Golden Larches, Rugged Peaks and Hidden Valleys
Seven days photographing golden larches, alpine lakes and rugged peaks in the heart of the Dolomites.
Don’t miss the chance to photograph the Dolomites at their absolute best. Over seven packed days, we’ll visit iconic locations including Drei Zinnen, Alpe di Siusi, Cinque Torri, Passo Giau and Passo Rolle — plus several lesser-known spots discovered over years of exploring the area.
We’ll stay in comfortable 4-star accommodation, enjoy excellent local restaurants and have breakfast included each morning.
Max will guide you closely in the field, evaluate your photography and help you come home with the strongest images possible. Madison McCardle will assist throughout the tour, bringing great energy, photography knowledge and extra support to the group.
The tour starts at Venice Marco Polo Airport by 10 AM, where we’ll pick you up before driving 2.5 hours into the Dolomites. After lunch, we begin with St. Johann Church, surrounded by a beautiful mix of autumn greens, yellows, oranges and reds. We’ll photograph it from two viewpoints before visiting another nearby church. For sunset, we continue to Alpe di Siusi, the largest high-altitude alpine meadow in Europe.
The tour starts at Venice Marco Polo Airport by 10 AM, where we’ll pick you up before driving 2.5 hours into the Dolomites. After lunch, we begin with St. Johann Church, surrounded by a beautiful mix of autumn greens, yellows, oranges and reds. We’ll photograph it from two viewpoints before visiting another nearby church. For sunset, we continue to Alpe di Siusi, the largest high-altitude alpine meadow in Europe.
For sunrise, we return to Alpe di Siusi, where the morning light brings completely different conditions and compositions. After breakfast at the hotel, there’s time to rest or get editing tips and feedback from Max. In the afternoon, we head out again to photograph the soft autumn light and possible sun rays breaking through the peaks, at a secret spot! We finish the day with sunset at Seceda!
For sunrise, we photograph a dramatic mountain backdrop framed by beautiful tree trunks, creating some of the best foreground compositions in the area. On the way back, we’ll revisit St. Johann Church if the conditions are especially good. After breakfast, we continue to our next accommodation before heading out for sunset at Lago Limides, surrounded by beautiful autumn colors. Water levels can vary, but there are great compositions either way. We finish the evening at a secret nearby location.
For sunrise, we photograph Passo Giau, where autumn brings beautiful fall-colored trees and a very different look from summer. In the afternoon, we head to the mighty Tre Cime, hiking about an hour to our sunset location. From there, the group can spread out to several nearby compositions. If the conditions are right, we can also stay for Milky Way photography above Tre Cime.
For sunrise, we visit a lesser-known location with huge mountains rising directly above the valley and rivers creating strong foreground compositions. In autumn, the colors make this area especially beautiful. For sunset, we hike around 30 minutes into a nearby valley, where a dramatic pointed peak, waterfall and colorful forest come together in one of the most impressive scenes of the tour.
For sunrise, we photograph Cinque Torri, with its five distinctive peaks and plenty of strong compositions, including excellent telephoto opportunities. For sunset, we head to Passo Rolle, where forests, a river and dramatic mountains create a classic Dolomites scene. We can also photograph the peaks from a nearby alpine lake, offering a completely different perspective.
It’s not only where we take you.
It’s how we spend our time there.
Find your own perspective on the Dolomites, from golden larches to quiet mountain lakes. Max’s years of exploring the area take us beyond the familiar viewpoints, combining Tre Cime and Alpe di Siusi with hidden valleys and carefully chosen foregrounds.
Get practical help with the photograph you want to make. Max and Madison work with you on composition, camera settings and focus stacking, whether you’re framing a peak with larches or balancing a bright sky over a shaded lake.
A small group gives you room to explore compositions and time to ask questions. Shared dinners, early starts and the moments when the clouds finally open bring everyone together, without losing the freedom to work on your own photographs.
Spend less time packing and more time enjoying the mountains. With just two accommodation bases, you can settle in between shoots, rest after a hike and enjoy the local restaurants. Comfortable places to stay give you time to recharge for the next early start.
Your tour includes all 16 editing videos, all 9 Lightroom preset packs and 4 in-the-field tutorials, so you can keep learning after you return home.
You can also choose one photograph from the tour for an optional start-to-finish edit by Max. See how he works with your image and explore ideas to use in your own editing.
Max Rive & Madison McCardle
Max has personally scouted the Dolomites’ photography locations, finding original compositions and learning how each scene responds to changing light and weather.
He’ll help you refine your technique and make the most of the autumn conditions, returning with outstanding images and greater confidence.
Madison is a landscape photographer and writer with an eye for original compositions. She helps scout our locations and offers practical guidance, making sure you get the most from each shoot.
Ask questions, try an idea, or spend a little time finding your own angle. The guidance is there when you need it.
From photographers
who have been there.
...another amazing tour that exceeded my expectations in every way possible. They went above and beyond trying their best to have every participant get the most amazing shots.
Yun ThwaitsAutum Tour '25Max understands lighting, timing, locations and imagery like no one else. If one is looking to get some incredible images of the Dolomites, I can't imagine a better tour.
Josef SchwalbeAutumn Tour '25...an absolute unforgettable experience from start to finish. This workshop was not only a tremendous learning experience but also an adventure I'll remember fondly.
GREG ZANONIAutumn Tour '25Not sure whether the tour is right for you? Ask Max about the walking, equipment or anything else on your mind.
Ask Max a question ↗Yes. We do not require a minimum number of participants, so the tour will go ahead even if the group is smaller than expected. For small hiking tours such as Patagonia, which are limited to six participants, last-minute cancellations may simply result in an even smaller and more personal group.
A tour would only be cancelled in exceptional circumstances, such as a serious geopolitical situation that makes it impossible to operate safely. Otherwise, you can book with confidence, knowing the tour will take place on the scheduled dates.
Yes, Seceda is part of the tour. We’ll take the cable car all the way to the top, giving us easy access to its spectacular viewpoints. Because conditions can make a huge difference here, we’ll choose the best weather window during the tour to give you the strongest possible chance of coming home with great images.
Some locations are intentionally not revealed publicly, as sharing them could quickly lead to overcrowding. Several of these spots were discovered by Max himself, and he prefers to keep them exclusive to tour participants, preserving both the experience and the photographic potential of each location.
Yes, you are welcome to bring a drone. Flying is not permitted at Seceda and Tre Cime, but there are other locations where you can use it. Max will be happy to advise you on the best places to fly and the strongest aerial compositions to look for.
Before every shoot, Max will brief the group on where we’re going, the compositions we can expect, and which gear and clothing to bring. Once on location, you are free to explore and photograph independently or follow Max’s guidance.
Max will share different composition ideas and help with camera settings, focus stacking techniques, and refining your compositions. Every shoot is focused on maximizing your photographic results—finding strong and unique images while using the weather and light conditions to our advantage.
Yes, while we plan to visit all the locations listed in the itinerary—and several additional spots—Max will adjust the exact schedule based on the weather conditions to maximize our photographic opportunities.
Different locations work best under very different conditions. Some are spectacular with low or dramatic cloud cover, while Alpe di Siusi can be incredible with morning fog. Through years of experience in the Dolomites, Max knows how to read the forecasts, cloud heights and local weather patterns to determine which location gives us the best chance of exceptional conditions each day.
Even if you have already visited the Dolomites, joining the tour can give you a completely different photographic experience:
7 days exploring the Dolomites. A small group of photographers. And a view worth the journey.
Talk to Max before you bookthe Dolomites · Up to 10 people
Reserve with a €1,500 deposit
If you’d like to join the Dolomites Autumn Tour, send me a message below. Whether you’re ready to reserve a place or still considering the adventure, I’d love to hear from you.
Have a question about the photography, walking or how to book? I’m happy to help you decide whether the tour is right for you. I’ll get back to you personally.
info@maxrivephotography.com
