Best Hikes in the Dolomites: 15 Trails Worth Travelling For

The Dolomites pack more drama into a small corner of the Italian Alps than almost anywhere else in Europe — pale towers, green shelves of meadow, turquoise lakes and paths threaded improbably across cliff faces. Choosing the best hikes in the Dolomites is therefore a matter of ruthless selection. This list spreads across the whole range, from the Sesto Dolomites in the east to the Catinaccio in the west, and mixes easy lakeside strolls with demanding circuits and one unforgettable multi-day route. And because we are a hut directory at heart, every hike here passes at least one rifugio — somewhere to refuel on pasta and apple strudel before the walking resumes.

1. Tre Cime di Lavaredo Circuit (Sesto Dolomites)

If you only do one walk in the Dolomites, this is it. The Tre Cime loop circles the three great blades of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo on a well-graded path of roughly 10 km, with around 400 m of ascent — most walkers take three and a half to four hours. The difficulty is comfortably moderate, and the scenery is out of all proportion to the effort.

Start at Rifugio Auronzo (2,320 m), reached by toll road from Misurina, and walk anticlockwise past Rifugio Lavaredo and over Forcella Lavaredo to the Dreizinnenhütte (Rifugio Locatelli), whose terrace faces the peaks' iconic north walls.

2. Seceda Ridgeline (Val Gardena)

The Seceda ridgeline is the Dolomites' most photogenic tilt: a grassy crest that drops away in one clean sweep to the jagged Fermeda towers of the Odle group. Ride the cable car from Ortisei to the top station at around 2,500 m, wander along the crest, then descend on easy paths to Rifugio Firenze and the Col Raiser gondola — about two and a half to three hours of largely downhill walking. It is one of the gentlest ways to earn a genuinely world-class view, and a fine first hike for anyone new to the range. Go on a clear morning if you can — the ridge tends to gather haze and afternoon cloud in high summer, and the low light suits the photographs.

3. Lago di Sorapis (Cortina d'Ampezzo)

Few Alpine lakes match the milky glacier-blue of Lago di Sorapis, cupped beneath the cliffs of the Sorapiss group at about 1,925 m. The classic approach follows trail 215 from Passo Tre Croci above Cortina: roughly 12 km there and back, around five hours, with modest overall ascent but several narrow ledges protected by cables — sure-footedness matters more than fitness here. Rifugio Vandelli sits just below the lake and makes the natural lunch stop. Start early in summer: this is one of the busiest trails in the Dolomites, and for good reason.

4. Cadini di Misurina Viewpoint (Sesto Dolomites)

Short, sharp and unforgettable. From Rifugio Auronzo, path 117 contours south for about 2 km to a narrow promontory facing the Cadini di Misurina — a chaos of needles and spires that looks drawn rather than real. Allow an hour to an hour and a half return with barely 100 m of climbing, though the final crest is narrow and needs care in wet weather or lingering snow. Because it shares a trailhead with the Tre Cime circuit, the two combine beautifully into one spectacular day.

5. Nuvolau & Averau from Passo Giau (Cortina d'Ampezzo)

From the hairpins of Passo Giau (2,236 m), a steady climb of around 350 m leads first to Rifugio Averau, wedged into a saddle beneath the Averau's blocky tower, then up an easy ridge to Rifugio Nuvolau at 2,575 m. Opened in 1883, Nuvolau is the oldest refuge in the Dolomites, and its summit perch delivers a full-circle panorama taking in the Tofane, Pelmo, Civetta and Marmolada. Two and a half to three hours return, moderate throughout, and arguably the best view-per-hour ratio in the entire range.

6. Lagazuoi & the WWI Tunnels (Passo Falzarego)

The Lagazuoi is both a summit and an open-air museum of the First World War, when Italian and Austro-Hungarian troops mined the mountain from within. From Passo Falzarego (2,105 m), climb the historic Kaiserjäger path — around 650 m of ascent — to Rifugio Lagazuoi at 2,752 m, whose terrace is among the finest in the Alps. Then descend through the restored tunnel galleries carved inside the mountain: a helmet and head torch are essential and can be hired at the cable-car station on the pass. Allow four to five hours for the full loop.

7. Alpe di Siusi High Meadows (Seiser Alm)

Europe's largest high-altitude alpine meadow rolls out over roughly 56 square kilometres beneath the Sassolungo and the Sciliar, and in early summer it becomes one enormous wildflower display. From Compatsch — reached by cable car from Siusi, as the access road is closed to day visitors' cars for most of the day — a network of gentle, waymarked paths wanders between traditional hay barns and welcoming mountain inns; the classic stroll towards Saltria takes around two hours. Gradients are kind and the walking is easy, which makes this the best choice on the list for families and rest days — and almost every junction seems to offer another terrace with dumplings and a view.

8. Lago di Braies Circuit (Val Pusteria)

The easiest walk on this list, and one of the loveliest. The circuit of Lago di Braies (1,496 m) is about 3.5 km and takes an hour to an hour and a half, mostly flat apart from a rougher, stepped stretch along the far shore. Emerald water, a wooden boathouse and the great wall of the Croda del Becco make it absurdly photogenic — in high summer access to the road is regulated, so arrive early or book ahead. Walkers with energy to spare can climb steeply towards Rifugio Biella above the lake, the first hut on Alta Via 1, which officially begins here.

9. Vajolet Towers & Catinaccio (Val di Fassa)

The Catinaccio — Rosengarten in German — famously glows pink at dusk, and its inner sanctum hides the three slender Vajolet Towers. From the huts at Gardeccia, reached by shuttle from Pera di Fassa, an easy trail climbs the valley to Rifugio Vajolet in about an hour. The sting comes next: a steep, rocky gully with fixed cables gains almost 400 m to Rifugio Re Alberto I (2,621 m), directly beneath the towers. Around four to five hours return from Gardeccia, and a demanding scramble — but the amphitheatre at the top is pure Dolomite theatre.

10. Sassolungo Circuit via the Friedrich August Path (Val Gardena)

Circumnavigating the Sassolungo group from Passo Sella (2,244 m) is one of the great balcony walks of the Alps: roughly 17 km with about 700 m of ascent, six to seven hours at a steady pace. The southern leg follows the Friedrich August path, a near-level terrace with the Marmolada's glacier filling the horizon, passing Rifugio Friedrich August early on. Later the route rounds the boulder maze of the Città dei Sassi and passes beneath the group's shadowed north walls before returning to the pass. Long but never technical — a moderate hike that feels like a proper mountain journey.

11. Adolf Munkel Trail / Puez-Odle (Val di Funes)

Nowhere do the Dolomites feel more improbable than in Val di Funes, where the Odle peaks rise from soft meadows like a row of shark's teeth. The Adolf Munkel Trail traverses directly beneath their north faces: a loop of around 9 km from the Zans car park with some 400 m of ascent, comfortably done in three to four hours. The rustic Geisleralm, roughly halfway round, serves one of the best hut lunches in South Tyrol. Strong walkers can extend the day up to the Schlüterhütte (Rifugio Genova) at 2,306 m for wider views across the Puez-Odle nature park.

12. Piz Boè from Passo Pordoi (Sella Group)

Piz Boè (3,152 m) is generally reckoned the easiest three-thousander in the Dolomites — which is not the same as trivial. The cable car from Passo Pordoi lifts you to the Sass Pordoi terrace at 2,950 m, from where a rocky trail crosses the Sella's lunar plateau to the summit and back in around two to two and a half hours. A few short cable-protected steps demand a steady head, and the altitude deserves respect when the weather turns. Capanna Piz Fassa sits improbably on the very summit, with Rifugio Boè a little below on the plateau, and the Marmolada fills the view south.

13. Croda da Lago Circuit (Cortina d'Ampezzo)

A connoisseur's loop, quieter than its Cortina neighbours and at its absolute best in late October when the larch forests turn gold. From Ponte de Ru Curto on the Passo Giau road, climb through woods to Lago Federa, where Rifugio Croda da Lago (Palmieri) sits on the shore at 2,046 m and the Becco di Mezzodì reflects in the water. Continue over Forcella Ambrizzola and return beneath the western walls of the Croda da Lago itself: around 12 km in total, some 900 m of ascent, five to six hours. Moderately demanding and richly rewarding.

14. Monte Pelmo Circuit from Passo Staulanza (Val di Zoldo)

Locals call the Pelmo il Caregón del Padreterno — the Almighty's armchair — and circling its 3,168 m bulk is one of the finest full-day hikes in the Dolomites. From Rifugio Passo Staulanza, the loop runs roughly 14 km with around 1,000 m of ascent; allow six to seven hours plus pauses. Rifugio Venezia (1,946 m), on the mountain's eastern flank, marks the halfway point and guards a rock slab bearing fossilised dinosaur footprints. The crossing of the Val d'Arcia scree high on the north side is rough going — a demanding route best kept for experienced walkers.

15. Alta Via 1 (Lago di Braies to Belluno)

The multi-day pick, and the natural next step once the day hikes have you hooked. Alta Via 1 runs around 120 km from Lago di Braies south to the hills above Belluno, taking most walkers eight to twelve days and sleeping in rifugios the whole way. It is the most accessible of the Dolomites' high routes — demanding in stamina but nowhere technical — and it threads past several places on this list. Its emotional high point may be Rifugio Tissi, perched on a knoll directly opposite the north-west face of the Civetta, one of the greatest rock walls in the Alps.

Planning tips

The hiking season in the Dolomites runs roughly from mid-June to late September, when the rifugios are open and the high paths are clear of snow; our month-by-month guide to when to visit the Dolomites covers the trade-offs in detail. Popular huts fill up weeks ahead in July and August, so read up on how to book an alpine hut before you fix your dates. For gear, transport and trail logistics, start with our complete guide to hiking in the Dolomites — and when you are ready to build your own itinerary, browse every hiking hut on Hutlists.