Dolomites in November: Perfect Weekend Getaway
If you plan to visit the Dolomites in November, know that you’re going in the very, very off season. Most of the lifts, restaurants, and many hotels are closed for the month: for the staff to relax and for the places to prepare for the high winter season with everything that need to be fixed.
Our trip to the Dolomites in November was a really short: we did a short road trip in the Dolomites on the way to Venice to show the mountains to my parents.
The initial plan was to do a couple of hikes there, but when the time to visit was approaching, we realized that hiking will not be possible. There was just too much snow!
So we opted for sightseeing, which is actually what I suggest you do if you visit in the off season. Mountain passes, valleys, towns – that’s what you can do.
Here is a description of our short trip to help your planning.
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Day 1 of the Dolomites road trip: Sarnico – Lake Garda – the Dolomites
At the time of this trip, we lived in Italy – a small village called Sarnico on Lake Iseo. It’s a paradise, really.
So the road trip started there, and the first stop we planned was Lake Garda.
We just stopped for a little bit to take some pictures and enjoy the views, as the parking was very convenient. And of course, to touch the water. Because it’s pretty much mandatory to touch the water if you’re by one, haha.
Especially when the colour of the water is this beautiful.
And the next stop was by Lago di Garda, too, just this time – Riva del Garda at the very Northern tip of the lake.
After lunch and coffee, and of course, a bit of enjoying the views, it was time to go on! So much more remained to be seen and the days are so short…
And we were welcomed by snow!
That’s one of the things you have to keep in mind when visiting the Dolomites in November: there can – and probably will – be snow, especially at higher altitudes.
The situation is quite similar to what I saw when we went to Dolomites in April. Both of those months are just at “sides” of the winter season so snow can be expected.
Hi! We’re really happy and surprised here. As you saw, it was nice and warm by lake Garda!
The views, though… the views are incredibly gorgeous. And since there wasn’t any snow in the lower altitudes, we made sure to enjoy it!
We had so much fun!
We were lucky that the road was open – sometimes mountain passes and higher-altitude roads get closed because of snow. There are websites that show the road conditions and if it’s open, such as the Province of Bolzano one, but they’re not always 100% reliable.
At this point, though, it was starting to get dark so we quickly moved on to the next pass – passo Pordoi.
The Pordoi pass covered in snow looks lovely!
And you can see how much snow there can be in the Dolomites if you visit at the end of November. My mom is approximately 160cm tall (5ft3in) and the snow is up to her waist. Lots and lots of snow!!
And off we went to the next mountain pass – Passo Falzarego -, as the night was coming on.
We spent just a couple of minutes here, as driving in the Dolomites at night is not the most fun of things you could do.
But we did get this lovely view of Cortina d’Ampezzo on the way! There are good things to say about night views in the mountains.
After checking in in our hotel, it was time for dinner!
We stayed in Hotel Meublè Oasi for the night. It’s a small and comfy bed and breakfast right in the centre of Cortina d’Ampezzo, in close vicinity to the Faloria cable car and all the attractions in the town. Since we were on a Dolomites road trip, it was important that we had parking included, breakfast, and a bed. All covered!
Plus, in November, it’s the off-season in the Dolomites with lots of places to stay closed, so the choice is smaller in usual. Keep that in mind and book your accommodation early!
Day 2 of Dolomites in November – Cortina d’Ampezzo, some beautiful lakes in the Dolomites, and Venice!
The next day we were greeted by perfect weather.
It was sunny, which meant that even though the temperatures were low, the air felt pleasant. As you can see, there’s a lot less snow in lower altitudes.
We went over to some spots to enjoy some views of Cortina d’Ampezzo and the Dolomites. First was just by Baita Fraina – we actually had dinner there once with Michal (on a different trip). I can definitely recommend the place.
The second place we went to was on the other side of Cortina d’Ampezzo. I was trying to find the location on a map, but couldn’t. It was just in some residential part of Cortina – basically, we looked at the road and on the map, said “hey, looks like this road goes up!”, and went there.
If you’d like a nice panorama of the mountains and the town, check out the spot we went to on our trip in April.
After saying by to Cortina, we went to lago di Braies. Lucky for us, the lake hadn’t yet frozen over so we could see that nice emerald color.
And there was enough snow for snow angels and snowmen building!
The little villages in the Braies valley have hotels and restaurants where you can have lunch – we’ve been in multiple by now, and they all seem good.
Next up – my favorite lake in the Dolomites, lago di Dobbiaco.
This time, we didn’t visit at lake Landro, but we did make a quick stop at lake Misurina, as it was getting dark already.
Keep in mind that the days are rather short in November.
One last look at the Dolomites from the Cadore valley, and off we go to Venice!
Is November a good time to visit the Dolomites?
Well, yes and no.
If you go to the Dolomites in November, you will probably get to see them covered in snow. At some altitudes, there’s the autumn foliage as well. The mountains look gorgeous, as you’ll be able to see. And there are definitely fewer people around.
On the other hand, November in the Dolomites is the “off” season. That means there will be fewer hotels available and many restaurants closed. And even some mountain passes and cable cars don’t run for a month or so.
So all in all, if you can move the trip by a month, I’d say do it. If you can’t, enjoying the views on a Dolomites road trip is still worth it!
What is the weather like in November
Generally, the weather in November in the Dolomites is wintery – cold and snowy, especially in the higher altitudes. It will most probably be below freezing most of the time, including during the day.
If you’re lucky, you’ll get sun like we did, but quite a lot of the time, in general at least, it’s overcast.
Where to stay
If you’re going on a road trip, I recommend staying in more than one place. In our case, as you saw, we stayed only in Cortina, but our trip was really short.
I’d recommend extending the road trip and staying in Bolzano or Val Gardena, in Alta Badia, and in the East, Cortina (your best bet for places like restaurants to be open).
As I mentioned, we stayed in Hotel Oasi in Cortina, and can recommend it. It’s a no-frills hotel in a great location, exactly what’s needed.
What to do
Sightseeing and visiting mountains passes are the best things to in the Dolomites in November for us casual hikers.
Most of the cable cars are closed in November, so it would not be possible to visit places like Tre Cime di Lavaredo or Seceda without a strenuous hike.
So my recommendations are:
- Visit the lakes
- Check out the towns such as Selva di Val Gardena or Cortina d’Ampezzo
- Look into some lower altitude hikes, such as Cascate del Pisciadu
- And of course, enjoy the pools and saunas in the area, such as Mar Dolomiti in Ortisei
What to wear and pack
Since November is the shoulder season, pack warm layers with you. I’m sure that you’ll need some winter things, especially if you travel at the end of the month.
- Warm shoes
- Winter jacket
- Hat and scarf
- Gloves
- Warm pants
- And then, of course, all the other things that you should pack for every single trip.
Summary – is Dolomites worth visiting in November?
The Dolomites are nice in November, although, if I could choose some other time to go, I probably would.
It’s an amazing time for a road trip or just a relaxing sightseeing trip, for sure.
If you’d like to go, make sure to book your accommodation in advance, as many places are closed, hence, less availability. We have listed the best areas for staying right here.
And pack lots of layers with you – here are the must-haves.
If you’re struggling to plan your trip or would just like to go over it, why not give us a call?