Col de Varda chairlift and hut

Col de Varda is the slope of the Cadini di Misurina straight above the south end of Lake Misurina. A two-seat chairlift leaves from the lakeshore and reaches Rifugio Col de Varda (2,106 m) in about 10 minutes. In summer 2026 it ran from 18 June to 20 September, and an adult return cost €17. The walk up takes about an hour instead.

The lift is the quickest way from Lake Misurina into the Cadini. From the top you can eat at the hut, walk on to Rifugio Città di Carpi in about an hour, or, with ferrata kit, cross the Cadini on the Sentiero Bonacossa.

The chairlift

The valley station is on the south shore of the lake, about 0.6 km by road from its centre. The lift climbs from about 1,750 m to about 2,100 m, some 350 m of height. The operator’s contact is listed as Misurina Neve.

Checked October 2026, from the Consorzio Turistico Tre Cime Dolomiti lift page:

Ticket (summer 2026)	Adult	Reduced
Return	€17	€12
Up only	€13	€10
Down only	€8	€8

Children under 6 ride free. The reduced fare covers children aged 6 to 14, according to the Col de Varda price sheet; another sheet on the same page uses “born after 31 May 2009”.

Dates (2026)	Hours
18 June to 24 July	9:00 to 16:45
25 July to 30 August	9:00 to 17:15
31 August to 20 September	9:00 to 16:45

Watch the time of the last ride down. Miss it and you walk the gravel road down, about 350 m of descent. The same road is also a mountain bike descent.

In winter the lift is part of the small Misurina ski area. Summer dates and fares for 2027 had not been published in October 2026.

Rifugio Col de Varda

The Cella family of Auronzo runs the hut. It has 24 beds in five rooms and opens in winter too, for skiing, snowshoeing and ski touring. It is a stage hut on Alta Via 4 and the start of the Sentiero Bonacossa. The hut publishes no prices online; ask at the hut.

From the top you see the lake below, Cristallo, the Sexten Dolomites, the Cadini, Sorapiss and the Tofane. Punta Col de Varda, the Cadini summit above the hut, reaches 2,504 m.

Walks from the top

Checked October 2026:

Walk	Time	Notes
Lake Misurina to Col de Varda, trail 120	1 to 1.25 h up	About 350 m, on a track up the ski runs
Col de Varda to Rifugio Città di Carpi, trail 120	About 1 h	Mostly level; dolomiti.it says 1 h 30
Lake Misurina to Città di Carpi, trails 120 and 121	About 2 h	All on foot, no lift
Col de Varda to Rifugio Fonda Savio, Sentiero Bonacossa (trail 117)	1.5 to 2 h	Via ferrata kit required

To Rifugio Città di Carpi. This is the easy walk from the lift. Trail 120 runs about an hour from the top station on a mostly level path, and the official tourism site calls it suitable for families. The hut stands at 2,110 m beside Forcella Maraia. The CAI Carpi section opened it on 13 September 1970 and dedicated it to Captain Manfredo Tarabini Castellani of the Pieve di Cadore battalion. It has 32 places and opened from 13 June in 2026; its usual season runs to around 20 September.

For a longer guided day instead, a Cadini hike leaves from the lakeshore and stops at Città di Carpi for lunch. It covers 12.7 km with 870 m of climbing, far more than the walk from the lift.

The Sentiero Bonacossa. Trail 117 heads north from the hut over Forcella di Misurina and Forcella del Diavolo to Rifugio Fonda Savio. It is a via ferrata: you need a helmet, harness and ferrata set, and experience on exposed ground. The Col de Varda hut gives about 1 hour 30 for the leg; the Fonda Savio hut says two hours.

Practical tips

The lift opens at 9:00, which leaves time for the walk to Città di Carpi and back before the last ride down. Check that time for your date before you set off. If you are staying at the lake, see where to stay at Lake Misurina; for parking near the lift, see the Lake Misurina parking guide.

On the same trip you can visit the Monte Piana open-air museum, on the north side of the lake.