The top things to do in the Dolomites are hiking the Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop from Lake Misurina, walking around lakes such as Braies, Sorapis and Carezza, riding lifts to Seceda or Lagazuoi, driving the high passes and trying a via ferrata. In winter, ski the Dolomiti Superski area, then eat canederli and speck.
The Dolomites cover a lot of ground: UNESCO listed them as World Heritage in 2009 as nine separate mountain groups across north-east Italy. You will not see it all in one trip. This list starts in the east, around Lake Misurina and Cortina, where the Tre Cime and the best-known lakes are, then moves west.
| Thing to do | Area | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Tre Cime loop | Misurina | Late May to October road; June to September huts |
| Lake Misurina walk | Misurina | All year |
| Cadini di Misurina viewpoint | Misurina | Summer |
| Lago di Braies | Val Pusteria | All year; car booking 1 July to 15 September |
| Lake Sorapis hike | Cortina | Summer |
| Lagazuoi and Cinque Torri | Cortina | June to October |
| Seceda ridge | Val Gardena | Late May to early November |
| Alpe di Siusi | Val Gardena | May to November lifts |
| Via ferrata | Everywhere | Summer |
| Mountain passes drive | Everywhere | All year, some closures |
| Skiing | Everywhere | December to March |
| Food | Everywhere | All year |
Start here. The Tre Cime di Lavaredo are three rock towers, the highest 2,999 m, and the loop around them is about 10 km with roughly 400 m of climbing. Allow three to four hours from Rifugio Auronzo, passing Rifugio Lavaredo, Forcella Lavaredo and Rifugio Locatelli.
You reach the trailhead from Lake Misurina. The toll road cost €40 per car in 2026 and needed an online booking; it opened on 23 May. The Dolomitibus shuttle from Misurina cost €10 for the day. Or book a guided loop from Misurina with the toll included.
Lake Misurina sits at 1,754 m below the Sorapiss, and the flat path around it is about 2.6 km, 30 minutes to an hour. Go early or at sunset, when the water is calm and the Tre Cime show above the trees. In 1956 the frozen lake held the Olympic speed skating; the Misurina legend page tells that story and the folk tale behind the name. Just north, little Lago d’Antorno gives the classic Tre Cime reflection.
From Rifugio Auronzo, a 30 to 35 minute walk on trail 117 brings you to the Cadini di Misurina viewpoint, a jagged cluster of spires with the lake far below. The last few metres are exposed and loose. Skip them in the wet or if you have no head for heights.
The Dolomites lakes are a trip in themselves. Our Dolomites lakes guide covers them all; the headliners are:
The front line of the First World War ran through these mountains, and two open-air museums near Cortina let you walk it. The Lagazuoi cable car from Passo Falzarego rises to 2,732 m, where tunnels and trenches are free to visit (bring a helmet and torch). At Cinque Torri, a chairlift from Bai de Dones reaches restored trenches beside the top station. Monte Piana, above Misurina, has its own trenches, reached by jeep shuttle from the lake. More in our guide to things to do in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Seceda, above Ortisei in Val Gardena, is the big view of the western Dolomites, a long ridge high above the valley. Lifts from Ortisei ran from 22 May to 2 November in 2026, and the summit cross is at 2,519 m. A popular walk down via Pieralongia to Col Raiser is about 9 to 10 km, three to four hours. Since 2025, landowners have charged €5 on a short stretch of trail 6 east of the summit cross; the official Val Gardena site says trail 1 avoids it and you keep the views.
The official site calls the Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm) “the largest high alpine pasture in Europe”: 56 km² of meadow between about 1,800 and 2,300 m. The road is closed to most private cars from 9:00 to 17:00 in summer, so take the cable car from Siusi (about 15 minutes) or the gondola from Ortisei.
A via ferrata is a climbing route fitted with steel cables and ladders that you clip into. Some around Cortina follow lines that soldiers fitted with ladders in the First World War. Cortina’s tourist board rates Ra Gusela (from Passo Giau) and Averau as easy and the Ivano Dibona as expert. You need a helmet, harness and via ferrata set; the Veneto alpine club advises a course or a guide if you are new.
The Great Dolomite Road runs about 110 km from Bolzano to Cortina over the Costalunga, Pordoi and Falzarego passes, and was completed in 1909. Pordoi, at 2,239 m, is its high point. From Cortina, Passo Giau and Passo Falzarego are each about 16 km up the road. Most passes stay open in winter, but Giau and Fedaia close most often after heavy snow, and mountain roads take longer than any route planner says.
In winter, one Dolomiti Superski pass covers Cortina, Misurina’s small ski area and the big western resorts. The season normally starts in late November or early December; in 2025/26 it opened on 29 November. A one-day adult pass is €89 in high season for 2026/27. The Sellaronda, a ski circuit around the Sella group, is about 44 km, roughly half on skis and half on lifts.
The Dolomites straddle Italian and German-speaking areas, and the food shows it. In South Tyrol: canederli (Knödel) bread dumplings, speck, which has EU protected status since 1996 and must be processed in the province of Bolzano, and apple strudel. Around Cortina: casunziei all’ampezzana, half-moon ravioli with butter and poppy seeds. The best place to try them is a mountain hut at the top of a climb.
Most of this list depends on the lifts and huts being open, which in practice means mid-June to late September. See the best time to visit the Dolomites for a month-by-month table, and our Dolomites itinerary for how to string these into three to seven days. If you are short of time, a Venice day trip will get you to Misurina and Cortina; see Venice to the Dolomites or browse the tours.
5 hours
Meets at Misurina and drives you up the toll road (fee included) for the classic 10 km loop around the Tre Cime from Rifugio Auronzo, with a guide who covers the geology and First World War history.
from$146
Check availability9 hours
The most-reviewed Misurina day trip from Venice: a small-group minivan run via Pieve di Cadore and the Auronzo dam to a lunch stop of over two hours at the lake, then an hour in Cortina.
from$166
Check availability9 hours
Pairs a guided hour at Misurina with a longer walk at Lake Braies, plus a Tre Cime photo stop and a short look at Cortina, led by a hiking guide who films you by drone.
from$157
Check availability7 hours
A demanding guided hike straight from the lakeshore into the Cadini spires, 12.7 km with 870 m of climbing, stopping at Rifugio Città di Carpi for lunch.
from$112
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No official ranking exists, but the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, three rock towers up to 2,999 m above Lake Misurina, are the strongest candidate. About 110,000 vehicles used the toll road to their trailhead in 2025. Lago di Braies is so busy in summer that cars now need a booking, and Seceda's lift company says over 4,000 people a day walk its ridge.
No source counts hikers across the region, but the Tre Cime loop is the classic choice. It is about 10 km with about 400 m of climbing and takes three to four hours from Rifugio Auronzo, above Lake Misurina. The Seceda ridge in Val Gardena is the western rival; its lift company says over 4,000 people a day walk the trail.
Three days is enough for one area, such as Cortina and Lake Misurina with the Tre Cime, Lake Sorapis and a cable car. Five to seven days lets you add Lago di Braies and drive west over the passes to Val Gardena for Seceda and the Alpe di Siusi. The two areas are about 65 km apart by mountain road.
Yes, in summer. Buses link Venice with Cortina all year, Dolomitibus runs a shuttle from Misurina to the Tre Cime trailhead from late May, and Val Gardena's lifts reach Seceda and the Alpe di Siusi. Outside summer, bus services thin out a lot. In October 2026 there was no scheduled bus from Cortina to Lake Misurina.
It depends which side you are on. In South Tyrol look for canederli (bread dumplings, called Knödel in German), speck, which has had EU protected status since 1996, and apple strudel. Around Cortina, try casunziei all'ampezzana, half-moon ravioli served with butter and poppy seeds. Mountain huts serve the same dishes after a hike.
The Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop is a walk of about 9.5 km and 400 m of climbing around three peaks, taking most people 3 to 4 hours.
The best-known Dolomites lakes are Braies, Sorapis, Carezza and Misurina.
The best hikes in the Dolomites near Misurina are the Tre Cime loop (about 10 km, 3 to 4 hours), the short Cadini di Misurina viewpoint walk and the Lake Sorapis trail (10.5 km, 4 hours, with exposed ledges).
For 3 days in the Dolomites, base yourself in Cortina d'Ampezzo or at Lake Misurina: day one for Cortina's cable cars, day two for the Tre Cime loop and the lake, day three for Lake Sorapis or Lago di Braies.