Dolomites In The Summer: Tips And Tricks For Visiting [2024]
Summer in the Dolomites is the high season. It’s the perfect season to visit for hiking, biking, exploring, and relaxing in the mountains.
The weather is generally nice, but can get some unpredictable with thunderstorms. And of course, it’s more crowded, especially in the last few weeks of august, as that’s when Italians have their vacations.
One of our trips to the Dolomites was in august when we spend four days there. Although one of the days that we were there was rainy, we still got to do two hikes, check the mountain passes, and even enjoy a spa.
So, how to plan a summer trip to the pale mountains?
Summer in the Dolomites
If you’re thinking if summer in the Dolomites is worth it, I’d say – yes, it is.
The summer season in the Dolomites generally starts at the end of June and lasts until September.
The beginning of June will most probably still not be a good time to visit – many of the cable cars are still closed, as are many of the restaurants and hotels.
We’re going to the Dolomites in the middle of June 2024, and, for example, we can’t go up on Marmolada, as the cable car opens on the 29th.
Weather – how hot are the Dolomites in the summer?
The hottest summer months in the Dolomites are July and August. It’s much milder in June and September.
The temperatures wary significantly depending on how high you go. For example, in June, many mountains can still have snow!
August and July are, on average, the hottest months in the Dolomites. In the valleys, the temperatures can go up to 25 to 29C (77 to 84F). Of course, the higher in the mountains you go, the colder it gets. When we hiked Tre Cime di Lavaredo in August, the temperature at the Rifugio Locatelli went down to +15C (after being well above 20 on the trail).
The weather is generally dry, although you can expect some thunderstorms and rainshowers occasionally. Altogether, the summers are rather dry.
But it’s the mountains, which means that you shouldn’t rely on the averages from previous years. Check the forecast repeatedly before your trip and again every morning before embarking on activities. Make sure to pack appropriate clothing and plan extra activities as backups for when the weather doesn’t cooperate.
In September, the weather is becoming a bit milder and more stable. It’s also the time when the crowds start to disappear, as the school year is starting.
Keep in mind that with the end of the summer season many restaurants, hotels, and attractions start closing, too. Although most of them keep open until November – so the Dolomites in September are still great.
What to wear in the summer in the Dolomites
Although you might think that the summer in the Dolomites means hot weather, it’s not necessarily 100% true.
Yes, obviously, it does get hot – in the valleys. But if you go up somewhere higher in the mountains, it’s not hot. For me, it even seemed cold – the temperatures can go down to like 10C/50F, which they did when we hiked the Tre Cime hike.
And even that’s not guaranteed – when we hiked to the Lake Sorapis, it was still hot up there. But at Lago di Braies, which is a similar altitude, I had an autumn jacket on – the lake was in a cloud which made it feel cold.
So wear layers, is my best suggestion.
As for the footwear – you’re going to be in the mountains, so make sure to wear appropriate footwear. Don’t go hiking in flipflops – wear sturdy shoes, the best would be hiking shoes, to protect your feet and stay safe.
Are the Dolomites crowded in summer?
Yes, the Dolomites get quite crowded in the summer. Mostly, august is the worst in this case, as that’s when many people in Italy have their extended summer vacations. We felt it quite strongly on our visit in August.
Of course, depending on what activities you do and what day/time you choose for them. For example, the middle of the day on the Tre Cime di Lavaredo trail is very crowded, but the afternoon on the Lago di Sorapis trail is less crowded.
If you want to visit the Dolomites in summer, we recommend going just at the beginning of the season at the end of June or in September. That’s when the crowds will be the smallest and the weather will be the best.
Best activities and places to visit
There are a lot of things to do in the Dolomites – I have a whole article on the best activities in any season. These, though, are my favourite places to go to and things to do that should be on everyone’s Dolomites summer itinerary.
Check out the lakes
Dolomites have a lot of beautiful lakes. Honestly, there are so many that I could fill a whole article with them!
Some of my favourite ones in no particular order (and with Italian and German names in the brackets):
Lake Braies (lago di Braies, Pragser Wildsee) – the jewel of the Dolomites, very Instagram famous because of the boathouse. There’s a parking lot just by the lake, as well as a restaurant, a souvenir shop, and a hotel.
Lake Sorapis (Lago di Sorapis) – requires a moderate hike to reach it. It has milky green water that looks unreal.
Lake Carezza (Lago di Carezza, Karersee) – the Rainbow lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in the Dolomites. It’s located in the enchanting Val d’Ega valley near the Catinaccio and Rosengarten mountains.
Lake Misurina (Lago di Misurina) – a big lake with a singular building on its other side. And incredible mountains in the background, which makes the whole scenery look like a painting.
Lake Antorno (Lago d’Antorno) – just 2km from Lake Misurina, a bit higher in the mountains. It’s less visited than many of the other lakes and, as you can see, the setting is quite fairytale-like and romantic.
Lake Dobbiaco (Lago di Dobbiaco, Tobblacher See) – my favourite lake in the Dolomites. It lies nicely in-between mountains and has a beautiful emerald green colour. The lake seems like it shines in the sun.
Lake Landro (Lago di Landro, Dürrensee) – a tiny lake just next to the road between Dobbiaco and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Lake Landro also has that emerald green colour that looks amazing in the sunlight. There’s a parking lot right next to it, too, so it’s very convenient to stop here.
Check out more lakes in the Dolomites
Go on some hikes
Summer is the Dolomites hiking season, so you just must do at least one of the incredibly beautiful hikes or walks there.
Tre Cime di Lavaredo circuit
Distance: 8.8km (5.5 miles) | Difficulty: Moderate, 425m (1400feet) altitude change | Trailhead: Rifugio Auronzo parking lot
The Tre Cime di Lavaredo – the Three Peaks or Drei Zinnen – are the symbol of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a very popular hike so don’t expect to be alone on it.
The Tre Cime circuit goes around the peaks – three huge pieces of rock. It starts and ends in the Rifugio Auronzo parking lot.
The hike itself is moderate, with a length of almost 9 km for the loop. The beginning part, up to Rifugio Locatelli seemed easier to me than the other part. But on the other hand, the other side of the loop definitely had fewer people there.
Info: the road to the Rifugio Auronzo parking lot is paid and quite expensive. There’s a limited number of cars that are allowed to go up to the parking lot, so come early!
Cadini di Misurina viewpoint
Distance: 3.2 km (2 miles) | Difficulty: Easy, 210 m (690 feet) altitude change | Trailhead: Rifugio Auronzo parking lot
The Cadini di Misurina viewpoint is the perfect hike to do if you still have time after completing the Tre Cime di Lavaredo circuit. It starts at the same parking lot and is quite easy, but at the same time offers incredible views all the way.
We met some people on this hike who couldn’t finish it because they were afraid of heights – at some points, the trail gets rather narrow and exposed.
And we recommend not doing it if it’s raining – we got caught in a rainshower on the way back, and it was quite slippery and scary at parts. But the rainbow at the end was nice.
Lago di Sorapis
The Lake Sorapis hike can be done both as a loop or as an out-and-back hike. We did the out-and-back one, as that’s a tiny bit shorter and easier.
Distance: 11,6km (7,2 miles) | Difficulty: Moderate, 460m (1520 feet) altitude change | Trailhead: there’s a “Lake Sorapis Trailhead” point on google maps. You can park at B&B Hotel Passo Tre Croci Cortina or there’s a big parking nearby.
The hike to Lake Sorapis is moderate, bordering on hard. This will not be the best hike in the Dolomites for you if you’re afraid of heights – at points, there are stairs, a bit of rock climbing, and narrow trails with huge drops on one side.
But in the end, if you can endure the hike itself, the views are amazing. The colour of the water is milky blue and the mountains – incredible.
Cinque Torri
Distance: 1.9 km (1.2 miles) | Difficulty: Easy, 130m (430 feet) altitude change |Trailhead: Chairlift to Rifugio Scoiattoli
An easy, the perfect hike to do with the kids, is the walk around Cinque Torri. You just take a cable car up to Rifugio Scoiattoli and walk around the rocks!
As an added bonus, there are loads of bunkers and tunnels from WW1 to explore.
Alpe di Siusi loop
Distance: 6.8 km (4.2 miles) | Difficulty: Easy, altitude change 260m (850 feet) | Trailhead: Alpe di Siusi cable car station
An easy and beautiful hike around the largest alpine pasture in Europe. It’s not a hard or long flight, but it does offer quite a lot of beautiful views.
The rolling hills in the meadow with the small houses and huge mountains of Sassolungo group in the background honestly don’t look real.
Enjoy a spa
When the weather is rainy, go to a spa! The best way to do it is to just book a hotel with a spa and wellness area. There are many wellness hotels in the Dolomites so it’s really not hard to find one.
It’s quite pleasant to enjoy a soak in a hot tub after a long day of exploring and hiking.
If you choose not to go to a hotel with a wellness, check out for example QC Terme Dolomiti spa in Pozza di Fassa – there’s a day spa there. It has great reviews. We stayed in its sister hotel QC Terme Bagni Nuovi in Bormio once, and it was magnificent.
Explore the Puez-Odle nature park from all sides
I know this sounds funny, but you really can explore the famous mountains of Odle/Geisler from different sides.
This is from Seceda – take a cable car up to the mountains and walk some 10 minutes to get to a viewpoint. From there, you get to see that Instagram-famous view of the broken mountains. If you go towards them, you can see Santa Magdalena village in Val di Funes.
Another angle is actually from Santa Magdalena then. There’s quite a famous viewpoint with the church of Santa Magdalena in front of the Odle/Geisler mountains. Park your car in the village (there’s a parking spot available) and walk some half an hour on a well-marked trail. You might meet some cows.
And just a short drive from the centre of the town is another famous viewpoint – Ranui. It’s with the church of San Giovanni (St. John) in front of the famous peaks. Park your car in the parking spot and walk for approximately 5 minutes. There’s a wooden platform from which you can take get the famous shot.
Go to one of the highest alpine meadows in Europe – Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm)
I’ve already mentioned the hike in Alpe di Siusi, but you don’t even have to hike the trail to enjoy this beautiful meadow. Just take the gondola up to the area and walk a bit – it really is an easy walk, even our four-year-old Emma could do it!
We walked some 20 minutes to get to a viewpoint and turned back to the chairlift station. There’s a restaurant-café there, and you get an incredible view of the Sassolungo, Sasso Piatto, and Sciliar. And there’s table football to enjoy if you’re waiting for someone – like we did with Emma.
The meadow itself is almost car-free. There are a few hotels up there if you’d like to extend the complete peace for a night or two – by the way, those are mostly spa hotels.
Go up the Marmolada
Marmolada, the highest mountain in the Dolomites with its famous glacier, is one of the more interesting things to do. This is one of those things that are the best to do in the summer in the Dolomites. As in, you can’t even do them in the shoulder seasons – the cable car up to the Marmolada glacier is closed.
Generally, it opens for the season at the end of June and closes sometime in the autumn, depending on the weather.
At the top of the mountain, there’s a viewing platform that offers 360-degree views of the Italian Dolomites. And you can take a lift down to the glacier. Breathtaking views and touching a glacier? Time well spent.
If you, like us, don’t make it to the Dolomites when the lift is open, the Marmolada glacier can be seen from multiple places, for example, Rifugio Lagazuoi (from where the picture above is taken), Sella Pass, and Passo Fedaia.
Where to stay in the summer
There are a few best bases in the Dolomites, but the most convenient in the summer are Cortina d’Ampezzo, Val Gardena, and Val Badia.
One of the best places to stay in Dolomites for your first visit is Cortina d’Ampezzo. It’s located in the Eastern part of the Dolomite mountains, and it offers some of the best mix of outdoor activities. There are a lot of hiking trails, lakes, bike paths, mountain huts, cable cars, mountain passes, and waterfalls. Some of the most beautiful places in the Dolomites, such as Lago di Braies, Lago di Sorapis, and Tre Cime di Lavaredo are near Cortina.
On the Western side, Val Gardena is one of the best places to stay. It offers a range of hiking trails and easy access to such beautiful places as Val di Funes, Seceda, Alpe di Siusi, and many mountain passes. The main towns or villages to look at for your accommodation are Ortisei, Santa Cristina, and Selva di Val Gardena. Just keep in mind that many of the hotels in Val Gardena have a minimum stay requirement – some even 6 nights.
If you’d like a more luxurious stay, Alta Badia is a good option. It’s located somewhat in the middle of the Dolomites and has a lot of beautiful luxury accommodation. Val Badia, because of its central location, offers more or less convenient access to both sides of the Dolomites. So, for example, you can reach Lake Carezza, Val Gardena, and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Main towns in Alta Badia are Corvara, San Cassiano, and Badia.
Things to pack
I believe that since you’re thinking of a vacation in summer in the Dolomites, you’ll be doing at least some hiking. That means that besides the general things to pack, make sure that you have with you:
- Hiking clothes – layers! Light pants, sports bra, t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, middle layer, jacket (yes, it gets that cold)
- Hiking boots – shoes would work as well, but if you plan on doing some more strenuous hikes, it’s better to protect your ankles by wearing boots. Actually, even the Tre Cime loop was safer in the hiking boots.
- 30l hiking backpack – it should be enough to pack some extra layers, snacks, and water for a hike.
- Refillable water bottle – the tap water in the Dolomites is perfectly good for drinking. And I generally hate tap water.
- First aid kit (bandaids, pain medicine, any medicine you take regularly).
- Mosquito and tick repellent – there are quite a lot of mosquitoes in the Dolomites.
- Sunscreen – the sun is strong in the mountains.
- Sunglasses – see the previous point.
- Swimsuit – whether you want to try swimming in one of the lakes or spend some time in a wellness, don’t forget a swimsuit!
How to get around
The best way to get around the Dolomites is with a car. There are areas, such as Val Gardena, that have quite a good public transport system, but still, nothing gives you more freedom than a car.
Many of the things to do are not too close to bus stops. And you need to keep in mind that public transport is unreliable – sometimes, buses just don’t come.
Another thing is that with a car, you don’t have to worry about finishing an activity to not miss the last bus and become stranded somewhere on a mountain.
FAQs
What is the best time to go to the Dolomites?
The best time to visit the Dolomites really depends on what activities you’d like to do. For hiking or mountain biking, go in the summer. For skiing or snowboarding – winter. If you’d like to go on a sightseeing trip, the time doesn’t really matter.
Where are the Dolomites?
The Dolomites are a mountain range in the Northeastern Italy. They are part of the Italian Alps, more precisely the Southern Limestone Alps. The Dolomites extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Valley in the east. The northern border is the Puster Valley and the southern border – is the Sugana Valley. The regions covered by the Dolomites are Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
How to visit the Dolomites?
There are many ways to visit the Dolomites – go on a tour, go yourself by public transport, or maybe go on a road trip. Our favourite and the one we recommend everyone does is drive a car, as that’s the most efficient way of visiting the Dolomites.
The nearest airports to the Dolomites are Venice (the most convenient one) and Milan-Bergamo (Orio al Serio). From those, it’s quite convenient to drive to the Dolomites – there are autostrada there, which make the trip shorter. Theoretically, you can take a train or a bus, but that is not as convenient.
Last thoughts about Summer in the Dolomites
The Dolomites might not be the best place to go for a relaxing summer holiday, but they definitely will be the perfect place for a hiking holiday. Or pretty much for any active outside holiday, whether it’s paragliding or mountain biking.
We love the Dolomites and always have a great time there and hope that you will, too! Do you have any questions left? Let me know in the comments or drop me a message!
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