Alta Via 4 (day 0): San Candido to Rifugio Tre Scarperi

Last Updated on 3 September 2026

Begin AV4 with a relaxed afternoon hike through the tranquil Val Campo di Dentro, trading an overpriced hotel in San Candido for a memorable first night at Rifugio Tre Scarperi. It’s only a quick 90min hike to the hut, so there’s plenty of time to arrive by train from neighbouring towns, enjoy lunch in San Candido, and catch the bus to the trailhead all in the same day.

This is the perfect way to position yourself for an early start on tomorrow’s spectacular journey towards Tre Cime, allowing plenty of time to tackle 1-2 excellent via ferrata. Note: If you have no intention of climbing either via ferrata tomorrow, it makes more sense to combine Day 0 and Day 1 all the way to Rifugio Locatelli.

This comprehensive guide to Day 0 of Alta Via 4 contains detailed section times, route recommendations, adventurous side trips, via ferrata, and heaps of insider tips— use it to plan your hike & then refer back on the trail so you always know what to expect!

All my AV4 knowledge in one place: Alta Via 4: complete hiking + via ferrata route guide

Alta Via 4: Day 0 overview

• trail time: 1.5hrs (+45min if walking from San Candido)
• distance: 6km
• elevation gain & loss: 400m gain & 30m loss
• huts: Rifugio Tre Scarperi

*Trail times reflect the time we spent hiking, excluding extended breaks where we removed our backpacks to eat lunch, relax on the summit, or otherwise luxuriate along the trail. These figures are best used to understand realistic minimum hiking times between major waypoints, but we recommend factoring in 1-2hrs of additional time every day to properly enjoy the route! This should give you a more realistic hut-to-hut hiking time for the day.

San Candido to AV4 (bus)

The official start to AV4 is just outside of San Candido, behind the Alte Säge restaurant as you drive towards Sexto. You can walk here in about 45min from town, but it’s entirely on pavement and without a great footpath, so it’s preferable to just hop on a quick bus. 

Bus 446 leaves every half hour just below the gondola station in San Candido and will deliver you within a few metres of the trailhead— get off after 2 stops (tickets 1.5€ payable on board). 

Alte Säge to Rifugio Tre Scarperi (1.5hrs)

AV4 officially begins on a pleasant, shaded trail through the forest, ascending around 400m over the course of 6km en route to Rifugio Tre Scarperi. It’s a slow and steady start to the more serious hiking to come, and a pleasant way to settle into your rhythm!

There are several parallel paths along the river and it doesn’t much matter which you take— they all seem to rejoin and disconnect constantly as you make your way to the hut. Don’t worry too much about the GPS here, all roads lead to Tre Scarperi!

If you’re following my custom AV4 adventure route, the best way to stay on track is with my custom-built AV4 GPS map— packed with detailed daily tracks, 102+ waypoints, all the side trips & via ferrata described in this guide, plus extensive trail notes to help you navigate AV4 like an expert. UPDATED SEPT 2026 BASED ON USER FEEDBACK!

Available in both JSON and GPX formats, the map works seamlessly with GPS apps like CalTopo, Gaia, and AllTrails, or with Garmin devices and watches. Head to my storefront to purchase the map!

The last section of the walk brings you through a carpark and then out into the Campo di Dentro Valley, where Rifugio Tre Scarperi sits with a dramatic view of Monte Mattina. 

Night 0: Rifugio Tre Scarperi

Rifugio Tre Scarperi offers sweeping balcony views of Monte Mattina and an excellent 3-course dinner (including a large serving of berry and lemon gelato when I stayed!). It also has one of the better breakfast spreads I’ve seen in any mountain hut.

Located under 2hrs from the trailhead, you’ll find very few AV4 itineraries that recommend staying at Rifugio Tre Scarperi— but overnighting here perfectly sets you up for a massive and adventure-filled day 1! Reserve Rifugio Tre Scarperi using their online booking system.

• Rooms: 33/42€ (dorm/double room) OR 73/82€ half board (dorm/double room)
• Food: A la carte (15€ for dishes, 25€ for 3-course dinner, 15€ for fantastic brekky) or half-board
• Showers: 3€ for 5min
• Connectivity: None
• Alpine club discount: -10€ half board

For more information on what to expect in a mountain hut & how to prepare for your stay: Everything you need to know about mountain huts (rifugi) in the Italian Dolomites

Read more about Alta Via 4

• start here ->Detailed AV4 Route Guide
• Everything you need to know about mountain huts (rifugi) in the Italian Dolomites
• Alta Via 4 (day 0): San Candido to Rifugio Tre Scarperi
• Alta Via 4 (day 1): Rifugio Tre Scarperi to Locatelli Tre Cime + Via Ferrata Torre di Toblin & Innerkofler
• Alta Via 4 (day 2): Rifugio Locatelli Tre Cime to Rifugio Fonda Savio + Via Ferrata Merlone
• Alta Via 4 (day 3): Rifugio Fonda Savio to Rifugio Vandelli
• Alta Via 4 (day 4): Rifugio Vandelli to Rifugio San Marco + Via Ferrata Giro di Sorapis
• Alta Via 4 (days 5 & 6): Rifugio San Marco to Rifugio Antelao to Pieve di Cadore
• navigate confidently on & off the trail ->AV4 adventure route GPS map! (updated Sept 2026)