Are the Dolomites worth visiting? Yes! Why?

If you’re asking yourself – is the Dolomites worth visiting? My answer is a resounding YES!

The mountains are a UNESCO World Heritage Site for a very good reason – they are beautiful, diverse, and very special. You can find lakes, waterfalls, different hikes, drives, alta vias, glaciers, and even bunkers from the First World War here!

And none of these things are the same – so don’t think that if you’ve seen one lake, you’ve seen them all.

So, see my reasons for why you should visit the Dolomites.

Why are the Dolomites worth visiting?

The Dolomites, a famous mountain range in the Northern Italy, is a perfect destination for people who enjoy outdoor activities and incredible views.

The sceneries are definitely one of the most beautiful in the world. We’ve been to Patagonia, Michal has been to Canada, New Zealand, and many other places, and we still consider the Italian Dolomites one of the most beautiful places that we have visited. The climate is milder which is certainly a bonus. And depending on where you are from, the Dolomites are easier to reach.

There are loads of outdoor activities for many, many tastes both in winter and in the summer. Even if you’re not a sporty kind of person, you can enjoy beautiful views without hiking – many of the best places to see are reachable by car, bus, or train.

The little towns are like from fairytales. Small cute houses, cobblestone streets, churches…

And of course, the food. South Tyrol, including the Dolomites, have a very high concentration of Michelin starred restaurants – especially the Alta Badia valley. The food is an interesting mix of Austrian, Italian, and local cuisines.

Another thing I love about the Dolomites is that you have a choice of hotels for pretty much all budgets. From mountain huts to five-star hotels, there is usually a choice for everyone! We even managed to stay for cheap in Cortina d’Ampezzo – to be fair, it was off season, but the hotel in question is reasonably priced even in the shoulder seasons. Of course, it gets expensive in the main seasons, but still.

What are the best things to see and do?

There is quite a high number of things to see and do in the Dolomites, obviously. As I said, my favourite ones are the summer things, as in the summer (or around it) you can enjoy the most diverse sceneries and activities.

But of course, if you enjoy winter activities, this is the perfect place – it’s no wonder the Dolomites are about to hold their second Winter Olympics.

The lakes

Turquoise blue, perfect reflections, ice cold – those are the lakes in the Dolomites. There are many, of course. Some can be reached by car, some require a half a day hike, and everything in-between.

The overall favourites of ours are Lago di Braies, Lago di Sorapis, and Lago di Carezza. I like Lago di Dobbiaco, too, as it just feels like that “perfect” mountain lake. And, of course, Lake Misurina, which is easy to reachable by car or public transportation.

The hikes

Since it’s mountains, there are hikes and hikes, and hikes available.

One of the most popular (for a reason, of course) ones is the Tre Cime di Lavaredo Loop.

My favourite one, though, which starts at the same spot (Rifugio Auronzo) is the Cadini di Misurina viewpoint hike. It offers quite dramatic views and is relatively easy.

Another favourite is the Lago di Sorapiss hike, which requires quite a bit of physical effort. And you must not be afraid of heights – sometimes, the drops next to the trail are quite impressive.

Mountain passes

The mountain passes offer amazing views of the valleys – and many of them have impressive mountains to enjoy, too.

For example, Passo Giau with its crazy big rock that looks even more huge with the little mountain hut in the foreground.

Or Passo Gardena with its spires. And Passo Sella with the impressive Sella group.

Another favourite of mine is the Passo Pordoi, which I recommend that you visit in the winter for the extra beauty of the snowy fields and mountain peaks.

Valleys

All of the valleys – and there are many of them – have something special.

For example, from Val Gardena you can reach places like Seceda and Alpe di Siusi easily. And of course, explore the little towns such as Ortisei or Selva di Val Gardena. You just need to take a cable car – or few, depending on where you’re going.

And if you’re looking to enjoy the most famous things to do in the Dolomites – Lago di Braies, Tre Cime di Lavaredo, and so on, go to Val Pusteria!

We really liked also how Val Fiscalina looked. It’s in Parco Naturale Tre Cime, and you can even hike all the way to the Rifugio Tre Cime (Rifugio Locatelli) from Val Fiscalina. The Valley is also part of Alta Via 5 hiking trail.

Towns

Speaking of towns, make sure to explore at least some during your time in the Dolomites.

We’ve been to the Dolomites many times, and our favourites are the ones that many people mention. I guess that’s for a good reason. So, they are: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Santa Cristina di Val Gardena, Ortisei (also in Val Gardena), and one a bit more unique – Dobbiaco.

When is the best time to go to the Dolomites?

The best time to go to the Dolomites depends on what are your goals activities-wise.

I personally prefer the summer months, as that gives you the most opportunity to enjoy the views and wonders of the mountains. The hiking and exploring options are bigger.

But, really, both winter and summer are special.

Winter

If you’d like to go skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing, or anything else to do with snow, obviously, the winter season is your time to plan the trip. That would mean from December to March-ish when there is the most snow in the Northern Italy.

We went skiing in February, and there was still enough snow on the slopes. Plus, a bunch of fresh one fell just when we were leaving.

Summer

For hiking, the summer season, that is, late June, July and August are your best bet. Maybe even June, but in June, especially the early June, there might still be snow in the higher altitudes, which means some trails might be closed.

For example, when we visited the Dolomites in the middle of June, the Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop trail was closed. You could go to the Rifugio Lavaredo parking lot, hike the Cadini di Misurina trail (which we did), and even hike part of the Tre Cime hike, but it wasn’t possible to do it all.

Shoulder seasons

If you’d like to just do a short trip and some sightseeing, look into April and May or September and October. That’s the shoulder seasons, which means some things will not be possible to do, but you’ll get unique views, full waterfalls, and less people. And most probably lower prices than in the high season, too.

When not to go

One thing for sure – the worst time to visit the Dolomites is March-ish, April, and November. Those are off-season, which means most activities are not available and many hotels and restaurants are closed for a little break before the main season starts. Most of the cable cars don’t run, either, which means it’s harder or downright impossible to visit places like the Marmolada glacier or Alpe di Siusi.

We did a little Dolomites Road trip in November once. Of course, our options were very limited, but I must admit that the views were great. I just wish we could have gone a few weeks later, that is, early December, as that’s when the season has started already and there would be Christmas markets, too.

And our trip in April was quite ok, too, but that was because we didn’t really expect anything from it. Our goal for that trip (I visited with my friend) was to just see some mountains, lakes, and rivers, and just spend time together since we don’t have a chance to do it too often.

Where should you stay for your first trip to the Dolomites?

If it’s going to be your first time in the Dolomites, you need to stay in a place that gives easy access to the most popular spots. And that is easy to access by itself.

My recommendation is that you have a car in the Dolomites, as that just makes the exploring a lot easier. In that case, you don’t have to worry too much about where to stay, either.

If you don’t have a car and are coming from the west side of the Dolomites, look into Bolzano or Val Gardena for staying. There is a big train station in Bolzano, and Val Gardena is well connected with the city, which makes it a great base for your stay.

If you’re coming from the East, for example, Venice, Cortina d’Ampezzo or Dobbiaco are definitely the most convenient places for staying.

If you have more than 4 nights in the Dolomites and want to see as much as possible from the most popular spots, I recommend staying in 2 locations – one on the East (Cortina or Dobbiaco) and one of the West (somewhere in Val Gardena, for example).

Getting around

The two main ways to get around the Dolomites are, of course, public transport and a rental car (or your own, if you live close enough). The best option, though, is a car.

The public transport in the Dolomites – in South Tyrol, to be more precise – is free. So if you don’t want to drive or can’t afford to rent a car, the buses and trains are quite a good option. Of course, you’ll be limited by the schedule – which I didn’t find that great.

And that’s why my recommendation is to have a car. It gives you a lot of freedom to explore what and when you want, so, for example, if you’d like to see lake Braies in the early morning hours (gorgeous, by the way), you don’t have to worry about catching a bus. Most of the hotels have free parking available – and the parking by the best places to visit is either cheap or free, too.

So, if you can swallow the extra cost (gas, parking, toll roads), get a car, is my recommendation.

So, are the Dolomites really worth it?

Yes, yes, they are.

The Dolomites are a popular destination and a UNESCO World Heritage Site for a reason. The views, the activities, the food… it is worth it.

What are you looking forward to the most?

---

---

Enjoyed this post? Share it!