Best Things To Do In Val Gardena For Every Season

If you’ve started planning a trip to the Dolomites, chances are the name “Val Gardena” keeps popping up everywhere, and everyone is saying “just stay there” without really explaining why.

Val Gardena is quite a special valley in the Western Dolomites – there are so many different things to do there, both in summer and winter, and it’s perfect if you’re looking for everything from easy to reach, jaw-dropping scenery, to day hikes, or to adventure activities.

We’ve lost count of how many times we’ve been to Val Gardena at this point. Summer, winter, shoulder season, with our daughter Emma, without her.

And we’ve also seen people expecting it to be a single village, booking the wrong area for visiting Val Gardena, assuming it’s only for hardcore hikers or skiers, or avoiding it altogether because they think it’s overrated and overcrowded.

It’s none of those things.

Here’s what Val Gardena actually is – and everything worth doing there.

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Val Gardena at a glance

A winding road passes through lush green hills, with rocky mountains rising in the background under a partly cloudy sky and sunlight streaming from the right. A small cabin sits beside the road in the picturesque landscape.

A valley (val means valley in Italian) made up of three towns: Ortisei, Santa Cristina, and Selva di Val Gardena
On the edge of Puez-Odle Nature Park – some of the most dramatic scenery in the Dolomites is right on your doorstep
Part of South Tyrol, with a strong Ladin identity – three languages (Italian, German, Ladin), distinctive architecture, special food, and a long wood carving tradition
Perfect base for many types of trips – lifts, trails, and passes are all within easy reach

Main towns: Ortisei, Santa Cristina, Selva

Alpine village spread across a valley with clusters of houses and winding roads beside a narrow river. Forested mountains rise on both sides under a sky filled with scattered clouds. — Ortisei

We’ve stayed multiple times in each town, and they just feel a bit different and offer a different vibe.

Ortisei (St. Ulrich / Urtijei) is the largest and liveliest. It just feels pleasant. It just feels right.
Santa Cristina (Sankt Christina) is the smallest. It’s in the middle of the valley, right under the mighty Sassolungo. Santa Cristina feels more grounded, like it’s saying “Relax, you’re on holiday now.”
Selva di Val Gardena (Wolkenstein in Groden, Selva) is the most outdoorsy of the three. Selva feels like a town built by hikers for hikers. The mountains feel close enough to touch from your hotel balcony – and that feeling when you open the curtains in the morning and they seem to greet you with a cheerful “Good morning, let’s go hiking” is pretty much the quintessential Selva experience.

Getting to Val Gardena

A dirt path winds through a grassy meadow toward distant mountains under a partly cloudy blue sky. Two people walk along the path, surrounded by green fields and scattered rocks.

It’s a valley, so you can’t just fly in and take a taxi or a train from the airport. You’ll probably fly into one of the closest airports to the Dolomites – Verona, Innsbruck, Munich, or Venice.

Public transport: From whichever airport you land at, take a train to Bolzano, then a bus that takes roughly an hour and serves all three towns
By car: From the A22 motorway (Autostrada di Brennero), you turn off towards Val Gardena. The drive in is an experience – the road winds and narrows, then suddenly opens up with Seceda on one side and Alpe di Siusi on the other.

Getting around once you’re there

A bright green public bus marked “172 St. Ulrich Ortisei” stops beside a rural roadside bus sign in a mountain valley. A man with a backpack waits nearby while green hills, pine trees, and a blue sky with scattered clouds surround the scene.

Val Gardena is quite compact, and if you don’t plan to move away from it, you don’t need a car. You can get around by bus, on foot, by bike, and by cable car.

Most partner hotels in Val Gardena provide a Val Gardena Guest Pass, which covers free use of public buses in the valley and most public transport in South Tyrol. If your accommodation doesn’t offer it, then Mobilcard is the paid alternative.

Depending on the trip we have planned, we try to use the buses as much as possible. They are convenient, you don’t need to worry about parking, and the main thing – you can enjoy the views instead of worrying about driving!

Map of Val Gardena

What to see in Val Gardena

A person in a pink and purple outfit stands on rocky terrain with pine trees scattered around. Towering cliffs and a cloudy sky form the backdrop, creating a dramatic and scenic mountain landscape.

As we already mentioned, Val Gardena has an almost unfair concentration of places to visit in or near it.

The sights below are a starting point, not a complete list – Val Gardena has far more to offer than any single roundup article can cover. But these are the ones that keep coming up for good reason.

Seceda

Mountain landscape with jagged rocky peaks, grassy slopes, and patches of snow under a clear blue sky. Rolling hills and distant mountains are visible in the background.

Seceda is easily one of the most famous and photographed places in Val Gardena, and after visiting it, you’ll quickly understand why.

You’ve seen the photos, for sure. But nothing really prepares you for the first time you stand there and take in the enormous 360-degree panorama. I still remember our first visit, and there’s a reason why we’ve visited at least 3 more times since then.

The dramatic “needles” of Odle rise sharply from the hillside while the rolling meadows of Mastlé spread beneath them like a giant green carpet. The silhouettes of the Sella Group and Sassolungo dominate the horizon, while Punta Santner rises like a stone tower somewhere in the distance.

It’s one of those rare places that almost feels too beautiful to be real.

Seceda is easily accessible by cable car from Ortisei and Santa Cristina. Because of its popularity, the main viewpoint does get busy, especially during summer and around midday.

And you need to reserve a time slot if you wish to visit Seceda by cable car from Ortisei.

But Seceda is much more than just its famous photo spot. Trails branch out in every direction toward places such as Pieralongia, Col Raiser and Monte Pic. And the further you wander from the main viewpoint, the quieter it becomes.

Alpe di Siusi

Alpe di Siusi, or Seiser Alm, is the largest high-altitude alpine meadow in Europe, stretching across an enormous plateau beneath some of the most iconic peaks in the Dolomites. It offers a completely different atmosphere compared to the jagged drama of Seceda.

Here, the rolling meadows dotted with barns and huts reach far towards the mountains in the distance. The unmistakable silhouettes of Sassolungo and Sassopiatto dominate the skyline, while the Sciliar range with its iconic tower of Punta Santner rises above the horizon on the opposite side.

What a lineup that is.

Alpe di Siusi is easily accessible by cable car from Ortisei, making it a great place to visit from Val Gardena. There are numerous options for easy walks with panoramic views, as well as some serious long hikes.

It’s also one of our favourite spots for riding an e-bike in the Dolomites – in fact, an e-bike is an excellent way how to explore different corners of this vast and beautiful place without destroying your legs.

Sassolungo

Summer view near Santa Cristina in the Dolomites with a traditional alpine hut at Baita Seurasas surrounded by green meadows and rolling hills. Forested slopes and rugged mountain peaks rise in the background under a clear July sky, showing a peaceful mountain hiking landscape.

Sassolungo is the highest mountain in Val Gardena region, looming high above the valley like its guardian. Its silhouette is iconic and quite unique among all of the Dolomites’ peaks.

While you’ll probably not climb its summit unless you have the genes of Reinhold Messner, there are many easily reachable spots that let you admire the beauty of this beast.

It looks majestic from the distance. Whether from Alpe di Siusi or from Seurasass, a panoramic shot with Sassolungo in the background is a serious competition to any Windows desktop wallpaper.

It looks awe-inspiring from up-close. Taking a vintage cable car (a.k.a. The Coffin Lift) from Passo Sella to Forcella Sassolungo brings you as close to Sassolungo’s vertical walls as it gets.

And then there’s a trail that goes right around it and lets you see it from every angle. It’s a beautiful whole-day hike, one of our favourites in Val Gardena.

Not up for a proper hike? No worries – take the chairlift from Monte Pana to Mont de Seura and walk for an easy 10 minutes. Here it is, right in front of you. It’s one of our favorite viewpoints in Val Gardena, and luckily, one of the undiscovered ones.

Passo Gardena

A scenic view of the Dolomites with rugged mountain peaks under a partly cloudy sky. A small building sits on a green hill with a winding path surrounded by lush grass and vegetation in the foreground.

At the upper end of Val Gardena sits Passo Gardena, a mountain pass that naturally divides Val Gardena from its neighbor valley, Alta Badia.

Whichever direction you turn, there are fantastic views from Passo Gardena. The immense walls of Sella to the south, the photogenic spires of Cir to the north, the majestic beauty of Sassolungo to the west and the awe-inspiring peaks of Conturines and Lavarella in the east.

It’s quite a panorama!

Passo Gardena is a perfect starting point for various outdoor activities. Hikers, climbers, mountain bikers, road cyclists and skiers will all find plenty of options here, from easy to more challenging ones.

I went on the Puez-Odle Altopiano hike which led partly by Passo Gardena – by the Rifugio Jimmi Hutte, to be precise. It’s one of the easiest to reach mountain huts from Passo Gardena – and I can definitely recommend going there if you have a chance.

There are restrictions planned for driving to Passo Gardena, so if you want to hike from the mountain pass, we recommend that you take the bus.

Vallunga

A winding path cuts through a lush green meadow, surrounded by tall trees and rugged mountains under a clear blue sky. The scene is tranquil, inviting exploration of the natural landscape.

Vallunga is a very scenic, quiet side valley of Val Gardena that leads from Selva towards the heart of Puez Odle Nature Park.

It’s surrounded by the imposing walls of Stevia and Chedul that loom high above the valley. The scenery is truly awe-inspiring here.

Vallunga is also easy to visit and explore. A wide gravel trail winds its way from the parking area deep into the valley.

The trail climbs very gently, making it a great place for an easy walk, riding a bike, or some cross-country skiing in winter.

I rode my bike here – borrowed from our hotel, Biancaneve, in Selva. And Kristine went for a winter walk here, where she also saw some cross-country skiers, families with kids in strollers out for a walk, and people walking in snowshoes.

(And she also made her feet wet by stepping into a spring that hadn’t frozen yet – don’t do that, though).

Altogether, it’s a superb option for a relaxing day in the beautiful nature.

Hiking in Val Gardena

Hikers make their way across the rocky scree slopes of the Sassolungo Loop hike in Val Gardena, surrounded by towering limestone cliffs and jagged Dolomite peaks. The rugged alpine landscape stretches beneath a deep blue sky, showcasing one of the region's most dramatic hiking routes.

Val Gardena is a true hiker’s paradise. The choice of hiking trails is excellent, ranging from easy short walks to hard whole-day hikes.

Many trails start right in one of the three towns in Val Gardena while other trailheads are just a short cable car or bus ride away.

Numerous mountain huts offering food and drinks are found along most of the trails so you don’t really need to worry about food too much if you don’t feel like carrying it. Check if the hut that has caught your eye will be open and have lunch there!

Just make sure to have some cash on you, especially if you’re going deeper in the mountains – sometimes, it can happen that the card payment machines don’t work.

But of course, always have snacks and water with you just in case – anything can happen in the mountain.

Easy walks

A small white chapel stands on a grassy hill under a partly cloudy sky, with a gravel path in the foreground and a village and forested hills in the background.

Vallunga is a valley that starts on the edge of the town of Selva and goes rather deep into the heart of Puez-Odle Nature Park. There’s a wide gravel trail with mountains on each side, with almost no elevation gain. It’s good for strollers, good for bikes, and good for winter walks and sports (unless you get your feet wet).

Pana Raida is an adventure trail for kids on Monte Pana, a plateau above Santa Cristina. It has twelve different stations along the way, and you’re probably gonna meet some animals. We did this one as a family with Emma, and it took way longer than normal to walk the distance because of all the play areas, but the fun was worth it. And so where the horse babies!

Alpe di Siusi has a whole network of marked paths across the plateau, with Sassolungo and Sassopiatto visible the whole time. Michal did a one-hour panorama loop and later an e-bike ride out here, we walked a stretch with Emma, and I came back for a winter walk with a friend. The cable car from Ortisei or Siusi gets you up in minutes, so it’s an easy way to get some much-needed views in your system any time of year.

Città dei Sassi at Passo Sella isn’t really a hike so much as a rocky playground where you scramble around at whatever level suits you. We’ve been several times, including on the way to hike around Sassolungo and with Emma, for her to climb some boulders.

Rasciesa – take the funicular up from Ortisei and you’re on an easy, scenic walk to the Rifugio of the same name. at one point, you get views of Seceda from a distance – definitely worth it. There’s a proper ridgeline hike from here too, but we skipped it on our last trip – the wind was brutal enough to ruin any views up there. Even without the ridgeline, the walk up alone is worth it.

Moderate hikes

Emma hikes toward Mt. Pic above Santa Cristina in Val Gardena wearing hiking sandals on a narrow trail through a green alpine meadow. The rolling hills and rugged Dolomite peaks illustrate the varied terrain where footwear with good sole grip, including sturdy hiking sandals, can be suitable for many routes in the Dolomites.

Baita Seurasas and Monte Pic – from the Cristauta parking above Santa Cristina, it’s an easy walk to Baita Seurasas and then a bit more moderate hike to Monte Pic. The 360-degree view from the top is one of the best in Val Gardena, though, so definitely worth it. We’ve done this one with Emma, and she did amazingly!

Sassolungo loop from Mont de Seura – you start the hike by taking the chairlift from Monte Pana to Mont de Seura, and then going through Citta dei Sassi towards Passo Sella, instead of the official start at the pass. This way, you can avoid a bunch of the crowds and get some extra special views. My recommendation is to take the Coffin lift up and then hike down back towards Mont de Seura – that’s much easier than scrambling up the scree in-between Sassolungo and Cinque Dita.

Col Raiser to Seceda through Pieralongia – instead of starting in Ortisei, you can go from Col Raiser all the way to Seceda (and back if you wish). Michal actually did it in winter, taking the Fermeda lift to avoid sliding up the mountain, haha. In summer, he walked to the Pieralongia and UNESCO World Heritage Site balcony – and altogether, this makes for a really nice half-day hike with half the crowds.

Full-day and challenging hikes

Jagged limestone rock spires at Pieralongia in Val Gardena near Seceda, surrounded by green alpine meadows and wildflowers under a bright blue sky with scattered white clouds. Two hikers stand on the pointed peak in the distance, emphasizing the dramatic scale of the Dolomite landscape. — Pieralongia

Sassolungo group round tour – Michal did the complete circuit around the whole Sassolungo group on our last trip, starting at Mont de Seura and picking up the loop through Città dei Sassi. It’s a long day with serious elevation, but nowhere near as brutal as it looks from below. The trail takes you past Rifugio Sassopiatto and Rifugio Comici, with the Sassolungo and Sassopiatto walls looming over you almost the entire way. He still talks about it.

Monte Pic to Col Raiser – we started this one together as a family, all the way up to Monte Pic, and then Emma and I turned back while Michal carried on solo. From Monte Pic, he continued to Forcella Cuca, across to Baita Daniel and Baita Troier, through Malga Pieralongia, and along the UNESCO balcony on Seceda before heading down via Col Raiser. It’s a proper full day, through the forest, near ridges, through alpine pastures, with views of the Puez-Odle Nature Park entertaining you the whole way.

Puez-Odle Altopiano – Michal did an adjusted version of the Puez Odle: up from Dantercepies, across to Jimmi Hutte, Forcella Cir, Crespeina, Forcella Ciampei, a bit of detour to Rifugio Puez, back to Ciampei, then down to Col Pradat and out to Colfosco in Alta Badia, and then a bus back to Santa Cristina. It’s a proper deep dive into Puez-Odle, with ridge and alpine terrain the whole way. Be sure to check the bus schedule out of Colfosco before you go so you’re not stuck waiting around.

Other things to do in Val Gardena

Green meadow in front of hotel Monte Pana with a winding path leading past a small playground and wooden shelters toward distant alpine mountains. Colorful flowers in the foreground frame the view with tall trees and a dramatic rocky peak rising in the background.

Hiking isn’t the only way to spend your days in Val Gardena. We’ve tried a good chunk of what else is on offer here too, and there’s plenty to keep you busy if you want a change of pace from the trails.

Bike and e-bike

Kristine and Michal sit on a wooden bench with a sign reading “SASSOLUNGO” in front of the Sassolungo Group at Passo Sella in the Dolomites. Towering limestone peaks rise behind green alpine meadows, hiking paths, and cable car lines under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

Exploring the Dolomites on two wheels has been growing more popular every year, and Val Gardena has a lot to offer every type of cyclist.

If you’re into road cycling, from Val Gardena, you have easy access to Passo Gardena and Passo Sella.

As a hardcore mountain bike enthusiast, you can find plenty of tracks at Dantercepies. It’s even possible to bike the Sellaronda MTB trail – the one that is Sellaronda ski circuit in winter.

and families with kids will appreciate Rodfaval – the cycling path connecting all three towns.

If you’d like to cover more ground without destroying your legs in the process, renting an e-bike to ride on Alpe di Siusi is hard to beat. There’s a great infrastructure of bike rentals across all three towns, and enough rifugios along the way to recharge both you and the bike.

Mountaineering and climbing

Three people rock climbing on a rugged, rocky hillside with some greenery. A few trees are scattered along the slope. The sky is cloudy, adding a dramatic backdrop to the scene. — Citta dei Sassi

Val Gardena has some great options for climbing, including via ferrata. We’ve kind of tried it in the non-official, not-really way, haha.

It was at Città dei Sassi near Passo Sella – literally translated a City of Stones -, which offers rock climbing for every skill level, including complete beginners. Our daughter did her first “climb” there. It was, of course, just finding a nice boulder and trying to get up it, but still, let’s call it climb.

If you’re already more experienced, there’s another option for you at Passo Sella. The walls of Cinque Dita – part of the Sassolungo massif – are waiting.

If you’re looking for beginner via ferratas, Gran Cir is a great, if popular, option. An amazing whole day challenge, if you’d like one, would be Sassopiatto (Oskar Schuster ferrata).

Ziplining

A smiling family of three wearing helmets and outdoor jackets stand together outside on a sunny day, ready for an adventure. A wooden building and green landscape are visible in the background.

If a bit of adrenaline combined with some fabulous views of Val Gardena and Alpe di Siusi sounds like your kind of thing, we definitely recommend trying out the Monte Pana zipline!

It starts at Mont de Seura – a flat mountain with some of our favorite panoramic views of Val Gardena – and takes about two minutes to whizz you down to Monte Pana, a small hamlet above Santa Cristina.

You can go solo, as a couple, or even as a family – we went all 3 of us together, and it was amazing.

Paragliding

a green paraglider prepared to launch on a snowy ridge in Monte Pana with wide alpine views of rolling hills and jagged peaks in the distance. Another skier moves downhill nearby while a second paraglider floats over the forested valley under a clear blue sky.

Tandem paragliding sounds like something that will be terrifying, but once you’re actually up in the air, it feels amazing. And then it’s hard to believe you almost didn’t do it.

Kristine has a serious fear of heights (yes, really), but for her, tandem paragliding felt like being at the cinema.

In Val Gardena, Fly2 and Gardenafly both run tandem flights from spots like Seceda, Monte Pana, and Alpe di Siusi. You can go flying both in summer and winter, and the flight times range from around 15 minutes to over an hour.

Tandem paragliding is suitable for most ages and fitness levels. You have to be a certain weight, though, otherwise it wouldn’t be possible – Emma has wanted to go for some years now, but she’s too light for it.

Exploring the villages

A woman and a child walk along a path bordered by a vibrant wildflower-covered hillside. In the background, there are rustic houses and mountains covered in dense green forest. The sky is cloudy, suggesting a cool, subdued day. — Selva

The towns in Val Gardena are also worth exploring.

All of them have lovely walkable centers, with artisanal shops, wood carving galleries, and good restaurants.

In December, you’ll find Christmas markets in the town centers full of artisanal things and tasty food. And Val Gardena Active actually organizes different activities both for kids and adults, for example, we saw making traditional bread in Ortisei.

And if you haven’t come across Ladin culture before, Val Gardena is a good place to get to know it. The language, the architecture, the signs in three languages, and the culture – try the food, visit the museums, and just pay attention when you’re walking around. Ladin is unique in South Tyrol.

Day trips from Val Gardena

A wooden cabin sits on a grassy hill with people walking nearby. Tall, jagged mountains rise dramatically in the background under a partly cloudy blue sky. Pine trees dot the landscape.

There are, quite obviously, multiple day trips you can take from Val Gardena. It’s easy if you have a car – and less easy, or rather inconvenient at times, if you’re relying on public transport.

But it can be done both ways!

Val di Funes

A lush green valley with scattered houses and a church is surrounded by dense forests and dramatic, jagged mountains beneath a partly cloudy sky.

Val di Funes is the most popular day trip from Val Gardena, and it’s easy to see why – the valley sits right beneath the Odle group, which you’ve already been staring at from Seceda, just from the other side.

We’ve been to Val di Funes twice – once in autumn to visit the viewpoints of the Santa Maddalena and Ranui churches – both iconic, both worth it, and far more peaceful out of peak summer.

The second time we hiked the Adolf Munkel trail to the Cinema delle Odle viewpoint, which Emma handled brilliantly. It’s a longer half-day hike, but the payoff is definitely worth it.

One practical note: the Malga Zannes parking fills up fast in summer. If you haven’t booked it in advance, you’ll be taking the bus in from further down the valley – which, honestly, turned out to be a lovely way to arrive.

Venture eastwards

A woman and a child with raised arms stand on a grassy hill, facing towering gray rock formations under a partly cloudy sky. The scene suggests a feeling of exploration and awe in a natural mountainous landscape.

Heading east from Val Gardena opens up a whole different side of the Dolomites, and it’s easy to do as a day trip if you have a car.

Alta Badia is close by – just over Passo Gardena. We went on a short walk to Cascate del Pisciadù – the 80m waterfall dramatically cascading from the walls of the Sella group. After, instead of going straight back, we decided to explore what’s on a different trail – and found Val di Mezdi, also with a waterfall, which barely anyone seems to know about.

If you’re looking into a full-day, longer trip, then it’s possible to visit Rifugio Lagazuoi and Cinque Torri, like we did on a trip in June. First, go up to the Lagazuoi hut from Passo Falzarego and walk towards the Mt Lagazuoi Piccolo for views that go all the way from Cortina to the Odle peaks, and you can even see the Marmolada glacier.

Afterwards, go to Cinque Torri and explore its WWI open-air museum right among the rocks. We had less than an hour there and still felt it was worth stopping. If you have enough time, you can even hike to rifugios Nuvolau and Averau.

Bolzano

A crowded Christmas market fills a town square with people standing beneath white vendor umbrellas and evergreen decorations. A large decorated Christmas tree stands to the left, while a historic church with a patterned roof and tall bell tower rises behind the stalls under a clear blue sky. The image shows a festive winter atmosphere in a European city center.

Bolzano is one of the bigger towns some 30 minutes to an hour away from Val Gardena by car. It’s worth a half-day trip, especially in December – Kristine went with a friend for the Christmas market, which fills the whole old town centre and is one of the biggest in South Tyrol.

On the way back they stopped at Lago di Carezza, although it does look better in summer when the Latemar range reflects in the water. But the winter quietness is also interesting.

If wine is your thing, the area around Bolzano is also one of the best wine regions in northern Italy. The Strada del Vino runs right through it and is worth a detour – or you can even go for a tour and wine tasting in one of the wineries.

Val Gardena in winter

Adult and child in ski gear stand on a snowy slope in front of trail signs while smiling at the camera. Signs behind them read "CHARLIE M4" "BRAVO M3" and "ALPHA" with directional arrows and a larger board that says "THE LEGENDARY 8 Val Gardena" and "BRAVO". Snow covered mountains and a clear blue sky stretch across the background.

Val Gardena is one of the best ski destinations in the Dolomites – and in Europe, maybe even in the world. It’s part of one of the biggest ski areas in the world – Dolomiti Superski – and has loooots of ski runs for all skill levels.

The winter season lasts from early December to early April, but keep in mind that you’ll have more limited options if you go at the tail ends of the season.

When we went in the beginning of December – literally on the 2nd day of the season -, some of the lifts didn’t work yet and not all the hotels and restaurants were open yet.

The best thing is that winter in Val Gardena isn’t only for skiers.

Snowshoeing on Alpe di Siusi, tobogganing, cross-country skiing, night skiing at Monte Pana, Christmas markets in December. There’s plenty to do even if you never touch a pair of skis.

We’ve done both skiing/snowboarding and not-skiing/snowboarding, since I’m not a skier, but Kristine and Emma are. And let me tell you, all of us enjoyed it – I loved my winter hiking experiences, and the girls loved their skiing.

Where to stay in Val Gardena

Kristine and Emma relax in an infinity pool overlooking a green mountain valley called Val Gardena dotted with small villages and pine trees. Cloud-covered peaks, including Seceda, rise in the background while sunlight reflects across the calm blue water.

Ortisei (St. Ulrich / Urtijei) is the most convenient base in Val Gardena for reaching two of the region’s biggest stars: Seceda and Alpe di Siusi, both accessible directly from town via cable cars.
Its pedestrian centre is lined with numerous cafes, artisanal shops and traditional boutiques, and you can reach Seceda and Alpe di Siusi by cable car.

Ortisei offers plenty of accommodation options, ranging from lavish five-star resorts to charming family-run farm stays and everything in-between. It’s also one of our favourite bases in the Dolomites, both for its atmosphere and all the options it offers.

We have our reviews of hotel Sureghes and Hotel Digon – both amazing options, each for its own budget.

Santa Cristina (Sankt Christina) has fewer shops and restaurants than Ortisei, but it still offers plenty of accommodation options, cosy cafes and everything you realistically need for a stay in the Dolomites. It also happens to be an excellent base for hikers, with quick access to Seceda via a different route than from Ortisei, as well as some lesser-known gems such as Seurasass.

Selva di Val Gardena (Wolkenstein in Groden, Selva) is the most outdoorsy of the three towns in Val Gardena. For anyone planning long hiking days, Selva is arguably the most strategically located base in Val Gardena. It provides quick access to Passo Gardena, Vallunga and the Sassolungo area, putting some of the region’s longer and more demanding hikes practically on your doorstep.

Selva is the kind of place where the Dolomites are really calling you. We stayed there, and we loved it.

Find the Best Hotel for Your Val Gardena Trip

Is Val Gardena worth it for your trip?

A smiling woman, a man in sunglasses, and a young child in outdoor jackets pose for a selfie on a grassy hillside with mountains and a partly cloudy sky in the background. The child's face is blurred.

Yes – and we say that having been back more times than we can count, across every season, with a toddler in tow and without her.

Val Gardena is definitely one of those places that we just keep coming back to. It’s special, beautiful, and has so much to offer!

Val Gardena isn’t one of those places that looks better in photos than in real life. It’s the other way around. The mountains are right there, the valley works as a base for so many different kinds of trips, and whether you’re there for a week of serious hiking or a slow few days with cable cars and rifugio lunches, it delivers.

The only thing that trips people up is the planning – picking the wrong village, missing the reservation for Seceda, not realizing the buses work differently than expected. Get those details right and the rest takes care of itself.

If I were planning my first Val Gardena trip today, I’d start by choosing where to stay first, that is, if I’m basing myself in Ortisei, Selva, and Santa Cristina. That means – finding my non-negotiable things to do, and then choosing the base so that I can access them easily.

Everything else kind of flows out of this one decision – will you need a car? Or a cable car pass?

If you’re ready to start planning, let’s talk and make sure you do it the right way!

Best Things To Do In Val Gardena: Views, Hikes, Winter

Val Gardena at a glance