Hiking the Dolomites: trails, peaks and huts

If you are looking for the best things to do in the Dolomites, this is the guide I wish I had before my first trip. The first time I saw these mountains I pulled the car over without even thinking. Pale rock towers were glowing pink in the evening light, and the meadows below them were so green they looked edited. They were not. That evening is why I keep going back.

Are the Dolomites worth visiting?

People ask me this a lot, and my answer is a quick yes. The Dolomites sit in northern Italy, across the South Tyrol, Trentino and Veneto regions, and the whole range is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The rock is pale and jagged, the valleys are wide and green, and the scale is hard to get across in a photo.

I like how easy it is to mix effort and comfort. You can sleep in a village with a bell tower and a bakery, be on a ridge with a 360 degree view within an hour, and eat pasta on a hut terrace by lunch. Those huts, the rifugi, are a big part of the experience. If your idea of Italy so far is city sightseeing, my take on Rome shows the other end of the country, and the Dolomites are a very different world.

Walk around Tre Cime di Lavaredo

The three famous peaks are the postcard image of the region, and the loop around them is a classic. It is a fairly easy walk that starts at the Rifugio Auronzo, which you reach by a toll road. The path is wide, and the views keep changing as you circle the towers, so you rarely get the same picture twice.

Bring layers. The weather up there turns quickly, and I have gone from sunshine to a cold wind in the time it took to eat a sandwich.

Hike the Seceda ridge

Above Ortisei in Val Gardena, Seceda is the ridge with the jagged line and the steep green slopes you have probably seen on Instagram. A cable car takes you up, which saves your legs for walking along the top.

It looks as dramatic in person as it does online. Clouds can hide everything, though, so check the forecast the evening before and be ready to swap days if it looks bad.

Take a slow day on the Alpe di Siusi

The Alpe di Siusi is one of the largest high-altitude meadows in Europe, with the Sciliar massif standing behind it. The walking is gentle and open, so it suits a slower day or anyone who does not want a steep climb.

I like it as a rest day between bigger hikes. You still get proper mountain views, just without the burning thighs.

See Lake Braies early in the morning

Lago di Braies, also called Pragser Wildsee, is the most photographed lake in the Dolomites. It has green-blue water, a wooden boathouse and mountains rising straight out of the shore, and it is very popular.

Go early, ideally around sunrise or just after. The light is soft, the water is calm and you will share the lake with far fewer people. In peak season, access by car can be restricted at certain hours, so check the current rules and booking requirements before you go. The walk around the lake is short and easy.

If you like lakes with mountains behind them, my Lake Bled travel guide covers another one I love.

Eat at a rifugio

I would put this on every itinerary. A rifugio is a mountain hut, and many of them serve hot food that beats any packed lunch: dumplings, polenta, soup, strudel, usually with a view you could not book at a restaurant in town.

Plan one of your hikes so that lunch lands at a hut. Check opening dates first, because some huts close as the season winds down in autumn.

How to get to the Dolomites

The region is well connected. These are the airports I would look at:

• Venice and Treviso, good for Cortina and the eastern valleys
• Verona and Bolzano, good for the western valleys and the Alpe di Siusi
• Innsbruck in Austria, a handy option for the north, and a nice start if you want to combine it with my Austria guides
• Munich, further away but with plenty of flights

From the airport I rent a car, which is the most useful thing you can have here. Buses work for the big valleys, but the best trailheads, viewpoints and lakes are scattered, and a car gives you the freedom to chase good weather. Mountain roads are narrow and winding, so do not plan too many hours behind the wheel in one day.

Where to base yourself

These are the bases I would pick:

• Ortisei (Val Gardena): close to Seceda and the Alpe di Siusi. Pretty, walkable and well set up for visitors.
• Cortina d’Ampezzo: a stylish town in the eastern Dolomites, handy for Tre Cime and Lake Braies. It also hosted events at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
• The Val Pusteria area: a calmer base near Lake Braies, with nice villages and good access to the northern side.

With a week, I would split it: a few nights in Val Gardena, a few near Cortina or the Val Pusteria.

When to visit the Dolomites

Summer, roughly late June to early September, is hiking season, with most huts and cable cars open and the long days at their best. It is also the busiest time, so book places to stay early and start your hikes early.

Early autumn is my favourite. In September the crowds thin out, the light turns golden, and the larches start to change colour toward the end of the month.

In winter the Dolomites are a serious ski region, with huge ski areas and cosy villages. It is a different trip, and a great one, but this guide is about the green season.

Spring and late autumn are quieter, but many lifts and huts are closed and higher trails may hold snow. That is fine for the valleys and less good for big hikes.

Practical tips

• Pack for four seasons, even in July. Bring a rain jacket, a warm layer and proper walking shoes.
• Start hikes early. Afternoon storms are common in summer, and you want to be off the ridges by then.
• Download offline maps. Signal is patchy on some trails.
• Be flexible. If the weather is bad, swap your big hike for a lake or a village and try again tomorrow.
• In winter, check the rules on winter tyres or chains for your dates.

Plan your own Dolomites trip

I still find new corners every time I go. Pick a base, leave a spare day for weather and get up early at least once. For more ideas, browse my Italy guides, and if you want more mountains afterwards, my Slovenia guides are worth a look too.