Dolomites is known for its majestic Alpine forests, volcanic rocks, and hiking opportunities. Situated in Italy, Dolomites share its mountain range with the Alps in Switzerland, France, and Germany. While hut-to-hut hiking opportunities are plenty in the Dolomites, day hikes are the primary attractions of tourists of all ages.
The fundamental difference between hut-to-hut and day hiking is the duration of the treks. Trekkers who accomplish hundreds of kilometers of trails are practically required to stay in different places every night, while short hikes can be completed in a few hours. Yet that doesn’t minimize the enjoyment of hiking the glacial mountains and smoky blue lakes in the Dolomites. Here are 19 day-hikes in the Dolomites that you shouldn’t miss.
Cicada
With mesmerizing beauty of Geisler Peaks, the summit to Secada is one of the most sought-after hikes in Italian Dolomites. The 8.9 km circuit can be completed in 3:00 – 3:30 hours with it starting from the Ortisei-Furnes Cableway Valley station and ending exactly there. The route goes through Secada Panorama Point, Furcella de Pana, and Scharte, offering the hikers great opportunities to explore the forests and snowy mountains.
Cinque Torri
This WW1-torn hiking trail is surrounded by trenches, bunkers, and hiding places, in addition to easily accessible scenic vistas through the Dolomites. The whole Cinque Terri hike is about 2- 2.5 km long, taking a maximum of 2 hours to complete. However, you must elongate it with visits to the trenches and the open-air museum. The trek starts and ends in Rifugio Scoiattoli, accessible by cable car and public transport. The best time to visit Cinque Torri is in the summer.
Cadini di Misurina
This breathtaking day hike offers a unique view of the backside of Tre Cime di Lavarado and an outstanding view of the Cadini di Misurina. With only a 3.2 km hike and 210 meters of total ascend, it should take you more than 1-2 hours to complete the trek. A further walk down the path offers additional scenic views. However, be careful of the narrow trail around the cliff edges. To access the hike, get up early and reach Rifugio Auronzo before 9:30 to secure your parking spot. As now there is a limit to the number of cars in the parking lot, it’s better to start early.
Lagazuoi
Starting at the Passo Falzarego, the Lagazuoi tunnels are one of the most preserved and safest tunnel systems in the whole of Europe. Although it can’t be considered a challenging hike, it isn’t an easy one either. You may want to bring a helmet and a head torch to explore the tunnels in detail. The whole round-trip day hike consists of 5 km of easy to moderate walking, taking 3-4 hours to complete. The whole tunnel system is sign-posted pretty well to guide the hikers and give you a history lesson. The hiking time can be much longer if you’re interested in the historical aspects of the struggles and courage to mine the tunnels.
Capanna Alpina – Rifugio Fanes
A chunk of Alta Via 1, the Capanna Alpina to Rifugio Fanes trail is one of the most spectacular hikes around the Dolomites. While most people take a short route to Rifugio Fanes and return back, you can take a long linear route of 20 km if planning to stay at Rifugio Fanes for a day or two. The long route will take you around 8 hours to complete with a 1077-meter elevation gain.
It’s advisable to bring hiking equipment if you’re considering the long trail. Capanna Alpina is accessible by bus and car. However, if you are infatuated with the Alta Via 1, consider taking guided and unguided treks with Montblanctreks to enjoy your holidays in the Dolomites witht your family.
Adolf Munkel Trail
The moderately difficult picturesque Adolf Munkel trail is accessible to hikers throughout the whole year. This 8.9 km long summit is achievable in less than 3 hours with an ascent of 443 meters. Starting from the Zans parking lot, it’s accessible by cars and public transport. You don’t require any additional equipment except water and food to complete the trek. However, make sure to experience the majestic glacial mountains from trail number 6, 28, 35, and 36.
Armentara Meadows Trail
Starting from Santa Croce Chapel in Badia, Armentara Meadows is a hiking paradise. Covered in grasslands, Alpine forests, and glacial mountains, the trail is mostly an easy walk along the Armentara Plateau. The trek stretches to a distance of 9 km with a hiking time of 3-4 hours. As it’s situated in the plateaus, the total elevation gain is limited to a 70 meters ascent. The cableways are accessible between mid-June to mid-September. But, if you want to visit the trails before or later, you have to ascend 800 meters from Badia to the Armentara Plateau.
Baita Segantini
Baita Segantini is a popular hiking choice among families and solo travelers. Depending on your time of visit during the day, you may see an influx of hikers and tourists. We recommend visiting the Passo Rolle trailhead during the mid-afternoon to avoid crowds. The loop is stretched across 9 km with a 436 meters ascending elevation.
It may take you more than 3 hours to complete the hike as the route is full of surprising elevations and descends. Starting from the Passo Rolle parking lot, you’ll go through the Rifugio Capanna Cervino and Baita Segantini to enjoy the marvelous Dolomitic landscape and glacial mountains. Depending on the weather, you can visit Baita Segantini between June and October.
Hochalpen Kopf Summit
While most of the tourists visit Lago di Braies and return after clicking a few photos of the lake, we recommend hiking beyond to the Hochalpen Kopf summit to experience one of the most beautiful Dolomitic landscapes.
This long 16.9 km hike should take you a whole day to explore. As it’s not suitable for everyone and can be a bit challenging, you can expect less crowd and more nature. Start the day early with a pair of polarized sunglasses and sunscreen lotion. If possible, bring a hiking pole with you; as the ascent of 1200 meters can be a bit excruciating.
Passo Giau to Mondeval Plateau
Starting from Passo Giau, the Mondeval Plateau summit is a comparatively easier trek of 12.8 km and 5 hours with an elevation of 2455 meters. Surrounded by a small lake, Dolomitic ranges, and Monte Mondeval panoramic peak.
Depending on your endurance, the trek may prove to be strenuous, but it’s possible to achieve with enough rest from June to October. You can reach Passo Giau by car or bus. The parking lot is free but has limited space. Therefore, it’s advised to start early and reach Passo Giau by 9:30 AM.
Monte Pic Summit
This summit is a lesser-known hiking trail that doesn’t attract much interest due to its low elevation and easy walk. However, due to this very reason, you may expect a fewer number of tourists hiking the trail. The round 13.9 km circuit may take you 6 hours to complete. Plan your itineraries accordingly. Starting from Praplan car park, you’ll go through Baita Gamsblut, Rifugio fermeda, Mastle, and Cuca saddle to reach Monte Pic at 2363 meters.
Col dala Pieres Summit
This is a difficult day hiking opportunity in the Dolomites that requires a fair bit of experience. With an elevation of 1220 meters, you may need to hike for more than 7 hours to cover the distance of 13.7 km, starting from Col Raiser Gondola Mountain Station. It’s advised to not take the hike during the winter. The mountain station is accessible by car and bus, but the parking lot, as expected, has limited space.
Cima Pisciadu Summit
Similar to Col dala Pieres, Cima Pisciadu summit is also one of the most challenging day hikes in the Dolomites due to its rough terrain and 1300 meters of ascend and descent. The 8 km long hike might take you more than 6 hours to complete without breaks in between.
Although challenging, you don’t particularly need hiking gear to trek the trail, but having a good pair of hiking shoes and a pole may help with the elevation. It starts from Passo Gardena and ends right there by passing through the beautiful Cima Pisciadu.
Vajolet Towers
The six summits of Vajolet Towers are accessible from the Malga Frommer Alm parking lot and are an 8 km, 6-hour walk. As the hiking is difficult and mostly due to the scenic beauty, many hikers consider staying in the huts for a day or two before descending back to their cars. The elevation gain of the trail is around 650 meters. You need to take a left turn from the fork to reach the Vajolet Towers after reaching the top of the chairlift at Rifugio Fronza.
Pala di San Martino
Pala di San Martino is the most southern mountain range of the Dolomites. Situated in Cismon, Cordevole, and Bios, it’s known for its rocky peaks and diverse colors in the morning and afternoon. Starting from Rosetta Cableway Mountain station, the hike stretches itself to a difficult 12.1 km with a 909-meter ascend.
It should take you around 6 hours to complete the trek. Accessible through Rosetta Cableway, the hike goes through Rifugio Rosetta, Passo Val di Roda, and Col Delle Fede to reach Passo di Ball—the highest point of the trek. Your descent starts from there to end at Rosetta Cableway Mountain Station.
Tre Cime di Lavaredo Circuit Trail
Circling around three large pillars of rocks, this UNESCO heritage site is popular for the most famous view of Tre Cime. The Tre Cime di Lavaredo circuit starts from the Rifugio Auronzo parking lot, which, again, fills up quickly. You’re advised to reach before 9:30 AM to avoid hassles. This 8.8 km long loop takes around 4-5 hours to complete due to its moderate difficulty. Summer months from June to October are the best time to visit the Lavaredo circuit to enjoy the wildflower blooms.
Rifugio Genova
Starting from Zans in Val di Funes, the Rifugio Genova circuit needs at least 4-5 hours of your time to explore its 11 km stretch. The total ascent of 738 meters makes it a moderate hiking experience for trekkers. The route goes through Sass Rigais and Munt de Faurecia to reach Rifugio Genova, which then ends again in Zens. While July to September is the best time to visit Rifugio Geneva, huts stay open till mid-October.
Sass de Putia Circuit Trail
Between Val Badia and Val di Funes, in South Tyrol’s Puez-Odle Nature Park, lies the lonely peak known as Sass de Putia. The Passo delle Erbe (Würzjoch) mountain pass in Alta Badia provides quick access to this lone, two-headed peak.
The easy circuit route around Sass de Putia, also known as Rundweg Peitlerkofel in German and Roda de Pütia in Ladin, is one of the most rewarding day hikes in the Dolomites. It takes 4 hours to accomplish this 12.8 km circle walk. The circuit passes Passo Delle Erbe, Forcella de Putia, and Gomajoch to complete its 640-meter ascent.
Lago di Sorapis
A glacier lake in the Italian Dolomites’ Sorapiss Group is known as Lago di Sorapis. Every trekking season, crowds of tourists go to Lake Sorapis, which is renowned for its milky blue hue and picturesque setting at the base of Dito di Dio.
About halfway between Cortina d’Ampezzo and Lake Misurina, near the Passo Tre Croci mountain crossing, the journey to Lago di Sorapis begins. Reaching the lake and the close-by Rifugio Vandelli just takes 2 hours when using the well-traveled path 215. Although the straight path is picturesque and interesting, it is also quite congested. The 13.2-kilometer-long trip takes about 5 hours to accomplish.
The Bottom Line
The Dolomites in Italy offer hiking opportunities to every kind of explorer who wants to enjoy an easy walk along the Te Crime lake or the Alta Via 2. Whatever may your experience be, day hiking opportunities across the Dolomites are ample and should be enough to contain your wanderlust. However, make sure to refer to this brief guide to analyze what is suitable for you; depending on your endurance and ability.
