7 Days in the Dolomites: Our Complete Cortina + Val Gardena Itinerary

The Dolomites have been on my bucket list for almost five years, so finally getting to visit felt pretty surreal. And honestly, the trip was even better than I could have imagined! The mountains were absolutely incredible, and I quickly understood why this area had been on my list for so long.

After spending a week exploring the Dolomites, I put together this itinerary to help you make the most of your time in the region. It combines some of the best hikes, scenic gondola rides, and viewpoints we visited during our trip without packing every single day with hiking.

You’ll spend half your trip in Cortina d’Ampezzo and the other half in Selva di Val Gardena, giving you the chance to experience two different sides of the Dolomites. Here’s exactly how we spent our week!

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One Week Dolomites Itinerary at a Glance

You’ll spend days 1–4 in Cortina and days 5–7 in Selva di Val Gardena. If you follow this itinerary, the Dolomiti SuperSki Pass can help you save money on the gondolas. If you want to save even more, you can skip a few gondolas and hike instead. For us, though, the gondolas were 100% worth the money. They saved us a lot of time and energy, especially on the longer days.

Splitting your time between the east and the west side

This itinerary splits the week between Cortina d’Ampezzo and Selva di Val Gardena, giving you time to experience both the eastern and western Dolomites without spending hours in the car each day. It’s the perfect balance of iconic views, scenic hikes, and cozy mountain-town vibes.

• Cortina d’Ampezzo (4 nights): A great base for exploring the eastern Dolomites, with easy access to Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Lago di Sorapis, and the Cinque Torri area. Cortina has a lively town center, plenty of restaurants, and that classic alpine charm.
• Selva di Val Gardena (3 nights): Ideal for the western Dolomites, where you can hike Seceda, Alpe di Siusi, and the Sassolungo circuit. Selva feels a bit quieter and more traditional—perfect for unwinding at the end of the trip.

This split makes the most of your week, keeps your driving time short, and lets you experience the unique scenery and atmosphere each side of the Dolomites has to offer.

Cortina d’Ampezzo

Your home base for the first part of the trip is going to be around Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The major town on the eastern side of the Dolomites is Cortina d’Ampezzo. It’s a pretty busy town with plenty of restaurants and hotels to choose from. Since it’s a really popular place to stay, it can get pretty busy. When we visited in 2025, there was also a lot of construction happening to prepare for the 2026 Winter Olympics, which added to the traffic.

Cortina is close to a lot of major hikes and has a good bus system, the Dolomiti Bus, that you can use to get around if you don’t have a car. There are also quite a few cable cars that start from town and take you into the surrounding mountains. We found Cortina to be a convenient base for exploring this side of the Dolomites.

If you prefer a quieter stay, I included one hotel around Lago di Misurina. We personally stayed in this area and loved it.

Day 1: Arrive in Dolomites

What time you arrive in the Dolomites will depend on where you flew into. We flew into Venice, picked up our rental car, and was in Auronzo di Cadore by 1 pm.

Auronzo di Cadore

Grab lunch at Bar Ottavo Nano (their sandwiches are so good!) before heading over to explore Lago di Santa Caterina.

This stunning lake is famous for its bright turquoise water and peaceful setting. There are free parking lots on both sides of the lake, though they can fill up quickly during peak season. From there, take the flat trail along the shoreline until you reach the bridge—it’s the perfect spot for panoramic views of both the lake and the city.

After enjoying the lake, make your way to Auronzo d’Inverno Srl, where you can pick up your Dolomiti Superski Pass. While you’re there, you can also check out the Fun Bob, a smaller mountain coaster that winds its way down the slope and is just pure fun.

In the same area, you’ll also find the Tre Cime Adventure Park, which features five different zipline routes for a little adrenaline rush among the mountains.

Check into your accommodation

From here you can head to Cortina or Lake Misurana to check into your hotel and get settle in. If you have enough energy walk around Lake Misurana after dinner and watch sunset from the left side of the lake.

Day 2: Tre Cime

Day two is when you really get to experience the Dolomites! Today, you’ll tackle one of the region’s most iconic trails, Tre Cime. Start your day early to help beat the crowds and enjoy a quieter start to the hike.

Tre Cime

To get to Tre Cime, you have two options:

• Drive yourself – There’s a large parking lot, but you’ll need to reserve your spot and time in advance on their website. The cost is €40 for a regular-sized car.
• Take the Dolomiti Bus – An easier and more budget-friendly option is to take the bus from the Lake Misurina stop straight to the Tre Cime parking area. It’s only €10 round trip and doesn’t need to be booked ahead of time.

I personally took the bus and found it very convenient. You can purchase tickets on the bus or at the ticket kiosk by the bus station. You can find the timetable for this bus here.

Spend most of the day hiking Tre Cime. The main loop is about 5.5 miles, but may be make it longer by adding a few detours. I recommend doing the hike counterclockwise, it follows the flow of traffic and just feels a bit easier this way. The trail is rated moderate, with around 1,400 feet of elevation gain. I didn’t find it too challenging, as most uphill sections are short and manageable.

Along the route, you’ll find three rifugios – Rifugio Auronzo, Rifugio Lavaredo, and Rifugio Locatelli . These giving you plenty of opportunities for food, water, or a bathroom break.

Refugio Locatelli

While you can stop at any of the rifugios for food, we chose Refugio Locatelli since it’s roughly the halfway point. We shared the mushroom polenta and pasta soup, and both were delicious! Stopping here adds about 0.6 miles to your hike, but the extra distance is totally manageable.

After finishing the hike, we headed back toward Lake Misurina to browse the souvenir shops before grabbing dinner and getting some much-needed rest.

Day 3: Lago di Braies

After breakfast, head to Lago di Braies, which is around 1 hour from Cortina. In the summer, there are restrictions to driving to the lake. Between the hours of 9-5, you’ll need a permit which you can purchase online in advance.

Lago di Braies: Hiking Around the Lake

Once at Lago di Braies, hike the loop around the lake. The path around the lake is 2.3 miles and is rated easy. There are some small inclines, but nothing to crazy.

Note: as of September 2025 you cannot do the full loop. A portion of the trail is closed due to a rock slide. You can still walk all the way to the other side of the lake, however, you will just need to return the way you came.

You can also rent a canoe and enjoy paddling out onto the lake. A private boat costs €55 and includes a 45-minute ride along with two magnets and postcards as souvenirs. If you’d prefer, you can join a shared boat ride for €15 per person, which also includes the 45-minute ride plus two magnets and postcards.

Be sure to visit the Chapel on the Lake, and stop by Emma’s Bistro right next to the Chapel for a bite. We shared an apple strudel, and it was absolutely delicious.

Grab Lunch in Town

If you reserve a parking spot, it comes with a 20 euro voucher to use at a shop or restaurant of your choice. We chose Hotel Restaurant Steinerhof and enjoyed a delicious pork schnitzel with fries.

Stop in Dobbiaco

On your way back to Cortina, stop in Dobbiaco and take a walk around the town. You can browse a few shops and visit the Chiesa di San Giovanni Battista. We only viewed it from the outside, but you can go inside if you like. The town is small, so you won’t need to spend much time here.

Lago di Dobbiaco

Make another pit stop at Lago di Dobbiaco to take in this stunning lake. You can do the 1.5 mile loop around the lake or rental paddle boats from the cafe on the opposite side of the lake. We personally just walked to the bridge around the lake before turning back.

Day 4: Lago di Sorapis

Wake up early and head to Lago di Sorapis for a full-day hike.

You can tackle the trail as either an out-and-back (7.2 miles) or a loop (7.9 miles). I chose the out-and-back since the loop adds more elevation and is significantly tougher. Along the way, you can make a quick detour to Rifugio Vandelli, just 0.2 miles off the main trail.

The hike is rated moderate to hard and feels more technical than your average trail. The first half is manageable with gentle ups and downs, but the last mile is where it gets challenging. The path narrows, steepens, and has sections where you’ll scramble over rocks. There are even a few cables to hold onto along drop-offs. It might sound intimidating, but it’s not as scary as it seems – just good to know before you go.

Check out this article for everything you need to know before hiking to Lago di Sorapis.

This trail will take most of your day (and energy), so plan to rest after the hike before heading out for dinner.

Selva di Val Gardena

There are three main towns in Val Gardena that people typically choose:

• Ortisei – the largest and most popular base.
• Santa Cristina – smaller and quieter, perfect if you want a peaceful stay.
• Selva di Val Gardena – ideal for hiking and skiing access.

Selva di Val Gardena is where we personally stayed, and it turned out to be a very charming town. It has a good mix of shops and restaurants, but still feels quieter compared to Ortisei. From town, you also have easy access to two major cable cars: Dantercepies and the Ciampinoi cable car.

For accommodation options in the other towns, check out this article.

Day 5: Travel to Selva di Val Gardena

Check out of your accommodation early and make your way to Selva di Val Gardena. The drive takes around 2 hours, but there are a few scenic stops along the way to break it up. This was definitely our busiest day of the trip. We packed a lot into the day between Cortina and Selva, but the stops made the longer drive completely worth it.

Cabinovia Freccia nel Cielo

Just on the outskirts of Cortina, stop at the Tofana – Freccia nel Cielo Cable Car and take the ride up to the third highest peak in the Dolomites! It’s actually a series of three cable cars to reach the top, but trust me, it’s worth it. We were a little unsure what to expect, but once we got to the top, we were so glad we made the stop.

The first cable car stops at Col Druscie, where you can walk around and enjoy the observatory. There are also two restaurants here if you’re hungry: Masi Wine Bar and Ristorante Col Druscie 1778. We personally didn’t get off here and continued straight to the top.

From Col Druscie, you’ll take a larger cable car up to Ra Valles. While there’s a pizzeria here, there isn’t much else to do, so most visitors continue straight to the last cable car that goes up to Cima Tofana.

Once you exit the cable car station at the top, you’ll find a large terrace with chairs, perfect for sitting and soaking in the view. There’s also a bar/cafe where you can grab food and drinks. I definitely recommend giving yourself some time up here instead of rushing back down. The views were one of my favorite parts of the stop.

I recommend continuing up the stairs and following the trails to a few different viewpoints, each offering almost 360-degree views of the Dolomites. You can also scramble up the rocks to reach Tofana di Mezzo, but be careful, this path is very gravelly and requires some rock climbing. Take your time if you choose to attempt it.

Cinque Torri

After you finish at Tofana, make your way to Cinque Torri, around 30 minutes away. If you are hungry, stop at Baita Resch for lunch with incredible views. We stopped here for lunch and loved being able to enjoy the mountain views while we ate.

There’s a large free parking lot at the gondola base. We arrived around midday and still managed to find a spot, but I could see how it could fill up quickly during busier times. When the lot is full, cars can also line the gravel road.

To reach the trailhead, take the chairlift up to Rifugio Scoiattoli. You can hike up instead, but we chose the chairlift. The trail is pretty steep and doesn’t offer much in terms of views, so I’d recommend saving your energy for the hike at the top.

The Cinque Torri loop is roughly 1.2 miles round-trip and rated easy to moderate. For the simplest option, explore the World War I bunkers and then turn back. The harder part of the loop comes after crossing to the far side, where you’ll need to hike uphill to return. The views on that section aren’t particularly special, so you won’t miss much if you skip it.

Gardena Passa

After you finish at Cinque Torri, continue on to Selva di Val Gardena. The drive takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. If you’d like to break it up, stop at Gardena Pass, where you’ll find a few trails, cable cars, and incredible views. Just note that in summer, this area can get very busy, and parking can be a challenge.

Day 6: Seceda & Alpe di Suisi

Grab breakfast at your accommodation, then head to Ortisei to see the iconic Seceda ridgeline. Val Gardena has a great public bus system, and most hotels offer a free bus pass. If you’d rather not drive, you can take the bus directly from Selva di Val Gardena to Ortisei.

Seceda

To reach Seceda, you’ll need to take two cable cars to the top, or you can hike the roughly 4.7 miles instead. I decided to save some time (and energy) and took the gondola up. From the top station, follow the short but steep trail to reach the iconic ridgeline viewpoint.

As you start looping back down, you’ll come across a station where they charge 5 euros per person to continue on a path that connects to another viewpoint. You don’t have to pay unless you want the shortcut. Instead, you can follow the trail down and keep left – it loops back up to the same area the paid path leads to.

This area offers incredible views, and there are a few mountain huts where you can grab a bite and take in the scenery. If you’d rather not hike to the huts, there’s also a restaurant with a large terrace right by the cable car station. For the more adventurous, paragliding is available from this area, but it needs to be booked in advance.

Once you are done enjoying this area, take the cable cars back down into Ortisei and head to Alpe di Suisi.

Hiking or Biking at Alpe di Siusi

You have a few options for exploring Alpe di Siusi:

1. Take the cable car from Ortisei directly to Alpe di Siusi. From here, there are plenty of trails to explore the area. You can grab a meal at Almgasthof Mont Seuc, right by the cable car station, or stop at one of the mountain huts along the trails.

2. Drive or take the bus to the Cabinovia Alpe di Siusi station and ride up to Compatsch. From there, you can walk or bike the Alpe di Siusi Panoramic Loop. The full loop is 7–8 miles and offers incredible views, with plenty of mountain huts to stop at along the way. If you want to rent bikes, electric bikes are available right by the cable car station at Alpincenter.

Day 7: Cable Cars

By day 7, you’re probably going to be a little tired of hiking. At least, we were! So instead of planning another big hike, we spent the day enjoying the mountains from above.

Sassolungo

Take the Funivie Ciampinoi in Selva di Val Gardena to get a closer look at Sassolungo and the surrounding mountain ranges. From the top cable car station, you get incredible panoramic views. There are also plenty of trails that start from this area if you’re up for another hike.

Passo Gardena

Also in Selva di Val Gardena, take the Cabinovia Dantercepies up to the top cable car station for stunning views of the Sella Group, Sassolungo from a different perspective, and Sciliar. From the station, take the path to the left to fully take in the scenery. Once you’re done, I recommend walking the short but steep trail that goes above the station. Some of my favorite views in the area are from here!

If mountain biking is your thing, there’s a large bike park starting from the top station. People typically rent bikes at the bottom, bring them up on the gondola, and then ride back down.

While up here, I highly recommend grabbing a meal at the Dantercepies Mountain Lounge. They have a large terrace if the weather is nice, or floor-to-ceiling windows inside so you can still enjoy the views. We ordered the deer ragu pappardelle with a side of fries, and it was sooo good!

Check out Some Shops

Spend the rest of the afternoon exploring some shops in town, or take the bus over to Santa Cristina or Ortisei to check out a few of their shops. Stop for gelato and just enjoy these charming towns before packing your bags and getting ready to head home tomorrow.

FAQ For Spending 7 Days in the Dolomites

What is the Best season for hiking in the Dolomites?

The best time to hike in the Dolomites is late June through early October. During these months, most trails are clear of snow, rifugios are open, and the weather is warm but not too hot. July and August are the busiest months, so if you prefer fewer crowds, aim for late May or early October.

If you’re thinking about visiting in September (like we did), check out this article to so you know exactly what to expect during this month.

How to get to the Dolomites?

The Dolomites don’t have their own major airport, so most travelers fly into Venice (VCE), or Innsbruck (INN). Venice is often the easiest option with the most flight choices. From there, you can:

• Rent a car: This gives you the most flexibility to explore different valleys and trailheads. Roads are well maintained and the scenery alone makes the drive worth it.
• Use public transport: If you’d rather not drive, there are train and bus connections from Venice, Verona, or Innsbruck to major Dolomites towns like Cortina d’Ampezzo, Bolzano, and Val Gardena. It takes longer but is doable with some planning.

How Much Does 7 Days in the Dolomites Cost?

The Dolomites aren’t the cheapest destination, especially if you plan to use several cable cars and stay in popular towns like Cortina. We spent $5,019 for our week-long trip for two people. This includes flights, rental car, accommodations, and more! For a complete breakdown of what went into this number, check out this article: The Real Cost of Spending a Week in the Dolomites (With a Full Breakdown)

Is 7 Days Enough for the Dolomites?

Seven days is the perfect amount of time for a first trip to the Dolomites. Obviously, you won’t be able to see everything, but you’ll have enough time to visit some of the most iconic spots without feeling like you’re rushing from one place to the next. It’s also not so long that you feel completely exhausted from hiking every day!

Final Thoughts on 7 Days in the Dolomites

The Dolomites completely exceeded my expectations. I knew the mountains were going to be beautiful, but there were so many moments throughout the trip where the views were even better than I could have imagined. Every day seemed to bring something different, from hiking through the mountains and riding gondolas to exploring small villages and stopping for gelato after a long day.

One of my favorite things about the Dolomites is how easy it is to mix adventure with slower moments. You can spend the morning on a challenging hike, then spend the afternoon wandering through a mountain town, grabbing a drink, or simply sitting somewhere and enjoying the views. That balance made the trip feel like so much more than just checking places off a list.

There is obviously still so much of the Dolomites that I haven’t seen, and I would love to go back someday and explore more of the region. But for a first trip, this itinerary gave us the chance to experience some of the places I was most excited to see while still having plenty of memorable moments along the way. If you’re planning your own trip, I hope this itinerary helps you have an amazing time in the Dolomites!