Alta Via 4 hiking guide: route map, stages & where to stay

The Alta Via 4 (Alta Via delle Dolomiti n. 4, in German Dolomiten-Höhenweg 4) crosses the eastern Dolomites from north to south, from San Candido (Innichen) in South Tyrol to Pieve di Cadore in the Veneto. It is named after Paul Grohmann, the Austrian climber who made the first ascents of several of the peaks it passes, including the Cima Grande di Lavaredo, the Sorapiss and the Antelao, so it is also called the "Alta Via di Grohmann". It is short but alpine: it links the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the Cadini di Misurina, the Sorapiss and the Antelao, with several via ferrata sections. Hikers sleep in mountain refuges (rifugi). It is waymarked with a triangle with the number 4.

The route

The trail leaves San Candido through the forest to the Innerfeldtal (Val Campo di Dentro) and Rifugio Tre Scarperi, then climbs steeply over the Gwengalpenjoch to Rifugio Locatelli, right in front of the north walls of the Tre Cime. It goes round the west side of the Tre Cime to Rifugio Auronzo, then crosses the jagged Cadini di Misurina on the partly cabled Sentiero Bonacossa and the Sentiero Durissini to Rifugio Città di Carpi. From there it drops to the Val d'Ansiei and climbs the Val Sorapiss to Rifugio Vandelli and its milky blue lake. The hardest day follows: ladders and cables up to Bivacco Comici and the exposed Sentiero Minazio round the Sorapiss to Rifugio San Marco. The last days pass Rifugio Galassi, cross Forcella del Ghiacciaio under the Antelao, the second-highest peak in the Dolomites, and descend past Rifugio Antelao to Pieve di Cadore, the birthplace of the painter Titian.

The official description gives about 85 km, 6 stages, about 4,500 m of climbing and 36 hours of walking. The line in this guide measures about 72 km and splits it into 6 hut-to-hut stages, about 12.0 km each. The first three stages follow the official plan. The official fourth stage ends at Bivacco Comici, an unstaffed bivouac with no food or water, so this guide follows the usual guidebook split instead: Rifugio Vandelli to Rifugio San Marco in one long day, then on to Rifugio Antelao.

Highlights

• The Tre Cime di Lavaredo: the three famous rock towers, seen at sunset from Rifugio Locatelli
• The Cadini di Misurina: a maze of sharp spires, crossed by a chain of small passes
• Lago di Sorapis: a turquoise lake below the Sorapiss walls, next to Rifugio Vandelli
• The Sorapiss circuit: ladders, ledges and wide views on the Via Ferrata Vandelli and the Sentiero Minazio
• The Antelao (3,264 m): glacier-polished slabs below the "king of the Dolomites"

When to walk the Alta Via 4

Most rifugi open around 20 June and close between 20 and 30 September; the official advice is late June to September. In 2026 Locatelli, Fonda Savio and Città di Carpi closed on 27 September. Early in the season, snow can lie on north-facing gullies and on the ledges of the Sorapiss, so ask the hut keepers before crossing. July and August are the busiest months, and afternoon thunderstorms are common: start early, especially on the ferrata days. The Tre Cime and Lago di Sorapis are very crowded with day visitors in summer; the evenings in the huts are quiet.

How many days do you need?

The 6 stages in this guide take most fit hikers 6 days. Stage 1 is long (about 20 km): you can split it at Rifugio Tre Scarperi or stop at Rifugio Locatelli. The long Sorapiss day can be shortened by sleeping at Bivacco Comici (carry everything) or stretched by stopping at Rifugio Galassi. Allow a spare day for bad weather.

Getting there and logistics

San Candido has a railway station on the Val Pusteria line, with trains from Fortezza (Franzensfeste) on the Brenner line and from Lienz in Austria. At the end, Pieve di Cadore is 2 km from the Calalzo-Pieve di Cadore-Cortina station, the end of the line from Belluno, with trains towards Padua and Venice; check for works and replacement buses. Venice, Treviso and Innsbruck are the nearest airports.

Buses help if you need to skip a section. The Innerfeldtal road is closed to cars in summer. SüdtirolMobil line 444 runs from Dobbiaco to Rifugio Auronzo from mid-June to the end of September (booking compulsory), and Dolomitibus line 50 links Auronzo and Misurina with Rifugio Auronzo. Drivers must book the Tre Cime car park in advance. The official stage 3 goes down to Misurina and along the road to Passo Tre Croci, where many hikers take the bus; this guide follows the quieter path through the Val d'Ansiei instead.

Difficulty

The Alta Via 4 is graded from E to EEA (expert hikers with ferrata gear). Rifugio Galassi says it has many equipped sections that can be very exposed, with no easy ways round them. You need a helmet, harness and a via ferrata set, a head for heights and experience on steep scree and rock. The ferrata sections are:

• Stage 2: the Sentiero Bonacossa (partly cabled) and the Sentiero attrezzato Durissini, between Rifugio Auronzo, Fonda Savio and Città di Carpi
• Stage 4: the Via Ferrata Alfonso Vandelli, with long vertical ladders, to Bivacco Comici, then the Sentiero attrezzato Carlo Minazio along exposed ledges to Forcella Grande
• Stage 5: Forcella del Ghiacciaio on the Antelao, with steep, slippery slabs and some fixed ropes

If you do not want to climb, go down from Rifugio Vandelli to Passo Tre Croci, take the bus towards San Vito di Cadore and walk up to Rifugio San Marco; from Rifugio Galassi you can descend the Val d'Oten to Calalzo.

Money, phone and packing

Bring enough cash: Rifugio Locatelli and Fonda Savio do not take cards, and there are no shops or cash machines between San Candido and Pieve di Cadore. Most rifugi offer half board (dinner, bed and breakfast); a sleeping-bag liner is compulsory in most, and Rifugio Vandelli asks for a sleeping bag or liner. Phone signal is patchy in the Cadini and on the Sorapiss. Pack ferrata gear, a helmet, layers for cold mornings, rain gear and enough water for the Sorapiss day, as Bivacco Comici has none.

Safety

In an emergency call 112 in South Tyrol (the first day) or 118 in the Veneto (the rest of the route); 112 also works there. The 118 helicopter is based at Pieve di Cadore, which also has the nearest hospital for the southern half. Wild camping is forbidden in the Tre Cime Nature Park and outside campsites in the Veneto, so book your rifugi ahead.