16 Best Places To Visit In The Dolomites In Summer
Summer is a special time to visit the Dolomites. There are flowers blooming, the weather is nice, the days all long… of course, since summer is the high season, there are crowds to be expected.
But not all of the best places to visit in the Dolomites in summer are crowded!
At the top of my favourite places to visit are Cadini di Misurina, Tre Cime, and Lake Sorapis.
Of course, also the lakes Braies, Carezza, as well as Dobbiaco.
Keep in mind, many of the best places are reachable only by hiking. But rest assured, not all of them!
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Best places to visit in the Dolomites in Summer
So, here are my favorite Dolomites summer locations. They are in no particular order, as it’s hard to rate them.
Summer is the best time to go to these places for many reasons. It may be that the wildflowers in bloom make the area look incredible. Or maybe the place is only accessible in summer (some hikes). Or the water needs to be melted to enjoy the place fully.
All in all, for a trip in summer, consider going to at least some of the places in this list!
1. Lake Braies

Lake Braies is known also as the Jewell of the Dolomites. It’s a very popular lake, considered the most instagrammed lake of them all, but even so, I think it’s worth visiting.
Lago di Braies is a natural lake in a crystal blue color, surrounded by the stunning mountains of the Fanes-Sennes-Prags Nature Park. The boathouse with the boats is the famous picture that you’ve definitely seen at least somewhere.
In the summer, generally from July 10th and until September 10th, driving access to Lago di Braies/Pragser Wildsee is restricted during peak hours (9:30 am – 4 pm). You have to reserve a spot for the P1 parking, park further, or take a bus to the lake.
The loop hiking trail around lago di Braies offers unique views of the lake. The little church and the hotel look really nice from the other side.
Another unique way to enjoy lake Braies is going boating. More on that later in the article.
2. Lake Carezza

Lake Carezza gets called the Rainbow lake of the Dolomites because of its incredible colors. The reflection of the Latemar range in the colorful waters is magnificent!
Visiting lake Carezza is easy, as there is a parking lot and a bus stop just next to the lake.
Although Lago di Carezza looks interesting in winter, too, the best views require the ice to be melted and the sun to be out. So it’s at the top of my best places to visit in the Dolomites in summer.
3. Latemar Panorama trail
We visited the Latemar Panorama trail in August, and I was surprised at how little people there were. So it’s safe to say that the hike is an off the beaten path gem.
The hike starts in Obereggen, from which you need to take a chairlift up. It’s quite an easy trail just at the base of the Latemar Mountain range, and you can learn a lot about the Dolomites in the informational books and placards all the way.
Just be sure to pack sunscreen, a hat, and enough water. At parts, there’s no shade, and when we hiked the trail in august, it got rather hot.
The views in summer are just amazing – on clear days, you can see far and wide!
4. Lake Sorapiss
To get to lake Sorapis, you need to plan a day hike. It’s not an easy hike, and there are some exposed parts that might get quite scary, but it definitely is worth it.
The hike starts at the hotel Tre Croci not far from Cortina d’Ampezzo.
The water in the lake Sorapis is light milky blue because of the fine grit from the mountains that ends up in the lake from the glacier of the same name that feeds it.
It really is a special place to visit. I recommend going in June or July so that you have higher water levels in the lake. We hiked to the lake in August, and the water level was very low. The area was muddy and swampy, with very little lakewater.
Still worth it, though.
And it’s really not a good idea to hike to lago di Sorapis when there is lots of snow in the higher altitudes. Yes, it’s possible with the correct high alpine equipment. But first of all, it’s not worth it, as the main reason for hiking – the blue water of the lake – is frozen, and second, it’s not really that safe.
5. Cadini di Misurina viewpoint
My absolutely favorite hike in the Dolomites is the one to the Cadini di Misurina viewpoint.
The hike starts at the same place as the Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop, which is Rifugio Auronzo, so if you are able to, combine both hikes. That way, you don’t have to pay the road toll twice.
The spires of the Cadini are incredible, and if you hike the trail like we did, you can see them pretty much the whole way.
On the way back, you get to enjoy views of the Tre Cime! Win-win!
6. Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Tre Cime di Lavaredo are the symbol of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site. This will not be an intimate place where you can enjoy the peace of the mountains – as it’s gonna be full.
But as far as the must-visit places in the Dolomites go, it’s at the top of the list. To enjoy all of the views fully, you should hike the loop trail. But even if you can do just a bit, seeing the Tre Cime up close-ish is incredible.
In the summer months, make sure to drive to the Rifugio Auronzo parking lot either early in the morning or in the afternoon. When the parking lot by the hut gets full, the road closes. In the mornings, you can arrive when there are still spots available, and in the afternoon, many people have departed already.
In summer, yes, even in august, there are wildflowers in bloom, which makes for wonderful sceneries.
Make sure to pack some warmer layers with you – when we reached Rifugio Locatelli, some clouds rolled in, and the temperatures dropped to approximately 10 degrees Celsius.
7. Alpe di Siusi

Although we visited Alpe di Siusi in October, I wish we had a chance to go there in the summer. The pictures that I’ve seen of the biggest high-alpine meadow in Europe full of wildflowers are incredible!
The whole place honestly looks like a painting, especially if there’s a little haze on the Sassolungo, Sassopiatto and Sciliar mountains (Sassolungo group). The rolling hills are littered with little huts which look especially cute in the wildflowers.
Keep in mind that the Alpe di Siusi/Seiseralm is restricted to cars (with some exceptions). We recommend that you use cable cars to access it, for example, from Ortisei in Val Gardena.
In summer, there are so many hiking trails and via ferratas available in the area! And there are more than 1000km of bike trails here.
So the quiet area is perfect for a vacation in the summer.
8. Val di Funes

Val di Funes is most famous for two things – the view of Puez-Odle with the Santa Madalena church in the foreground and the cute little church of Saint Johann in Ranui.
I’ve seen pictures of these places in winter, and let me tell you, they just look so much better without snow!

The church of Ranui is very easy to visit. Actually, if you’re lucky, you can park just a couple of minutes from the photo spot – which is very clearly marked. And there is a viewing platform at the location that offers that “perfect” shot.
For the Santa Maddalena church view with the Odle/Geisler peaks in the background, you’ll need to hike a bit. It’s not a long hike – just a bit over a kilometer – and it’s very well marked.
Park in the town, and make sure to arrive early if you’d like to enjoy the sunset. The photo spot gets quite filled with photographers (for a good reason!).
9. Seceda

Seceda is another incredible place that you can get to by taking a cable car. It’s quite a popular destination because of the unique cliff formations, but the trip up is worth it.
And it’s not just the teethy cliffs that are impressive on Seceda – it’s the views of the surrounding areas, as well. The view of the Puez-Odle Nature Park on one side and the Val di Funes on the other.

The main viewpoint of the jagged cliffs is approximately 10 minutes hike from the gondola station. Make sure to hike around the area, especially towards the “teeth” themselves – that’s where you get the best view of Val di Funes.
If you have the time and the ability, you can consider hiking to Rifugio Firenze (Regensburger Hütte) and back. It’s a half a day hike that offers interesting views.
We can recommend having a lunch in Sofie hutte – it was tasty!
10. Val Fiscalina

Val Fiscalina is a gorgeous valley in the Dolomites of Sesto in the Tre Cime Nature Park. It stretches out over 4.5km and is actually a starting point for a hike to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
I was surprised about how gorgeous the valley is, actually. You can walk on a trail that winds through huuuuge mountain peaks.
I was surprised how calm it was when we visited in June, so it’s definitely a great place to go to in summer – a bit of an undiscovered beauty.
And the best part is that there is an amazing hotel just at the beginning of the valley – it’s called hotel Dolomitenhof. It has a great wellness area, a panoramic indoor and outdoor pool with the views of the Tre Cime Nature Park, and rooms with views, also.
11. Passo Gardena
Passo Gardena is hands down my favorite mountain pass in the Dolomites.
It has amazing views of the surrounding valleys, which are Val Gardena and Alta Badia. You can really see far away. I love the views in summer, as that’s when everything is nice and green with flowers blooming.
And the biggest surprise is that the mountain pass itself looks gorgeous. You can sit on the benches and just enjoy the view. Or, there are a number of hiking trails that you can do from Passo Gardena.
Some examples would be the Puez tour, or the hike to Grande Cir, or Rifugio Cavazza Pisciadù.
12. Lagazuoi
Rifugio Lagazuoi and Monte Lagazuoi Piccolo can be reached from passo Falzarego. You can either take a cable car up or hike through tunnels made in WWI. I wish we could have hiked, but the trail was not really safe because of snow. And yes, we visited in summer!
You get almost 360 views from the top, so definitely worth a visit! We could see the Dolomites of Ampezzo (with the mountain where lake Sorapis is) and on the other side, the Puez-Odle Nature Park. And in the middle? Marmolada glacier!
It’s best to go in the summer, though, because of the snow. Even when we visited at the end of June, there was still snow. Although I’m pretty sure it was not normal, it showed that the trail is better without snow.
13. Cinque Torri
Cinque Torri are five enourmos pieces of dolomite with lots of smaller rocks scattered around. Smaller in this case, though, is relative.
It’s easy to get to the Cinque Torri – you just take a cable car. There’s even a parking lot just by it.
Once up, you can explore the area on multiple hiking trails, including one that leads by preserved World War I bunkers and trenches – called Grande Guerra. Or it’s even possible to go climbing on some of the “towers”.
The views of the surrounding Dolomiti Ampezzane are magnificent, too. You can see Lagazuoi and Tofana!
14. Prato Piazza
Prato Piazza is a high alpine meadow above lago di Braies. It’s gorgeous in summer, when the meadows are full of flowers in bloom. And peaceful, too, which makes for a perfect place for a walk.
On sunny and clear days, you can see Croda Rossa, Cadini di Misurina, Monte Cristallo, and if you go far enough, even Tre Cime di Lavaredo from the hiking trail. And hiking trail is kind of a strong name for it – it’s an easy walk, essentially.
And you can see cows on the way just grazing in the fields!
To get to Prato Piazza, since it’s higher in altitude, you need to either drive or take a bus. The road is a toll road, which means that you need to pay to go up there, and that the bus is not free, either.
In summers, the road is sometimes closed for personal cars so look into the buses.
15. Passo Sella
Passo Sella is one of the four passes on the Sellaronda circuit. In winter, it’s a skiing route, but in summer – a bicycle one.
The mountain pass can be visited both in summer and in winter, of course, but summer gives you more opportunities to explore. For example, there’s the “Citta dei Sassi” – the City of Stones, where you can hike, climb, and just enjoy the nature.
And of course, multiple other hiking trails in the surrounding area. You can hike around the three towers of the Sella group, go to different waterfalls, or hike to multiple mountain passes.
16. Kronplatz/Plan de Corones
Kronplatz is a mountain on the border of the Dolomites and the Alps. The views from the top are really nice, and the best thing, again, is that you can just take a cable car up.
I did tandem paragliding from the Kronplatz mountain while Michal and Emma explored the area.
There’s one of Messner Mountain Museums up on Kronplatz which looks amazing from the inside – and is a great place to visit on those rainy summer days.
And of course, you can go hiking, MTB biking, and even swimming in natural pools in the area!
Map
Some great summer activities – that are not hiking
Well, the best thing to do in the summer in the Dolomites is hiking. But if you are looking for something more special or unique, I’ve got you!
Here are some cool activities to add to your itinerary in the summer.
1. Paragliding

Definitely the highlight of our trips.
I went tandem paragliding from Kronplatz (Plan de Corones) mountain with the company Tandemflights Kronplatz. They were just so great.
I’m terrified of heights, but Chris and the company made me feel so safe! It felt like I was sitting in a cinema and looking at a movie, albeit more beautiful.
And it’s not just Kronplatz where it’s possible to go tandem paragliding. Alpe di Siusi, Seceda, Tre Cime – take your pick!
2. Boating on Lake Braies

We actually didn’t plan to go boating on lago di Braies – we were planning to hike around the lake instead. But our daughter saw that there are boats and asked if we could go – so we decided, why not?
Pricewise, it was surprisingly cheap. Honestly, I thought the price would be like 150euro, but it was 50 for a private boat for us.
The biggest surprise for me – and I don’t even know why – was that we had to row by ourselves! Honestly, thinking about it more, I don’t know what I expected.
But this was a fun adventure, and seeing the views of the lake from the lake was amazing.
3. Ziplining

We went ziplining near Cascate di Riva, which is in Val Pusteria. In June, the waterfalls were roaring, so it felt quite surreal.
For the zipline that we took, which is called Fly-line Wasserfall zipline in Campo Tures, you first have to work a bit – that is, hike up to the launch spot. It’s not really a hard hike, as even Emma could do it. Plus, you get just amazing views of the waterfalls (there are three altogether).
The zipline can be done by kids, too – just together with an adult. It was really cool, we loved it.
And there is one in San Vigilio di Marebbe, which is Europe’s longest zipline!
4. Ride your bike

The Dolomites is a popular biking destination! There are many hotels that actually let you borrow bicycles for free!
Whether you choose to go in a flat valley such as Vallunga or go over the mountain passes, you’ll definitely enjoy it. Some roads, such as one to Passo Sella, even has special bicycle paths.
And there are even some interesting biking events, such as the Sellaronda bike day and the Maratona dles Dolomites.
5. Stay in a spa hotel

Unexpected, right?
But on those rainy summer days, nothing feels better than enjoying a nice pool with a gorgeous view of the Dolomites! Or soaking in the hottub, or relaxing in a sauna… so many options!
In any case, it really is a good idea to stay in a spa hotel in the Dolomites – even if it doesn’t rain, some relaxing sauna after a day’s hike feels incredible.
Where to stay

The best places to stay in the Dolomites in summer are the Val Gardena area on the West and Cortina or Dobbiaco on the East side.
Both of these areas offer great hiking trails, lots of opportunities for sightseeing, and everything you need for a comfortable trip.
If you don’t have a car, check which part of the Dolomites is easier for you to get to. Cortina will be easier to reach from Venice, but the Val Gardena area – from Milan.
Hotel options in Val Gardena

- Budget Option: Smarthotel Saslong in Santa Cristina – close to lifts and a bus stop.
- Mid-Range Option: Linder Cycling Hotel in Selva – nice rooms, beautiful spa.
- Luxury Option: Gardena Grödnerhof – Hotel & Spa in Ortisei – great view, spa, and food.
Hotel options in Cortina d’Ampezzo

- Budget Option: Hotel Oasi – located just by the Faloria Cable Car. We stayed there once and loved the central location.
- Mid-Range Option: Hotel Lajadira&Spa – on the edge of Cortina, a hotel with a nice spa. We really loved the quiet-er area.
- Luxury Option: Grand Hotel Savoia (a Radisson group hotel) in the very center of Cortina. It offers amazing views, too.
Hotel options in Dobbiaco

- Budget Option: Haus Greg – an apartment in a great location. We loved our stay there.
- Mid-range Option: Hotel Hubertushof – a beautiful hotel, great spa, tasty food.
- Luxury Option: Hotel Patris – a hotel in the mountains, with a nice spa and wellness and a great view.
In conclusion about the best places to visit in summer

Summer is an amazing time for visiting the Dolomites, and there are so many places to see and things to do!
What would you like to do or where would you like to go most?
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