Are The Dolomites Expensive? Let’s Break Down The Cost.
Are the Dolomites expensive? Well, yes, compared to the rest of Italy, visiting them can get quite pricey. But of course, your Dolomites trip cost depends on different factors.
The cheapest trip we’ve done to the Dolomites cost us around 600 euros for 3 full days, including the drive from Slovakia and back with my own car. The most expensive? Quite a few thousands of euros for a week of stay.
The cheapest way to enjoy the Dolomites? Going in the shoulder seasons. Don’t go in the off-seasons, as then the enjoying part gets very hard.
Other than that? Staying in a self-catering accommodation ensures that, first, you pay less for the accommodation and second, you don’t have to eat in restaurants all the time.
On average, the daily cost for two people is around 310 – 350 euros.
But let’s break down how I got to this cost, shall we?
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Are the Dolomites expensive?
As I mentioned, a trip to the Dolomites is not always that cheap. These magnificent mountains are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and quite popular, so it makes sense.
So, what are the biggest and smallest expenses when going to the Dolomites?
Accommodation
Your biggest expense will probably be accommodation.
Now, we’ve stayed in everything from a self-catering apartment up to a 5-star all-inclusive resort. And let me tell you, the accommodation was the biggest expense either way.
Hotels in the Dolomites are quite high priced – it is a very popular destination, to be fair. It’s normal to pay at least 150 euros a night – and while that might not seem that much to many of you, it’s quite high for European standards.
Going in the shoulder seasons makes this expense a bit lower, but on the other hand, many hotels close, which makes the choice smaller.
To save a bit, try staying out of the main “touristy” areas: Val Gardena and Alta Badia regions or Cortina d’Ampezzo town are the most famous. Dobbiaco, for example, which is still quite conveniently located, has lower priced places. In the western part, Bressanone is a good option. It’s not in the “main” part of the Dolomites, but still basically there.
Getting around
The best way of getting around the Dolomites is using a car. It gives a lot more freedom than relying on public transportation.
Of course, using a car makes the trip more expensive – the fuel in the Dolomites is priced quite high, even for Italian standards. Honestly, on more than one occasion we’ve crossed into Austria to fuel, although the closest gas station to the border has raised the price now, too.
As for buses, in all of South Tyrol/Sudtirol/Alto Adige region the public transport is free if you get a Sudtirol card. Ask your accommodation provider for it – or check it out online. It gives discounts to different activities, too, and even some cable cars.
All in all, if you have the opportunity, I’d recommend swallowing the cost of renting a car for exploring the Dolomites. The buses are reliable and there are quite a few of them, but still, it really halters your freedom – and you should have one in the mountains.
A rental car gives you as much time to explore the natural beauty of the Dolomites as you wish.
As opposed to the buses. When we went to the Lake Carezza by a bus, we had two options – either spending 20 minutes there or 2 hours, as that’s how the buses went.
Good to know: places such as the Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike are more expensive to visit both by bus and by car – if you take a bus, it costs quite a lot, and if you drive a car, the toll road is pretty expensive.
Food
Surprisingly, generally, food is our smallest expense in the Dolomites.
Of course, eating out in restaurants for every meal can add up quickly, but there are quite a few ways you can save on the costs.
For the most budget option, rent an apartment instead of staying in a hotel – or at least get a hotel room with a kitchenette and a fridge. This way, you can prepare picknicks and your own meals. The groceries in the Dolomites are normally priced.
The worst budget-wise is a hotel with only breakfast included. Sometimes, all-inclusive or at least half-board hotels end up being cheaper than eating out.
But if you must eat in restaurants, don’t worry, as there are many reasonably priced ones available.
Tip for saving: the tap water in the Dolomites is perfectly safe – and tasty! – to drink. Bring your reusable bottle!
Activities
Most of the main summer activities in the Dolomites can be enjoyed for free. For example, hiking, going to the lakes, and checking out the valleys and mountain passes. Many hotels provide low-cost or free bicycles.
And if you don’t want to do something more unique, such as tandem paragliding or renting a boat on Lake Braies, the activities don’t have to be expensive at all.
Even the boat rental – we rented one on lake Braies for 50 euros for half an hour, and it was cheap compared to places such as lake Como or Garda.
Keep in mind that many of the most interesting places, such as Rifugio Auronzo where you’ll find the trailheads for Tre Cime loop and the Cadini di Misurina viewpoint hikes among other things, or Prato Piazza, have extra costs attached to them, even if you take public transport.
As for winter activities, such as skiing, snowboarding – those already can get quite higher priced. The rentals are not that bad – they have good deals if you rent your equipment for longer. Many ski hotels in the Dolomites even have deals with the nearest rentals, where you get certain discounts.
The ski lifts, though, add up quite quickly. When we went on a ski vacation to Carezza, we had a choice of using “point” cards or day cards. For us, the best option was the points, as we didn’t want to ski for the whole day. If you do want to spend most of your time on the slopes, the Dolomiti Superski card is something to look into.
Cable cars and similar
The Dolomites being mountains and all, you have account for the costs of getting up on some of the peaks. I was quite surprised at how expensive some of the lifts are, that’s way this is a separate entry.
Most of the cable cars will be around 20 and more euros for round trip. But this really is a cost you just need to account for and swallow – the other option to get up on many of the mountains is hiking. Unless you’re in incredible physical shape and have a lot of time, it’s not really an option.
In short – Rough Expenses Per Day
The basic daily costs for 2 people in the Dolomites during the summer season are as such:
- Accommodation: 150 euro a night for 2 people
- Getting around: 60-100 euro a day for renting a car with full insurance + fuel
- Food: 100 euro a day (mid-range restaurants, lunch and dinner, 2 people)
- Activities: many free, paid depends.
Altogether: 310-350 euro a day.
In addition to that, you have to account for cable cars, if you wish to use them, ski rental and ski lifts, some paid activities, and toll roads.
- Cable cars: on average 25eur round trip a person (some are cheaper, some are more expensive).
- Paid activities: I did paragliding, which cost 160 euros. There are many other things to do in all price ranges, though. Ziplining, for example, was 10 euros a person.
- Toll roads: for example, road to Rifugio Auronzo (starting point of Tre Cime and Cadini di Misurina hikes) costs 30 euro.
Some ways to save on your trip
Some of these ways I’ve mentioned already in this article, but I wanted to put all of them in the same place.
Use the tap water
The tap water in the Dolomites is very high quality. It’s clean and tastes good.
Make sure to take your refillable bottle so that you don’t have to buy the plastic ones in the stores. Or get a bottle in one of the local souvenir shops – how cool would a reusable bottle with “Dolomiti” written on it be?
Stay in a self-catering accommodation
The biggest saving factor with a self-catering accommodation is the freedom it provides. If you wish, you can eat in a restaurant, but if not, you can cook!
And the self-catering places are usually cheaper, too. I prefer an apartment, but of course, there are campsites in the Dolomites, too.
Go in the shoulder seasons
A lot of the prices depend on the time of year that you visit. The cheapest are the shoulder seasons, though.
Shoulder seasons in the Dolomites are March-April and September-October.
I don’t recommend going in May and November, as those are off-season – a lot of the Dolomites shuts off, including hotels and cable cars.
The only downside to going in the shoulder seasons is that there are still places that don’t work. For example, we’ve missed going to the Marmolada glacier two times already, as we went when the lift to it was closed.
Choose where you stay carefully
There are more expensive and less expensive places to stay in the Dolomites.
For example, the most popular destinations in the Dolomites, such as Val Gardena, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Alta Badia, and Alpe di Siusi have the most expensive hotels.
If you stay a bit out of those, such as in Dobbiaco, as I mentioned, the prices go down quite a lot. Once, actually, we stayed a night on the road to Lago di Braies and paid less than 100euros for that, so if you look carefully, you can find not-that-expensive hotels in good locations.
Do free (or almost free) activities
Of course, it’s always nice to do the “unique” things, such as paragliding, helicopter, ziplining, etc.
On the other hand, if the more expensive activities are stretching your budget, opt for cheaper – or free! – ones. Some of the best things to do in the Dolomites are free.
For example, most of the hikes are free in the Dolomites. And if you’d like to do some that have a bit of cost associated with them (Tre Cime Loop and Cadini di Misurina viewpoint), try and combine these two!
Another free thing to do is visiting the lakes. There are many of them, one more unique than the other. And, for example, instead of boating on lake Braies, do the hike around it.
And it’s always a good idea to do a road trip for some sightseeing. Of course, you have to pay for the fuel which can add up on those mountain roads. But with a road trip, you get to see a lot of the main attractions for a fraction of the price. Visit the main towns and valleys, enjoy the panoramic views from the mountain passes, and maybe go up on one or two cable cars (Cinque Torri, for example).
The Italian Dolomites are incredibly beautiful even in the winter season – we did a road trip at the end of November once, and they offered some epic views. It was basically a full day of stopping at the many mountain passes to take pictures – and have some snowball fights, haha.
FAQ: Money and the Dolomites
Is it worth visiting the Dolomites?
Yes, the Dolomites are definitely worth visiting. They are a UNESCO World Heritage site for a reason – in my opinion, they are one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the world, and I’ve been to Patagonia.
How expensive is food in the Dolomites?
A typical lunch in the Dolomites will be around 20 euros a person and a typical dinner – around 40. If you want to go to the better restaurants or to some in the more popular places, the prices go up. Although in Selva di Val Gardena, which is arguably one of the most popular villages, we had a very good pizza for lunch which was just around 10 euros, which is typical for Italy.
Do you need cash in the Dolomites?
It’s very rare that you need cash in the Dolomites, but yes, it has happened that cash would have been convenient. Last time it happened when we had lunch in a small hut Baita Ciavaz. Generally, all of the rifugios and mountain huts take cards, but here, it was either paying by cash or doing a bank transfer. So it’s good to have some cash on hand in the Dolomites.
What money is best to take to Italy?
Italy uses Euros, so you definitely need Euros in Italy and in the Dolomites, which are in the Northern Italy.
Do you tip in the Dolomites?
No, tipping in the Dolomites is not expected – neither is it in the rest of Italy. If you feel like the service was really good, leave a couple of euros or the change to the next round sum (so, if you have to pay 4.50 euro, leave the 50 cents).
Where is the best base to visit in the Dolomites?
For us, the best places to base yourself in the Dolomites are Val Gardena on the west and Cortina d’Ampezzo on the East, although they are also the most expensive places to stay. They offer the best connections to places, as well as the best hotels, restaurants, and easy access to the best hikes.
Last thoughts about how expensive the Dolomites are
Are the Dolomites cheap? No, not really.
But they are definitely cheaper than comparable places, for example, the Alps in Switzerland or those on the French-Italian border.
And the Dolomites don’t really need to be out of your budget, even if it’s not the biggest. Just a bit of planning is required.
So, do you feel more assured? Let me know!
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