The route up to Passo Mulaz is the quietest hike amongst my favourite day hikes in the Italian Dolomites. It’s a challenging day hike that requires a lot of elevation gain, but what you’ll get in return are exceptional views of the spires of Passo Farangole in the Pale di San Martino group.
Guide to Hiking to Passo Mulaz In The Italian Dolomites
Passo Mulaz hike: the stats
- Distance: 17.4 km / 10.8 mi
- Walking Time: 7-8 h
- Hike difficulty: challenging
- Type of hike: Out and back
- Elevation gain: 1220 m / 4002 ft
- When to go: Mid-June – October
- Map Required: Tabacco 022 (Pale di San Martino)
How challenging is the hike to Passo Mulaz?
Initially, the hike seems deceptively easy. The first half follows a wide gravel road. The challenge comes in the second half of the trail once you start the ascent to the pass.
Switchbacks, sharp elevation gain, and scree sections are challenging. However, if you have hiking experience, you shouldn’t have any trouble tackling this hike.
Even though trails are always very well marked in the Dolomites, there are few occasions when a map comes in handy. It is always better to come prepared. For this hike, you will need the Tabacco map no. 022.
The best time of year to hike to Passo Mulaz
The hike is doable from around mid-June until the end of October. If you want to combine it with an overnight stay in the Mulaz hut or rely on public transport to get to the trailhead, plan your trip between the third week of June and the last week of September.
I hiked this trail in the second half of September. The conditions were perfect. The summer heat was already gone, the skies were blue, and there was very little wind. I also hadn’t met anyone else on the trail, which was a bonus.
Getting to the trailhead of the Passo Mulaz hike
By car
The route starts at Passo Rolle. It is a popular spot for skiers in winter and a busy roadside spot in the summer en route to the nearest town, San Martino Di Castrozza. If you are coming by car, you can park it at the Malga Juribello parking lot.
Parking was free at the time of writing this post. However, I noticed that in recent years, parking fees have been introduced in many places. Soon, this might also be the case with the Malga Juribello parking lot.
By bus
Passo Rolle can be reached by bus from Fiera Di Primiero or San Martino di Castrozza. In the summer, buses operate between June and September—bus no. B122 travels in the direction of Predazzo, another mountain town in the Dolomites.
The journey takes approx. thirty minutes from San Martino or one hour when leaving from Fiera Di Primiero.
Hike to Passo Mulaz – map & trail description
The first small stage of the hike to Passo Mulaz begins with the well-trodden path to the scenic Baita Segantini, one of the iconic photography spots in the Dolomites.
To be honest, it’s more of a road than a hiking path, but you won’t care much. The views are so phenomenal that you could be walking on a bed of nails and still be smiling.
The route then drops into the Campignol Della Vezzana Valley, annoyingly losing all 200m of elevation you’ve just gained by hiking up to Baita Segantini.
Luckily, it’s a well-maintained, windy trail. You’ll also notice fewer people after leaving Baita Segantini behind you.
The views of the tiny Travignolo Glacier on your right improve as you wind northwestward along the road into the valley. After around 30/45 minutes from Baita G. Segantini, the real grind begins.
Turning right onto path no. 710 passing underneath large cliffs, the route quickly steepens, and several switchbacks take you into the heart of the Pale di San Martino. It’s an uphill struggle for over an hour before the trail somewhat plateaus.
Unfortunately, the plateau doesn’t last long, and once again, the trail continues uphill until the last push to the Mulaz pass, the objective of this hike. This is the first stage of the much longer Pale Di San Martino Traverse, which I recommend if you have a few days to spend.
If you’re keen on hiking, don’t fancy staying anywhere overnight, and still have loads of energy left, once you make it to Passo Mulaz, you can continue uphill to the summit of Monte Mulaz. It adds an extra 2 hours and another 300 meters of elevation to your day.
However, the views from Passo Mulaz are already fantastic, so you might as well save yourself the extra hassle. I personally like the cute monoliths on Passo Farangole in the distance.
Going back to the trailhead
The route down is the same as the one up. It’s a knee buster on a combination of hard rock and loose scree. It can be tricky if you struggle to go downhill like many avid hikers.
Make sure you allocate plenty of time for the descent, take plenty of water because there’s no shade, and try to avoid creating small rock avalanches, as there may be hikers below you.
Huts & facilities along the hike to Passo Mulaz
If you’re like me and love staying overnight in mountain refuges, you can reserve a bed in Rifugio Volpi Al Mulaz, one of my favourite Dolomiti huts. It lies only 15 minutes downhill from the Mulaz pass.
The hut lies along the Alta Via 2, a 200-kilometre traverse across the Dolomites, which I backpacked a few years ago.
Suppose you are looking for a fantastic scenic spot for lunch or dinner, then visit the Baita Segantini restaurant either when hiking up to Passo Mulaz or on your way back to the car. The views from the restaurant (pictured above) are hard to beat, particularly at sunset.
Read more: Everything you need to know about staying in mountain huts in the Italian Dolomites.
Can the hike to Passo Mulaz be extended?
This day hike could be turned into a multiday traverse of the Pale di San Martino group. I highly recommend it if you’ve got more time and would like to experience the great mountain hut culture in the Dolomites!
Other hikes, via ferratas, and places to visit nearby
- Val Venegia
- Monte Castellaz
- Via ferrata Bolver Lugli
- Via ferrata Porton & Nico Gusela
- Lake Welspberg
- Lake Calaita
- Pale Di San Martino Traverse (2-4 days)
Where to stay nearby
Best Value
Hotel Cima Rosetta (San Martino)
Lovely hotel with spacious rooms right in the centre of San Martino di Castrozza.
Top Rated
Hotel Panorama (San Martino)
The aptly named Panorama Hotel offers fantastic Pale di San Martino range views.
For Luxury Fans
Brunet Resort (Fier Di Primero)
Fantastic and well-connected hotel with a spa, rooftop sauna, and infinity pool.
More travel and hiking resources in the Dolomites
- Photography spots in the Italian Dolomites
- Regions in the Italian Dolomites
- Itineraries for the Italian Dolomites
- Via ferratas in the Italian Dolomites
- Day hikes in the Italian Dolomites
- Hut-to-hut treks in the Italian Dolomites
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If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below!
Hi! This article was so helpful, thank you! We are doing this hike and staying at Rifugio Mulaz in a couple weeks (the last weekend they’re open!), then hiking to Rifugio Rosetta the next day before returning to San Martino di Castrozza. Are you familiar with that section? Can you advise if we need any via ferrata equipment for this trip??
Hi Ela Jean. Yes, please check out my article about the Pale Di San Martino Traverse. Yes VF equipment is needed.
These reviews are great. Are there any hikes in the Dolomites that have some good shade , but are also moderate to hard? up and backs are preferred 🙂 thank you
Hi J. There is always a mix of sun and shade. Generally those that start within the tree line will give you a lot of shade. Valley walks too (like Vallunga or Val Venegia). It is also up to you and your planning. The earlier in the morning you go the better. North/West facing hikes stay in shade a lot longer than South/East facing hikes. You can view on the maps in which direction the hikes face.
We did this amazing hike from Passo Rolle to Rifugio Mulaz in August 2025. We started the hike late in the morning due to missing the bus from San Martino to Passo Rolle. This made the hike more difficult because we were in the sun the entire hike and the temperature was unusually high. We planned on spending the night at Rifugio Mulaz and hiking on to Rifugio Rosetta then taking the gondola down to San Martino. We have hiked in the mountains but this was the most challenging hike we have done. We decided to hike down to Passo Rolle the next day because we were very tired. The hike down was much easier. We left early, stopped for lunch and enjoyed the shade! Many thanks to Marta for her help with planning our adventure!
Hi Stephanie! Thanks for your great feedback and kudos to you for turning back and not pushing further, when you knew you were too tired.
Hi!
I am looking for a nice 2 day hike around this area and we were planning to stay overnight in Mulaz hut! The hike to get there (as you describe in this post) sounds amazing!
For now we are looking for a hike to get back, would it be possible to take another route back? Or do we have to walk the same path? Would you maybe have some recommendations?
Anyway, very nice blog and amazing pictures!!! 🙂
Cheers, Bente
Hi Bente. Thanks for visiting. Yes you can do the Pale Di San Martino Traverse (or at least a part of it). from Rifugio Mulaz you can hike to Rifugio Rosetta then on the same day from rosetta hike to the top of the Col Verde gondola and take it down to San Martino Di Castrozza. I hope that helps!
Hi Marta
Thank you for the great description or the hike to the rifugio mulaz. Would like to ask two questions:
Does it take 6-7 hours up and down (in and out) or just one way?
Are there any technical difficult spots or is it just “difficult’ in terms of strenuous
Thank you very much
Matthias
Hi Matthias. No worries. It would be up and down, but not including breaks so you definitely have to plan a whole day. You can also walk it from Val Venegia. I recommend that you check out my post about it. It might be a slightly easier alternative. Same amount of time. If you follow it the same way in and out from Passo Rolle, then there are no difficult spots. If you decide to follow it from Val Venegia and in a circuit around Monte Mulaz then there is a chain-protected section that is around 100 meters long. I hope that helps!
Hi Marta,
I want to thank you for such a well written and informative blog, not to mention the wonderful photos. I fell in love with the Dolomites, like you, about 4 years ago, and now exploring them as much as I can. Your blog is inspiring with lots of practical help.
Many thanks, and wish you all the very best with your adventures, and writing.
Jim
Hi Jim! Thanks so much for your lovely feedback! I am glad to hear they are people who are just as much in love with the Dolomites as I am! 🙂 Keep it going!