4 Days in the Italian Dolomites

The Italian Dolomites are an outdoor playground for whatever strikes your fancy: skiing, cycling, climbing, hiking, boating, and more. You’ll find turquoise alpine lakes nestled in every valley and hairpin turns in the roads over every mountain pass. Every inch of it feels like a fairytale… or something out of Sound of Music. It’s really, truly breathtaking.

We finally got the opportunity to make a whirlwind trip to the Dolomites this summer. Four and a half days was not nearly enough to experience it all, but just enough to inspire us to dream about going back already.

It had been 10 years since I was last in Italy. The Dolomites felt like coming home to a place that I’d never been–ordering espressos from cheeky old Italian men and hiking with frolicking mountain dogs (and one cat in a backpack).

Here’s our itinerary, our favorite moments, and a few tips for planning your own trip to the Dolomites!

How to Get Around the Dolomites:

Be cautious about renting a car if you’re not used to driving narrow winding mountain roads filled with cyclists and motorbikes. The Dolomites have a fantastic bus system that takes you most places.

That being said, I had so much fun driving our little manual transmission Fiat up and down the mountains! I loved the flexibility it gave us to stop anywhere.

Where to Stay in the Dolomites: 

There are endless mountain lodges, hotels, resorts, and campgrounds that you can stay in the Dolomites, depending on your tastes. If you get the chance, I highly recommend booking at least a night or two at a rifugio in the mountains.

Rifugios are mountain huts. All kinds, ranging from very rustic hostel-style bunk beds to sleek lodges with private rooms and bathrooms. Some are only accessible by hiking or cable car, but a few have parking as well.

They typically offer half-board, which includes breakfast and dinner, which in our experience, was absolutely worth it. Nothing like the “free continental breakfasts” you get in motels in the U.S.

Day 1: Lago di Braies + Cortina d’Ampezzo

We flew into Venice and picked up our rental car, driving straight to Lago di Braies where I’d booked the Hotel Pragser Wildsee. It’s a historic hotel set right on the lake, with a giant black Newfoundland named Happy for a (very sleepy) guard dog. We booked half-board so that we wouldn’t have to leave again for dinner or breakfast, since the lake is somewhat remote.

The hotel is beautiful and aged, with just a hint of an eerie sort of air that makes it feel haunted. Dark empty hallways, mahogany wood everything, and intricate furnishings that have probably been there for decades. The perk of staying at the Hotel Pragser Wildsee is getting to beat the crowds to the lake in the morning. You have time to grab breakfast and wander the lake before the massive bus tours begin to arrive.

The next morning, the rain had slowed to a light drizzle and a low-hanging layer of fog, which only made Lago di Braies feel dreamier. The mountains would tease us with a peek at their snowy caps, and then fade back into enveloping fog. It didn’t deter us from taking a rowboat out onto the lake–we were the first to brave the rain and many soon followed. We also hiked about halfway around the lake for a little peace from the crowds and a different view of the hotel.

Given the gloomy weather, we decided to forgo our planned hike to Lago di Sorapis. We went into Cortina d’Ampezzo, a bustling resort town with a charming cobblestone-paved main street, for pizza, dog-watching, and our first Italian gelato.

Day 2: Tre Cime di Lavaredo + Passo Giau

Tre Cime di Lavaredo (translated, the three chimneys of Lavaredo) are the most recognizable peaks in the Italian alps. They are three towering slabs of dolomite rock that are visible for the entire 6.5 mile loop hike that circles them. It’s a popular family- and dog-friendly hike, with a few rifugios you can stop at for food and drink along the way (Rifugio Auronzo, Rifugio Lavaredo, and Rifugio Locatelli), and the opportunity to get to experience different landscapes as you make your way around the trail.

We stayed at Rifugio Auronzo for the evening, at the base of Tre Cime di Lavaredo, so we could start our hike early. We woke up woefully early and bundled ourselves up to watch the sunrise over the mountains around Tre Cime. With no tour buses or motorcycle crews having arrived yet, we were completely alone with the mountains and the marmots.

After we grabbed a bite of breakfast at Rifugio Auronzo, we headed down the loop trail, stopping at the rifugios along the way to refuel our bellies before heading back to our car.

Next, we made the quick 20 minute drive to Passo Giau, a stunning mountain pass, surrounded by pastures of cows, winding roads, and views for days. There are plenty of trails to hike, roads to bike, and a couple of rifugios to rest up at. We stopped for a coffee and a few photos, and then headed back to Cortina for the evening. We stayed the night in Pocol, a quiet little town just outside Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Day 3: Great Dolomites Road to Val Gardena

We started out early to take our time on the Great Dolomites Road, the ultimate road trip adventure to take in the Dolomites.

Our first stop was Passo Falzarego, another popular mountain pass with non-stop hairpin turns. Rifugio Lagazuoi is a must-stop for lunch, at the top of a long cable car ride that begins just off the main road.

No matter how warm it is at the bottom, wear covered shoes and layers to go to the top. If you wear sandals, everyone at the top will stare and point at you while your toes freeze. Trust me, I know.

If you have time (and can get a reservation), you can stay overnight here and enjoy the stunning outdoor Finnish sauna, the highest sauna in the world.

Continuing on the Great Dolomites road towards Val Gardena, we found it hard not to stop at every mountain pass to marvel at the views. Fortunately, it’s only a little over an hour drive, so we took every opportunity we could, especially with the golden afternoon light. 

We ended up in Val Gardena, ready to jump on the cable car up to our favorite stop of the trip: the iconic sight of Seceda. The last cable car up leaves at 5PM, so don’t miss it!

We settled into the exceptional mountain lodge Rifugio Fermeda for the evening. It’s modern and spacious, but still feels like family.

Sitting outside on the deck to enjoy the sunset, we played cards and made friends with a shaggy mountain cat. If you stay there, I can’t recommend enough that you book the night with half- or full- board because the food was phenomenal (and never-ending). Keep in mind there are really no options for food nearby without a bit of a hike, but even if there were, my recommendation would be the same.

Day 4: Seceda

We set out before dawn from the rifugio to trek up the mountain to the top of Seceda ridge. As the sun started to spread across the valley, we watched the grasses, wildflowers, and rolling hills come alive.

And in one magical moment that will forever define the Italian Dolomites to me, we suddenly heard the tinkle of bells and looked up to see a trio of curious mountain goats just yards away, trotting towards us. They stared at us for a while, munched on their breakfast of grass, and posed for a couple of photos before moving on.

We hiked back down to Rifugio Fermeda for a hearty breakfast (with seconds!), and then it was time to leave. If I could go back and change one thing about our trip, I’d extend our time at Seceda. I definitely needed more time to explore each single-track hiking path, and more time to make friends with all the mountain goats and alpacas.

The typical Italian mountain huts are scattered across the valley, and the ones here are lined with colorful lounge chairs just begging you to sit and take in the view. It was the perfect end to a too-short trip to the Dolomites, and we already can’t wait to return. 

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