Reviews

Your Words – We tell it like it is! Holiday Reviews by previous Exodus travellers

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It’s the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you’re interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers.

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20 Reviews

4.7 out of 5

Cheryl Davis

Reviewed October 2024

Trekking the Dolomites

The accommodations at the Adler were better than expected. The room was lovely and the staff (especially Jesus) were very friendly and efficient.
The hiking agenda had to be adjusted due to deteriorating weather conditions but it did not take away from the experience for me. Such a beautiful place!

Most Inspirational Moment

Every day had inspiring moments. The sheer beauty of the mountains and lakes and learning the history in the area provided much fodder for reflection and inspiration.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our leader Jenny was wonderful. She worked incredibly hard to accommodate the different levels of skill while providing us the best experience by modifying the agenda according to changing weather conditions. She was extremely knowledgeable about the area and I learned a lot while hiking every day. She was also a lot of fun! Thank you so much Jenny!

Advice for Potential Travellers

READ THE TRIP NOTES & TRAIN!!! Be honest about your level of fitness before signing up for trekking holidays. Be prepared for all weather conditions and have the right gear.

Karen Schober

Reviewed October 2024

Dramatic Dolomites

Wow…we have done years of hiking and climbing in mountains all over the world and the Dolomites do not disappoint . The geology and WWI history make the mountains very unique. Add in the charm of walking through green pastures with the sounds of cow bells and church bells, and you have quite the scene. Be ready for some good elevation gains and not a lot of switchbacks. The strudel and coffee stops at the Refugios help fuel the hikes. Hotel Adler is a great base camp. Spacious rooms and equipment storage with boot dryers plus old world charm. I wish I could say good things about the dinners. The billed Tyrolean special dinner was all fish (?). The vegetarian offerings were sad. The pasta was hard as was the risotto, and when I mentioned it to the waiter I was told dismissively it was “al dente”. The breakfast was delish and varied.

Most Inspirational Moment

The circuit around Tre Time was worth the price of the trip.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Andrea was super capable and personable. We felt he was a bit of an introvert and almost uneasy talking to a group.

Advice for Potential Travellers

The hikes are rated 3, but they are not easy! Be in shape for some elevation. Mid September was 10 degrees below normal temps and there was new snow a few days before we arrived. (The snow was gorgeous on the peaks) Bring plenty of layers. I used hand warmers on every hike.

Lynn Sadlowski

Reviewed September 2024

Awesome hiking destination

The hiking in the Dolomites was awesome. One day was a little long 20km and not very interesting given the extra distance. But overall, I enjoyed all the hikes. The food is the hotel was disappointing. As a vegetarian, my choices were limited and the servings were quite small. One day we had 3/4 of a potatoes as our main. Another day it was a marinated vegetable. The advertised Tryrolian dinner was also not very good. Although the waiter was able to secure a chicken schnitzel and fries for those of us not eating beef.
Dinners were also too long after. Full day of hiking.

Most Inspirational Moment

Standing in front of and among the Tre Cimes.

Thoughts on Group Leader

He tried hard. He was quiet at time. While we appreciated him allowing us to go at our pace, we worried a bit when he spit us the groups and sent some of us on our own.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Ask for menus in advance and try to get alternative meals prepared. Be prepared to hike longer and longer amounts than described in the trip notes.

Helene Belanger

Reviewed September 2024

Excellent trip

What a fabulous week in the Dolomites

Most Inspirational Moment

The last hike meandering in the midst of so many trails at the summit. Views were out of this world. And the hotel! Eclectic Austrian chalet type of room. Hotel filled with amazing things around every corner. Great owner/ staff. I would return in a heart beat

Thoughts on Group Leader

Rob was amazing; his mountaineering and geology knowledge, was more than expected. Perfect skills for a leader. And very funny!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Read hiking trip description in details; there was no surprise for me as it was pretty much what was written in website. There will be ups and downs, and lots of it 😌.

Rita Lin

Reviewed August 2024

Hiking without camping

Just finished a week of classic premium Dolomite hike. It was so much fun and we learned so much about this area. This is a beautiful area. So much history. We stayed the historic Adlers Hotel in Villabassa ( Niederdorf). Its location is very convenient with convenience stores and bus and train station just a few steps away. The rooms were spacious and comfortable. There is a pool and sauna in the hotel. Every meal was fabulous. There are no complaints about the food or service. There will be transport every morning to take us closer to the trailheads. The ability to come back every night to the same hotel is a great luxury. The hikes can be pretty strenuous but it is also incredible fun. We usually leave around 8:30 and comes back around 5pm. Picnic lunches at locations with spectacular views. Stiina, our guide takes us to different terrains and views every day. Not one day is the same. There are routes that I would not have thought it was a route and yet she took us through it. Stiina was fun and gave us clear instructions the night before so we know where we are going and what to expect. The group max at 16 including Stiina and this seems to be a prefect number. There is a variety of ages that comes to this trip. Loved it and definitely recommend this to anyone who loves hiking but prefer not to camp.

Most Inspirational Moment

The lunch spot for our hike to Tre Cime di Lavaredo was interesting.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Stiina was great!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Can be hot in the summer. Appropriate hiking shoes, layers, rain gear, water sunscreen, hat . Will have fun and meet other fun people!

Denise Mills

Reviewed July 2024

The walking was great

The walking in the Dolomites exceeded my expectations. The scenery was spectacular & the walks a good Level 3. However the hotel and food were less than expected for 4 star premium experience and really let the overall experience down.
As a solo traveller I was once again relegated to the back of the hotel in a room that, although a decent size, was very much in need of refurbishment. The tiny handkerchief size curtains on the windows afforded no privacy as my room looked straight out into the windows of the house behind. There were 2 single beds but luckily I found out that they could be made up into a double if requested, which basically meant pushing them together.
As another reviewer has said, the food was really poor and I can honestly say I didn’t enjoy any of the evening meals. The food that was delivered to the vegans & vegetarians was absolutely shameful.

Most Inspirational Moment

Getting up early to start walking at Tre Cime di Lavaredo to beat the crowds was so worth it. It was a spectacular day, the walking fairly easy which left us to soak up the view of these beautiful mountains in a very atmospheric setting. However every day had stunning scenery, beautiful wildflowers everywhere, the trails were all well defined and marked. It was a fabulous walking experience.

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide Andrea was fantastic. Patient, knowledgeable about the mountains, flora, fauna and history of the region and he was great company. His job was not easy with keeping the group together where we had a big disparity in fitness levels. He did it with patience and grace and we all had a fantastic time because of it.

Advice for Potential Travellers

Make sure you read the itinerary and understand the level of fitness required, including how far you need to walk each day and the related ascents and descents. Just because it’s a premium trip doesn’t mean the walking is easy if you’re not fit enough. Exodus provide very clear guidance on the level of fitness required for each trip.

Joan Doig

Reviewed July 2024

Classic Dolomites

Good itinerary on holiday

Most Inspirational Moment

Dawn walk to 3 chimneys

Thoughts on Group Leader

Friendly informative and understood her groups abilities

Advice for Potential Travellers

Book early

Michael Gavin

Reviewed June 2024

Good in Parts

The Dolomites are amazing, rugged and beautiful; no one could fail to be impressed by them. Still, it would have been better if there had been less rain, then we might have seen a bit more of them! But mountain weather is often unpredictable and not something anyone can complain about; you just have to take what comes. Anyway, best to remember to take decent rain kit.
Hotel Adler is a nice place. The superior room that my wife and I opted for was roomy and very comfortable. Houskeeping was good and the staff in the hotel were friendly. However, the food was, to say the least, undewhellming. While breakfast was fine, the food at dinner was not great. Food was, while usually edible (although a piece of raw veal I was served was not) it was too often poorly cooked. We got the impression that the kitchen was a bit stressed, probably a result of being understaffed. Indeed, the hotel as a whole seemed to be shorthanded. Service in the bar, for example ,often seemed chaotic, with bar staff running around in the morning asking guests if they had purchased such and such. My guess is that it was a little early in the season and the hotel was operating without a full complement of staff. Frankly, the food was not what one would expect on what is described as a ‘Premium’ trip. We would have preferred to eat in the Adler’s a la carte restaurant, but when we were there it was closed, although were informed by hotel staff that it would be reopening later in June.

Most Inspirational Moment

Seeing the Dolomites and deciding we need to go back

Thoughts on Group Leader

Our guide, Kris, was really first class, knowledgeable and nice lad with it. Definitely a 5 star guide.

Advice for Potential Travellers

If you want to make your journey to the Dolomites a little greener, we have learned that it is possible to fly to Munich and take the train to Villabassa. The journey goes via Franzensfeste where you need to change for Villabassa. But you may find it tricky to find trains going to Villabassa. That is because Villabassa is more commonly known to the 92% of its ethnically German residents as Niederdorf and on road signs as Niederdorf/Villabassa. (Indeed, I could not find anywhere called Villabassa on google maps although I could find Niederdorf. If only I had known they were one and the same place). Anyway, the train journey from Munich to Niederdorf takes about 5.5 hours, changing after about four hours at Franzensfeste/Fortezza.

Courtney Kuhn

Reviewed June 2024

The best Exodus Adventure I have been a part of!

I took part in this tour from May 25-June 1, 2024. We had a fantastic tour leader, Stiina, who fit in so well with our group. She looked out for us during the hikes, making sure the group was safe and together and she had a great sense of humor and bonded very well with each of us. We had to be a bit flexible with a few days of hiking due to some rainy weather, but this is to be expected in the mountains. Flexibility and trust in your tour leader is KEY! She suggested alternative walks when it would not have been safe to do the ones as planned and we were able to still see amazing mountain views and partake in walks that have not been done before! Our group was great with the flexibility as well and we even as a whole decided to switch our free day so we could walk during a nicer day and explore nearby areas on a slightly more rainy day. The Hotel Adler is also fabulous! The staff are very attentive and go the extra mile for the guests. The rooms are beautiful, comfortable and clean. The spa was such a nice thing to come back to at the end of each hiking day as well. The food was phenomenal the entire week and they did an amazing job to cater to different food restrictions such as gluten free, vegetarian and vegan! We had two groups doing this tour during the same week and the leaders did a fantastic job to not make us feel like we were part of an overall large group. The other tour leader, Kris, was also fantastic and it was so nice at the end of the day to recoup with the other group members during dinner and chat about what they did and saw that day. Fantastic trip, great leaders, amazing hotel and the food will not disappoint!

Most Inspirational Moment

Summiting on our second hiking day and seeing the most amazing mountain views I have ever seen!

Thoughts on Group Leader

Stiina was top notch, 10/10!

Advice for Potential Travellers

Bring waterproofs as the weather can change at any moment and always better to be prepared. Many walking poles are available to borrow at the hotel and I do suggest using them, especially if concerns with joints on downhills. Be flexible! This is so important as you will never have a bad day of hiking, even if not exactly to the trip notes.

Larry Meyers

Reviewed October 2023

I'll Be Back

I have heard about the Dolomites for years. I wasn’t prepared for how majestic they were. They are unique and a must see for any hiker.

Most Inspirational Moment

Waking up everyday to sunshine and knowing that each hike was going be special. Here it was the second week of October and hiking in shorts and a short sleeve shirt. Six weeks earlier I had done the Tour Du Mont Blanc in rain and snow. How exhilarating to actually see mountains at their finest.

Thoughts on Group Leader

We had 24 hikers and 2 guides--that was a first for me on an Exodus trip. It turned out to be a great idea. Our leaders--Jeff Oonk and Jenny Smith--on a daily basis put together 2 separate hikes that offered us an option of scenery and challenge. We would meet up somewhere on the trail and finish out the day together. They put a lot of thought and effort into planning our hikes and it was great to have a choice depending on your hiking mood for the day. They were some of the best leaders I have ever walked with.

Advice for Potential Travellers

I totally agree with my fellow walker, Mala, and her comments. It is a 3+ hike and more so if the trail became wet or muddy. The trails we were on had a lot of up and down portions plus loose scree and slabs of rocks. Poles were a must and if need be could be borrowed from the hotel. Having the right boot and sock combination is always a must. Your feet have to be toughened up for these kind of trips--more blisters than I have ever witnessed.

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