Dolomites · Italy
Best hikes & trails in the Dolomites
The Dolomites pack more standout day hikes into a small area than almost anywhere in the Alps. We've pulled together eleven trails we keep coming back to, mixing easy meadow walks with cabled scrambles and a couple of quieter alternatives to the famous spots. Most of these are summer routes: snow lingers on the higher passes into June, and huts and chairlifts generally run from mid-June to early October. A few sections have fixed cables or a via-ferrata feel, so check the notes before you set off, carry layers, and start early to beat both the crowds and afternoon thunderstorms.
Dolomites · ItalyForcella Lavaredo
HikingThe loop around the Tre Cime di Lavaredo is the signature Dolomites hike, and Forcella Lavaredo is where the three peaks finally line up side by side. From the Rifugio Auronzo car park the full circuit is roughly 9 km with about 425 m of ascent, moderate and mostly on well-graded paths past Rifugio Lavaredo and Rifugio Locatelli. Best from late June to early October; note the toll road to Auronzo is busy and often reservation-only in high summer.
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Dolomites · ItalyGrotta delle Tre Cime
ViewpointHikingA short, steep detour off the Tre Cime loop that pays off with the most photographed frame in the range: the three peaks seen through a natural stone window. The path climbs the slope of Sasso di Sesto just above Rifugio Locatelli, topping out around 2,498 m, and the caves themselves are old Alpini bunkers from World War I. Add roughly an hour and expect a scramble; it gets crowded, so aim for early morning light.
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Dolomites · ItalyCadini di Misurina
ViewpointHikingOne of the most jaw-dropping viewpoints in the Dolomites for surprisingly little effort: about 3 km round trip from the Rifugio Auronzo car park, roughly 35 minutes each way. The reward is a grandstand look at the Cadini spires stacked like a stone city. The final few metres run along a narrow, exposed ledge, so skip it in wet, icy or windy conditions or if you're uneasy with heights.
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Dolomites · ItalyLake Sorapis
LakeHikingUnlike the drive-up lakes nearby, this milky-turquoise glacial lake has to be earned on foot. The classic out-and-back from Passo Tre Croci runs around 11-12 km via Rifugio Vandelli, moderate but with a few narrow, exposed passages secured by fixed cables. It's a pure summer hike, roughly late June to September; go earlier in the season for the fullest, most vivid colour before the crowds peak.
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Dolomites · ItalySeceda
ViewpointHikingSeceda's tilted grass ridge above Ortisei, backed by the sawtooth Odle/Geisler peaks, is one of the most recognisable scenes in the Alps. Two cable-car stages from Ortisei lift you to about 2,500 m, and it's only a ten-minute walk to the famous viewpoint; from there you can extend along the panoramic ridge trail or drop down toward Rifugio Firenze. Lifts run roughly late May to October, and morning light on the peaks is best.
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Dolomites · ItalyAlpe Siusi
ViewpointHikingEurope's largest high-alpine meadow is the place for gentle, wide-open walking rather than a single summit push, with more than 450 km of trails rolling between the Sassolungo and Sciliar massifs. The easy Panorama Walk is the classic first outing; in June and early July the pastures fill with wildflowers. The plateau is largely car-free, so ride the cable car from Ortisei or Siusi, with lifts running roughly late May to early November.
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Dolomites · ItalyCinque Torri
HikingThe Cinque Torri towers make an easy, history-rich loop of about 2.5 km on gentle terrain, threading restored World War I trenches and bunkers that form an open-air front-line museum. Take the chairlift up to Rifugio Scoiattoli, then circle the base of the pale towers; extend toward Rifugio Averau and Nuvolau if you want a fuller half-day. The lift typically runs June to mid-October.
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Dolomites · ItalyLagazuoi
HikingThis is history you walk through: a cable car from Passo Falzarego lifts you to the Lagazuoi summit, and the front-line trail descends via tunnels the Italian army carved into the rock between 1915 and 1917. It's about 4 km and 2-3 hours, mostly downhill but with cabled, via-ferrata-style sections in the dark galleries. Bring a headlamp and a helmet, wear proper boots, and go in summer, roughly June to September.
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Dolomites · ItalyLake Federa
LakeViewpointHikingRinged by larches and watched over by the spire of Becco di Mezzodì, Lago Federa near Cortina is the Dolomites' quintessential autumn hike. The out-and-back is close to 10 km with a modest ~500 m of climbing, easy going, ending at lakeside Rifugio Croda da Lago Palmieri. Time it for late October when the larches turn gold; the hut stays open later than most, often into early November.
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Dolomites · ItalyCol de la Puina
HikingA quieter alternative on the flanks of Monte Pelmo, reached from Passo Staulanza on trail 472 via Rifugio Città di Fiume, about 45 minutes to the hut on easy ground. Push on and up to the Col de la Puina saddle for a 360° sweep taking in Pelmo, Civetta and Marmolada; the upper section is steeper and rockier. The hut is generally open from late June to late September.
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Dolomites · ItalyGeislerkino
HikingViewpointThe 'Odle Cinema' sits along the Adolf Munkel trail in Val di Funes, a hill of wooden loungers set right under the Geisler/Odle peaks like Sass Rigais and Furchetta. The full loop from the Zannes trailhead is an easy ~9.5 km through forest and meadow, threading a string of huts for lunch, with no technical bits and plenty for families. It's walkable from early June to mid or late October, and gorgeous when the larches turn.
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You could string several of these together over a long weekend based in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Val Gardena or Val di Funes, since most trailheads are within an hour's drive of each other. Book chairlift and cable-car tickets and any Tre Cime road slots ahead in July and August, pack proper footwear and a headlamp for the Lagazuoi tunnels, and always check the local hut and weather report the night before.
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