One of the questions I frequently receive in the comments is which town I recommend as my base when visiting the Dolomites on holiday. I wish there were a straight answer to that. The Dolomites are dotted with little villages, each one surrounded by seemingly endless trails and via ferratas for keen outdoor enthusiasts. Thankfully, after spending two hiking seasons in this corner of Italy, I have made my top picks for this region.
My Top Choices For Best Places To Stay In The Italian Dolomites
As you are about to find out, the choices are plentiful, and all you have to do is take your pick! I know it’s not easy, but here is what I recommend.
TIP: If your time is limited, select the activities, hikes, climbs, or photography spots you want to visit, locate them on a map, and then find the most central location to stay.
Personally, if I were coming for less than 3-4 days, I wouldn’t bother trying to explore more than one town and its surroundings. The hassle of checking in/out will waste your precious time, so instead, focus on one place.
Are you planning a trip to the Dolomites?
1. Cortina D’Ampezzo
Cortina d’Ampezzo is undoubtedly the most famous of all the small mountain towns in the Dolomites, and due to its popularity, it’s also one of the busiest and most expensive. I’ve spent a lot of time exploring Cortina and its surroundings.
The high street boasts high-end fashion stores and fancy restaurants, so if you want to intersperse your mountain holiday with some shopping, Cortina is the place to do it.
The popularity of Cortina is justified. There’s so much to do around the town that it’s difficult not to recommend it to most people coming to the Dolomites.
TIP: Accommodation in Cortina here books out quickly. Unless you come with a campervan or a tent, ensure you’re an early bird to hit the best prices.
Read More: Guide to Cortina D’Ampezzo: Top Hikes, Via Ferrata and Photography Spots
Hikes around Cortina D’Ampezzo
Croda Da Lago
The Croda Da Lago Circuit is my favourite hike near Cortina. It comes to life in October, particularly when the larches turn the trail into a golden paradise. The trail’s highlight is a beautiful high alpine lake called Lago Federa. A great alternative to the much busier Lake Sorapiss trail!
Cinque Torri
If you’re a keen historian or find the Great War interesting, the hike around Cinque Torri is for you. It’s not difficult and offers an excellent opportunity to see these five monoliths from all angles while exploring World War I bunkers and trenches.
Lago Sorapiss
This is the classic hike around Cortina. The route to Lago Sorapiss includes forests, cliffs, cables, stairs, and one colossal mountain reflection at the end. As mentioned, it’s a busy hike, but continually refreshing with its diverse sections.
Via Ferratas Around Cortina D’Ampezzo
Ivano Dibona
Probably the most famous via ferrata in the entire Dolomites, the via ferrata Ivano Dibona rose to popularity after featuring in the movie Cliffhanger, starring Sylvester Stallone. Since 2016, the gondola at the start of the route has been closed, resulting in a significant reduction in traffic. Nowadays, this route gets hardly any footfall, giving it, at least in my eyes, even more appeal.
Sorapiss Circuit
If you’re up for a challenging few days in the mountains, the Giro Del Sorapiss combines three via ferratas that circumnavigate Mount Sorapiss. It’s not for the faint of heart and involves roughly 12 to 16 hours of hiking and climbing, including the approach.
Monte Averau
When I first read about via ferrata Monte Averau, I thought a short climb couldn’t be unique. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This brief and easy via ferrata provided me with some of the most outstanding views I’ve had during my seven-month stay in the Dolomites.
Due to the variety of iron paths available, I have recently compiled a separate article featuring the best via ferratas around Cortina d’Ampezzo, suitable for all levels of adventurers.
Mountain Huts Around Cortina D’Ampezzo
Rifugio Pomedes
The chairlift up to Rifugio Pomedes is one reason this hut is among my favourites around Cortina. The main reason, though, is the view. Sitting on the terrace, sipping a beer, watching the tumultuous afternoon clouds build up over Croda Da Lago or watching climbers go up and down Ra Bujela is a real treat.
Rifugio Lagazuoi
This private hut (pictured above) is accessible by the Lagazuoi Tunnels, a feast of adventure and WW1 history. It’s also accessible by cable car, but the cuisine is what sets this hut apart. It’s some of the best hut food I’ve ever had. The view isn’t wrong, either 😉
Rifugio Nuvolau
One of the oldest refuges in the Dolomites, this precariously placed hut is a grand feat of engineering. To appreciate its position, look at the hut from the top of the nearby mountain Ra Gusela.
Hotel Recommendations in Cortina D’Ampezzo
Best Value
Located on Cortina’s main promenade, just meters from the pedestrian zone with all the shops, cafes, and restaurants.
Top Rated
Located in a quiet area of Cortina with beautiful views across the valley and the mountains. The wellness centre and shuttle to Cortina Centre are included.
TIP: The best pizza in town is at a small, father-and-son take-out-only place called “Ai Due Forni Fi Aldo” opposite Cinema Teatro Eden. I used to buy a whole pizza and sit on one of the benches on the main street, eating it and making all the passersby jealous.
2. Corvara in Badia
Corvara is kind of like Cortina’s little sister. Both are only about 20km apart as the crow flies (36km driving). The pass separating them is Passo Falzarego, one of the most scenic passes in the Dolomites.
However, Corvara has another famous pass – Passo Gardena, where you can find several great via ferratas. This is also one of the passes where Alta Via 2 runs, a two-week-long traverse across the Dolomites.
The town is significantly quieter than Cortina and has a more local feel. There are more independent shops and smaller side streets for exploring, and it is surrounded by ski lifts if you’re coming in the winter.
TIP: The best pizza in town is the Bar Pizzeria Villa Caterina
Via Ferratas in Corvara
Gran Cir
Gran Cir is one of the easiest via ferratas in the Dolomites, making it a great introduction to the World of scrambling. It’s short, impossible to get lost in, and very rewarding. The views of the ant-sized cars down on Passo Gardena make you appreciate how quickly you gain elevation on this route.
Brigata Tridentina
Tougher than Gran Cir, Brigata Tridentina has a Smith/Fletcher rating of 3B. It’s a 4-5 hour return, but could be broken up by an overnight stay in Rifugio Pisciadu or extended by climbing to the summit of Mount Pisciadu.
Sentiero Attrezzato Sassongher
If you scroll back up to the panoramic shot of Corvara, you will notice that the town lies directly at the foot of a beautiful peak. The peak is called Sassongher, and as mean as it looks, its other side (not visible in the photograph) is accessible via a beginner’s iron path with the same name.
Hotel recommendations in Corvara
Best Value
It is a charming guesthouse with a great atmosphere and rooms in a South Tirol style. The hotel restaurant serves authentic mountain cuisine.
Top Rated
All rooms have balconies with mountain views. You can enjoy your meals on the hotel’s furnished terrace. The wellness centre is included in the price.
3. Sesto and San Candido
These two towns, separated by a 5-minute drive, are located in the northern region of the Dolomites. Their allure is mainly due to the proximity to the north border of the Tre Cime Nature Park.
That being said, the towns themselves have no defining features over other small towns in the Dolomites, apart from providing a break from the comparatively chaotic Cortina.
This doesn’t mean they aren’t worth staying in. On the contrary! They offer a quieter, more idyllic setting to appreciate the splendour of the mountains.
Outdoor activities near Sesto and San Candido
Val Fiscalina
The closest you can drive to the northern tip of the Tre Cime Nature Park is down Val Fiscalina.
This valley serves as the gateway to the via ferrata Strada Degli Alpini, mentioned below, and the Croda Fiscalina circuit, which leads to mountain huts, including Rifugio Zsigmondy-Comici, Pian di Cengia, and Rifugio Carducci.
Via Ferrata Strada Degli Alpini
A great beginner via ferrata that starts in Val Fiscalina is the Strada Degli Alpini. It’s a technically simple but very long ferrata.
I recommend splitting it up over two days to maximise your time at a higher elevation and simultaneously experience the mountain hut culture of Italy by staying in either Rifugio Zsigmondy—Comici or Pian di Cengia.
The Croda Rossa Summit
The route to Croda Rossa has been on my list for a very long time, and I finally managed to tick it off during a 4-day hut-to-hut hike across the Sextener Dolomites. It’s best accessed from the top of the Croda Rossa gondola. Via Ferrata Croda Rossa can be combined with Via Ferrata Zandonella, making for an excellent full-day mountain outing.
Lago di Braies
If you want to check out the Instagram-famous Lago di Braies, Sesto or San Candido are great places to stay. I am not a huge fan of busy areas. I usually head to the mountains to find solitude. However, there is no denying that Lago di Braies is beautiful, and with a little bit of proper planning, you, too, can enjoy it without crazy crowds.
Dürrenstein summit
Also known as Pico Di Vallandro, this mountain is located within the boundaries of the Fanes-Sennes-Braies National Park. The Dürrenstein summit is an excellent hike for those seeking something more than a walk around the lake.
Hotel recommendations in Sesto and San Candido
Best Value
Located only a couple of kilometres from San Candido in a beautiful setting. Homemade cakes is what sold me on this hotel.
Top Rated
A beautiful interior decor gives it a characteristic mountain feeling. Indoor pool and extensive wellness facilities are hard to beat.
4. Misurina
If you plan on seriously exploring Tre Cime, this place will give you a better start. I am not even sure if Misurina can be considered an actual town. Apart from a few hotels, restaurants, and tourist shops, nothing else exists here. The whole town shuts down during the shoulder seasons.
Lago (from Italian: lake) Misurina is undoubtedly the most defining feature of this place. This tiny town offers the best access to the southern tip and a few classic Tre Cime National Park hikes.
TIP: There are only a few hotels in the area, and they book out even faster than those in Cortina, so book well in advance. Misurina is only a 30-minute drive away from Cortina, so if you don’t find accommodation there, you can still visit this area by staying in Cortina.
Outdoor activities near Misurina
Lago D’Antorno
One of the best photography spots in the Italian Dolomites, Lago d’Antorno is only a 5-minute drive from Misurina. If you’re having a rest day, just meandering around the lake or sitting in the cafe with a coffee, watching the world go by, is relaxing.
Via Ferrata Merlone
Imagine a ladder. Now, imagine lots of ladders. Now, imagine lots of ladders mounted to the side of a mountain. You are now imagining via ferrata Merlone. This route, starting from Rifugio Fonda Savio, offers a good workout and culminates in spectacular views from the summit of Cima Cadin.
Tre Cime Nature Park Highlights
In addition to Merlone, other via ferratas in the Tre Cime Nature Park, including Torre di Toblin and Innerkofler, are fun and exciting. For those of you who like to keep your feet on the ground, there’s also the hiking loop of Tre Cime, one of the most sought-after day hikes in the Dolomites.
Read More: Guide To Tre Cime Nature Park: Top Hikes, Via Ferratas and Photography Locations
Hotel recommendations in Misurina
Best Value
A beautiful hotel with a distinct character that remains in sync throughout. Great location right near Lake Antorno with excellent access to the Tre Cime Circuit.
Top Rated
A newly renovated chalet located 700 meters from Lake Misurina. It offers Alpine-style rooms with balconies overlooking the lake and Tre Cime.
5. Siusi
Suisi is a relatively large town in the Dolomites that hasn’t experienced a significant tourist influx compared to other destinations. The main reason people stay here is the access to the Alpe di Suisi Altopiano, Europe’s highest alpine meadow.
Compatsch is better situated for closer access to the Altopiano but offers almost no amenities or shops. The town of Siusi is quaint and has a very local feel. It also lies in the German-speaking part of the Dolomites.
Suisi is also a great place to start an adventure into the Rosengarten Nature Park to the South.
Outdoor activities in Siusi
Alpi di Suisi
The town’s main attraction is the meadows, a short 20-minute drive away. However, the road is closed to public traffic during certain hours. With some planning ahead, though, you shouldn’t have any problems visiting.
TIP: Be aware of the road restrictions to the Alpi di Siusi. I discuss them in this article. I have met several groups fined € 100 or more for breaking the rules.
The Seiser Alm Gondola
The Seis/Seiser Alm gondola negates the need to drive to the Alpi di Suisi. It drops you off in the heart of Compatsch, where you can walk into the meadows at your leisure.
San Valentino Church
The San Valentino Church (pictured above) stands high above Siusi, creating an incredible photo opportunity. It is framed under the peaks of Massiccio dello Sciliar Schlern.
Hotel recommendations around Siusi
Best Value
Artnatur Dolomites Hotel & Spa
The hotel has a restaurant, free bikes, and a seasonal outdoor swimming pool. The accommodation provides water sports facilities, a shared lounge, and a garden.
Top Rated
Floris Green Suites by Park Hotel Florian
Beautiful interior and exterior design. The units have amazing views and offer access to a seasonal swimming pool.
6. San Martino di Castrozza and Fiera Di Primiero
These two towns in the Trentino region of Italy offer unrivalled access to the Pale di San Martino range. This mountain group has some of the most incredible spires and monoliths I’ve seen in the Dolomites, but compared to Tre Cime, it receives only a tiny percentage of footfall.
Whilst San Martino Di Castrozza is a typical ski town, Fiera Di Primiero has a more local feel. It also has some of the best ice cream parlours I have encountered in Italy.
Both towns are about 20 minutes apart, offering excellent access to day hikes and via ferratas within the Pale di San Martino range.
Outdoor activities near San Martino Di Castrozza and Fiera di Primiero
Passo Rolle – Baita G Segantini
One of the most scenic passes in the Italian Dolomites, Passo Rolle, lies just north of San Martino di Castrozza. By hiking only 45 minutes from the pass, you can reach the idyllic Baita G Segantini – a small mountain hut built next to a pond with the best reflections of Cimon della Pala within the beautiful sawtooth range (pictured above).
Hiking in the Pale di San Martino Range
From a day hike to Passo del Mulaz to the challenging seven-day Palaronda trek circumnavigating the whole Pale di San Martino range, there is something for everyone.
I have crossed the range twice: the first time, I completed a 3-day loop starting and ending at Passo Rolle, and the second time, while backpacking along the Alta Via 2.
Cima Rosetta
If you’re after a more relaxing way to see the mountains, the two-tier Col Verde-Rosetta cable car in San Martino will whisk you up thousands of meters into the peripheries of the range in just a few short minutes.
From the upper station, you can take a quick stroll to Rifugio Rosetta or hike to the nearby peak of Cima Rosetta, where you will get a beautiful view of the heart of the range. This is probably one of the most accessible summits in the Dolomites.
Via ferrata Bolver Lugli
It is one of my favourite iron paths in the Dolomites, thanks to the combination of fun climbing and the dramatic views over the monoliths typical for this range. I have a separate article dedicated to via ferrata Bolver Lugli, so make sure to check it out!
Monte Castellaz
One of my most recent hikes in the Dolomites. Monte Castellaz is a great half-day hike with killer views over Cima della Palla and Val Venegia.
Hotel recommendations in San Martino di Castrozza and Fiera di Primiero
Best Value
This lovely hotel has spacious rooms and is right in the centre of San Martino di Castrozza. Here, you can enjoy local specialities typical of the Trentino region.
Top Rated
The aptly named Panorama Hotel offers fantastic Pale di San Martino range views. The Col Verde Cable Car is only a 10-minute walk away.
7. Canazei and Campitello di Fassa
If I could afford a place in the Dolomites, I would buy one in either of these towns in Val di Fassa. Doesn’t that already say something?
I love the stark contrast between hotel balconies covered in multicoloured pansies below monumentally large mountains.
Both towns are very close to Passo Pordoi, Passo Fedaia, and Passo Sella, where many hiking trails and ferratas start. The passes provide access to Sassopiatto and Sassolungo, Piz Boè to the North, the entire Rosengarten group to the West, and Marmolada, the Queen of the Dolomites, to the Southeast.
They are also big enough to have natural supermarkets with ample product choices and countless pizza parlours, gelaterias, and cafes.
Outdoor activities around Val di Fassa
Passo Sella
Apart from being a driver’s paradise, Passo Sella is also great for hikers and climbers. Two excellent via ferratas start from the pass: The advanced via ferrata Mesules and intermediate via ferrata Oskar Schuster.
I can also highly recommend hiking the Sassolungo Circuit. It starts at the pass and loops around Sassolungo and Sassopiatto peaks, visiting excellent backcountry huts.
Passo Pordoi & the summit of Piz Boè
Passo Pordoi connects Val di Fassa with Arabba, another famous ski town nearby. Directly at the pass, you can take advantage of the Sass Pordoi cable car, which will take you to an altitude of over 2900 meters. From here, it’s only a 1-1.5 hour hike to the summit of Piz Boè. At 3152 meters, it’s the highest peak in the Sella group.
The Rosengarten Nature Park
I have a soft spot in my heart for Rosengarten Nature Park. I spent a fantastic week adventuring there with my friends. There’s much to see and do there, including the via ferrata Passo Santner and Sentiero Massimiliano or the amazing hike to Vajolet towers.
Marmolada and the Museum of the Great War
I’m not a big fan of museums, but this one is an exception. The Great War Museum is located at Punta Serauta, one of the summits of Marmolada, the highest mountain in the Dolomites. A cable car goes directly to it.
Ride the second cable car from Punta Serauta to Punta Rocca and spend some time on the terrace with a 360-degree view of the Dolomites!
The bottom of the cable car is in Malga Ciapella, which is only a 30-minute drive from Canazei.
Hotel recommendations in Val di Fassa
Best Value
Self-catering apartments are only a 10-minute walk from the centre of Canazei in the Fassa Valley.
Top Rated
Locanda degli Artisti Art Hotel
This lovely hotel has a fantastic bar and restaurant. It is an excellent place for art lovers, and the hotel boasts some quirky art decorations.
8. Madonna di Campiglio
The town I’m recommending that is furthest West (by a long way) is Madonna di Campiglio. Madonna Di Campiglio and the nearby Adamello Brenta Nature Park are tremendous and slightly off-the-beaten-path destinations.
I recommend it to anyone who wants to see the Dolomites beyond the famous but slightly overcrowded locations.
Outdoor Activities in Madonna Di Campiglio
I spent some time in the Adamello Brenta Nature Park during my five-day-long Dolomiti Brenta Traverse.
The shot above was taken at one of the backcountry huts I stayed at, and it best represents the views you can expect. It’s a fun traverse that includes many via ferratas, minor glacier crossings, and cosy evenings in the huts.
Hotel recommendations in Madonna di Campiglio
Best Value
Family-run hotel in a quiet area of Madonna di Campiglio. Guided hiking tours and complimentary bike rentals are available at the hotel.
Top Rated
Fantastic hotel with a feel-at-home atmosphere. The wellness centre is included in the hotel’s price.
9. Ortisei in Val Gardena
Ortisei is a ‘big’ town with a decent-sized supermarket and amenities. It has a very German feel. A river runs through its centre, and many quaint side streets are perfect for exploring.
The Gardena Valley is connected with the previously mentioned Fassa Valley via the Sella Pass, where you can climb the Oskar Schuster Via Ferrata to the towers of Sassopiatto and Sassolungo or the moonscape on top of the Sella Massif on the Via Ferrata Mesules.
TIP: If you need a break after a good hike, Ortisei has a public swimming pool with a sauna and steam room.
Outdoor activities in Val Gardena
Photograph – Suisi and Seceda
Ortisei is an ideal place to base yourself if you’re a photographer. On one side of the valley, there’s the St Ulrich Seisler Alm gondola, which whisks you up to Alpi di Suisi, the high alpine meadow mentioned earlier.
On the other hand, the Ortisei—Furnes -Seceda cable car transports you to the Puez-Odle Nature Park, where you can visit the famous Seceda viewpoint.
Hike through Vallunga
Vallunga is an excellent option for those who have just begun their mountain adventure. It is a beginner hike through a picturesque, narrow U-shaped valley.
Passo Gardena
I already mentioned Passo Gardena in my description of another town, Corvara. It’s worth noting that this pass connects Corvara with Ortisei, meaning that if you want to check out the highlights of Passo Gardena, you can also easily do that while staying in Ortisei.
Via Ferrata Sass Rigais
Sass Rigais is the highest peak of the Odle Geisler group, and here’s some excellent news: you can scramble to its top! Via Ferrata Sass Rigais is a beginner-friendly route with a decent approach and descent, making it worth adding to your itinerary.
Hotel recommendations in Ortisei
Best Value
A minimalistic and sustainable hotel in the heart of Val Gardena with easy access to the Col Raiser gondola.
Top Rated
Mountain-style hotel. Rooms are fitted with carpeted floors and light-wood furnishings.
10. Alleghe
Without a doubt, Alleghe has the most dramatic backdrop of all towns on this list. Not only is it located on the shore of a beautiful turquoise lake, but it also has excellent access to Monte Civetta, which I call the meanest-looking mountain in all of the Dolomites.
Its North face rises a whopping 2000 meters above the town, efficiently blocking much of the sunlight in the Winter. Luckily, this isn’t an issue in the summer, when the days are long and leave plenty of room for exploring.
Outdoor activities in Alleghe
Via Ferrata Degli Alleghesi
If you’ve got some via ferrata experience, consider doing the via ferrata Degli Alleghesi to the summit of Mount Civetta. That’s right; you can summit that mean-looking mountain. Lake Alleghe is visible from the summit and looks like a tiny pond! I guess that’s what 2000m of elevation gain does.
Hike to Lake Coldai
This is another one of my favourite Dolomiti day treks. This 3-4 hour round-trip hike takes you to a beautiful high alpine lake at the foot of Mount Civetta. The nearby Coldai Hut is a great place to grab lunch, so you can go as light as possible and enjoy your day!
Hotel recommendations in Alleghe
Best Value
Very convenient beachfront location with access to town cafes and restaurants. The Gondola is only a 10-minute walk away.
Top Rated
A great hotel with hard-to-beat views overlooking the turquoise lake Alleghe and Monte Civetta.
It’s hard to make a wrong decision when visiting here, but if you have any questions, please post them in the comments below. I answer all comments personally!
Other regions in the Dolomites worth visiting
- Puster Valley (Val Pusteria)
- Fassa Valley (Val Di Fassa)
- Gardena Valley (Val Gardena)
- Funes Valley (Val Di Funes)
- Primero Valley (Val Primero)
- Badia Valley (Val Badia / Alta Badia)
- Cortina D’Ampezzo & Central Dolomites
- Tre Cime Nature Park
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If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below!
Hi Marta, thank you for all your information, it is very useful. I want to ask you for some recommendations regarding hikes in Dolomites in April? I know that most of the known locations are not accessible, but is there anything that you could recommend visiting?
Regards,
Branko
Hi Branko. Thanks for visiting. I live in the Alps and I hike year-round. Have you seen my article about best hikes in the Dolomites. There I enlist what hikes are doable in which months. You will also find links to each hike. Let me know if that helps.
Hi Marta,
I like your website a ;lot! I and my friends are staying in Cortina d’Ampezzo for one l day only (10-6 pm), September 2024 and we would like to know how to spend it wisely . We wont be driving
I’ve googled and found the following nearby this town and don’t think we can visit more than one or two sites but what would you do if you were to go to this town again ? Your advice will mater a lot 🙂
1.Falzarego pass
2.Tofana di Mezzo
3.Cinque Torri
4.Passo Giau
5.Tre Cime di Lavaredo
6.Faloria
7.Croda Da Lago
Hi Tal. If you are there for such a short amount of time then I would probably take the Frecia nel Cielo Cable Car to the top of Tofane. The Cinque Torri hike would be doable too.
Wonderful site, Marta! Just packed with great information and lovely photos! We are considering a trip to the Dolomites in mid-September, but plan to do so without a car. Any suggestions for places to stay as bases for day hikes that are more accessible via public transit? Most appreciated, Harry
Hi Harry,
Thanks for visiting my site and for your lovely comment. Kudos to your for using public transport and saving the environment a bit. I would recommend focusing on towns in Val Pusteria, Val Gardena or Val Di Fassa. I recently posted two new posts which will help you out with planning, including infos about public transport. First is about Val Pusteria and hikes to do there (it links to separate articles about hikes, where I also explain how to get to trailheads with public transport). Second is about Tre Cime Nature Park where you can find lots of trails. Some information repeats itself in the posts. I am currently working on separate articles on Val Di Fassa and Val Gardena. If you want to do hut to hut treks then consider Rosengarten Traverse too. Getting to the trailhead is super easy. If you need one-on-one advice I also offer calls. You can find the trip planning advice in the header of the website.
Thank you Marta
Hi thanks for your great info! We are planning a trip to Dolomites next June with our kids, who will be ages 5 and 7. Do you think Madonna di Campiolo would be an ok location with young kids? Do they have the many playgrounds and easy to access rufigios? Or better to stay further east? Thanks
Hi Jennifer. I found Italy to be generally very kid friendly. I just finished a trek around Sextener Dolomites and there was a lovely family area at the Rotwandwiese. It’s in the Northern Part. I can’t speak for Madonna Di Campiglio, because I was there for hiking and via ferratas, but I am pretty sure wherever you will go you will find something great.
Hi Marta
Your websites are amazing with bunch of so helpfull info.
Did you hear anything about hot springs in the area.
I was able to find some expensive spa hotel claiming using natural hot springs in Ortisei area?
But targeting wild hot springs
Also, any beautiful cities must visiting with overnight from Ortizei to Venice. It is our itinerary road back to airport
Thanks very much
Hi Lana. Thanks for your great feedback. No i do not know of any natural hot springs in the Dolomites. It’s not a volcanic area at all. They might claim that the water is a spring water but it will definitely be heated. I hope you will still love it here!
Hi Marta,
Great blogs for so much information about where to stay in the Dolomites! We are debating on visiting the Dolomites in either the last two weeks of September or the last two weeks of October in 2024. We want to see the autumn colors, avoid the crowds in the famous highlights places in the Dolomites. I checked the schedule for the lifts, gondolas and cable cars and sadly most of them will already have been closed in late October. Only the ones to Alpe di Suisi and Saceda will probably be opened then. Our main interest places are the below:
Tre Cime
Lago di Braies
Cinque Torri
Passo Gau
Passo Gardena
Alpe di Siusi
Val di Funes churches
Saceda (a must)
We like hiking but we are not that young anymore and can’t hike every day. Maybe we can do hiking 3-4 days out of the two weeks that we will be there. Also we will probably be flying in and out of Innsbruck.
Please let me know which month you would recommend us to visit. We don’t mind hiking in winter jacket. We actually don’t like hiking in warm weather and sweating while hiking. 😁
Thank you so much for your insights in advance!
Please keep up the great blogs!
Nana
Hey Nana. Thanks for visiting my site. Have you had a look at my Dolomites Autumn Itinerary? It can easily be adjusted to what you are after. It also has some great and easy hikes featured. I would recommend that you go in the second half of October. That’s when the autumn colours are at their best. At the end of September the larches start changing at high elevations, but still have yellow-green colour.
If you need help adjusting the itinerary to your needs I offer trip planning advice.
Hi Marta,
I read that blog first and then I started reading your other blogs. They are very helpful. Thank you so much! We are leaning towards going in mid to late October next year. If we would like to photograph sunrise in Alpe di Siusi, would you recommend us staying in Alpe di Siusi? Which hotels would be the closest to the photographic highlights in Alpe di Siusi? Thanks again for all the details.
Hi Nana. Thanks for visiting and your lovely comment. Yes it would be better for you to stay somewhere around compatsch if you wanted to shoot sunrise at Alpi Di Siusi due to road restrictions. There is a gondola that runs there from Ortisei but it won’t get you there for sunrise (although they do organize some sunrise events when the gondola runs earlier).
Hi Marta!
Thanks for the recommendation. I checked the price of hotels on Alpe di Siusi and they are quite pricey. But I will try to look at somewhere in Compatsch. 😊
True. It’s a quite exclusive place to be honest. Not many hotels and as you said quite pricey.
Thank you so much for this incredibly detailed and exceptionally informative article. Do you think that a week is sufficient to see plenty of the Dolomites? I want to go there next June but the place is so vast that it is very intimidating. I am even willing to pay someone directly to help me plan my trip. Any recommendations?
Hi Robert. Thanks for stopping by. One week isn’t a lot of time, but definitely enough to get a good taste of the Dolomites. It really depends what you are after. If you want to see the highlights like Lake Braies, Tre Cime and Seceda then you can manage to do that in 2 days. If you would like to hike or do some via ferratas then a week is a good timeframe to start with. In my opinion, you can get the best out of the Dolomites if you plan a hut-to-hut trek. If you need any help with planning I do offer a type of consulting where I can answer your questions etc. If you need an itinerary you could start with this article. It’s 7-10 days and it tells you how to adjust it to a week.
Thanks Marta for your suggestions. I appreciate your assistance in selecting an area that is more local feeling with great hiking. We will be staying in Moena. It seems central to some great hiking from Passo Sella and not far from other towns in the area if we want to check them out. It is also within 2.5 hrs of Venice, where we fly into.
We like long day hikes with elevation (not a problem). We have Sassolongo picked out already. My wife also enjoys flora and fauna so a hike that is not all above alpine. We would enjoy some stops at Refugio’s for lunch. We will have a total of 5 nights in the area. Any suggestions will be appreciated. We also made sure to book our car and hotel accommodations through the link on your website.
Thank you for your assistance. Doug & Joanne (Alaska)
Hi Doug. Thanks so much for using the links. Moena is really pretty and I am sure you will like it. As for the recommendations for hikes: You can do Piz Boe summit (from Passo Pordoi), or hike from Passo Pordoi to rifugio Viel Dal Pan and back (beautiful views of Marmolada), Rifugio Passo San Nicolo. From Moena you can easily get to Passo Rolle and do Val Venegia or Monte Castellaz . Of course the whole rosengarten group is also at your disposal. If you are up for it, you can try and hike to Vajolet Towers. I hope that helps!
Hello Marta,
thank you for this very interesting and inspiring article.
Can you recommend a small town in the Dolomites please, for a family getogether in 2024? From your list I’m drawn to: Alleghe, Madonna di Campiglio, Corvara, San Martino di Castrozza and Fiera Di Primiero? I’m just trying to cater for different types in the group: some keen hikers, some lake swimmers, some historians, and some who won’t want to be active everyday. Not too many crowds, but shops, cafes and restaurants! We will try and rent a house. All the best.
Hi Robert. Thanks for visiting. Wow this is no easy task. Catering to everyone’s needs is tough and borderline impossible. Anyway’s I would recommend that you look at Moena in Val Di Fassa. It’s not on this list, but it is close to Canazei and Campitello but with more of a local feel. I would appreciate if you book your house through my affiliate links. Let me know if you have more questions.
Hi Marta,
Thank you for all your guidance, your New Zealand guide tremendously enhanced my previous trip and I would easily say its my best trip ever! I’m now planning a trip to the Dolomites from late July to early August, my first European adventure, spanning 5-7 days.
From my understanding, you typically advise focusing on one area or establishing a single base when limited by time. I’d appreciate your insight on the best approach for this time frame, I will be using a car as Im exploring other parts of europe as well
I’ve gathered quite an interest in the unique experience of staying in huts, with Rifugio Locatelli and Lugazio catching my eye. However, please note, we’ll probably utilize cable cars due to my wife accompanying me.
Aside from this, I’ve found Tre Cime, Seceda, Alpe de Susi, and Lago di Braies intriguing. I look forward to your suggestions on how to best explore these areas.
Hi Anhar. Thanks for visiting and your lovely comment. I am so glad my New Zealand guides made my trip very special. As for your question it is way too broad to answer. My whole guide to the Dolomites if full of tips on where to stay, what to do etc etc. Cortina D’Ampezzo is always a good choice because it is central and offers great access to many of the trails. As for the huts I am afraid Locatelli is already fully booked for the season and from what I heard from my other readers so is Lagazuoi because it lies on the popular Alta Via 1 traverse of the Dolomites. Seceda and Alpi Di Siusi are easily accessible by gondolas from Ortisei in Val Gardena and there are plenty of hikes there to choose from. If you need help designing an itinerary, due to high demand and troubles with keeping up with all the comments on my site I started trip planning services. Have a read through it and let me know if you are interested.
Hi Marta, Your blog is SO helpful! Thank you! What do you think of San Cassiano as a base for 3-4 days? Many thanks!!
Hi there, beautiful website. Your hiking adventures are just amazing. Thank you for sharing! I am planning a trip with my family, kids ages 9, 13, and 15. The first week of July. Feeling a little overwhelmed with all of the information out there. I am trying to plan a well-balanced trip where kids will enjoy hiking and other fun activities like biking and maybe a small taste of via Ferrata. I am thinking of staying three nights at Cortina D’Ampezzo, and 2 nights at Ortisei. Do you think these two towns are good for families? and are we well located in these towns to do some of the hikes that you recommend? We will also have a car since we will be driving down from Munich. Any recommendations for fun activities for teens would be very much appreciated. 🙂
I hope you are well!
Hi Perla. Thanks for visiting and for your Ko-Fi support. Much appreciated. Cortina and Ortisei are great towns but they are also the busiests towns in the Dolomites. If you don’t mind that you will love it. Cortina has access to a lot of Via ferratas of different levels. I think a fun and short one is VF Ra Bujela which you should check out. Whilst I do not mountain bike (yet) there are plenty of biking trails in the Dolomites that you can undertake. You can go paragliding in Corvara. I think Lagazuoi tunnels hike is always fun for the kids. Another great and beginner via Ferrata is Averau with amazing views. I also think you would enjoy via ferrata Innerkofler in Tre Cime. It also has some tunnels and amazing views from the top of Monte Paterno. As for Ortisei in Val Gardena check out this site. You will have plenty of bike fun there. Lots of via ferratas there too, including Sass Rigais or Gran Cir. I have linked to all my recommendations. I hope that helps and points you in the right direction. Do let me know if you have more questions!
Hello Marta, thank you for sharing; such a great article! We are wanting to visit the Dolomites for 10 days in late May / Early June. Is it advisable to pre-book accommodation or is it easy to find accommodation “on the fly” or as you go? Thanking you in advance! Natalie
Hi Natalie. Thanks for stopping by. You should be ok with winging it, as it is still a low season, but at the same time the longer you are with the fewer options you will have and the more expensive it can be.
Hi Marta
Thanks so much for this article, truly great read
We are planning on visiting in May which would be between Summer and Winter
Is there still plenty on, lifts operating, restaurants and hotels open in May ?
Thanks in advance
Tim
Hi Tim. Thanks for visiting. I am afraid in May none of the lifts operate in the area and all the backcountry huts are still closed. The earliest ones open in the Rosengarten area but not until usually late May. Whilst some hotels and restaurants do close for the mid-season (usually small local ones), others remain open year-round, so when it comes down to restaurants and accommodation you won’t have trouble booking that. Any high-elevation hiking will be rather out of the question, but it is possible to hike in the Dolomites in May. I visited the Dolomites for the first time last year in the spring from the beginning of May for a week and I did hike a few trails. I will soon put a spring itinerary for the Dolomites. Let me know if you have more questions.
Hi. Your website is amazing and super informative so thank you so much! It is overwhelming though, to plan a trip to the Dolomites as there is so much info everywhere!! I would like to stay in rifugios for one to two nights, do at least one medium level via ferrata and stay in at least one other town besides Cortina. Do you have any good suggestions for the following itineraries:
– Stay in hotel in Cortina and do day trips AND at least one night in a rifugio (options for double rooms). Then go to another town, possibly Corvara, Canazie, or whatever other super picturesque village you recommend, and do day trips from there but also add one night in a great rifugio that has rooms for 2 instead of only dorm style. A via ferrata in this area would be great too.
I am having trouble organizing all the info to plan a logical itinerary where I will have access to all those above things. Seems like there are a lot of options, but picking ones that make sense is proving difficult because I am piecing together info from so many websites. I am MORE THAN HAPPY to support you with a donation as your website has been super helpful. Thank you so much.
Hi Jodi! Thanks for stopping by and I can understand you are feeling overwhelmed. Could you answer a couple of questions? Will you have a car? How many days are you going to be in the Dolomites? I do have lots of ideas but would be helpful to know the answers first then I can give you some pointers!
Hi Marta, you are an amazing writer and so kind to provide so much personal advice to everyone here! I wonder if I might weigh in with my question… We are meeting some friends for a birthday celebration in Tuscany in July. We live in Austin, Texas, USA, where it is very hot in the summer, so we thought we might come early and head up to the Dolomites (or even Swiss alps) where it will be cooler. As fascinated as I am by Italian architecture and history, what I’m really craving is an escape from people and a deep submersion in nature. We only have 6/20-6/24, but I’m happy picking one quiet village town and staying there the whole time. We can do trains/public transport or rent a car. We have a friend in Bologna we’d like to see so that will likely be our launch point on 6/20, if not Venice.
Ideas?
Thank you!
Hi Stephanie, Thanks for your post above and sharing your experience.
Hi Marta, I am reposting as we had to change where we stay. Almost all of them preferred to stay at 1 place.
We will be staying in La Villa for 3 nights. We have cars.
Sep 29th, 2022 – Reach La Villa around 2:00 pm – Drive from Milan
Sep 29th – Val Gardena pass drive, Visit Jimmy’s hut. Relax and walk around La Villa.
Sep 30th – Seceda (Cable car) in the morning. Val Di Funes (Adolf Munkel Trail) in the late afternoon
Oct 1st – Armentara Meadows (Santa Croce) hike in the morning. Take a cable car to Pralongia and e-Bike there or take a cable car and a hike to Piz Boe.
Oct 2nd – Tri Ceme hike from Rifugio Auronzo and depart to Venice from the Auronzo parking lot
Do you have any suggestions looking at the itinerary above?
Do you recommend taking a cable car and a hike to Piz Boe or Pralongia or another place in Alta Badia?
Anything you strongly feel that we should replace with something else that is more beautiful or gives better experience.
Thanks for your help.
Naveen
Hi Naveen. Your itinerary looks good and La Villa will put you somewhat in the middle of those 3. I see you are aiming at the highlights: Seceda and Tre Cime. They are busy areas even in the shoulder season.
The only thing I would have changed is driving up Passo Gardena on the 29th. You will be driving through it on the 30th anyways. Both ways quite possibly! Instead, I would have maybe driven up Passo Falzarego and taken the gondola up to rifugio Lagazuoi on the 29th. Or drive to Corvara and take the Piz Boe gondola and explore the area up there. Corvara is an amazing little town. Have lots of fun and your trip and let me know if I can help further!
Hi! Thanks for taking the time to write and publish this info, it’s been so helpful to us as we plan our trip! We’re a Canadian couple arriving September 1 for 10 days after (literally) years of planning but it looks like rain & thunderstorms for the first 2 weeks of the month. Would you know of a reliable weather app for the area that’s better than the general ones? And have you got some recommendations for those of us who were hoping to do most of the dayhikes on your list if it’s raining with thunderstorms? We are pretty outdoorsy but I draw the line at thunderstorms… I’ve read that the cable cars won’t run in storms either, which has me concerned as we have reservations for huts only accessible by long hikes or cable car!
Hi Stephanie. Thanks for your great feedback. For the past year I have mostly been using a weather app called YR. It’s not 100% accurate but it’s better than the generic phone app.
As for thunderstorms. I have said it many many times in my articles. The best luck for hiking is always in the morning, by midday most peaks are covered in clouds and the storms arrive in the afternoon. This is such a common weather pattern in the Dolomites that most of my time when I was there I didn’t even bother checking the weather because I knew what’s coming. That’s why I religiously repeat that hiking in the Dolomites during summer season should be done in the morning. I often left at 6AM so that by midday I was done and back in the safety of my van or in a mountain hut. Please don’t stress about the weather too much and don’t check for two weeks in advance! It’s pointless. You will be very unlucky if it rains the whole day, but I believe that you will have beautiful mornings and cloudy/stormy or rainy afternoons. I am surprised there are still storms in forecast tbh. Usually the season for storms is June/July and mid August but the weather has been shifting. Once again. Don’t stress too much. I am sure you will have plenty of opportunities to hike! Just remember to go early. And I just checked YR and it doesn’t forecast storms, just some rain, but most morning in the next few days looks fine.
Thanks Marta, I’ve downloaded it and it’s good to hear there’s a somewhat predictable pattern most of the time. Let’s hope it does as you said. Though we have had rotten luck in Italy on previous trips – in 2019 we went to Puglia for a biking trip and to the Amalfi coast during late May for what was “usually” warm and sunny days but turned out to be unseasonably rainy, cold and cloudy for 2 weeks. So honestly it would not surprise me if we did get rain the whole time. I’m guessing from the lack of other suggestions that there is not much by way of notable indoor activities?
Sorry to hear that! I will keep my fingers crossed, but the good thing is the weather changes quickly in the mountains so at least some parts of the days will be good. tbh with you, I think the weather pattern in the Dolomites is the most predictable I have ever found myself in. As for indoor activities, there are some museums and gondolas which you can visit or take and of course spa places, but other than that nothing else comes to my mind. Sorry, I can’t help further. Let me know how it goes!
I thought I would follow up on this now that we just returned in case it is helpful for anyone else. We were in the Dolomites from Sept 1 – 10. I would describe the weather we had as “dramatic” and “unpredictable”. 5 out of 10 days it was overcast and rainy most of the day. Sometimes there was a bit of clear sky in the morning or evening but a lot of time there was a mix of low & high cloud throughout the day with some sunny breaks. We never experienced a day of full sun, but it was also fine for photography as having some shade and shadow really enhances the drama. We used the weather site 3Bmeteo.com which we found to have the most accurate predictions and hour-by-hour forecast for each local place. We also checked live webcams on top of mountains because some days there was a cloud inversion and we could take a cable car above the clouds to see some sunny peaks. We had to hike through heavy rain and thunder for about 4 hours one day which was pretty miserable even if you have rain gear. Finally, Rifugio Scoiattoli is in the best location for photographing Cinque Torri, but it definitely has bedbugs even in private rooms which was what we stayed in.
Hi Stephanie! Yikes, bed bugs! I have stayed in so many huts in the Dolomites and never had those (did experience them in some hostels along my travels though). I can imagine the issue arose probably during the pandemic when guests had to bring their own sleeping bags. Bed bugs spread quickly then. Hopefully, it’s just a one-off thing. As for the weather, I am glad you made the most of it. I am currently in Tirol, Austria and today is a beautiful bluebird day but the first two days it was a mix of sun, clouds and rain. Cloud inversions are my favourite and I have never seen as many of them as I did in the Dolomites. All in all sorry to hear you didn’t have as much sun as you might have wished for, but I truly hope you still have had an amazing time!
Thank you Marta for sharing your experiences and providing truly useful information.
We are planning a Dolomite trip the last week of July 2024. My question is whether we need to rent a car from Venice to say Dobbiaco and do out and back hikes from there. Are there regular buses or trains to get us to trail heads? Or from a better base town? If we do need to rent a car are their places to park near the trail heads?
Thank you Marta for sharing your expertise.
Hi Mary, thanks for visiting my site. All your questions can be answered by reading my articles. For example in each article about hikes in the Dolomites I explain how to get to the trailhead with a bus. I also link to a website where you can check bus schedules. I also recently posted an article about Val Pusteria which also covers Dobiacco and I enlisted what hikes you can do from there. There is also a map of all the hikes and if you zoom on it you will be able to see bus stops near the trailheads. A car will make your life easier, but it isn’t essential, you can get by with a public transport just fine. Let me know if that helps!
Hi Marta!
This article was amazing! By reading it we could rule out some spots (Cortina and lake braide eg) but still so many places and so little time. So I wonder if you can give us some advice.
Me and my boyfriend is taking the car to Italy (we will enter from Austria). In the car we also have tent etc, and because we are out in last minute so we assume it might be camping for our part. We are mostly interested in hiking, Canoeing (if it’s calm waters!) And just beautiful spots. But maybe the most important is less crowded town and not only tourists. And ice cream and pizza of course!
Do you have any suggestions where to have our base or do a hike? 🙂
Hi Julia. Thanks for stopping by and your lovely. Try Selva di Cadore. It is very quiet there in comparison to Cortina. Once there I highly recommend the hike to Col De La Puina or if you travel over Passo Staulanza to rifugio Palafavera you can hike up to lake Coldai and further up to Cima Coldai for great views of Monte Civetta. The lakes in the Dolomites are quite small for canoeing and most being inaccessible by car, aren’t good. There is a beautiful lake directly in Auronzo (also a town) and it has great colours. You should be able to canoe there. Staying at mountain passes is also a choice. For example, you could go to Passo Sella and do the Sassolungo circuit. No towns there, only a few hotels built scarcely. Passo Tre Croci has great access to Lake Sorapiss hike (although that is a busy one so a very early start is a must). I hope this gives you some ideas 🙂 Have fun!
Hi Marta,
You can please consider this option as well when you respond to my previous question.
Will it be better if I base in Santa Christina (Monte Pana Dolomitis Hotel. Is this a good one with excellent views?) on Sep 29th and 30th and may be stay at Val Pusteria area on Oct 1st to cover the Caldini Musurina view point hike, Tri Ceme, and Lake Braies.
Thanks,
Naveen
Hi Marta,
Thanks a lot for putring together multiple blogs with excellent information.
We are a group of family and friends along with kids ages 9-15 traveling to Dolomites. We will be there from Sep 29th (Traveling from Milan at 10:30 am by car) till Oct 2nd late evening (Traveling to Venice not to see it but have to catch an early morning flight on Oct 3rd).
We like few things but consideing the time available, I was wondering if you can help in finalizing what to see/skip. Appreciate your help.
Things we like:
1. Caldina Misurina View Point hike and Tri Ceme. Hike from Auronzo parking lot.
See the Dreizinnenhütte – Rifugio and/or Lavaredo hut
2. Seceda – Take a cable car and hike to the Seceda view point, Rifuge Firenze, and may be back to Santa Christina if time permits
3. Alpe di Suisi
4. Santa Maddalena – Visit the 2 churches and walk around. No time for the Adolf Munkel trail
5. Sassolungo – Single chair lift to the top and a short hike there
6. Lake Braies early in the morning around 6:30/7:00 am
7. Rent a bike in the village for a few hours
8. Drive around the Passo Gaiu, Gardena, Sella
9. Val Fiscalina hike around that area for may be 3 hours or so.
These are our interests but obviously can’t do everything.
Since we have a car, we dont mind staying in the middle may be Corvara or La Villa and drive about 1 hour – 1:15 mins each side
rather than picking 3 different bases. Alternatively, 2 days at 1 place and 1 day at other place is also an option if it is better.
Can you please provide your recommendations on
1) Very scenic mountain towns to stay – 1 base or 2 bases?
2) Which amongst the above 9 would you recommend us to see/do with the time we have?
Thanks for your help.
– Naveen
Hi Naveen, Thankk for stopping by. Given the short time frame, the fact that you are travelling in a big group and the windy roads in the Dolomites you really have to be honest with yourself and realize that you can’t see much. From your interests, I suggest that you stay for a couple of nights in Val Gardena. Yes, that hotel in Santa Christina will definitely be nice. When staying here you can tick off: Seceda, Alpi Di Siusi and the Santa Maddalena village (even if you don’t have time for Adolf Munkel trail you can still do the shorter Panorama trail around the village). I also couldn’t recommend enough the walk through Vallunga. It’s very easy, family-friendly and super beautiful without the Seceda crowds.
You can then head out and stay somewhere around Monguelfo or San Candido in Val Pusteria and on that day see Lago di Braies or Cadini di Misurina or do the hike to Zsigmundy hut across Val Fiscalina. I know the Cadini di Misurina viewpoint became such an instagram hype etc, but I would highly suggest that you go to Val Fiscalina instead. Not only you will spend less time driving (from Val Pusteria to rifugio Auronzo it will take at least one hour to drive, whereas from San Candido to Hotel Dolomitenhof – the start of Val Fiscalina hike it will only be 15 mins), but you will also have a lot less people there. I personally think Cadini di Misurina viewpoint is totally overhyped at the moment and destroyed by instagrammers. Close to San Candido you also have the beautiful Lake Dobiacco. You can walk around it. It takes around 1 hour, it’s mostly flat and the views are stunning. Not too far from Lake Dobiacco is also Lago di Landro. Anyways I hope that helps! I would really appreciate if you use the links to hotels when booking anything. If you have any questions do let me know!
Hey Marta, great blog!
We travel from France, via the north of Italy, to Slovenia.
Do you have any advice for some villages in the mountains of parco Val Grande, delle Orobie Bergamasche, Adamello-Brenta and/or Stelvio?Your blog is focused on a specific part (Dolomites) of the north of Italy.
We love to hike but we travel with a baby so we have to skip some mountain peaks..
(In addition, we skip Lake Maggiore, Lugano and Coma because of the crowds and it can be very hot there.)
Hopefully you can help us a little bit, thanks!
Hi Emiel! Thanks for stopping by. No, unfortunately, I don’t. I have done a 5-day Dolomiti Brenta Traverse which you can find on my site under the hut-to-hut category, but this one is a traverse with 8 via ferratas along the way. Lake Molveno and Lake Tovel are beautiful places worth checking out. Rovereto is a really nice town if you like history and wineries. I also found places like Fiera Di i Primero or San Martino di Castrozza to be a lot quieter. I hope that helps a bit.
Thanks for the very informative article. I will be coming to the Dolomites the first week of September, for about 5-7 days. I am thinking of making my base in either Ortisei or Cortina D’Ampezzo. Do you have any experience or knowledge of the AirBnb/VRBO market in the area? I would love to shop local butchers, green grocers and bakeries and prepare meals myself for about half the time.
Also, do you which, if any, photo locations allow drones? Is it worth bringing a drone?
Thanks again!
Hi Steve. Thanks for stopping by. I am personally hugely against airbnb and its policies, so I am afraid I won’t be able to help. The accommodation in the area for the locals is already very scarce and difficult to obtain and airbnb makes it that much harder. There are plenty of hotels and self-contained apartments for rent in places like booking for example so you could try there. Since both are ski resorts, self-contained apartments are actually easy to come by. As for the question of drones, head over to the FAQ section on the Italian Dolomites guide page and look for question 17. I go there in detail and also linked to a website where drone flying rules are explained. Let me know if you have more questions!
I have read so many articles about the Dolomites and you have a knack for providing information. We will be arriving in mid-September – 1st night in Milan – 2 nights Lake Como then 4 nights in the Dolomites – then one night in Venice – then back to the states. Was going to take a train from Lake Como to Bozen and rent a car – looking at staying at the Hotel La Perla per your recommendation – do you suggest 2/3 nights there and 1/2 nights at Casa Vacanze Villa Elena? Then on to Venice where we will drop off the rental car. Thank you for this article – it is filled with wonderful information.
Hi Cheryl! Thanks for stopping by and for your great feedback!. 3 nights in Corvara would be great. I absolutely love it there and was actually just there again a couple of weeks ago. There is a lot to do around there if you plan on hiking, and you could try out some fantastic via ferratas too! Alleghe is stunning. 1 night there would be enough unless once again you are planning to hike there too. Let me know if you have any more questions!
Hi Marta, how are you?
Thank you again for so much wonderful information and the time you take to help us here!
I wonder if you can have a look at my schedule below and see if you think there are too many things (and drives) listed, or have any additional suggestion? I am not sure where to stay after the Secceda Ridgeline hike, since I find straying for just one night at a place a bit tiring.
The main plan is to mix easy hikes with more demanding ones, plus doing 4 days of the Via 1 (the refuges are already booked).
09 – Milan airport (arrive 11am) – Santa Madalena – (Adolf Munkel trail)
10 – Santa Madalena – (Lago di Braies easy Hike)
11 – Santa Madalena – Ortisey (Secceda Ridgeline)
12 – Free day – Passo Gardena – Drive to Cortina
13 – Cortina – Refugio Sennes
14 – Sennes – Lavarela
15 – Lavarela – Lagazou
16 – Lagazou – Cortina
17 – Cortina (relax – drive to passo Giau)
18 – Cortina – (Croda di Lago or Lake Sorapis)
19 – Cortina – Milan (leave 20:25) – Portugal
Thank you!
Hi Ana. Thanks for stopping by and your lovely comment. I think your itinerary looks good but by looking at it I would just recommend one thing and that is to skip Lago di Braies. Whilst it is a beautiful lake the tourist crowds are overwhelming. Since you will be in the area of Val Gardena instead of driving for 2 hours one way and back to see the lake which in the afternoon might be extremely crowded and you might not even get a parking spot I would recommend that instead you take the gondola from Val Gardena up to Alpi di Siusi and have a walk around there.
You could also check out Passo Delle Erbe close to Santa Maddalena and hike from there to rifugio Genova or to one of the summits of Sass De Putia (one is just a hike, the other a via ferrata)
It’s closer and you will see a small fraction of people. I know everyone wants to see the top 3 things: Lago di Braies, Seceda and Tre Cime but please don’t fixate on the lake. I hope that helps a bit. Let me know if I can help any further!
Thank you so much Marta!
I will skip Lago di Braies then. It will be a good excuse to come back.
But in this case, do you think we shoud go straight to Ordisey (and hike the Secceda and the Alpe di Sisu) and skip Sta Madalena?
Thank you!
I think heading to Ortisei or Santa Cristina and basing yourself for the first 3 days so you can check out Seceda, Alpi Di Siusi and from there do a day trip to Santa Maddalena (it’s only 40 min drive from Ortisei) will be smarter. Santa Maddalena is really tiny whereas in Val Gardena you have a lot more accommodation options as well as great access to lifts. I’d still go for the Adolf Munkel trail or the Panorama trail but you can do it as a day trip.
Wonderful Marta!
I was thinking the same.
Thank you so much! You’ve really helped planning my trip.
All the best to you.
I am glad I could help! I hope you have an amazing time in the Dolomites! Let me know how it goes!
Hi Marta – I will be passing through the Dolmites 14/06/22 – 17/06/22. I am tentatively looking at 2 nights in Cortina and 1 in Ortesi before catching a train from Bolzano to Munich. I am wondering if the towns mentioned here will be up and running for the summer season by then, as well as if most of the hikes mentioned are typically snow free by mid June.
Thank you for the great content!
Hi Ross, Thanks for stopping by. Some lifts in Ortisei, particularly Col Raiser or Furnes-Seceda already open at the end of May this year so you will be fine for Ortisei. Hikes around Cortina should be doable too, for example, I once hiked to Lake Sorapiss in mid-June and it was totally fine. I am actually currently in Cortina and there is still loads of snow in some places, but southern slopes below 2000 meters are already fine to hike. I hope that helps!
Exhaustive article…..Need @ least 3-4 readings to grasp the amount of info…Moreover very unfamiliar names of places & landscapes….Needs an Italian/English dictionary to comprehend the connection…Very helpful advise…Sure will be useful on our upcoming visit in July 2022.
Hi Rajesh. Thanks for stopping by and for your feedback. Yes, the Italian names might be difficult to remember, but I am afraid they don’t have English translations. I hope you have read it a few times now and got a better grasp, but do let me know if you have any questions. I hope you will have a wonderful visit in July!
Hi Marta. Thanks for your informative article and distinctions about the different areas in the Dolomites. My wife and I will be in the Dolomite’s September 26- October 1, before going on a bike trip in Umbria. We are from Alaska and are avid hikers. Can you help with some recommendations?
We fly into Venice and would like to base in one town within a 2 hr drive, (as we will have already traveled a long way) we will have a car. Should we consider the weather that time of year? Should we stay in a town at lower elevation? We want to stay in the Italian part of the Dolomites, want access to good hiking, moderate to strenuous and less touristed.
I was wondering about San Martino or San Vito de Cadore. Cortina seemed touristy but access to lots of trailheads. Should we rule it out or consider it as we are going ? late in the season. I was thinkingSan Vito would allow us a less touristy option with the possibility of visiting the Cortina area.?? Corvara looks nice but was thinking it is at higher elevation and would be colder?
What about the San Martino area?
We don’t need to see the big touristy sites. Good hiking, local culture, less crowds, beautiful scenery, good food.
Thank you for your help. We will make sure to use the links for booking accomodations and rental car from the links on your site.
Take Care – Doug and Joanne
Hi Douglas. Thanks for visiting my site. I am glad you find it helpful. The time you are visiting the Dolomites is in the shoulder season so it will be significantly quieter already. Maybe not as quiet as in Alaska, due to the sheer amount of people we have here in Europe, but definitely not too crazy. San Martino is definitely a good choice and falls within your requirements (2-hour drive etc). Plenty of great hikes to do there.
What I would also recommend that you look at towns in Val Di Fassa (Canazei, Moena, Campitello or Pozza di Fassa). It has great access to Rosengarten group, Sella Group and Val Gardena isn’t too far from there either. The huts will be open in the Rosengarten group which means you can still have lunch there. Have you considered doing a hut-to-hut trip? Rosengarten traverse (the version without via ferratas might be something you could consider.
Don’t worry about the elevation. Most towns are not higher than 1000-1500 meters and you really only start feeling a little less oxygen at 2500-3000 meters. I hope that helps! Thank you for using the links for bookings. Much appreciated
Many thanks for this info & beautiful photos – we are an Australian family hoping to spend a snowy Christmas in the Dolomites… we’re wanting a picturesque town with maybe a day or 2 (beginner!) skiing. Where would you recommend?
Hi Sarah,
Thanks for stopping by on my site. There are so many ski resorts in Italy you will be spoilt for choices.
Val Badia (Corvara) is a very popular resort with lots of possibilities, including great access to the famous Sella Ronda ski trip.
Cortina D’Ampezzo never disappoints, and also offers access to many beginner routes.
Moena is a great place to go to and a bit under the radar for international tourists.
If you want a bit bigger town then Bressanone would be something to consider with great access to ski lifts.
I hope that helps a bit. If you have any more questions please do let me know!
Thank you for the information you shared on your blog! We are planning a trip to the Dolomites in September..Hoping 8 days is enough…
Hi Caroline. Your comment was posted twice, so I deleted the second one (comments need to be approved first before they appear here). 8 days is a good amount of time and September is a wonderful month to visit the Dolomites. Let me know if you have any questions!
Thank you for a wonderful write up which will be helpful in planning our Dolomites trip !
Appreciate all the info your shared with us.
Cheers from California, USA
Hi Caroline! Thanks for stopping by and your lovely feedback! Do let me know if I can help out in any way with your planning!
Wonderful article. Thank you.
Thanks for stopping by!