The Alta Via 1 (High Route 1) is a ten-stage long-distance walk through the Dolomites from Dobbiaco (Toblach) in the northeast to Belluno in the southwest, covering around 150km and passing through some of the range's most dramatic terrain. The route crosses the Tre Cime area, descends into the Val Badia, passes through the Cinque Torri, and follows high ridges and passes above the valley resorts for most of its length.
Most walkers take ten to fourteen days for the full route, staying in mountain rifugi (huts) each night — the route is carefully planned to land at a hut each evening, and advance booking is essential in July and August. The walk is rated moderate: it involves daily elevation gains of 600–900m and some exposed ridge sections, but no technical climbing. The spectacular scenery, the quality of the rifugi (which generally serve excellent food), and the sense of moving through a landscape on foot rather than from a cable car or car window, make this one of the best ways to understand the Dolomites properly. Stage highlights include the approach to Tre Cime, the Sella plateau, and the descent through the Civetta massif.