August 2024
Perfect One Week Summer Itinerary for the Dolomites, Italy
The Dolomites have been on my travel bucket list for a long time – once I discovered this magical region in Italy, it has been a region I could not wait to explore. After marking it down for the 2024 travel year, it has finally arrived. While we have visited many parts of Italy, this one will be the most unique. In the Italian Alps, the influence here will be more from Austria, Switzerland, and Germany than some parts of Italy. The pictures of this location simply do not do it justice and I knew that going into this trip. The Dolomites really is a perfect destination for an outdoor getaway – a great way to experience nature and disconnect.
Since there is so much to do, we split our stay up in two different areas of the Dolomites to make our exploration easier – Cortina d’Abruzzo and Ortisei. The primary focus of this itinerary will be for summer travel though the Dolomites is an all year round destination.
Know before you go
- The Dolomites is a popular travel destination so start planning in advance. Booking the accommodations, transportation, and dining should be secured ahead of your trip.
- The language is a mix of Italian and German but since it is a tourist destination, everyone speaks English and we did not encounter any issues with the language.
- You will need some cash on this trip. While downtown and non-mountain destination will have no issues accepting cards, the huts along the trails in the mountains primarily only accept cash since signals at 8000 ft are hard to come by. Just make sure when you arrive to your accommodations to visit the downtown of where you are staying and visit an ATM.
- Make sure if you have a credit card with no foreign transaction fee – highly recommend getting one if not – that will be fine for your trip. You can also take out euros to use as you will find some places that are cash only, but almost everywhere accepts credit cards.
- Starting in 2025, if you are traveling international to any country in the Schengan Zone, you will have to complete a form prior to arrival, including a 7 euro application fee, for the ETIAS – European Travel Information and Authorization System.
When to Visit
Dolomites is really an all seasons destination for summer and winter and depending on the activities you want to do when you visit but regardless, it is an outdoor playground.
- Summer: Hiking (both day hiking and hut-to-hut hiking), scenic pasture walks, mountain biking, rock climbing and via ferrata
- Winter: Skiing and snowboarding (location of the 2026 Winter Olympics!).
- All seasons: Booking at a wellness hotel, wine tasting at the Alto Adige Wine Region
How to Get There and Get Around
There are a few airports you can travel to which makes looking for flights a bit easier to find a good deal. Venice is the closest major airport and the one that we selected which is about a 2-3 hour drive depending on where in the Dolomites you are starting. Milan and Munich are also available options but it is farther. And if you are traveling more locally, there is an airport in Bolanzo which is right in the Dolomites.
While we adore Italy (and Europe in general) for the wonderful public transit system, this is one itinerary where having a car will be helpful. It is not impossible to get around the Dolomites without a car, but having one makes your life a lot easier. If you do not want to or cannot rent a car, then focusing on one of the towns is best and based on what we saw, Ortisei is set up to have high accessibility to make areas around the Dolomites.
Otherwise, renting a car is going to make getting around the various destinations of the Dolomites much easier. That being said, I know driving in Italy has a certain reputation for being a bit challenging. They have a reputation and for good reason – they are more aggressive and impatient drivers. Rules are more like suggestions – like lines and speed limits. But do not be intimidated – let them pass you and do not let it stop you from having the freedom and accessibility of a car for this trip. Otherwise, all the rules of driving are the same. Signs on the highways and of importance will be in English. We rented a car at the Venice airport and it was very easy.
Where to stay
Depending on the length of your trip, you will either stay in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Ortisei, or a split stay of both. I went to Airbnb first and was shocked to find extremely limited so the market here is not for Airbnb. Instead, we did as recommended and booked at the bed and breakfast / wellness resorts. The Dolomites is known for their wellness resorts that range in amenities and luxury. Typically, breakfast and dinner are included with the stay and feature a pool and sauna, and sometimes a spa, transportation to the chair lifts, and more. It can get quite pricey so my mission was to find places that were well rated with amenities we wanted at a reasonable price.
- Cortina d’Ampezzo: We stayed at Hotel Al Larin for a typical and basic accommodation that was reasonably priced
- Ortisei: We stayed at Hotel Digon that I cannot recommend enough for a mix of relaxation and comfort for a great value
What is there to do
I pretty much exclusively used Moon and Honey for planning our summer trip as their guides are absolutely fantastic and I recommend you do the same when planning your Dolomites trip. The Dolomites is an outdoor playground and there is so much to do for any interest and all activity levels. Want to mountain bike up the mountain? Rock climb the peaks of the Dolomites? Take a gondola and enjoy a vista? Go on a pasture walk? Enjoy downtown? The options are endless.
Cortina d’Ampezzo
- Visit downtown Cortina d’Ampezzo
- Hike the famous Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Cadini di Misurina
- Take the Funivia Tofana – Freccia nel Cielo gondola to the mountain top
- Hike up to Lake Sorapis
- Relax at Lake Misurina and Lake Dürrensee
- Rent a wooden boat at Lago di Braies
Ortisei
- Visit downtown Ortisei
- Hike the famous Seceda Mountain
- Take the gondola up to the largest pasture in Europe, Alpe di Siusi
- Rent mountain bikes
- Get a guide to take up a via ferrata in the region that invented it
- Visit the Alto Adige Wine Region
Perfect 1 Week Itinerary
| Activity | |
| Day 0 | Arrival Check into accommodations in Cortina d’Ampezzo Downtown Cortina d’Ampezzo |
| Day 1 | Hike Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Cadini di Misurina |
| Day 2 | Hike Lago di Sorapis Trail |
| Day 3 | Drive to Ortisei Check into accommodations in Ortisei Downtown Ortisei |
| Day 4 | Hike Seceda Ridgeline Trail |
| Day 5 | Hike Alpe di Siusi |
| Day 6 | Day Trip of Choice: Adventure activity (rock climbing, via ferrata, paragliding) Alto Adige Wine Region Spa day at a Wellness Hotel |
| Day 7 | Departure |