Where to go in the Dolomites, Italy and how to get there.
What are the Dolomites? The Dolomites are a mountain range set in Northern Italy, just two hours north of Venice, and it very well could be one of my favourite places on earth. I've visited the Dolomites a handful of times over the last decade, and have brought dozens of my friends there. I even convinced my cousins to spend their honeymoon in the Dolomites! It is one of the few places I keep going back to and never get bored of. Here are my favourite places to visit, when to visit them, and how to get to them.
Table of Contents.
Things to know before going
Seceda 2500m
Lago di Braies
Lago di Sorapis
Lago di Carezza
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Cadini di Misurina
Val di Funes
Sella Pass, Giau Pass, and Vajolet Towers
Things to know before going.
When to go.
Weather can be very unpredictable, but also plays a large role in your experience. Most of the passes look best when there is fog, so plan accordingly (use weather apps such as Windy.com). Fog occurs when cold air passes over warmer water or moist land, so if it had just rained the previous night, odds are there would be fog in the morning. With that said, here are the best times to visit the locations I’ll be highlighting based on my personal experience:
Spring/Summer: Seceda, Alpe di Siusi, Lago di Sorapis, Lago di Carezza, Lago di Braies, Val di Funes, Vajolet Towers
Winter: Seceda (for hiking), Alpe di Siusi
Fall: Lago di Braies, Lago di Carezza, Val di Funes
All Year: Sella Pass, Giau Pass, Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Getting there and around.
The BEST way to to get around the dolomites is to drive. My suggestion is to either flying or taking the train to Milan, Bolzano, or Venice, and renting a car. Driving in Italy is very easy, but just a heads up, there are quite a few speeding cameras (looking for orange poles) in the towns. My suggestion is to use Waze, and not go over 4 km/h over the speed limit. Speeding is a lot stricter in Europe than North America. As well, the roads are extremely winding, so you’ll probably want a more powerful car as there are many steep slopes, especially through passes. Also, be careful of the wildlife, there are quite a few deer in the area!
Food.
If you go during the off/shoulder seasons (spring/fall), you’ll have a hard time finding restaurants that open early and close late. From my experience in italy, there doesn’t seem to be a big breakfast culture in Italy (unlike America), so don’t expect a big breakfast after your morning hike. Expect baked goods, cold cuts, cheese, and vegetables with a cappuccino (which you should NOT order after noon).
During the off/shoulder seasons, restaurants often close between 2-5PM, so make sure you don’t miss lunch! Oh and they close early too, and there is nothing worse than not being able to feast after a sunset hike, so consider buying groceries, lots of snacks, or look for a great cheap pizzeria. I found two in Cortina d’Ampezzo two that opens late and has reasonable prices: Pizzeria La Perla and Ai Due Forni Di Aldo E Alverà Brothers S.a.s.. Both are great!
Where to stay.
Most of the locations I mention are on the east side of South Tyrol, whereas Alpe di Siusi, Seceda, Val di Funes, and Lagos di Careza are on the west side, with the passes in the middle. When booking a place to stay, keep in mind that the roads are very windy so the driving time will be higher than expected, even though the driving distances aren’t that long. I’d suggest staying in the towns of Ortisei or nearby for the west locations, and Cortina D’Ampezzo or Dabbiaco for the east.
Alpe di Suisi
Alpe di Siusi, or Seiser Alm in German, is an area in South Tyrol filled with wooden cabins and rolling hills, with the peaks of Sasso Lungo right behind. The area is closed off for cars (although some people drive through), and if caught driving through the area, you might possibly be fined around 100-150 euros. The best way to visit this place is to park your car at Compatsch and walk the 30-40 minutes to the shooting spots. This is definitely a sunrise spot, and I suggest visiting in the summer as the colours of the grass will be vibrant green, and the sun rises next to the peak. If you’re lucky, you can see fog before the sun rises during the start and end of the summer season!
Seceda 2500M
Seceda is a beautiful ski hill that’s open to the public, but not accessible via car. In the summer and winter you can take a cable car up, but during the off-season, they don’t run (as of 2021). The best time to visit Seceda is June/July in my opinion, as that will be when the colours are most vibrant and flowers may start to bloom. Visiting in the winter is great if you love skiing. The most common way of visiting Seceda is to take a cable car up for sunset, camp there overnight, and wake-up to experience it for sunrise. Alternatively, you can do what I did and hike at 2AM in the morning for sunrise, then take the cable car down. If you’re not a sunrise person, you can visit any time of the day and still be blessed with a beautiful view. You can read more about Seceda on my friend Giulia’s blog here. My friend @KayvanHuisseling also has some epic photos as shown below. It looks great moody too!
Lago di Braies
Lago di Braies, or Pragser Wildersee in German, could very well be the most photographed lake in the world, as it is set right at the base of the valley with beautiful mountains surrounding it. The lake is best shot during sunrise/early morning, and depending on the time of the year the light stays soft until 11 AM. Be warned though, there are many tourists and landscape photographers who will most likely shout at you if you tried to get on the dock. As of 2023, getting here can be a bit difficult, depending on the season you go. If you’re visiting in the summer, it’s imperative to book a shuttle in advance, since you’re no longer allowed to drive right up to the late.
There is a parking lot right next to the lake and there is no necessary hike (although you can take a stroll around the lake, which is quite nice). In early July until late September you can rent a boat for half an hour at 15€, or 25€ for 1 hour, starting at 10M till 5 PM.
Lago di Sorapis
Lago di Sorapis is a stunning turquoise blue lake with a magnificent hike. I went in 2023 and it was one of the most beautiful places I have visited in Italy. However…it’s also VERY busy and popular, especially in the summer. So much that there was standstill “traffic’ on the path! Granted, I did go mid-day.
This hike is a 4-6 hour round-trip loop, but can also be done as an in-and-out hike. I opted for the latter, and had stunning views along the way with sections where there is a cable to hold on to. The loop route is said to be difficult and icy, so bring crampons and poles. I’d suggest looking on AllTrails before hiking, and make sure to go prepared.