lens selection and camera settings.
If conditions are good for Night Photography, we will also have the opportunity to do some stargazing and capture the mighty Milky Way peaking above the Alpine landscape.
Day 1
Our Dolomites in Spring/Autumn photo tour group will meet and greet in our hotel lobby at 9.00 AM, and go through a quick orientation and discuss the next 8 days’ agenda. The hotel is close to Venice Marco Polo Airport, we can organise an airport pick-up at 8.30 AM in event that you are not staying in the same hotel the night before, or arriving that morning.
Once packed and organised, we will make the 2.5 hours journey north by road towards the Province of Bolzano in the South Tyrol, Northern Italy’s number one UNESCO World Heritage Site – The Dolomites mountain range.
Our first shooting location is a little hidden gem, Lake Carezza, one of the clearest and most colourful lake in the Dolomites. There, we will wait for sunset and under the right condition capture the lake’s mesmerising reflections of the surrounding pine tree forest and Dolomites rugged peaks in the background.
Later, we'll drive to our hotel, which will be our base for the next 2 nights. Note that due to prices structure, exchange rate and room availability, we don’t always stay in the same accommodations from tours to tours... However we always stay central and as close as possible to our shooting locations. Hotel addresses will be confirm in due time.
Day 2
Today we’ll explore Ortisei’s grand surroundings. We’ll start the day by spending time up in Seceda, or Alpe di Seceda, an impressive mountain ridge located in the Puez Odle Nature Park in Val Gardena. Part of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is a dream photography destination for many camera enthusiasm - be prepared to be blown away by the dramatic landscape, its sharp and abrupt ridge-line, and the ever-changing shadows in the early hours of the morning and late in the afternoon!
After a well deserved breakfast with a view to die for, up on the top of the mountain, we’ll make our way to our next location. The Valley of Funes in the Province of Bolzano, showcase some of the South Tyrol most photogenic landscape and is home to the iconic St. Maddalena and St. Johann alpine churches.
Weather allowing, will attempt to capture the night sky as often as possible throughout the duration of this tour. Our tour leaders will be there to assist with camera settings and framing in the dark, and show you how to capture the mighty Milky Way.
Day 3 - 7
We will spend the next five days of this Dolomites in Spring/Autumn photo tour exploring beautiful alpine valleys, iconic mountains and breathtaking landscapes from sunrise to sunset. Our itineraries are subject to change depending on weather and other circumstance beyond our control. Changes in the itinerary are always made to provide our guests the best possible experience, in a secure and professional way.
(Day3) We will capture the sunrise at the majestic Alpe di Siusi, a vast plateau, the largest high-altitude Alpine meadow in Europe. Both the Seiser Alm and Passo Gardena region offer a smorgasbord of photography opportunities to photographers at every levels, with dreamy pasture filled with rustic mountain huts, rolling hills, forest surrounded by giant mountain and unblocked panoramic views over the Dolomitic Alps.
(Day4) You can’t go pass a sunrise photo session at Lago di Braies, one of the most photogenic locations in the Dolomites, and well worth the early morning start, followed by an epic sunset at the mesmerising Passo di Giau. This is one of our favourite spots on this tour to shoot during sunset and twilight... as well as stargazing and astrophotography. All been good, we'll stay there a bit longer and attempt to capture the valleys down below with the imposing milky Way towering over Dolomites peaks - a classic!
Time allowing we’ll visit the ‘Piramidi di Terra’ an earth pyramids natural site in Ritten on our way.
(Day5) The Five Towers ‘Cinque Torri’ situated in the Nuvolao mountain group, is only a short hike outside Cortina D’Ampezzo, this is the most epic spot to shoot the sunrise. Let not forget the spectacular Tre Cime di Lavaredo region with its jagged peaks and unique landscape, making this small rock formation a very interesting ground for both dawn and dusk photography.
(Day6) Lago Antorno and Lago di Misurina - keeping two of the most picturesque lakes in the South Tyrol for last. We will set-up early to catch the first light, and immortalise the landscape picture perfect reflections in the lake during sunrise. There, we’ll enjoy a relaxing morning photography session working our image composition and water photography skills. Free time in Cortina D’Ampezzo (late morning to mid-afternoon). Sunset session at chosen location TBC.
(Day7) Sleep in or join us on our version of The Three Lakes Walk (we'll be doing it the easy way), providing superb views of the most picturesque lakes in the Dolomites, spectacular ravines and waterfall. Weather conditions can change quickly in the Alps, but this should be a very exciting early morning photo session and it would be foolish to stay tucked in under the doona this morning.
After breakfast we will be leaving the Province of Belluno and start our journey back south via Selva di Cadore and Caprile, than following the picturesque Torrente Cordevole to Lago D’Alleghe and onto the Province of Trento. We’ll spend our last night in the mountain, where we will have our last opportunity at capturing the sunset and perhaps a few frames of the night sky... but above all we’ll make sure to enjoy a last group dinner together!
Day 8
Our last morning in the Dolomites, and the final day of this Dolomites in Spring/Autumn photo tour. But before packing, we'll head up to Passo Rolle at first light to capture the sunrise over the South Tyrol’s Dolomitic Alps, one last time.
After breakfast, we’ll checkout and make our way back to Venice Marco Polo Airport where we’ll say our final goodbyes. Our ETA back at Venice airport is planned for 2 - 2.30 PM, allowing you can catch your flight later that afternoon or in the evening if you are flying back home today. If you are staying with us and join the Venice 'City Of Bridges' 5-Day photo tour or planning on joining us later, on the Tuscany in Spring 7-Day photo tour, we will contact you individually for a smooth transition between the tours. A second drop-off at Venice Train Station is available if you are planning to catch a train out of Venice today.
This Landscape & Travel Photography Tour gives you the opportunities to learn all the inside tips and tricks you need to know on how to take striking landscapes, breathtaking nature and flora images, and capture night photograph out of this world, as we explore the iconic Italian Dolomites.
* This is a sample itinerary, our itineraries are subject to change depending on weather and other circumstance beyond our control. Changes in the itinerary are always made to provide our guests the best possible experience, in a secure and professional way.
A perfect add-on before your DOLOMITES PHOTO TOUR, is our 4-DAY PARIS STREET & TRAVEL PHOTO TOUR or OUR 4-DAY ZERMATT - SWISS ALINE LANDSCAPE or following straight after our DOLOMITES TOUR join us on our VENICE 5-DAY PHOTO TOUR, CINQUE TERRE TOUR or 7-DAY TUSCANY TOUR extension.
