4 Self-guided hikes in the Dolomites that you cannot miss
With so many possibilities of hiking spots and routes, we understand it may be difficult to choose which hikes to do while planning your trip to the Dolomites, Northern Italy. Worry no more! After days of exploring the region and tons of research to find the best spots, we came up with a list of the 4 best hikes in the Dolomites!
1. Tre Cime di Lavaredo
It is not possible to make a list of the best hikes of the Dolomites without including the iconic Tre Cime di Lavaredo. This is one of the best family hikes in the Dolomites, easily self-guided and with some of the most amazing views.
We recommend doing the Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop hike, which has in total 9.5km and 400m elevation gain (ascend and descend). This is a circular hike, meaning you will make a loop around the mountain and finish in the same place as you started. The star of the hike is the view to the Tre Cime mountains, which are three majestic mountain peaks (Tre Cime is the Italian for Three Peaks). This was one of our favorite hikes for the diversity of landscape during such a short path and for the easy level and accessibility of the trail.
Pro tip: Arrive early! Since this is one of the most popular hiking spots in the Dolomites, it gets crowded in the summer. We recommend starting the hike no later than 8h30.
Read our article for more information about the Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike
2. Seceda
Next on our list of amazing views is Seceda, a family-friendly hike located in the heart of Val Gardena. This location was a perfect representation of what I always pictured the Dolomites would be like: extensive mountain valleys, little villages located in between with houses in German architecture, and a couple of churches in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by green scenery. If there is one place where this view becomes real, this place is Val Gardena.
Seceda is one of the most unique places we have ever been because of the ridgeline formed by the mountains. The hike around it has only 4km in total and there are many different possibilities of trails to explore. To get to Seceda, we recommend using the cable car located in Ortisei, but then again there are also other options for access to go up.
Check our complete guide about Seceda.
Hiking Gear recommendation
Check out our favorite hiking gear and essentials which we always bring with us.
3. Lago di Sorapis
From all of the hikes featured on this list, this is the most demanding one – but that doesn’t mean it is not doable. Far from it. We classify it as an easy/moderate level due to the steepness of the path. There are some sections where you will have to climb some steel stairs or walk right on the mountain side. If you have no issues with heights and are up for a bit sweatier hike, we highly recommend going to Lago di Sorapis.
In total, the hike until Lago di Sorapis has 12.5 km, considering also the loop around the lake. Combining the views along the way, the lake and the path, we rank this as our top favorite hike in the Dolomites. It is a fully self-guided trail that is very easy to follow, leading to this turquoise water lake on the end. You will only be able to see it once you reach the absolute end, building up to the surprise.
Read our full guide for more information about the hike to Lago di Sorapis.
Pro tip: Make sure you have proper hiking boots to go up and trust the weather forecast. In many parts, the path may get very slippery after rainfall because it is directly on rocks. Make sure you choose the day with the best weather forecast for going up here.
4. Adolf Munkel trail
The Adolf Munkel trail was one of the biggest surprises of this trip. It was among the ones we had lowest expectations and what we found easily surpassed all of them. The Adolf Munkel trail is part of the Puez-Odle Park, which offers an immense variety of paths for hiking, climbing, and cycling. We chose the Adolf Munkel path but if you have extra time, we recommend exploring this region a bit more.
To get to the Adolf Munkel trail, you should first reach the car park at Malga Zannes/Zanser Alm (either by car or by bus). This is the starting point for many of the trails. Follow the signs to the Adolf Munkel path, which has in total 9km. It is a circular hike, so you will make a loop around the mountains and return to the parking lot through the other side. It is a fairly easy hike and perfectly suitable for families and kids. Unfortunately, this was the day with the worst weather of our trip and, therefore, the views were a bit compromised. Nonetheless, we still had such an amazing time that it wouldn’t be fair not to include it on this list of the best hikes in the Dolomites.
Pro tip: This hike takes half a day, so you can choose to do it in the morning or afternoon. The price for parking is 6 € if you come in the morning but only 3 € past 14h.
Have a nice trip!
Fe & Edo
Organizing your trip
To help you plan your trip to Italy, we have put together our favorite planning resources:
- Flights: Get affordable flights to Italy on Skyscanner.com.
- Travel insurance: Make sure you are protected during your trip. We use SafetyWing whenever we are traveling abroad.
- Renting a car: We always use Discover Cars to get the best car deals.
- Accommodation: Find the best hotels and apartments on Booking.com.
- Activities: Get fun ideas of what to do and buy unique activities with Get Your Guide.
- SIM Card: Stay connected during your trip with Airalo.
- Recommended hiking gear: Check our recommendations on Amazon if you will be hiking in Italy!
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