THE BEST Time To Visit The Dolomites: When To Do What
The best time to visit the Dolomites in Italy depends on what you’d like to do and what’s your budget.
And although some information online says that the Italian Dolomites are a year-long destination, that’s not necessarily true. The summer season is the best for hiking, and the winter season – is for winter activities, obviously.
But there are times when the Dolomites, in a way, shut down – the cable cars stop working, many of the hotels and restaurants close, and overall, it’s quiet. So depending on what you’d like to do, there are bad times to visit the Pale Mountains.
We’ve visited the Dolomites in February, April, August, and October so we’ve tried them in all the seasons.
So, let me run down when is the best time to visit the Dolomites.
The overall best time to visit the Dolomites
The best time to visit the Dolomites is mid/late June to September for summer activities and December to February for winter activities.
If you’re not relying on cable cars or gondolas and don’t really plan to go to higher altitudes, the shoulder seasons – autumn and spring – are great for exploring the Dolomites with less tourists and milder weather.
When to visit the Dolomites depending on your interests
But let’s see when is the ideal time for a vacation to the Dolomites depending on what activities you’d actually like to do.
Best time to visit the Dolomites for hiking
The best time to visit the Dolomites for hiking is mid-to-late June until the beginning of September. It’s the summer season, obviously, so the weather is warm(er) and the trails are open.
If you go in August, expect extreme crowds and unstable weather. My recommendation is to try and avoid August as best you can, as that’s when Italians have a month off. The prices go high and everything is extra busy.
We hiked around the Dolomites in August, and although crowded, it was still nice. And we spent the one rainy day in wellness in our hotel – so overall, amazing!
Best time to visit the Dolomites for photography
You’d think that the best time for photography in the Dolomites would be the summer, but it’s actually autumn or even winter.
In the summer, the days are really long which means that, yes, you can get clear shots of the mountains, but things like sunrise or sunset photography become a bit harder.
In the autumn, the foliage makes the mountains especially colourful and you can expect the Enrosadira (alpenglow) colours to really pop during the sunsets. The peak foliage is in late September and October.
As for the winter, the mountains look just gorgeous covered in snow. And depending on when you go, you might get pictures of some colourful water from the lakes or rivers, just as Michal did when we visited in February.
Best time to visit the Dolomites for winter activities
Obviously, winter, haha. But specifically from December to February, sometimes even March or April depending on the weather conditions.
We went on a ski vacation in February, and it was quite crowded. But since there are hundreds of kilometres of slopes available, it was still manageable.
And when planning our vacation in May of the same year, we could see that there was still snow and skiers on the higher altitude slopes.
Best time to visit the Dolomites for road trips
Depending on how high you want to go, it doesn’t really matter when is your road trip in the Dolomites.
One year, we did a road trip in early April. We couldn’t go up to places like Tre Cime di Lavaredo, as the road was closed due to snow, but still, there were loads of things we could explore. For example, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Lago di Braies, Lago di Dobbiaco, different other lakes, and Forra del Forizon with a waterfall right there.
If going in shoulder seasons or in winter, you might have to adjust your itinerary, but there are still loads of things to see for a road trip.
Different seasons in the Dolomites
Depending on the season you want to go to the Dolomites, you might need to plan for different budgets, activities, or, well, crowds.
So let’s now explore different seasons, their weather, crowdedness, and prices.
Summer – high season
Expensive | Crowded | Everything is open and reachable | Good weather
Summer is the peak season for hiking, biking, and other outdoor activities in the Dolomites. It lasts from middle to late June until September.
On the plus side, that means good weather for activities such as hiking or biking. Everything is open and running – cable cars, restaurants, lots of hotels, mountain huts, activities so you don’t have to worry about exploring everything.
In the beginning of summer, the lakes would be full of water. For example, Lake Carezza is definitely much more beautiful in summer than it is in the winter.
Summer, especially July, is perfect for day hikes, as the days are long and the weather is more or less stable. It is warm, though, so make sure to pack appropriate amounts of water with you. And know that in the higher altitudes, it’s going to be cold(er).
On the downside, there are lots and lots of crowds and the prices go high. If you’d like to go in the summer and not pay lots and lots of money for your hotel room, book early.
And keep in mind – in early June, some of the cable cars, mountain passes, and trails might still be closed because of the weather conditions. We’re went to the Dolomites in the middle of June 2024 and we still couldn’t visit the Marmolada glacier, as the cable car was not running yet.
Autumn – shoulder season
More budget-friendly | Less crowded | Some places start to close | Pleasant weather
Autumn is a shoulder season in the Dolomites. From September until approximately the end of October, sometimes the beginning of November, you don’t have to worry about cable cars and gondolas being open.
In November, though, generally, they start close. That means that reaching places such as Seceda or Alpe di Siusi gets harder or even impossible. All of the cable cars and areas have their websites, though, so it’s possible to see until when the season is open.
Winter – high season
Expensive in the ski resorts | Ski resorts get crowded | Many areas not reachable due to snow | Cold weather
Winter months in Northern Italy are December, January, and February. Early December is when places start to open again for the season, and the end of the winter season depends on how long the snow holds.
Winter is the perfect time to visit the Dolomites to enjoy skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing, and other winter activities. It’s not such a great time for hiking, though, as most of the trails are closed.
The weather is snowy and cold so make sure to pack lots of layers with you and good shoes.
As for the prices, if you’re down in the valleys further away from ski resorts, you might find some budget-friendly options. But if you’d like to be close to the slopes, expect to pay a pretty penny for your accommodation.
Spring – shoulder season
Budget-friendly | Fewer tourists | Some places are still closed due to snow | Pleasant weather
When I visited the Dolomites in April, I was sad to find out that there are still many places that you can’t really visit. It might be because of snow, such as when the road to Tre Cime was closed, or because it’s still the shoulder season so things are still just closed.
On the plus side, though, the visit was really budget-friendly. Our accommodation was in Dobbiaco, and I was surprised at how cheap we got it.
The things you can enjoy in Spring really do depend on the weather conditions, though. For example, Lago di Valdaora was completely melted, but Lago di Misurina and Lago di Braies were both still covered in snow.
But if you plan to visit the Dolomites in spring, make sure to check the weather forecast properly until the very day of leaving – sometimes there’s still snow at the higher altitudes even in late May!
When is the worst time to go to the Dolomites?
The worst time to go to the Dolomites is August, honestly. It gets really hot in August and there’s a very high chance of thunderstorms.
Plus, August is the time when most of Italy is on vacation, so you can imagine how crowded it gets.
We visited the Dolomites in August once, and the water level in lakes and rivers was very low because it had evaporated – Lago di Sorapis had barely any water in it! So that’s another thing.
Which month is best for Dolomites?
Again, the best month for the Dolomites depends on what you’d like to do.
Late June, July, and September are the peak hiking season. No matter if you’d like to do day or short hikes, the weather is just the best for hiking and other summer activities. And it’s the best time to enjoy waterfalls, as the rivers are full of water.
December, January, and February are best for skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and other winter activities. The trails are open and snowy.
The end of May through September is great for road trips, although those can be done almost any time. If you go in winter, make sure your car has snow chains in it. Rental cars should have them, but still, check.
When we visited the Dolomites in October, we explored some of the best of the Western Dolomites, such as Santa Magdalena, Puez-Odle Nature Park, Seceda, Alpe di Siusi, and such. The weather was still pleasant, and it was great for photography.
Some frequently asked questions:
What is the wettest month in the Dolomites?
The whole of summer, that is, June, July, and August can experience quite a few rainy days. But don’t let that discourage you from visiting – there are still lots of things to do!
Is the Dolomites better in summer or winter?
The Dolomites are great both in summer and in winter, you just have to figure out what you’d like to do.
How long should you spend visiting the Dolomites?
The minimum time in the Dolomites is three days, in my opinion. Of course, the longer you can stay, the more you can explore, though. Three days, though, is perfect for getting a feel of one side of the Dolomites – Eastern or Western. If you’d like to check out both, as a general rule, you need at least 5 days, preferably a week.
Quick tips for planning your trip to the Dolomites:
Where to stay: Cortina d’Ampezzo, Dobbiaco, Val Gardena, Alta Badia
What to see and do: mountains, lakes, valleys, hiking, road trip
What to pack: hiking gear, camera, refillable water bottle, layers (yes, even in the summer)
How to get around: rent a car!
How to get there: fly into Venice, Munich, or Milan and continue by bus, train, or rental car. There are highways (toll roads) leading all the way to the Dolomites.
In conclusion
The Dolomites are an incredible destination, full of beautiful landscapes and interesting things to do. And when you go there, it’s very easy to see why it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site.
So – book your hotel, rent your car, pack your bag, and go!
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