All you need to know about the Lake Sorapis hike

Lake Sorapis (Lago di Sorapis, in Italian), is the one of the most famous hiking spots in the Dolomites, Northern Italy. Known for its impressive turquoise blue waters, Lake Sorapis hike offers an all-rounder trekking experience: amazing views, interesting path and a breath-taking landscape as reward when you reach the lake. We have done this hike in mid-August and have gathered many tips and tricks to help you make the best of your experience.

What you need to know before hiking to Lake Sorapis?

• Hike duration: 4-5h in total, depending on your rhythm and time spent up there. It took us 1h40 each way, but we hiked moderately fast.
• Start and final points: Passo Tre Croci (easily found on Google Maps)
• Total distance: 12.5 km (6.2km each way)
• Difficulty level: The hike to Lake Sorapis is considered moderate. There are quite some steep parts, with steel ladders and ropes to help with the path. People that struggle with heights may find it more challenging, as there are some narrow parts where you walk right next to the cliff – That being said, we did not have a problem with it and found the path very interesting.
• Infrastructure: Right next to the lake, there is a lodge called Rifugio Alfonso Vandelli that has bathrooms, a bar & restaurant for fresh refreshments and accommodation options.
• Equipment: Good hiking shoes is a must – the trail is often slippery since in many parts of the path you walk directly on rocks. We do not recommend going up after a rainfall or when the forecast predicts rainy weather. There are some signs that advise the use of helmet and climbing gear (Via Ferrata equipment), but there is no real need for it. These signs are from the time when the steel bridges and cables were not yet installed. We didn’t see anyone using it and neither did we feel the need for it.
• Best hiking months: From June to August/September. Depending on the weather conditions, hiking may be possible in May and the beginning of October, but these are more exceptions than the rule.
• Costs: Access to the trail is free, as is the parking. The only costs we had were the beverages we bought at the Rifugio.
• Public transport: The hike is connected to Cortina d’Ampezzo via the public bus line number 30/31. More information on this topic below.
• Is it accessible to kids? For those who are accustomed to hiking, yes. We have seen quite some families on the path, but it is a steep path so I wouldn’t recommend it for kids who are not used to this environment. There are quite some areas where parents may need to help and hold their kids.

Our impressions about the Sorapis Lake Hike

This was our favorite hike during our Dolomites Hiking trip. It combined a great path (with a nice balance of challenging trails with amazing views) to the most unique lake we’ve seen in the whole region. We can’t recommend it highly enough.

However, there are a few tips that we think are extremely important to make this a successful experience. First of all, arrive early. I cannot stress this enough. We recommend starting the hike at 8h30 max if you want to avoid troubles with parking and the crowds. Around lunch time the hike is usually full and people are forced to walk in lines, waiting for their turn to go through the stairs or hold on the cables. This is not only annoying, but extremely time consuming. With these conditions, you can easily double the expected hiking time of 2h each way.

Second, do not underestimate the weather forecast. The path can be quite slippery and dangerous, as there are no fences or protection in many areas. We do not recommend going up after a rainfall or when the forecast predicts rains (which is quite common to happen during the afternoon on this region of the Dolomites).

Pro tip: From Passo Tre Croci, it is pretty easy to find the start of the trail, but don’t waste your time looking for signs that say “Lago di Sorapis”. Most of the signs actually point to “Rifugio Vandelli” and this is the direction you should follow. That being said, the path is pretty simple and there is not much need for signs.

Can you swim in Lake Sorapis?

As of 2019, swimming in Lake Sorapis is strictly forbidden. There are several signs all around the lake to remind people of this prohibition and we urge you to respect it. There are a few hundred thousand hikers that visit this site every year and this increasing number brings a potential threat to the uniqueness of the lake if people were to swim in it, dipping with sunscreen, sweat and several other products into the water and disrupting the environment.

How to get to Lake Sorapis?

The starting point for hiking the trail #215 to Lake Sorapis is Passo Tre Croci. This is the trail we recommend, even though there are other options (see below for more information).

• By car: Simply find “Passo Tre Croci” on Google Maps and follow the directions – it is only a short 13min ride from Cortina d’Ampezzo. There is a small parking area next to an old hotel right next to the start of the trail (which was recently in renovation). Since it is fairly small, it gets full quite early. We arrived at 8h30 and there was no space anymore, people were parking on the side of the road – so did we. If you don’t arrive early, you might end up parking 1 or 2 km away from the starting point, which in the end adds up a few kms to your hike.

Do you still need to rent a car? Check the price with Discover Cars, our trusted affiliate.

• By bus: The bus line number 30/31 connects Cortina d’Ampezzo to Misurina and the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, passing by the Passo Tre Croci where there is a stop. This line only operates during the summer season, when the hikes are open and operational.

Check the bus schedule on the official Dolomiti Bus website. From our experience, Italians are not famous for their punctuality so the schedule may not be 100% accurate.

Hiking to Lake Sorapis – Options of routes and our recommended choice

There are two main options of routes to get to Lake Sorapis, via trail #215 or #217. The first one is the path we did, that goes from Passo Tre Croci to the lake, and our recommended choice. This is the easiest and less demanding path, which does not require any special equipment other than good hiking boots.

Trail #217 starts lower down and is, therefore, quite longer. It starts at Rifugio Cristallo and goes up in a much steeper and challenging path. Besides from being more demanding, it does not have the views that #215 does, meaning that you walk mostly among the trees without much to see. This trail also ends at Rifugio Vandelli, where #217 and #215 meet.

Hiking Gear recommendation

Check out our favorite hiking gear and essentials which we always bring with us.

Our Amazon Hiking list

Our experience on trail #215 to Lake Sorapis

We started the hike at 8h30, leaving the parking lot through a quite easy path among the trees. If you need to refill your water bottle, there is usually a small waterfall right on the beginning of the way with fresh mountain water. After some time, you will come to a bifurcation, where you should take the left. This is the only clear bifurcation we have seen, so there is not much trouble finding your way.

You will cross a couple of small river streams and rocks. Depending on the month you go, you may find snow or ice on some of the parts here. Be careful with the slippery rocks! After leaving this first part of the path in the woods, the views will open up with an amazing panorama of the valley below. Some parts will have steel stairs or cables on the rock to help. After passing through this section, you will only need around 20min more until you reach the lake.

You will see a sign that says the Rifugio Vandelli is on the left and the lake on the right. Because of its location in between the mountains, you will only spot the waters once you are right in front of it – but it will definitely make your eyes pop. The Sorapis Lake has this beautiful turquoise color that is simply mesmerizing.

Most of the people don’t move beyond this first area, and it can get quite crowded as the time passes. Fortunately, at the other side of the lake, there is a much wider area (somewhat like a little beach) that is just perfect to sit, relax and have a little snack break. To reach the other side, we recommend taking the path on the right – there is also another path on the left but it is much more challenging as you need to go up and around the rock.

Pro tip: The water of the lake is only this blue when the sun is shining. For photography lovers, the best time for capturing this view is in the morning. In the afternoon, you will have to shoot against the sun.

We started our way down around 11h and WOW – it got so full! I was so impressed. People were making lines, we had to squeeze our way through the crowds in many areas, but thankfully we were going in the other direction. Since the path is narrow, there is simply no way of cutting through the lines if you are stuck on this hike with so many people. This is just another reason for you to opt for an early start!

Where to stay near Lake Sorapis?

Passo Tre Croci is only a couple of minutes away from Cortina d’Ampezzo or Misurina. Cortina is a larger and better-connected city and the best choice if you are relying on public transport. Misurina only offers a couple of hotel accommodation options, but it is much quieter and you have the experience of staying right next to the lake. It is also a great base if you intend on combining this hike with the Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

Here are our top hotel recommendations of where to stay near Lake Sorapis:

• B&B Hotel Passo Tre Croci Cortina – If you want to be located close to the hike to start it early in the morning without issues, this is your pick. Located only 100m from the start of the Sorapis trail, this hotel offers great comfort to travelers and athletes. It is also popular during the winter among travelers who visit the Dolomites for skiing.
• Hotel Sorapiss – Located in Lake Misurina, this is also a great option for accommodation close to the Sorapis hike. It will take you only 15min by car to get to the start of the trail.
• Grand Hotel Misurina – If you are looking for comfort, this four-star hotel may be the best choice for you. Also located in Lake Misurina, the Grand Hotel offers amazing rooms with breathtaking views right from your bedroom window.