Dolomites hiking vacation, Italy

Planet

As part of our Responsible Travel policy, we advise customers to take reusable water bottles with them on tour. Our tour leaders actively do not distribute single-use plastic water bottles and encourage customers to refill their bottles from local springs and drinking fountains throughout the trip. The tap water in our hotel in Dobbiaco and at drinking fountains throughout the Dolomites is completely safe to drink. Another way to reduce unnecessary waste is through advising customers to bring lunch boxes and cutlery for the picnics which we enjoy throughout the trek .

This trek by its very nature has a very low carbon footprint and uses no private vehicles other than for the airport to hotel transfer between Venice Aiport and our hotel in Dobbiaco. All other transfers to and from our day walks are on the local public buses and we also make use of the cable car network.

The Dolomites are an iconic and popular hiking destination that pass through some beautiful Alpine landscapes rich with endemic flora. Our trek leaders brief all customers on best practice to ensure that as a group we walk responsibly, sticking to the proper trail so as to not erode the mountains, taking all our waste with us and observing correct 'bush stop' etiquette.

As a travel company we are continually looking for ways to improve and are proud to be ‘Responsible in everything we do’. Education is key, and so all staff, Tour Leaders and partnering suppliers are trained in responsible and sustainable tourism. At our Head Office, we continually strive towards a sustainable and planet-friendly working environment, including having solar panels installed and a company commitment to reducing our plastic usage.

People

This trip stays at the welcoming Hotel Sonne Sole which has been run by the Richter-Kieker family since 1963. Using a locally owned establishment such as this helps to ensure that part of the economic benefit of our visit goes directly to the community in which we stay.

The hotel's restaurant serves up delicious local specialities of the area including the Tyrolean dumplings with speck and Trentino dish of Spinach Spatzle. We choose not to include dinner on three nights of the vacation, allowing the opportunity for you to spread your custom among some of the other restaurants in Dobbiaco.

As a company we have valuable and longstanding partnerships with UK charities Toilet Twinning and Send a Cow, plus many smaller initiatives and projects around the world. We’re members of the UK travel industry body AITO because we believe it’s important to share our knowledge and experience, as well as learn from other operators.