Dolomites travel guide: where to base, how to get around and the access rules

Home › Trentino-Alto Adige › Dolomites travel guide

The Dolomites are a mountain region in north-east Italy that people visit for hiking and via ferrata in summer and for lift-served skiing in winter. Give them at least three full days in one valley, or five to seven days if you want to combine two bases.

At a glance

• How many days: three full days for one valley, five to seven for two. See how many days to plan for the Dolomites.
• Best months: late June to late September for hiking, December to early April for skiing. May and November are closed season in most valleys.
• Main gateways: Venice Marco Polo, Treviso and Verona airports; Bolzano, Bressanone and Dobbiaco railway stations.
• Getting around: a car gives the most freedom over the passes. Buses and regional trains work well inside South Tyrol, where most accommodation hands out a free transport pass.
• Book ahead: summer car access to Lago di Braies, the Tre Cime toll road, parking at Alpe di Siusi, mountain huts in July and August, and any hotel for Christmas week or August.

What to see first

The Dolomites are a set of separate massifs spread over three regions: Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia. UNESCO added them to the World Heritage List on 26 June 2009 as a natural site made of nine component areas covering 141,903 hectares, with 18 peaks above 3,000 meters. The highest is the Marmolada at 3,343 meters. The areas range from the Brenta group in the west to the Friulian Dolomites in the east. The geology guide to the Dolomites explains why the rock is pale and why it turns pink at sunset.

On a first trip most people want four places, and all four are crowded in July and August.

• Tre Cime di Lavaredo: three rock towers with a loop walk around their base. Road access is by paid, pre-booked slot (see the access rules below).
• Lago di Braies: a small lake at the end of a side valley of Alta Pusteria. A flat path follows the shore. The valley road is restricted in summer.
• Alpe di Siusi: a high plateau of meadows above Val Gardena, reached by cable car because the road is closed to private cars for most of the day.
• Seceda and the Odle peaks, reached by lift from Ortisei, and the view of the same peaks from Val di Funes.

Tre Cime and Braies are in the east, Alpe di Siusi and Seceda in the west. Combine both sides only if you change base. The best hikes in the Dolomites lists alternatives, and the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park in the south is much quieter.

Which valley to base yourself in

Choosing the valley matters more than choosing the hotel. Each valley has its own lifts and bus network, and moving between them takes longer than the map suggests.

Val Gardena

Three villages in a row: Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva. Val Gardena is in South Tyrol, so signs are in German, Italian and Ladin. It has direct lift access to Seceda and Alpe di Siusi, a place on the Sellaronda ski circuit, and the easiest public transport of the five bases: bus 350 runs from Bolzano, Ponte Gardena and Bressanone stations. Selva is the village closest to the Sella and Gardena passes. Compare it with the Veneto side in Cortina vs Val Gardena.

Alta Badia

Corvara, Colfosco, La Villa, San Cassiano and Badia sit on the east side of the Sella massif. The valley is a Ladin-speaking part of South Tyrol. It is the most central base for drivers, with the Gardena, Campolongo, Valparola and Falzarego passes all starting here, but it has no railway station and the bus from the Pusteria or Isarco valleys takes time.

Cortina d'Ampezzo

Cortina d'Ampezzo is a town rather than a village, in the Veneto province of Belluno. It is the closest base to Tre Cime, Cinque Torri, Lagazuoi and Passo Giau, and the easiest to reach from Venice by direct coach. The center is busy in August and over Christmas. Cortina is outside South Tyrol, so the South Tyrol guest transport pass is not issued here.

Val di Fassa

Canazei, Campitello, Pozza and Moena are in Trentino, on the south-west side of the Sella. The valley gives access to the Marmolada, the Catinaccio group and the Pordoi and Sella passes, and is on the Sellaronda. There is no railway; the valley is served by regional buses.

Alta Pusteria

Dobbiaco, San Candido, Sesto and Braies lie along the Pusteria railway line near the Austrian border. This is the base for Lago di Braies and the north side of Tre Cime, and the best choice for a trip by train. It is far from the Sella group.

For hotel areas in each valley see where to stay in the Dolomites. Ready-made routes are in the 3-day, 5-day and 7-day Dolomites itineraries.

Getting there and around

Without a car

Bolzano and Bressanone are on the Brenner railway between Verona and Innsbruck, with long-distance and regional trains. From Fortezza, north of Bressanone, the Pusteria line runs east to Dobbiaco and San Candido. For Val Gardena the official tourist office lists Ponte Gardena as the nearest station (18 km), then Chiusa (23 km), Bressanone (34 km) and Bolzano (40 km), all linked by bus 350.

Cortina has no railway station. Coaches run by Cortina Express connect it with Venice Mestre, Venice airport and Treviso, and a second line links Cortina with Dobbiaco and San Candido. From 19 December 2026 to 28 March 2027 the same company runs a Venice and Treviso service to Corvara and Colfosco. The nearest station on the Veneto side is Calalzo-Pieve di Cadore-Cortina, with a Dolomiti Bus connection onward. Routes from the main cities are covered in Venice to the Dolomites, Milan to the Dolomites and Rome to the Dolomites.

Inside South Tyrol, participating hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs issue the Südtirol Guest Pass at check-in. It is not sold separately. It covers regional trains within South Tyrol and as far as Trento, plus city and regional buses, from arrival day to departure day. It does not cover long-distance trains, the Alpe di Siusi shuttles, the summer Braies buses or the Tre Cime shuttle.

With a car

Drivers usually fly into Venice Marco Polo, Treviso or Verona and rent a car there. Verona suits Bolzano, Val Gardena and Val di Fassa; Venice suits Cortina and Alta Pusteria. Bolzano has a small airport of its own with a city bus to the center. Read how to rent a car in Italy before you book.

Pass roads are narrow and steep. The Gardena pass is at 2,121 meters and the Sella pass at 2,240 meters. From 15 November to 15 April cars on the Dolomite pass roads must have winter tires fitted or snow chains on board, and any pass can be closed without notice after snowfall. The Province of Bolzano, the Province of Trento and Veneto Strade each publish road status for their own passes. See the mountain driving guide and the scenic drives in the Dolomites.

Summer or winter

The Dolomites have two seasons with gaps between them. Lifts, huts and many hotels close after the ski season and again from October until the snow.

Summer hiking runs from late June to late September. High trails can hold snow in June. July and August are the busiest months. September is quieter and the Braies traffic limits end mid-month.

The Dolomiti Superski season for 2026/27 starts on 28 November 2026 at Plan de Corones, Val di Fiemme-Obereggen and San Martino di Castrozza. Alta Badia, Val Gardena-Alpe di Siusi, Val di Fassa-Carezza and Arabba-Marmolada follow on 4 December. Most areas close on 4 April 2027 and Arabba-Marmolada stays open until 18 April. Dates for Cortina were not yet confirmed in October 2026. See the Dolomites in December and the best time to visit the Dolomites.

Lifts and ski passes

Dolomiti Superski is a single ski pass for 12 ski areas with about 1,200 km of slopes and 450 lifts. Not every area is joined to the next by lift. The core is the Sellaronda, a circuit of about 40 km around the Sella massif that links Val Gardena, Alta Badia, Arabba and Val di Fassa over the Gardena, Campolongo, Pordoi and Sella passes. For 2026/27 the adult high-season price is €89 for one day and €453 for six days. More in ski resorts of the Dolomites and the Val Gardena ski guide.

In summer many of the same cable cars carry walkers and bikes. Tickets are sold per ride and multi-day summer cards exist; compare a card with the single fares for the lifts you plan to use.

Mountain huts (rifugi)

A rifugio is a staffed mountain hut that serves hot food at lunch and, in most cases, offers beds for the night. Day walkers use them for lunch and for shelter in a storm. In Trentino the provincial rules require huts to stay open at least from 20 June to 20 September and to shelter anyone who needs it in bad weather. The same rules describe what to expect: shared bathrooms, at least half the beds in dormitories, and showers that may be limited or paid. Elsewhere dates vary by hut and by snow, so confirm with each one.

For an overnight in July or August, book weeks ahead and bring a sleeping-bag liner and cash. Multi-day routes are in the Alta Via 1 guide; day walks are in the Dolomites hiking guide. Many protected climbing routes date from the First World War, when the front line crossed these mountains; see the via ferrata guide.

Access rules: what to book ahead and what not to

Lago di Braies

In 2026 the road into the Braies valley was restricted from 1 July to 15 September, between 9:00 and 16:00. In those hours you could enter only on foot, by bike, by public transport, or by car with an online reservation made at prags.bz. The car ticket cost €44 and included the transit permit, a parking space and a €22 voucher to spend in the valley. Buses 442 (from Dobbiaco and Villabassa) and 439 (from Monguelfo station) also had to be booked and paid online in that period, and guest cards were not valid on them. The lake itself is free. From 16 September no reservation was needed. One regional tourism page gave the start as 9:30, so check prags.bz for exact hours and for 2027 dates.

Tre Cime toll road

The road from Misurina to Rifugio Auronzo is a toll road and is closed by snow in winter. In summer 2026 access was allowed only with a slot booked online in advance. The 2026 price was €40 for a car, €26 for a motorcycle and €60 for a camper van, valid for 12 hours from the chosen entry time. The alternative is the bus: the Dolomiti Bus shuttle from Misurina to Rifugio Auronzo ran daily from 30 May 2026 at €10 per person, and a separate shuttle from Dobbiaco ran from 31 May to 11 October 2026 with compulsory online booking. Check the Auronzo and Dolomiti Bus sites for the current booking pages.

Alpe di Siusi

The road up to Compatsch is closed to private vehicles every day from 9:00 to 17:00. Outside those hours you can drive up, but the car parks at Spitzbühl and Compatsch need an online reservation, which opens three days before the visit. Most visitors leave the car in the valley and take the cable car.

What you do not need to book

Ordinary lift tickets, day hikes, lunch at a hut and regional trains do not need reservations.

Costs

The fixed costs you can plan in advance, as of November 2026:

• Dolomiti Superski adult pass, high season 2026/27: €89 a day, €453 for six days, €990 for the season in pre-sale.
• Tre Cime, 2026: €40 per car on the toll road or €10 per person on the Misurina shuttle.
• Lago di Braies car ticket, summer 2026: €44, including a €22 voucher.
• Public transport in South Tyrol: included with the Südtirol Guest Pass.

Accommodation is the largest variable. August, Christmas week and February are the expensive periods. Half board is common in hotels; compare it with the cost of eating out.

Day trips and rest days

The valley towns are the fallback for bad weather days.

• Bolzano: the capital of South Tyrol, with the Ötzi museum. Reached by bus 350 from Val Gardena.
• Bressanone: a small cathedral town on the Brenner line, close to Val di Funes.
• Merano: a spa town west of Bolzano, on a regional line covered by the guest pass.
• Belluno: the provincial capital south of Cortina, at the edge of the national park.

The Dolomites also fit into the Verona, Lake Garda and Dolomites itinerary. The wider region is described in the Trentino-Alto Adige region guide.

Common mistakes

• Judging distances by kilometers. Pass roads are slow; check the route time.
• Arriving at Braies, Tre Cime or Alpe di Siusi by car in the middle of a summer day without a reservation. You will be turned back.
• Coming in May or November and finding lifts, huts and many hotels closed.
• Ignoring altitude. Many walks start above 2,000 meters. Take the first day slowly.

Questions travelers ask

Sources

• UNESCO World Heritage Centre: The Dolomites
• Fondazione Dolomiti UNESCO: the nine systems
• Wikipedia: Dolomites (inscription date, Marmolada height, First World War front)
• prags.bz: access, parking and shuttles for Lago di Braies
• Kronplatz: traffic regulation for the Braies valley and Three Peaks
• Dolomiti.it: Tre Cime toll road, reservation and 2026 prices
• Dolomiti Bus: Tre Cime shuttle from Misurina, 2026
• Seiser Alm: road access and parking reservation
• Südtirol Guest Pass: what is included
• Val Gardena: arrival by train
• Cortina Express: timetables
• Dolomiti Superski: press release winter 2026/27, news and prices
• Dolomiti.it: Dolomiti Superski opening dates 2026/27
• Autonomous Province of Trento: mountain huts
• Arabba: status of the Dolomite passes and winter equipment