7 Best Hikes in Dolomites I did (Without the Crowds) in Italy

/

So much has been spoken and written about the best hikes in the Dolomites, Italy like the jagged rocks, sheer vertical spikes and the pink sunset alpenglows.

But what if you were not interested in battling with crowds and seeing another meadow where thousands of people had turned up on after a viral reel.

I went to the Dolomites in May end to June and I was so obsessed with hiking but the more I read about cable car rules, opening times, road closures and booking a slot, the more tiresome it began.

Like ofcourse I wanted to experience the splendour of the Italian alps and retire in a bougie hotel with a spa and sauna but I also wanted to be smart about my time and not end up in a 2 hour queue.

I spent an entire two weeks hiking between towns, chilling and having an amazing time gorging on pizzas and idling around the refugios.

This is all the best hikes in the Dolomites that I did, and access too AllTrails gpx routes + all the hikes I would love to do and wish I could do more of the next time I visit.

Also Read: My Real Dolomites Itinerary: 5 to 7 Days (What I Loved About It)

How To Get Around The Dolomites?

Hiking in Dolomites With A Car

here is my list of the bes thikes in the dolomites italy

I rented a car from Verona and drove up to the Dolomites starting with Lake Garda, Bolzano and then Ortisei.

I only had a car for a few days and the rest I used public transport too. The car is cheap like on DiscoverCars — you can rent a car for €80 to €150 for a few days to a week.

If you are driving, book a car here and start your journey from Verona or Venice:

  • The roads are narrow: Don’t underestimate driving in the Dolomites — the roads can be narrow.

  • Distances between the next best towns are usually 30-40 minutes: While the distances may be short, they can take a hour sometimes because of the number of cars but during off season it is fine.

  • Parking can be expensive. Bear in mind that during peak season, you would need to book your carpark slots and just plan a bit more in advance

  • Timing is everything: Arrive at all major trailheads by 8.00am or after 2pm if you want to get a spot

Hiking in Dolomites With Public Transportation

hiking in the dolomites, but with public transportation is also possible

It is very much possible to enjoy the Dolomites with public transportation but you can’t cover a lot of ground and you are dependent on bus schedules.

To be honest most of the bus schedules are on time, it just means sometimes a later start. I took the car for 4 days as my friend drove but after that I was on my own, so ended up using the bus to go for the hikes which I will share more in detail below.

If I were you, I would pick bases to stay close to where the trailheads are:

  • Ortisei (Val Gardena): Best overall base as you get direct access to Seceda and Alpe de Siusi cable car.

  • Bressanone (Brixen): Another great base although a bit far but I really loved the town. It is closer to Adolf Munkel Trail and Val Di Funes valley. Also sits on a major train line from Italy/Austria and easy to get to!

  • Cortina d'Ampezzo: Best for eastern highlights like Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Lago Sorapis. Public buses run during summer, though transport here is slower and less integrated than in South Tyrol and your best bet here is using GetYourGuides to book hikes (p/s they cover transportation & hikes are pretty affordable)

  • Dobbiaco (Toblach) / San Candido: Also another base to Alta Pusteria for car-free access to Lago di Braies and the 3 Zinnen peaks

Where To Stay In The Dolomites?

where to stay in the dolomites if you are hiking?

For all these hikes, I stayed in Bolzano, Ortisei, Brixen and Cortina D’Ampezzo (giving about 1-2 days in each spot). I would spend 2-3 days in Ortisei and Cortina, and the rest a day or so.

Here are my favourite hotels you should stay in:

Ortisei: Easiest Place for Hiking & First Timers

Cortina d'Ampezzo: Access to Tre Crime & Viral Spots

Bolzano: First Place when Coming from Verona

Brixen: More Quieter & Local Feels

Also read: Where To Stay in The Dolomites: Places & Hotels I Loved!

My Tips For Hiking In The Dolomites

my tips for hiking in the dolomites

  • It depends where you are coming from, if you are coming from these spots do this first:

    • from Venice, you should do the Eastern Dolomites side (Cortina, Lago Di Braies and Tre Crime area)

    • from Milan and Verona, you should do the Western Dolomites side like Bolzano and Ortisei side (Seceda, Alpe Di Siusi & Lago Di Carezza).

  • If you want to do a ferrata hike and try it out, I suggest booking a guide here and see what hikes are available.

  • The refugio system in the Dolomites are some of the best parts about hiking in the range. The only problem is you need to book ahead or sometimes they are not even open yet. I just use them as a stop for a long leisurely lunch!

  • You should know the opening seasons for the hike — when I went in 2026 Seceda was opened from May 22nd onwards, but some refugios officially open June 6th onwards. Most cable cars may start operating from May 22nd until November 2nd. I would check their websites for opening times!

  • Get the AllTrails app — most of my hikes I used this for navigation and it was perfectly easy!

The Best Hikes to Do in Dolomites: Why I Loved These + What To Do Next

1. Lago Di Carezza

lago di carezza during sunset

📌Distance: 1.5km around Lake | Time: 20 minutes | Rating: Easy

This was one of the most beautiful lakes that I visited in the Dolomites without a whole lot of crowds when I went. Lago Di Carezza also known as Karersee is a small glacial lake close to the Latemar group of mountains.

The emerald green colours are so vivid that I went twice, and I think sunset is the perfect time to see the green water reflecting the Rosengarten peaks.

The next best time is to see this place in the morning when the sun rises behind the mountains.

Where To Stay: The closest town to stay is in Bolzano and this is the first walk/hike to do when coming into the Dolomites

Getting There: The trail is easily accessible from Bolzano bus 180 but if you are coming by car, there is ample carpark space here.

2. Seceda from Col Raiser

seceda from col raiser

📌Distance: 9-10km loop | Time: 4-5 hours | Rating: Moderate

The Seceda ridgeline is one of the most scenic hike that sits above Ortisei and the Val Gardena area.

I debated taking the Seceda cable car or going to Col Raiser as the starting point, but I am so glad I did the Col Raiser route.

You see the wildflowers, gravel paths and sunny paths which are all overexposed. To be honest, it is beautiful but not memorable as other hiking trails I had done in Italy.

The weather plays a big role here as the grassy pastures and fog rolling in is what makes Seceda iconic — going early in the season meant bare rocks and dry terrain.

The Col Raiser cable car in Santa Cristina costs around €34 for a round-trip ticket, which is much cheaper than the direct Seceda cable car from Ortisei at €74 round-trip.

Where To Stay: Ortisei, Santa Cristina, or Selva, all in Val Gardena. Santa Cristina is the closest to the Col Raiser cable car itself if you don't want to deal with extra transfers

Getting There: The Col Raiser gondola has a valley station in Santa Cristina, walkable or a short bus ride from Ortisei on line 352, which runs about every 30 minutes. If you're driving, you can just turn up and park but come early during peak season.

3. Rasciesa - Malga Brogles

rasciesa another offbeat hike

📌Distance: 10.9km loop from the furnicular station | Time: 3-4 hours | Rating: Easy-Moderate

If you are basing yourself in Ortisei, you have to do this hike. It is not as crowded as others and you have open meadows and wide ranging views of the Dolomites.

There are also many routes to do from here depending on how short or long you want it to be. It is so far a really great and easy trail, mostly flat with some mild uphill.

This is also one of the hike where you may see a lot of wildlife like horses, donkeys and cows. If you want unobstructed views of the mountains with no crowds, this is really nice.

You also get to stop at Malga Brogles refuge (Brogleshütte is located in the village of Funes). The shelter is located 2045 meters above sea level.

Where to stay: Ortisei. The funicular station is walkable from the town center, so this is the easiest hike on the list to reach if you're based here.

Getting there: Public transport all the way. Walk to the funicular from anywhere in Ortisei, no car needed for this one at all.

4. Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm)

alpe di siusi

📌Distance: 12.6km | Time: 3-4 hours | Rating: Moderate

If you are based in Ortisei, this is the next best hike you have to do. Alpe di Siusi is Europe’s largest high alpine meadow (or so they claimed?) but the best part about this is how accessible and easy it is.

It is a common sight to see people bringing their dogs here. You get spectacular views of Sassolungo all the way up to Seceda.

The Sciliar massif anchors one end of the meadow and the Sassolungo group the other so they are both visible from almost anywhere on the plateau. It is a good pick if you want the classic Dolomites view without technical terrain.

Where to stay: Castelrotto or Siusi allo Sciliar put you right at the base. Ortisei also works and gives you a cable car straight up.

Getting there: Take the cable car from Ortisei (Mont Sëuc Cable Car, roughly 10 minutes to the top) or from Seis am Schlern (Alpe di Siusi Aerial Cableway). If you are coming by car, it takes about 40–60 minutes from Bolzano, Brixen, or Merano. Be there by 9am or earlier to get a spot.

5. Adolf Munkel Trail

the adolf munkel trail - i absolutely loved this trail

📌Distance: 9km | Time: 3-5 hours | Rating: Moderate

I absolutely loved the Adolf Munkel Trail and it is one of the only trails that you don’t need a cable car or extra expense to go.

You start at the Zans parking lot in Val Di Funes at around 1685m and it runs along the base of the Odle peaks.

Pine trees, open meadows and the Odle group visible is what makes this hike so beautiful.

It is located in Val di Funes (Villnöss Valley) and belongs to the Odle Group, which means jaw dropping scenery, varied paths and has one of the best rifugios in the world.

It's roughly 9 km, with about 440 metres of elevation gain, and it kinda takes the whole day because you stop at Geisler Alm to have the best stops ever for lunch!

There are also multiple rifugios that sit along the route like Gschnagenhardt, Geisler Alm, Brogles.

Where to stay: Val di Funes itself if you can find a place (Santa Maddalena or San Pietro), otherwise Brixen is your best bet since it's the closest larger town with more accommodation options and a manageable drive in

Getting there: You can easily drive your car or take the bus line (#330) from Bressanone/Brixen to Zanser Alm.

6. Auronzo Refuge - Tre Cime di Lavaredo & Cadini Di Misurina

towards tre cime

📌 Distance: 10km full loop Time: 4-5 hours for Tre Cime, 1-2 hours extra for Cadini di Misurina Difficulty: Moderate for Tre Cime, easy for Cadini di Misurina

Perhaps the most popular trail on this route and rightly so after seeing on the Instagram pictures about Rifugio Auronzo (2,320) donuts. Who would not want to hike at all?

Both of these start from Rifugio Auronzo (2,320m), so there's no reason to treat them as separate outings, do them together.

Truly speaking it is a busy route and you need leave early to be able to have it crowd free and not fuss about queuing up to see southeast face of the three peaks.

You also need to pre-book parking which runs €40 per car for the day. But if you don’t have a car, you could take the shuttle buses that run from Cortina, Dobbiaco and Misurina to Rifugio Auronzo for about €15 return or you could just book a tour that actually doesn’t require waiting in line for the queue.

As this is crowded and known for being so famous, I would book a guide to handle the route planning bit and logistics of it.

Where to stay: Cortina d'Ampezzo is your best base for this side of the range. Misurina and Dobbiaco also work if you want to be closer to the trailhead itself. Lunch spot: Rifugio Locatelli, right at the base of the peaks partway through the loop. The view from the terrace alone is worth the stop.

Getting there: Both work, but driving up the toll road to Rifugio Auronzo now needs an online reservation in peak season, so book ahead if you're bringing a car. Public transport also runs from Cortina (bus 30/31) landing you directly at Rifugio Auronzo but it gets really busy!

7. Cinque Torri via Baita Bai de Dones

cinque torri

📌 Distance: 1.9 km if you just do the towers loop, up to 10 km if you extend to Rifugio Averau and Nuvolau Time: 1 hour for the short loop, 3-4 hours if you go the full route Difficulty: Easy for the loop, moderate if extended

I really wanted to do this hike due to the historical significance and I just didn’t have the time but if you do, don’t miss your chance to see this part of the Dolomites.

During WWI, Cinque Torri sat right on the front line between Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces (Italy and Austria-Hungary fought fiercely across this part of the Dolomites from 1915-1917).

So the short version is basically flat and takes you straight through the WWI open-air museum, restored trenches and shelters built into and around the five rock towers.

But the long version can be a bit of a climb especially from Col Gallina you pass Lago di Limedes and then the terrain shifts to steeper, rockier ground on the ascent to Forcella Averau, with a stretch of loose scree that needs some attention underfoot.

It is not too far from Cortina so you can actually be based here and book this tour that sorts out all the logistics for you.

Where to stay: Cortina d'Ampezzo. It's the obvious base for this whole eastern cluster of hikes.

Getting there: You can drive and park near Col Gallina or take Dolomitibus 52.

Are all These Hikes Worth it In the Dolomites?

To be honest, there is too many hikes to see and do in the Dolomites and if I were you I would pick one lake, and 2-3 hikes and chill the rest of the time and explore small towns and unknown trails via AllTrails.

Afterall, the whole point of the Dolomites is to also enjoy the hotel you are staying in and take an afternoon siesta, have long walks near the meadows and enjoy an Aperol spritz.

Not every spot needs to be where everyone goes. The seasons matter too and when I went in end of May or June it was bearable but August is when things going out of hand.

In September onwards, things cool off!

Read more of my Italy guides: