How To Plan A Trip To The Dolomites: 2025 Full Guide
If you’re here, you must be asking yourself – how to plan a trip to the Dolomites??!
And I understand you 100%. These mountains are huge and can really get confusing. There are so many things to do, even more things to see, and they’re all over the place.
We love the Dolomites, and have been there multiple times over the years, in every season, and on different types of trips. Couples, skiing, hiking, with my parents, and with our kid, to name just a few.
So, we’re confident that we can help you plan your perfect trip – and get you to fall in love with the Dolomites, just like we have.
In this guide, I’ll try and tell you everything that you need to know about planning your trip. If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to contact me – in the comment section, through the contact form or e-mail, or on the socials, whatever is more comfortable for you.
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Main Things To Know About The Dolomites
Before you plan a trip to the Dolomites, let’s make sure you have a general idea of what they actually are.
In Short About The Dolomites
The Dolomites – also known as the Dolomitic Alps, or the Pale Mountains (Monte Pallidi) are a mountain range in the North-East Italy, in the regions of Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (South Tyrol), and Friuli Venezia Giulia.
They cover the area roughly from Adige River to the Piave River. On clear days, you can see the mountains all the way from Lake Garda on the West and from Venice in the East.
In the June of 2009, they were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site List and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site “for the beauty and uniqueness of their landscape and their geological and geomorphological importance.”
There are 18 peaks over 3000m high in the Dolomites, and they cover an area of 141,903 ha – so they’re huge!
Main areas
You can divide the Dolomites in two parts – the Eastern ones and the Western ones, with the Val Badia valley in the middle.
On the eastern side, you’ll find the town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, Lakes Braies and Sorapis, Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Cadini di Misurina. Among many other things, that is.
The most famous parts of the Western side are the Val Gardena valley, Seceda, Alpe di Siusi, and Puez-Odle mountains.
Roughly in the middle is lake Carezza, and as I said, Val Badia valley is in the middle also.
Main towns
The main towns on the eastern side are Cortina d’Ampezzo, Dobbiaco, and San Candido.
On the Western side, it’s Ortisei and Selva di Val Gardena in the Gardena valley.
In Val Badia – or Alta Badia – you’ll find the towns of Corvara, Badia, Colfosco, and San Cassiano.
So if you’re looking for where to base yourself, these places have all the amenities for a comfortable trip. There are, of course, many tiny towns and villages all around the Dolomites, but they might not have restaurants or shops, so your trip could become more complicated.
There are 3 languages spoken in the Dolomites
The two main languages in the Dolomites are Italian and German, as the area used to belong to Austria. So you’ll see signs in two languages all over the place.
The third language used in some places is Ladin. It’s a local language, with some similarities to the Swiss Romansh. In many places, such as Alta Badia, the Ladin heritage and culture is very well preserved, so if you have a chance to enjoy it (even food!), do it!
Are the Dolomites worth visiting?
Yes, yes, yes.
We keep returning to them every year, and quite often even multiple times a year.
They are magnificent, and have some of the best views and hikes in the world. And we’ve been to Patagonia, which is stated to be a hiker’s paradise!
Even if you can spare only a couple of days for visiting, do it. You will not regret it.
How To Get To The Dolomites
There is no airport in the Dolomites, although there is a small international one in Bolzano, which is close. It has flights from several Italian cities, Germany, and London.
But the big airports that are close are Venice, Milan, and Munich (Germany).
So you have to fly into one of these airports and then decide if you’re going to rent a car (we suggest doing it) or use public transport.
The best way to choose where to fly to is – deciding which part of the Dolomites you’d like to explore first. If you’d like to go for the Eastern Dolomites (Cortina, Tre Cime, etc.), look into flights to Venice, as it’s closer.
For the Western side (Val Gardena, Alpe di Siusi, Seceda etc.), check out Bolzano, Milan, or Munich.
If you’d like to rent a car, I suggest flying to Italy, as crossing the border might become harder in a rental car.
How To Get Around
Two main ways of getting around are, of course, public transport and car. You can, of course, cycle and hike, too, but those are rather… unique, and require unique skills.
We suggest using a car, because the freedom that it gives is indescribable.
Car
A car is, of course, more expensive than using the public transport. But the freedom that it gives is priceless! You can go almost anywhere, enjoy sunset or sunrise whenever you feel like it, and just stop anywhere if you see a nice view.
And you don’t have to worry about missing the bus and getting stranded somewhere. So if the hike takes longer than you planned, no worries!
Public transport
The main public transportation in the Dolomites is buses and trains. But the trains cover only a small-ish area, so it’s pretty much just buses.
The one good thing about public transport? It’s free – almost everywhere. For example, if you stay in Sudtirol/Alto Adige, you get a card from your hotel which makes almost all of the buses free. Exceptions are the ones which go on toll roads – for example, to Rifugio Auronzo and Prato Piazza.
But the bad thing, as you can probably imagine, is that the buses really – and I mean really – limit the things that you can do. The schedule is often inconvenient, many places require transfers, and it’s mostly impossible to enjoy sunsets or sunrises, as the buses just don’t run.
How many days do you need
As many as possible!!
It is possible to go for a day trip, of course, and there are many options available, especially from Venice.
But my suggestion is at least 3 nights in the Dolomites themselves, so you get at least 2 whole days there.
If you have more than 3 nights available, you can look into spending them in 2 areas (such as Cortina and Ortisei). Travelling from one side of the Dolomites to the other takes a long time, and this way you’d have a better chance of seeing more.
Best Time To Visit
The best time to visit the Dolomites really depends on what you’d like to do there.
Hiking, biking, exploring – go in the summer, but for skiing and snowboarding, obviously, winter.
My favorite time to go for hiking, though, is June or September-October. It’s not the best, as many places are not accessible, but the best thing about the shoulder seasons is the smaller crowds.
Summer season – for hiking
Summer is pretty much July and August in the Dolomites. June is still kind of in the shoulder season, as you can run into very snowy conditions in the higher altitudes which means both the hiking trails and the mountain huts might be closed.
When we visited in the end of June, Rifugio Lavaredo was still closed, as the trail had tons of snow on it! And the trail from Val Fiscalina to Rifugio Lavaredo was closed.
But in July and August, all the trails are (generally) open, the lifts run, and the weather is rather pleasant.
Of course, the prices are higher, as it’s the high season. And you will not be able to avoid crowds, I’m afraid.
I recommend avoiding the middle two weeks in August for visiting the Dolomites – that’s when most Italians have holidays, so everything is especially full.
Winter season – for skiing
Winter is great for skiing – the Dolomites have one of the biggest and best ski resorts in the world, the Dolomiti Superski.
Because of the relatively high altitude, natural snow is usually guaranteed. And if not, the technical one is used, so the trails are still nice and groomed.
There are trails for all levels, with lots of great ski-in ski-out hotels available. We’ve stayed in Alpenrose Carezza, which is right next to the slopes, rental, and a ski school – both for kids and adults.
And then there’s the Sellaronda ski carousel, and so many cross-country skiing trails, and possibility to hike on snowshoes… winter in the Dolomites is amazing!
The highest of the high skiing seasons is February, but generally, the ski season lasts from December even into March.
Spring/Autumn – shoulder seasons – to avoid crowds
When we visited in April, there were so little people in the Dolomites! It was amazing. The bad thing was, though, that we could barely do anything. Many lifts and roads were still closed, so we couldn’t go to, for example, Tre Cime.
In October, it was quite great, actually. The fall foliage, smaller crowds, and accessibility was great.
And the best thing? The prices were lower, so the Dolomites were more accessible budget-wise.
May and November – when not to go
May and November are, in general, the off-season. What it means is, most of the hotels and lifts are closed, many restaurants are closed, and many attractions are inaccessible, too.
The best thing to do if you go in November is a road trip – that’s what we did. The views are still there, just be mindful of the snowy and icy roads!
Best Things To Do
There is so much to do in the Dolomites! Many people think it’s mostly hiking, since, logically, mountains=hiking for most.
But there are so many more things! And many of the best places can be enjoyed without any hiking at all.
For example, make sure to explore the lakes – Dobbiaco, Carezza, Braies, Valdaora come to mind.
And then there are the mountain passes which you can drive to – Gardena, Falzarego, Sella and more.
Alpe di Siusi, Seceda, and Lagazuoi can be accessed by going up cable cars. Also, if you’re in Cortina, go up the Faloria for an amazing view. And the Marmolada glacier can be visited by going up cable cars!
If you’re into more adrenaline-filled activities, you can go paragliding, ziplining, or down an alpine coaster.
But of course, if you’re up for it – go hiking! And some of the best hikes in the Dolomites are actually really easy.
Where To Stay – Best Areas
The best area to stay in depends on how long is your trip and what are your priorities.
For longer trips, as I said, look into staying in two areas, such as Val Gardena and Cortina or Dobbiaco.
If it’s your first trip, stay in either Dobbiaco (cheaper) or Cortina (more expensive) for exploring the Eastern Dolomites or Val Gardena for the Western.
If you’d like to go hiking or sightseeing, it’s again, either Cortina or Val Gardena.
For a more central location, check out Alta Badia – it’s kind of in the middle of everything, but you have to account for it being more expensive.
When going skiing, we stayed in the Carezza ski resort, and really loved it. But of course, Alta Badia, Val Gardena, Cortina – all of them are great!
What To Pack with you
Whenever you go, pack layers with you.
I needed my winter jacket when we went to Lake Braies in August!!
And my recommendation is hiking things even if you’re not going hiking – some of the places are muddy and wet so it’s nice to have waterproof things.
Although I did hike the Cadini di Misurina in normal leggings…
Anyways, in short, what you’d benefit from on any trip:
- Hiking clothes: pants, sports t-shirts, fleece layer, waterproof layer, hat, gloves, scarf
- Hiking shoes
- Hiking poles
- Normal everyday clothes
- Swimsuit (most of the hotels have a spa/pool)
- Backpack (at least 20l) – for water and layers of clothes
- Accessories: chargers, phone, camera, wallet, etc.
- First aid kit: Band-Aids, pain medicine, stomach medicine, mosquito repellant, sunscreen, any medicine you’re taking regularly
- Toiletries: shampoo (hotel ones usually aren’t that great), toothpaste & toothbrush, deodorant, shaving kit, hair ties, hairbrush
- For Winter:
- Your equipment, if you’d like to take yours (if you don’t – there are rentals all over the place, and they’re quite cheap actually)
- Dolomiti Superski card (buy your pass online – it’s cheaper!)
- Insurance is mandatory if you’re going on the slopes!
And I suggest you take out travel insurance anyways. On our trip to the Dolomites in February, we couldn’t leave Italy, as the roads were closed because of extreme amounts of snow. Revolut insurance covered our extra fuel, meals, and hotel!
Are The Dolomites Expensive?
It depends on how you look at it, really. I’d say they’re quite average pricewise. The Dolomites are more expensive if compared to most of Italy, but they’re cheaper than, for example, Switzerland.
But to briefly break down the costs:
Accommodation
Accommodation has always been our biggest expense, whether we travelled in the high season or off season.
Account for at least 150eur a night for the cheaper hotels.
To save a bit, look into staying in an apartment, as that way you can save on food costs, too.
Food
Food is actually not so expensive, surprisingly.
Many of the restaurants are not that much more expensive than in the rest of Italy, and in my experience, Italy has one of the cheapest restaurants.
As I said, staying in an apartment will lower this cost even more.
Getting around
If you’re using public transport, that’s mostly free.
For driving, that can add up a bit.
Fuel is quite expensive in Italy in general, and in the Dolomites especially.
There are even some toll roads in the Dolomites, such as the road to Rifugio Auronzo (Tre Cime di Lavaredo) and Prato Piazza.
And many of the parking lots in the area are paid (download the EasyPark app for convenience).
Activities
Most of the activities in the Dolomites are free, such as hiking, exploring the lakes or the valleys.
As for the paid activities, it really depends on what you’d like to do. Paragliding, for example, was quite expensive (I paid 160 euro for my flight), but ziplining was only 10euro a person.
So check out the activities in advance to know how much they’d be – some you can and should even book in advance, too.
Lifts
If you plan going up and down many lifts, and especially if you’re going on a multi-day ski holiday, look into getting a Dolomiti Supersummer or Superski card.
Otherwise, account for some 20eur for a roundtrip on a lift – the price is generally from ~15 eur to 35.
Important Things To Keep In Mind For Planning
Since the Dolomites consist of many Nature Park, they have quite a few protected areas. And because of the amount of people that visit them every year, they need extra protections in place.
And then there are some other things about these mountains that are not so common elsewhere.
There are places that are sometimes inaccessible by cars
Main three places where cars are – sometimes – forbidden are Alpe di Siusi, Lago di Braies, and Prato Piazza.
Alpe di Siusi has a car limitation the whole year, for example, as it’s part of the Sciliar-Catinaccio Nature Park. Only people who have accommodation straight on the pasture can drive there freely (except in winter – for some hotels, you need to park in a lower elevation in Alpe di Siusi and they have transfers). Others can drive to the Compatsch parking lot before 9 am and after 5pm.
As for Lago di Braies and Prato Piazza, to control the amount of traffic to the lake. In the summer months – generally from July 10 through September 10, between 9:00 am and 4 pm, you cannot drive through the Pragser Tal Valley unless you have a reservation booked in advance. You have to park somewhere else and either hike or take public transport to reach the lake or Prato Piazza.
Some hotels have a minimum stay requirement, especially in the high seasons
It’s quite normal that a hotel in the Dolomites has a 3 or more-night minimum stay. Many of the hotels are family-run, so they need to ensure that enough people stay there.
In the high seasons, it’s not unusual that a hotel requires a check-in on a specific day (usually Saturday or Sunday) and a check-out on Friday or Saturday.
So, don’t be surprised.
Cable cars don’t run all year long
Most of the cable cars are completely closed in May and November. But many of them don’t run in spring and fall, such as the one up to Marmolada glacier.
Some of the cable cars run less frequently in the shoulder seasons (for example, the Faloria cable car ran once an hour at times when we visited Cortina in April).
The mountains pretty much shut off in November and April/May
As I said already, most of the cable cars don’t run in November and May.
But it’s not just cable cars – many (if not most) hotels and restaurants close in these months so that the employees can have some rest and any refurbishing that needs to be done can be done in peace.
Book your hotel as early as possible – but not too early
Don’t leave the hotel booking to the last minute as, first, you’ll have a lot less choice and second, the prices will probably be much higher.
But many hotels don’t open their bookings for a year in advance, either, so, you can’t really book too early.
My recommendation is to always reserve your accommodation some 2-4 months before your trip and have the free cancellation option if possible.
In conclusion about how to plan a trip to the Dolomites
The Dolomites are huge and have beautiful places to see all over them. You can visit them in every season, but it’s better to know what to expect.
These mountains are our favourite place in the world to visit again and again, so we hope that you’re inspired and will enjoy your trip there, too.
Again, don’t hesitate to ask any questions if you still have some – there are no stupid questions, and I’m happy to help!
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