Dates: 6th September 2026 to 12th September 2026
Join our epic photography photo tour in the stunning Dolomites of Italy, an adventure designed to elevate your landscape photography skills against a backdrop of dramatic peaks, crystal-clear lakes, and picturesque alpine villages. Suitable for all levels, this immersive tour combines expert-led guidance with hands-on instruction to help you capture the breathtaking beauty of this UNESCO World Heritage site. From golden sunrise light illuminating jagged mountain spires to vibrant sunset panoramas, you'll learn techniques to create striking images and deepen your appreciation for nature’s grandeur. Experience the magic of the Dolomites and leave with stunning photographs and unforgettable memories. Expect all this and more on this incredible 7-Day / 6-Night Photography tour.
The Dolomites are a mountain range in North-Eastern Italy, spread across a huge area and bordering both Austria and Slovenia. They cover more than 300,000 acres, and include 18 famous peaks, some of the best big walls for climbing in Europe, and countless charming mountain villages. The Dolomites were originally known as the Pale Mountains due to the light-colored Dolomite rock.
This photo tour will take you to some of the best locations in the Dolomites, ensuring you are in the right place at the right time to capture amazing images. On this tour, we will not have a fixed base, we will be spending each night in a different location to shoot some incredible scenes at sunrise, at sunset, and if the weather permits, even throughout the day.
We will be spending each night in a different alpine mountain hut, known in Italian as a ‘Rifugio’ (Refuge in English). The rifugios are easily accessed by ski lifts, gondolas, and/or a short walk. The rifugios vary in luxury, but all provide a cosy bunk, plenty of warm blankets, a hot meal and drinks. This means that we will always be close to the locations that we plan to photograph, enabling us to be in the right place at the right time for us to capture some epic images! During the day, we will travel to our next location and have time to discuss the images we have captured throughout the trip and we will also discuss composition/light and different techniques to capture the best of the scene before us.
Highlights of this tour:
Photograph some of the best locations in the Dolomites
Capture the best of the light by being in the right place at the right time
Spend the night in the mountains in Alpine Huts (Rifugios)
Capture lesser-known spots for unique shots
Multiple hours of shooting every day to help you hone your skills
Learn new skills from a professional photographer
Improve your composition with in-the-field support and feedback
Small group (Just 6 participants) for a more personalised experience
Hike to some of the most incredible vantage points in the Dolomites
Connect with like-minded photographers and make new friends
Itinerary: We will spend each night in a new location, ensuring we cover as many locations as possible. We will travel from one location to the next in a comfortable and modern vehicle. A detailed itinerary will be shared with all participants once the relevant bookings are made, the below itinerary and list of locations is an overview:
Day 1: We will meet at Venice Marco Polo Airport and begin our trip by heading North, as the foothills give way to the mountains, we will soon find ourselves in the heart of the Dolomites. We will be spending our first night at Cinque Torri (The 5 towers), at an elevation of 2255 meters (7399 feet), with one of the most iconic views in all the Dolomites. After lunch, we will check in and shoot the incredible scenes all around us (No Hiking required).
Day 2: After shooting sunrise we will have breakfast and then check out and make our way to our next location, Lagazuoi. We will be spending the night here, on a rifugio perched on top of a mountain, at an altitude of 2752 meter (9029 feet), with 360 panoramic views, we will be in an ideal location to capture the best of the light around us. (No Hiking required).
Day 3: After shooting sunrise and having breakfast we will check out and travel to our next target, the most beautiful and famous mountains in the Dolomites, Tre Cime di Lavaredo. We will spend 3 nights here, each night in a different rifugio, enabling us to shoot it from the best angles as we work our way around the incredible mountains. Each day here will require some easy-moderate hikes (30-60 minutes).
Day 4: After shooting sunrise at the Cadini di Misurina and having breakfast we will hike for 20-30 minutes to reach the rifugio we will be staying in on Day 4. We will have plenty of time to explore and find compositions before having lunch and checking in. We will shoot Sunset from the saddle called Forcella Lavaredo.
Day 5: We will shoot sunrise near the rifugio and have breakfast. After breakfast, we will hike to the next rifugio, Rifugio Locatelli, the most iconic location in the Dolomites. This hike will take 40-60 minutes depending on pace, but will give us one of the most incredible mountain views in the world. After lunch, we will check in and explore the area, before finally shooting Sunset.
Day 6: We will shoot Sunrise before having breakfast and then hike back to our van (60-90 minutes depending on pace). We will then head to our final location for the trip, Baita Segantini. After lunch, we will explore the area and then head up to shoot this iconic location at sunset.
Day 7: After shooting our final sunrise for the trip, we will have breakfast and start making our way back to Venice Marco Polo airport with our memory cards full and some awesome new memories. (No hiking required)
List of main shooting locations:
Cinque Torri
Lagazuoi
Tre Cime di Lavaredo (North Side)
Cadini di Misurina
Tre Cime di Lavaredo (South Side)
Forcella Lavaredo
Rifugio Locatelli
Monte Paterno
Baita Segantini
Alternatively, you can book by sending an email to info@samuelscicluna.com
Maximum Number of Participants: 6 - I prefer smaller groups to ensure that everyone gets a more personalised experience, but also so that we can access more off-the-beaten-track locations that simply wouldn’t work with a larger group. A smaller group also means that we leave less impact on the environment, and it enables us to have more flexibility with our schedule.
Difficulty: Medium
Physical Fitness Required: Moderate – A reasonable level of fitness is required for this trip—you will be walking around on well-maintained trails, at elevations between 1500–2700 meters above sea level. 2 of the rifugios that we will be staying at are reached on foot, one of these hikes takes about 20-30 minutes, whilst the other takes about 60-90 minutes (Depending on pace). The hikes are not difficult or technical, there is no climbing involved and elevation gain will be moderate. Depending on the weather and conditions, there will be additional hiking to locations surrounding the Rifugios.
Included in the price:
All transportation during the tour in a modern and comfortable vehicle
Lodging on a Bed and Breakfast basis in mountain huts
Parking fees, tolls, and fuel
All permits and park fees
Cable Cars and Ski Lift fees
Instruction and 1 on 1 support from 2 professional photographers
Adventure, fun, and great memories!
Not included in the price:
Flights
Alcohol
Lunch / Dinner
Travel Insurance
Gratuities
Price: 3750 Euro per person
Please Note: (A non-refundable Deposit of €1000 is required to secure your spot on this tour). Terms and Conditions apply. Single supplement is not available – In the mountain huts, we will be sleeping in Dormitories. Where possible, we will have a private dormitory for just our group.
Pickup and Drop Off
Both pickup and dropoff will take place at Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE), Venice, Italy before 10:00 AM on Sunday 6th September 2026. Flights out can be made after 5:00 PM on Saturday 12th September 2026. Air travel delays are common, for this reason, we suggest arriving at least one day prior to the start of the tour so that you don’t miss any of the tour.
Accommodation
The Rifugios are all located in stunning locations, each one having its own unique and breathtaking views, delicious food, and overnight rooms. All rifugios provide pillows, some rifugios provide fresh sheets and quilts, and some require the use of a sleeping bag liner. Most rooms have power outlets, however, we also recommend bringing a powerbank to enable you to charge your devices. Most rooms have bunks. Shared common showers and restrooms are usually located down the hall. Each Rifugio has a restaurant, and the food is excellent. All Rifugios are very clean!
Guide - Sam Scicluna
I was born and raised on the island of Malta, where my love for seascapes began. I have always enjoyed being outdoors and surrounded by nature. Growing up on an island has meant that I always had a special bond with the sea, this led to seascapes being a natural comfort zone and starting point in photography. In 2014, I went on an expedition to climb Mount Etna and later that year also climbed Monte Rosa, spending time in the mountains is what sparked my passion for landscape Photography. In 2016 I traveled to Iceland for the first time, realising a dream and further affirming my passion for landscape photography. I have always been amazed by the night sky, and going camping often has led me to experiment with astrophotography and shooting the night sky. I love outdoor activities like camping, hiking, climbing, scrambling and just exploring new places in general! I also just love taking time out to appreciate the world around me.
Important Information:
Please do not book travel to Italy before we confirm the tour. In the event of trip cancellation, we will not be responsible for any refund for non-refundable airline tickets or for any airline tickets purchased by the passenger directly from an airline or travel agent. Please ensure you have suitable travel insurance.
Alternatively, you can book by sending an email to info@samuelscicluna.com
Still undecided? See what previous participants have to say about my tours: