Dolomites, Italy: things to do, when to go and how to get there

Get to know the place

A region to enjoy
at your own pace.

The Dolomites are a mountain range in northeastern Italy, with pale rock walls and towers that turn pink in the evening light. Since 2009 the whole area has been a UNESCO natural heritage site. The region is split between Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto, and trips typically combine an entry city, a valley with cable cars, and a base near the mountain passes.

Bolzano is the most practical gateway. It lies on the rail line descending from the Brenner Pass to Verona and houses the Museo Archeologico dell'Alto Adige, where Ötzi, the 5,300-year-old Iceman, is kept. In Alto Adige signs are in Italian and German, and in parts of the valleys also in Ladin, the local language: Bolzano is Bozen, Ortisei is St. Ulrich and Urtijëi.

About 35 km from Bolzano the Val Gardena begins, with Ortisei as the main village. From there cable cars climb to Seceda and to the Alpe di Siusi, the largest high-altitude pasture plateau in Europe, and the Sassolungo closes the valley head. Further east, in Veneto, Cortina d'Ampezzo is the base for the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the Cinque Torri, Lagazuoi and the lakes of Sorapis and Braies.

Cable cars, refuges and high-altitude roads open in summer—usually from May or June to October—and in winter, from December to March or April, with pauses in spring and late autumn. Plan your trip within those windows and confirm the opening dates of each place before you go.

This destination brings together 3 cities: Bolzano, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Ortisei.

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One destination, many paths

The cities on this trip

Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.

Where Dolomites is

Contornos: ISTAT, limites administrativos 2026, CC BY 4.0. Adaptação do Cidade Turismo.

How to get there: Dolomites

✈ Aeroporto di Verona Villafranca Valerio Catullo (VRN), in Verona · 160 km to Bolzano

✈ Aeroporto di Venezia Marco Polo (VCE), in Veneza · 260 km to Bolzano

Check before you buy. The most commonly used airports are Verona (VRN), Venice (VCE) and Milan-Malpensa (MXP). Bolzano is served by trains from Verona, and from Milan or Venice usually with a change in Verona; from Bolzano buses go up to the Val Gardena. For Cortina there are buses from Venice and Mestre.

Suggested arrival point: Bolzano

Trentino-Alto Ádige · Dolomites Suggested arrival point

Bolzano

Bolzano, Bozen in German, is the capital of Alto Adige and the gateway to the Dolomites. Signs are in Italian and German. The town center features Piazza Walther, the Gothic cathedral, the Chiesa dei Domenicani and the Via dei Portici, and the Museo Archeologico dell'Alto Adige houses Ötzi, the Iceman. In the surroundings are Castel Roncolo, Castel Firmiano and the Renon plateau, with a cable car, a small tourist train and the earth pyramids.

Vêneto · Dolomites

Cortina d'Ampezzo

Cortina d'Ampezzo is the best-known mountain town of the Dolomites in Veneto, at 1,224 metres, in a valley surrounded by the Tofane, the Cristallo and the Sorapis. It hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics and, together with Milan, the 2026 Games. The town centre revolves around Corso Italia and the Basilica dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo. It is a base for the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the Cinque Torri, Lagazuoi and the lakes Sorapis and Braies.

Trentino-Alto Ádige · Dolomites

Ortisei

Ortisei, St. Ulrich in German and Urtijëi in Ladin, is the main village of Val Gardena, at 1,236 meters altitude. From the center cable cars go up to Seceda, with views of the Odle ridge, and to the Alpe di Siusi, the largest high-altitude pasture plateau in Europe. The Sassolungo closes the end of the valley, and the Museum Gherdëina tells the story of woodcarving and Ladin culture.

The local experience

Things to do in Dolomites

Cortina d'Ampezzo · Vêneto · Church

Basilica dei Santi Filippo e Giacomo

Cortina's parish church from the 18th century, in the middle of Corso Italia, with an interior decorated by the Tyrolean Franz Anton Zeiller, an altar by Andrea Brustolon and a bell tower that is a symbol of the town.

Bolzano · Trentino-Alto Ádige · Museum

Museo Archeologico dell'Alto Adige

Archaeological museum in central Bolzano where Ötzi, the Iceman, is displayed — the natural mummy of a man who lived around 5,300 years ago, with the clothes, the copper axe and the bow found with him.

Ortisei · Trentino-Alto Ádige · Lookout

Seceda

Mountain at about 2,500 meters above Ortisei, reached by gondola and cable car, with close views of the pointed Odle ridge and much of the Dolomites.

Ortisei · Trentino-Alto Ádige · Park

Alpe di Siusi

High-altitude plateau of meadows between 1,680 and 2,350 meters, the largest in Europe, with the Sciliar and the Sassolungo around it, flat trails, huts, and cable car access from Ortisei.

See 15 more places in Dolomites

Bolzano · Trentino-Alto Ádige · Square

Piazza Walther

Bolzano's main square, with the statue of the medieval poet Walther von der Vogelweide, the Duomo on one side and the historic centre just behind. It hosts the Christmas market.

Cortina d'Ampezzo · Vêneto · Mountain

Tre Cime di Lavaredo

The three best-known rock towers of the Dolomites, up to 2.999 metres high, encircled by a trail that starts at Rifugio Auronzo, at the end of a toll road requiring a reservation.

Bolzano · Trentino-Alto Ádige · Cathedral

Duomo di Bolzano

Bolzano's main church, Gothic, dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, with a 65-metre bell tower completed in 1519 and a colourful tiled roof, beside Piazza Walther.

Cortina d'Ampezzo · Vêneto · Park

Lago di Braies

Alpine lake with green water at 1.496 metres, at the foot of the Croda del Becco wall in Alto Adige, with a trail around it, rowboats in season and limited car access at the height of summer.

Ortisei · Trentino-Alto Ádige · Mountain

Sassolungo

3,181-metre massif that closes the end of Val Gardena, with vertical walls, a cable car that rises from Passo Sella to the forcella between the towers, and a trail that circles the group.

Bolzano · Trentino-Alto Ádige · Church

Chiesa dei Domenicani

Gothic church of the Dominican friars, from the late 13th century, with the Cappella di San Giovanni covered in frescoes from the school of Giotto and an altarpiece by Guercino.

Cortina d'Ampezzo · Vêneto · Historical site

Cinque Torri

Group of rock towers up to 2.361 metres west of Cortina, with an open-air First World War museum, short trails among restored trenches and refuges with views of the Tofane.

Ortisei · Trentino-Alto Ádige · Museum

Museum Gherdëina

Museum of Val Gardena in the centre of Ortisei, with wood sculpture from the 16th to the 20th century, wooden toys, fossils and minerals from the Dolomites, and the archive of filmmaker Luis Trenker.

Cortina d'Ampezzo · Vêneto · Lookout

Lagazuoi

Mountain above Passo Falzarego, reached by cable car in about 3 minutes, with a refuge at 2.752 metres, a 360-degree panorama and tunnels carved into the rock during the First World War.

Bolzano · Trentino-Alto Ádige · Street

Via dei Portici

Medieval commercial street of Bolzano, from the late 12th century, with arcades on both sides, old shops and, at one end, the Piazza delle Erbe and its fruit and vegetable market.

Bolzano · Trentino-Alto Ádige · Castle

Castel Roncolo

Castle from 1237 on a rock spur at the entrance to the Val Sarentino, with the largest cycle of medieval non-religious frescoes in Europe, including the legend of Tristan and Isolde.

Cortina d'Ampezzo · Vêneto · Park

Lago di Sorapis

High-altitude lake of milky turquoise color at about 1,925 meters, in the middle of the Sorapis group, reached by a trail of roughly 2 hours from Passo Tre Croci.

Bolzano · Trentino-Alto Ádige · Castle

Castel Firmiano - Messner Mountain Museum Firmian

Medieval fortress on a hill on the outskirts of Bolzano, mentioned since the 10th century, which houses the mountain museum created by mountaineer Reinhold Messner about the relationship between humans and the mountain.

Bolzano · Trentino-Alto Ádige · Lookout

Renon

Plateau above Bolzano, over a thousand meters in altitude, reached by cable car in 12 minutes and crossed by a small 1907 train, with views of the Dolomites, woods and Tyrolean villages.

Bolzano · Trentino-Alto Ádige · Park

Piramidi di terra del Renon

Columns of clay carved by erosion, many with a balancing stone on top, on the slopes of the Renon plateau, considered among the tallest in Europe and visible from short trails.

Before you go

Practical information

A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.

When to go

For hikes and cable cars, mid-June to mid-October; July and August are the busiest months. September usually has more stable weather and fewer crowds. For skiing, the season typically runs from December to March or April. Between mid-April and May and from November to early December many cable cars and refuges close for maintenance.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

How many days to stay

Allow at least 5 to 7 days: 1 or 2 in Bolzano, 2 in the Val Gardena for Seceda and the Alpe di Siusi, and 2 or 3 in Cortina d'Ampezzo for the Tre Cime, Lagazuoi and a lake. Rainy or very windy days can close cable cars, so it’s wise to include a buffer day in your itinerary.

Which city to stay in

Bolzano has the largest accommodation offer and a direct train link, which is convenient for those arriving and departing by public transport; the historic center, near Piazza Walther and the station, keeps everything within walking distance. In the Val Gardena, Ortisei is the most complete village, with the Seceda and Alpe di Siusi cable cars departing from the center; Santa Cristina and Selva are closer to Passo Sella. In Cortina d'Ampezzo the area around Corso Italia concentrates shops, bus stops and the coach station. In the high season—summer and winter—accommodation tends to sell out early.

Respect the place

Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.

Get your questions answered

Frequently asked questions about Dolomites

Do I need to rent a car in the Dolomites?

It’s not mandatory. Bolzano has train service; the Val Gardena and Cortina have regional buses and the cable cars depart from the village centers. A car gives more freedom to combine mountain passes and lakes in one day, but some roads have special rules: the Alpe di Siusi road is closed to private traffic during the day in season, and the roads to the Tre Cime and Lago di Braies require reservations for parts of the year. In town centers, look for parking outside limited-traffic zones.

Can you visit the Dolomites on a day trip?

From Bolzano you can go up to the Renon plateau or the Val Gardena and return the same day. From Venice, Cortina is a little over two hours by bus, which leaves little time in the mountains. Ideally you should spend at least two nights in a valley to make the most of the cable cars early in the morning.

What language is spoken in the Dolomites?

Italian everywhere. In Alto Adige, where Bolzano and the Val Gardena are located, German is also an official language, and Ladin—a Romance language—is spoken in the Val Gardena. That’s why signs can show two or three names: Bolzano and Bozen, Ortisei, St. Ulrich and Urtijëi. In Cortina d'Ampezzo, in Veneto, signs are in Italian.

Dolomites

A region to enjoyat your own pace.