I was overwhelmed by the Dolomites before setting foot there — the region has become popular and glamorised on Instagram but what if you don’t want to chase those highlights and still have a very awesome holiday here.

I loved the landscapes and do think visiting Dolomites is a bucketlist item for many — I mean it is so cool to be able to walk to places with open meadows without any fear of bears.

I have hiked quite a bit in the Balkans and some part of Europe and there is always the fear of wildlife.

But in the Dolomites Italy somehow the refugios, Italian rustic mountain huts offering standout meals, apertifs and even baked goods, is truly what sets the mountains here as a true world class experience.

If you have minimal days or want to see the best of Dolomites without the Insta crowds, here are the best things to do.

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

Where To Stay In The Dolomites

the best things to do in dolomites — a random stop where we found a cute spot on our way to lake carezza

This is such a loaded question because I absolutely think you should splurge a couple of days in one of the best hotels in the Dolomites

It is so different from the South side of Italy that it feels like an experience on its own.

If you are near Ortisei, you should stay at Hotel Cosmea, it is a beautifuly renovated family-run hotel with clean and inviting rooms including breakfast with the freshest produce like jam, honey, milk and the owner’s wife who has this best yummy looking pancakes.

Another place that is worth it to disconnect from the world and truly have a world class experience is Bad Moos, there is a sauna aroma programs, the swimming pools, and lovely rooms to stay in that are truly the best for the Dolomites experience.

Now, if you are near Cortina D’Ampezzo and want something close to some of the highlights further up, I would recommend staying in Hotel Menardi. We stayed here a bit further down from the centre and closer to some walking paths.

I absolutely love their open yards facing the mountains and the fact that it is a family-owned hotel is also what I loved. The main centre of Cortina can be too busy so this being a walk away made it really pleasant place to stay.

Should You Rent A Car?

typical views on our route up to the dolomites

Yes, if you want to have a smooth experience, you should rent a car. We rented from Verona easily through DiscoverCars and it was very smooth process.

But if you don’t want to, you can take a train. From Verona there is a train to Bozen (the German name for Bolzano) — it drops you right in the Dolomites' main gateway city. Once you are in Bolzano, you can plan to get there by bus to Brixen, Dobbacio/Ortisei, and Cortina (bear in mind that it may take you longer to get to some places so just plan to take the earliest bus always)

Best Things To Do in Dolomites

1. Lago di Carezza

lago di carezza in sunset - one of the best things to do in the dolomites

I loved Lago di Carezza so much that I went twice — one during the day and one during sunset at 8.45pm. The colours were so vividly different and being able to see the deep green water reflecting the Rosengarten peaks like a mirror was truly a highlight.

You can also take a gentle stroll around the lake and it is not a hike compared to other lakes which gets recommended.

If you are coming from Venice or Lake Garda, it is also the first true lake in terms of accessibility in the Dolomites compared to others.

It also never gets as packed as somewhere like Lago di Braies.

2. Col Raiser - Seceda Hike

on the col raiser hike - i absolutely loved this hike

I have so much to say about this Seceda Hike. I debated a lot of times on whether I should take the Seceda cable car up or do the alternative less touristy option like Col Raiser.

In the end we did the Col Raiser hike up to Seceda, and I am so glad we did it.

It was not particularly hard because of how wide the paths are — but ofcourse if you’re going in Winter or wet conditions it may be different and I would suggest checking AllTrails reviews for the latest updates.

But the views, the stops, the ability to see wildflowers, the winding path and green patches is what made Seceda mad pretty. In fact, the highlight was mostly climbing up Seceda that once we reached the top we were put off by the amount of people.

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 with also a much better experience. Whatever it is make sure you do this!

3. Having Lunch In One of The Refugios

typical lunch views in baitra troier hutte - i was so hungry that i gorged this aglio d olio in one minute

So everyone goes to the famous Rifugio Friedrich August which you can park at Sella Pass and then head to Rifugio Friedrich August.

But because it has become soooo viral, I will tell you to skip it if you can and just have a chill lunch at Troier Hutte (Baita Troier Hutte) which is after your Seceda hike when you are descending towards Col Raiser cable car for the return journey.

Honestly, the views are to die for wherever you go and whichever hike you do — there are so many refugios sprinkle everywhere that even if you skipped the most hyped places, you are bound to have a good time.

We had apple strudels, pasta and aperol spritz at the hut and it was still a nice experience!

4. Exploring Local Towns

Everyday in the Dolomites doesn’t mean you need to drive to all the passes, the best thing to do is to not have an itinerary sometimes and just have a rough idea of the towns you need to visit.

The towns you should explore in the Dolomites are Bolzano, Ortisei, Cortina D’Ampezzo & Brixen.

Bolzano: This is the first town you see before accessing the Dolomites. It is good to visit for lunch if you are visiting Lake Carezza since it is quite near. It also houses Ötzi the Iceman, a famous 5,300-year-old natural glacier mummy in the museum here.

Ortisei: Small enough to walk end to end in 20 minutes and honestly, I like this town for how compact it is but there was also not a whole lot to do. The best thing is that you get access to the cable cars like up to Alpe di Siusi and Seceda (the expensive one).

Cortina D'Ampezzo: I was unlucky here since it rained and dampened my spirit. But Cortina is definitely way more pricier, more polished but it is also the starting point to Tre Cime and the Cadini di Misurina viewpoints.

Brixen: The one that felt least touristy, just a normal town that has a cathedral and vineyards on the hillside above it. I actually loved the place because of how quiet it was — I stayed here because it was close to Adolf Munkel trail with public transport and Val Di Funes.

5. Chilling out in The Dolomites

at the bad moos resorts - swimming in mineral rich waters (pic: booking.com)

To be honest, every itinerary sounded exhausting on the Dolomites. If I were you, I would pick 1-2 hikes, the best refugios meal and chill out in their alpine resorts.

The resorts in the Dolomites are 100% worth the extra splurge. How often do you get a spa, sauna/pool with views of the jagged mountains?

Italians really know how to up the ante when it comes to a resort getaway. If I were you, I would pick these resorts:

The best hotel spas in the dolomites:

Naturhotel Leitlhof: Infinity pools with mountain views? This is the whole experience of being in the Dolomites. They have sweeping views of the mountain range and the best dining experience. You also gave access to local hikes around San Candido with hotel shuttle to wherever you want to go.
Bad Moos: This is such a well-rated hotel with the best thermal spa hotel. You can’t go wrong with this choice and it is a reason why it is so famous — you get to swim in their mineral rich water like magnesium and calcium. There is also easy access to hikes considering how close it is to Ortisei. If you had to pick one hotel, this is it!
Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti: Another stunning hotel in the Ortisei region. You are also literally 100m away from Alpe Di Siusi cable cars. The spas and saunas are also top notch with fantastic bar drinks and it really does take it an up notch when you are here in the Dolomites.
AMA Stay: If you want a minimalist and contemporary design that smells like a Spa, you have to stay here. It feels so luxurious and well-deserved for a getaway in the Dolomites. I mean there is a rooftop spa with three big saunas.

6. Hike the Adolf Munkel Trail

hiking the adolf munkel trail: look at those recliner chairs

the best aperol spritz i got at geiser alm for lunch

I can’t believe more people are not hyping up this trail. There is no cable cars but the hike was one of the best I did in the Dolomites region.

To give you an overview: the Adolf Munkel Trail (Adolf-Munkel-Weg) is located in northern Italy's South Tyrol region. It runs along the base of the Geisler/Odle mountain group with amazing close-up views of their dramatic, jagged limestone mountains.

There is a bus line (#330) from Bressanone/Brixen to Zanser Alm. I really loved this hike because the variety of views you get was amazing — first it was pine trees, then it opens up to jagged rocks and far reaching meadows.

The highlight was also stopping at Geisler Alm for lunch! The views were next level because of their reclining chairs and they even had a playground for kids.

7. Try A Ferrata Climb

I wanted to do this so badly but because I was too early in the season with remnants of snow it was not ideal.

Via Ferrata means climbing the “iron path” with steel cables and bridges. The best way to do it is book a tour! I found it hard to plan this on my own.

If you have the chance, you need to book this tour of the Via Ferrata in Cortina D’Ampezzo. They make it super safe for you to have a taste of the via ferrata experience and see Italy through an adventurous way which I wholly think is the best thing you can do for yourself.

8. Climbing Tre Cime di Lavaredo

If you are based in Cortina D’Ampezzo, everyone talks about visiting Tre Cime di Lavaredo which I think is one of the highlights.

But getting the bus there and just accessibility in that area is a bit of a problem with another major expense being parking. The parking at Rifugio Auronzo needs to be booked and paid online in advance, and runs €40 per car for the day.

If I were you, I would skip the hassle of parking and booking a tour. I found this tour that does the Tre Cime Hike (6 hours) and also picks you up which is very affordable for the hassle of driving up there.

9. Cinque Torri Hike & Seeing WW1 Bunkers

This is such an underrated hike in the region. Cinque Torri is a must-do if you like offbeat places in the dolomites without the crowds.

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).

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. This is one hike where a guide is useful because you do get access to the history of this region rather than just ticking off a place.

The route goes up to 2,000 metres and I also loved that there are many other refugios you can stop for a break with views of the region.

10. Cycle from Dolomites to Venice

cycling from dolomites to venice: one of the best things to do in the dolomites

I am leaving the last for the most adventurous. I flew out from Venice and I wanted an adventurous way to end the trip so I cycled from Dolomites to Venice

This was such a cool way to see the small towns that are otherwise skipped when travelling to Venice. There are dedicated cycling lanes and you pass through cool towns you would never know like Treviso which is where tiramisu was originated from.

It's also, refreshingly, not overrun. The Dolomites get plenty of hikers and skiers, and Venice gets entirely too many tourists, but the corridor connecting them like Belluno, Feltre, Bassano del Grappa, Asolo, Treviso sees a fraction of the foot traffic.

Read the experience here: Cycling In Italy: From Dolomites to Venice in 7 Days (Self-Guided)