Blog

Are you trying to plan your summer Dolomites itinerary, and don’t know where to begin? Start here!

If you’re looking for a scenic roadtrip in Europe with epic views, amazing hikes, and the cutest mountain villages – the Dolomites is the place to be! This region of the Italian Alps in Northern Italy is simply breathtaking. With jagged snow-topped peaks, rolling green meadows, and the most epic mountain huts (rifugios), you’ll never want to leave! It can be overwhelming planning your Dolomites itinerary, especially if you want to include hut-to-hut hiking, but don’t worry. I’ve got you covered! I’ve detailed out my exact 7-day Dolomites itinerary here for you so you can skip the stress of planning and get right to the fun stuff.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that I may receive a small commission if you book through my links, at no extra cost to you.

SEE ALSO: The Ultimate 7-Day Ireland Itinerary

Dolomites Trip Overview

• PTO/Vacation Days Needed: 5-6
• Currency: Euros
• Cost: $$$
• Money: Most places take credit cards, but you’ll need cash for the rifugios
• Language: German and Italian

Dolomites Itinerary Overview

• First Day: Venice to Val di Funes – Santa Magdalena
• Second Day: Val di Funes to Ortisei
• Third Day: Ortisei
• Fourth Day: Ortisei to Cortina D’Ampezzo or Lake Misurina
• Fifth Day: Tre Cime Hike to Rifugio Hut
• Sixth Day: Hike Out, Head to Lago di Braies Area
• Seventh Day: Lago di Braies, Back to Venice

You can also check out videos from this trip saved on my Instagram Highlights!

Best Time to Visit The Dolomites

The Dolomites is great in every season. If you like skiing, then winter would be amazing in the Dolomites! If you like hiking, then summer is the best time to visit. This Dolomites itinerary is for visiting in the summer. I recommend visiting in the shoulder-season months of June or September to beat the crowds. I visited in early/mid June and it was great! Ideally I would avoid going any earlier than June 10th to give yourself the best chances that the snow has melted on the trails and that the rifugios are open.

How to Get to the Dolomites

You’ll want to fly into one of the nearby airports and rent a car for this trip. See below for a list of airport options:

• Venice (VCE) – 3 hours from Val di Funes (the first spot on this itinerary)
• Bolzano (BZO) – 1 hour from Val di Funes
• Innsbruck (INN) – 1.5 hours from Val di Funes
• Verona (VRN) – 2.5 hours from Val di Funes
• Munich (MUC) – 3.5 hours from Val di Funes
• Milan (MXP) – 4 hours from Val di Funes

I chose to fly in and out of Venice, because the flights to get there were super cheap & direct from where we were in Europe. You could also fly into one airport and fly out of a different one, but getting a one-way drop-off rental car makes for quite the price increase!

You’ll notice that even though the Dolomites are in Northern Italy, the area is super close to the border of Germany and Austria. In fact, the Dolomites used to be part of Austria until World War I. Battles were fought right along the same trails you will be hiking! You’ll notice a lot of the German influence in this area. Not only do most people speak German, but a lot of the food is more German than Italian, too.

Renting a Car for a Dolomites Road Trip Itinerary

I recommend using DiscoverCars to book your rental car, which is a popular site for rental cars in Europe. This is what I used, and it was great! Make sure you check the box for “automatic” if you don’t know how to drive stick shift.

You need to get an International Driving Permit before you go. We went to our nearest AAA to get this done before our trip (you don’t have to be a AAA member) and it cost about $30. Honestly, we never were asked to show this at the rental car place or any other time during our trip, but better safe than sorry! If you happen to get pulled over, you are supposed to have this.

If You Don’t Want to Rent a Car for Your Dolomites Trip…

I highly recommend renting a car so you can be on your own schedule, BUT it is possible to do this trip using public transportation if you wish. There are busses that run through the towns to the popular spots. And you can take this bus from Venice to Cortina d’Ampezzo to get to the heart of the Dolomites.

Alternatively, if you don’t have 7 days to spend in the Dolomites, you could also do one of these day trips that have great reviews!

• Day Trip from Venice to Dolomites: Lake Braies and Lake Misurina
• From Bolzano: Heart of Dolomites Private Tour by Car
• From Milan: Lake Braies Day Trip with Walk and & Panoramic Views

Dolomites Trip Packing List

Besides the obvious clothing items, make sure to also pack the following!

• Travel Backpack (this is the one I have and I love it!)
• Sleeping Bag Liner: you are required to have this for staying at a rifugio! I used this exact one and it was great.
• Packing Cubes
• Day Pack: If you are only doing 1 night at a rifugio, you can get away with just using a day pack (all you really need is water + 1 change of clothes and sleeping bag liner)
• Water Bladder: For the hiking days, to put in your day pack. I use this exact Osprey one and love it.
• Reusable water bottle
• Filtered Water Bottle (I felt more at ease having this on the long hike days, just in case I ran of water I knew I could filter it from the streams!)
• Portable charger
• USB charger cord (sometimes it’s the only way to charge your iPhone in rental cars!)
• Rain Jacket (this is the one I have!)
• Hiking Boots (these are the ones I have, but make sure you try some on & pick the ones that feel the best for you!)
• Hiking Socks (these are my fave)
• Sunscreen (this is my fave, and it’s travel sized!)
• Noise Cancelling Headphones (I use these on every single flight)
• Activated Charcoal (I bring these on every international trip, in case something I eat starts to hurt my stomach)
• Layers
• Hydration Powder (this one has clean ingredients! I made sure to drink one every morning while I was there)

Dolomites Itinerary: 7 Day Road Trip

Ok – let’s get into it! I did a ton of planning before my trip, and this is the exact 7-day Dolomites itinerary that I used for myself.

Dolomites Itinerary Day 1:

Land in Venice, get your rental car, and hit the road! The first stop on this Dolomites itinerary (and your home for the night) is the village of Santa Magdalena in Val di Funes. This area is a photographer’s paradise! It’s a tiny, quaint village with rolling green hills and the jagged Odle/Geiser peaks in the background. It’s very serene, and a great spot to kick off your trip as an introduction to the Dolomites.

Best Place to Stay in Val di Funes

I highly recommend staying in the village of Santa Magdalena if there’s availability. Then you will be walking distance to the iconic Santa Magdalena church.

• Budget: Fallerhof
  • This is where we stayed, and we loved it! It’s on an actual working farm, so there are dairy cows, chickens, peacocks, etc on the property. We had a great view of the mountains and village from our balcony. And it’s located right on the walking trail to head up to the famous Santa Maddalena church (just about a 5-minute walk from their location!)
• Mid-Tier: Hotel Tyrol has great reviews, mountain view rooms, a pool & spa, AND is only a 10-minute walk to Santa Magdalena church
• Luxury: Forestis Dolomites. This hotel looks like such a DREAM to stay in. If you have the funds to afford it, you should go for it (and maybe extend your trip by an extra day so you can explore the hotel grounds and relax there). This adults-only hotel is known as one of the best hotels in the world! (and has the price tag to match).

Santa Maddalena Church

Once you check in and get settled, your first stop should be to check out the church of Santa Magdalena (Santa Maddalena in Italian). You can only access this historic 14th century church by foot, so either park in the village (or at your hotel) and start walking! From the base of the village, head uphill towards Fallerhof Farm (or, if you’re staying here like we were, you are already halfway there!)

From here, you’ll go left pass the barn (where you’ll see the Fallerhof farm animals) and continue uphill. Follow the trail as it veers right, and the church will come into view. The church is free to enter.

After checking out the church, you can take the Panorama Trail to head up to get the iconic view of the church from afar (that you have likely seen on photographer’s Instagrams). Follow the paved road that descends down and then goes back up again past another farmstead. Just around the corner, you’ll be at the famous photo spot! You can also put “Panorama di Santa Maddalena” in your Google Maps to take you to the right place. Seeing this view in person is breathtaking!

Church of St John

Time for the next scenic church! The Church of St John is super unique and is beautifully nestled in the meadow with surrounding mountains. It’s about a 45-minute walk (a little under 2 miles) from the Panorama di Santa Maddalena. Or, just a few minute’s drive.

You have to pay €4 cash at the turnstile to be able to walk through and go up to the church. If you don’t want to pay, there is also a viewing area along the St. Johann/San Giovanni road, where you can take a photo from afar.

The weather was really cloudy/foggy for us this day, so my pictures don’t quite do it justice! Normally you can see epic mountains in the background.

Dinner at Hotel Fines

There aren’t a plethora of options for dinner since this is a small town, but I highly recommend eating at Hotel Fines in the heart of Santa Magdalena (only a 5 minute walk from Fallerhof). You can sit on their patio with a lovely view, and the food is delicious!

Dolomites Itinerary Day 2:

Today you will be relocating about 45 minutes to the town or Ortisei, but first – it’s time for one more activity in the Val di Funes area!

Adolf Munkel Trail

This hiking trail looks absolutely breathtaking. It’s a must-do on your Dolomites itinerary when you are in Val di Funes! This 5.5-mile loop trail features rolling green pastures with the iconic Odle/Gesier jagged peaks looming behind. There are three different huts along the trail that you can stop at for snack, lunch, or a beer.

The trailhead is at Zannes Car Park. Drive up there (Google Maps will take you right to it), pay for parking, and hit the trail! See below for the deets:

• Trailhead: Zannes Car Park
• Miles: 5.5
• Elevation Gain: 1,240 ft
• Estimated Time: about 3.5 hours

I was SO excited to hike this trail, but the weather had other plans for us on this day. It was so cloudy and foggy, but I was holding out hope that it would clear up. We drove all the way up to the trailhead, parked, and hit the trail, but called it quits after about a half mile when we realized we couldn’t see anything at all! (The rest of our trip we had great weather, though)

So, I don’t have any of my own pictures to show you unfortunately, but if you google this trail – you will see how absolutely gorgeous it is!

Head to Ortisei

Next up on your Dolomites itinerary is the town of Ortisei, located in the lovely Val Gardena! This lively mountain town is super walkable, with cobblestone streets full of shops, bars & restaurants. The scenery surrounding this town is amazing – with alpine pastures, forested peaks, and a river running through the heart of town. There’s also cable cars that take you up to the top! It’s only a 45-minute drive from Santa Magdalena.

Best Place to Stay in Ortisei

Mid-Tier: Hotel Cosmea

We stayed here for 2 nights and absolutely loved it! This family-run hotel is in a great location right next to the cable car for Alpe di Suisi, 5 minute walk to the Seceda cable car, and right across the street from the heart of town. It’s located right on the river, so at night we slept with the windows open and could hear the sounds of the rushing river – the perfect white noise! The owners are super friendly, and there is the cutest resident cat named Yoshi. What more could you want!?

Luxury: Adler Spa Resort

This resort is in the heart of town and has great reviews. The backyard of the resort is situated on a huge grassy park with mountains in the background. There’s an indoor & outdoor pool, as well as a spa and sauna. It seems like such a serene place to stay!

Seceda

After you check in and get settled, take the cable car up to Seceda!

Seceda is one of the most iconic views in the Dolomites and definitely deserves a spot on your Dolomites itinerary. Seeing those slanted, jagged mountains peeking out of the sky is one of the coolest things ever!

How to Get to Seceda

To get to Seceda, you take the Ortisei-Furnes-Seceda cable car, which is located right in the heart of town. It normally is running from the end of May to early November, from 8:30am – 5:30pm.

You can buy a round-trip ticket for €45, or a one-way ticket (if you want to hike the way down or the way up) for €33 . Or, if you are on a budget and have the energy, you technically could hike all the way there and back without using the cable car. I don’t recommend this, though, since the itinerary is pretty packed and you will have already done the Adolf Munkel hike on the same day!

Your ticket will take you up half way on a gondola. Then you get off, and transfer to a cable car for the rest of the way up. The views on the way up are amazing!

Hiking Around Seceda

Once you get to the top, it’s just a quick 10-minute walk along the trail to see the iconic viewpoint of the slanted green mountain edge. Seeing this view in person is absolutely stunning! Spend some time soaking it in, and meander along the other trails if you have the time as well.

Dinner in Ortisei

Day 2 of your Dolomites itinerary has been an exciting one! Cap off your day with dinner at one of the restuarants in town. There are plenty to choose from! One of the most popular restaurants is a pizzeria called Turonda. We ate here one of the nights (it was packed, we didn’t have a reservation but were able to sit at the bar) and it was great!

Dolomites Itinerary Day 3:

The third day of your 7-day Dolomites itinerary is taking you to one of my favorite places – Alpe di Suisi (Seiser Alm), which is the largest high-elevation pasture in Europe! This area is SO peaceful. I could have spent all day here! Which is why this is the one and only activity of day 3. Plan to spend more time up here than you would expect!

How to Get to Alpe di Suisi

Cable Car

To get to Alpe di Suisi, most people take the cable car from Ortisei. It’s located right next to town, so should be walkable from wherever you are staying. (I love that you literally don’t need to use your car at all once you arrive to Ortisei!) It costs €31 for a round-trip ticket. You also have the option to add-on an extra chairlift if you don’t want to walk back uphill at the end of the day to get back up to the gondola. This costs an extra €6 (we opted in for this!)

Car

You are allowed to drive your car up to Alpe di Suisi as long as it is before 9am or after 5pm. You can park at the top for about €25. The only exception to this timeline is if you are staying at a hotel located on Alpe di Suisi (you must show proof of lodging).

Hiking in Alpe di Suisi

Once you’ve made it up to the top, the possibilities are endless! There are 60+ hiking trails in Alpe di Suisi. You could spend days up here. Obiviously, just spending one day is just scratching the surface, but I loved the easy, chill hike that we chose to do, which is this one:

Hike from Mont Seuc Cable Car Station to Malga Sanon

This hike is about 3 miles round trip and is great if you want a chill, relaxing day soaking in the views of the meadows. This was one of the highlight of my Dolomites itinerary for me!

When you get off the cable car, head to the left and follow trail #9 towards Sassolungo Group. The trail is covered by the shade of trees for the first part until it opens up into the iconic, vast meadows that make up Alpe di Suisi. Follow trail #9 as you pass by a mountain hut, eventually reaching Sporthotel Sonne.

At the next intersection, take the fork that points towards Hartlweg into trail 6B, and take a right towards Malga Sanon. (You can also just put “Malga Sanon” into your Google Maps and it will take you there).

Malga Sanon is the cutest mountain hut that serves food & drinks. In front, they have lawn chairs and blankets so that guests can literally lay out and bask in the sun (and if the sun goes behind a cloud and you get chilly, you can wrap up in a blanket!).

We stopped here with the intention to get a quick snack and keep hiking but honestly, once we arrived- we didn’t want to leave! It was the most peaceful place.

We ordered lunch (which was SO good) and a glass of wine, and simply soaked in the views and had a nice, slow afternoon. And yes, we did lay out in the lawn chairs after lunch. It was magical! I could have spent even more time there, but we had to leave to get back to the cable car (the chairlift up the cable car ends at 5pm, and the last cable car ride down to Ortisei is at 6pm).

Hike to Compatsch (Compaccio)

If you got an early start and have more time and energy to keep hiking after stopping at Malga Sanon, you can keep going about 2.5 miles to the tiny village of Compatsch. There is a mountain hut there with amazing food called Gostner Schwaige that you can stop at before heading back up to the cable car from there! You can put Gostner Schwaige into your Google Maps to walk the correct route, or you can read the detailed directions on this helpful blog post by Throne and Vine.

Make sure to get back to the cable car before 6:00, which is their last ride for the night. There is an outdoor patio restaurant right next to the cable car if you have some time still and want one last espresso, gelato, or beer with a view before heading back down to Ortisei!

Staying at Alpe di Suisi

There are actually a few hotels up there on Alpe di Suisi. It would be absolutely amazing to stay there (as long as you had good weather!). COMO Alpina Dolomites, located in the Compatsch area, looks incredible. There’s 2 pool, and a gorgeous view from their patio.

Dolomites Itinerary Day 4

Ortisei to Cortina d’Ampezzo to Lake Misurina Area

On the fourth day of your 7-day Dolomites itinerary, it’s time to say goodbye to the idyllic town of Ortisei and head east towards Cortina d’Ampezzo, and then continue on to Lake Misurina. Staying here is conveniently-located to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo trailhead for the following day.

It’s about a 1.5-hour drive to Cortina d’Ampezzo, your first stop of the day. The drive here is very scenic. You will be meandering your way along the famous “Gardena Pass”, a windy mountain road with epic views! If you get carsick easily, maybe take some anti-nausea medicine before this ride!

Lunch in Cortina d’Ampezzo

You’ve may have heard of this mountain town before – they are hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics! Cortina d’Ampezzo kind of felt like the Aspen of the Dolomites, in my opinion. It’s a pretty big town and very walkable, with cobblestone streets. You’ll see a Dior store, Patagonia, North Face, etc. Because of this, it didn’t appeal to me like the smaller, quaint towns in the rest of this itinerary. So, I opted to just stop for lunch and then keep going and stay in a more remote area (that’s closer to the trailhead for the next day anyways).

Spend an hour or two here walking around, getting lunch at one of the many restaurants, and stocking up on any snacks or food you may want to buy from the grocery store here for your hike the next day. Also, make sure you get cash out at an ATM here! You’ll need it for the rifugios the following day.

Lake Misurina

After your lunch stop in Cortina d’Ampezzo, head about 20 minutes down the road to Lake Misurina.

This picturesque lake has a few hotels surrounding it, the most iconic being the Grand Hotel Misurina that you see in all the photos of this lake, in the reflection of the water!

Spend some time meandering around this lake and soaking in the views. You can also drive about 5 minutes past this lake to Lago Antorno too. This one is more pond-like, though, and not as majestic as Lake Misurina.

Booking your night’s stay at Lake Misurina would be a great option (especially at the Grand Hotel!) It’s only a 5-minute drive to the tollbooth that leads to the trailhead for the next morning. We wanted to stay here, but it was all booked. Instead, we stayed about 15 minutes down the road at Al Mughetto, which was lovely! It’s a restaurant as well, so all we had to do was walk downstairs and we had a lovely dinner on their patio.

Lago di Sorapis

If you have the time & energy for a hike today – Lago di Sorapis is a very popular hike in the area! The trailhead is at Passo Tre Croci, just an 8-minute drive away from Lake Misurina.

The bright green alpine lake looks stunning. See below for the hike details:

• Length: 7 miles
• Elevation Gain: 1,932 feet
• Type: Out & Back
• Estimated time: 4 hours

Make sure to check AllTrails for trail conditions before you go! If it has rained recently, it can be muddy and slippery, and the trail can be narrow at parts.

Dolomites Itinerary Day 5

Cadini di Misurina, Tre Cime Di Lavaredo to Rifugio Plan di Cengia (Büllelejochhütte)

This is a super exciting day on the Dolomites itinerary! Tre Cime di Lavaredo is a popular, epic loop hike in the Dolomites that is on most people’s bucketlist for the area. Also, the Dolomites is known for hut-to-hut hiking, which is something that has always been on my bucketlist.

I planned this trip last minute, only about a month or so ahead of time. So it was difficult to get two spots in two different huts for a true hut-to-hut hike. BUT I was able to get a spot for one night at at one hut (also called rifugio) that is on an off-shoot from the Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike, called Rifugio Plan di Cengia.

This is one of the most epic rifugios in the Dolomites, and it is also the highest rifugio (and the smallest!). If hiking to & staying at a rifugio is on your bucketlist too, keep reading to do exactly what I did for this itinerary.

If you don’t want to hike to a rifugio for the night, you can complete the Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop as a day-hike, and stay at a hotel nearby afterwards.

For a true hut-to-hut hike, instead of staying at Lake Misurina the night before, you could start your hike early and stay at a different hut the first night.

How to Book a Rifugio in the Dolomites

Booking a rifugio is one of the hardest things to do in this Dolomites itinerary. For almost all of the rifugios in the Dolomites, you have to go to the rifugio website (some of which look like they are made in the 90s!) and then email to request your booking for your required dates. Most of them don’t even have an availability calendar to look at, so you have to just send out emails to the ones you are interested in, and wait to hear back in hopes that they have availability for your date!

There are a few rifugios along the Tre Cime di Lavaredo trail that you can look at for booking:

• Rifugio Lavaredo: only about 30 minutes from the start of the hike. Highly trafficked as it is right on the main trail
• Rifugio Locatelli: about halfway around the Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop. Amazing views of the three peaks. on the main trail
• Rifugio Plan di Cengia: about 2.5 miles off the main loop trail (one-way)
• Rifugio Comici: about 3.5 miles off the main loop trail (one-way)
• Rifugio Carducci: about 5 miles off the main loop trail (one-way)

I highly recommend booking a night at Rifugio Plan di Cengia if you can. Not only is it the most epic one (in my opinion, and from what I’ve read), but it’s also one of the only rifugios that actually has an availability calendar on their website. I kept this calendar up on a tab on my browser and checked it a few times per day every day while planning my trip. Finally, one day, availability popped up in the date range of our trip! I excitedly emailed them right away and was able to secure the spot.

First Things First: Getting to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo Trailhead

Option 1: Driving

When looking at a Google Maps for reference, you can just type in “Rifugio Auronzo”, which is lodging right at the base of the trail. To drive up here, you have to pay a toll of €30. If your car will be parked there overnight (if you are staying at a rifugio on the trail) you will have to pay an additional €30 per night of your stay upon exiting the toll road. After you pass through the toll booth, the trailhead/parking is just 10 minutes up the road.

There are over 600 parking spots at the trailhead, but this is a popular trail and they fill up fast. If there are no more parking spots at the top, then you will have to wait at the toll booth until a car comes down (a one in, one out situation). This could take 30 minutes, or it could take hours! All of the research I did before our trip noted to get there before 7:30am during the summer to have a good chance of getting through without having to wait, which we did.

I think because we were there more in the shoulder season of summer (early/mid June), there was no line at all when we got there at 7:30 and still tons of parking spots left. However, I still recommend getting there at or before 7:30 just in case.

Option 2: Bus

If you don’t want to fork over €30 for the toll road, you can opt to take the bus for just a few Euros. It departs about every 20 minutes from a stop right near Lago di Antorno. There are a few other stops from the area as well, including as far as Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Option 3: Hiking

If you are really on a budget and don’t want to pay to get to the trailhead at all, you could hike up the 3.5 miles to get there. However, I do not recommend this, as then you will be worn out before you even start the real hikes for the day!

First Hike of the Day: Cadini di Misurina

Before you start Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop hike, you should do the 2-mile round trip hike to Cadini di Misurina first! This hike, nicknamed “the mountains of Mordor”, takes you to the epic viewpoint that you have probably seen on Instagram of the narrow pathway below a plethora of jagged peaks. The trailhead starts from Rifugio Auronzo.

Trail Deets:

• Length: 2.1 miles
• Elevation Gain: 675 ft
• Type: Out & Back
• Estimated Time: 1.5 hours

We started this hike around 8:15am and were done by 9:30. The main viewpoint had a few people at it, but if you walk just a minute or two past it along the ridgeline, you will come across a similar viewpoint with no people!

If you’re a photographer, it’s best to go way earlier than 8am to be there for sunrise instead, when the light is softer. However, for everyone else – going around 8am was perfect.

Afterwards, we went back to our car, regrouped, made a sandwich for our hike that day, and then got a coffee on the patio of Rifugio Auronzo at the trailhead before starting the Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike!

Tre Cime di Lavaredo Hike

Next – start the iconic Tre Cime di Lavaredo (“Three Peaks of Lavaredo”) hike! This the most popular hike in the Dolomites and for good reason – it’s spectacular! The views are unmatched, and there’s three rifugios along the trail that you can stop at for a snack or lunch break.

The full loop trail is 6.3 miles and 1,532 ft elevation gain. However, on this day – you will be doing just a portion of the loop trail, and then taking the off-shoot to Rifugio Plan di Cengia for the night (and finish the rest of the loop the next day!)

The first step is to hike from Rifugio Auronzo (the trailhead) to Rifugio Lavaredo, which is about 1 mile. The trail is easy to follow and pretty flat the whole way. It’s beautiful!! Stop for pictures and soak in the view. There’s also an area where you can hike down on a little off-shoot trail to see some memorials from WWI.

Once you reach Rifugio Lavaredo, you can stop here for a snack break on their patio with a view, or to use the bathroom (you need 1 Euro to use the bathroom).

IMPORTANT: there are two trails leading out of Rifugio Lavaredo. There’s the main trail, and then there’s more of a make-shift trail that goes up a hill first and then wraps around, connecting with the other, main trail. Don’t take the uphill, make-shift trail or you will miss the fork to turn to follow the trail to Rifugio Plan di Cengia! (speaking from experience here, unfortunately).

I recommend downloading a trail map beforehand (from Gaia or AllTrails, or even Google Maps). The trail isn’t too hard to follow, but it’s nice to confirm you are heading the right way!

Follow the main trail from Rifugio Lavaredo and shortly after, you will see a sign. Stop here and follow the fork to the right to head onto the off-shoot trail and to your rifugio for the night! From here, it’s about 3 miles to Rifugio Plan di Cengia. The trail meanders through a meadow, descends, and then flattens out until you reach a beautiful lake with a bench in front of it. You’ll be leaving the crowds from the loop trail behind, and will get to have a peaceful nature experience in this beautiful place! You’ll also likely see marmots scurrying around. We saw about 10+ on our hike! They are so cute.

After you pass the lake, you follow the switchbacks up the mountainside until you reach a plateau. There’s then another final ascent before you’ll reach Rifugio Plan di Cengia, tucked away behind a corner nestled in the mountains.

What to Expect at Rifugio Plan di Cengia

The hike to get to Rifugio Plan di Cengia is incredible. It’s challenging, but not too hard, and was a great way to escape the crowds off the main loop trail. Once you get up there, the views are spectacular! We did this hike on June 18th and there was still a little bit of snow on the trail towards the end, but not enough that we needed crampons or microspikes. You can email them when it gets closer to your reservation date to get an update on the trail conditions.

This hut feels like a little hidden gem nestled among the jagged, snowcapped mountains. When you arrive, you get to select what food you want for dinner from the options on a multi-course menu. I have no idea how they get all the supplies up there (I’m guessing helicopter?) but the food was delicious! It was a mix of Tyrolean and Italian dishes. There was also a salad bar as well, and dessert. Breakfast was a self-serve buffet. The dinner and breakfast are included in the booking cost. There is also a bar where you can order beer and wine. Make sure you have cash with you for this.

Some rifugios have both private rooms and dorm rooms to choose from. However, being the smallest rifugio in the Dolomites, Plan di Cengia only has 1 bunk room that sleeps 15 people. There is running water with a toilet and a sink, however there is no shower at this rifugio.

Once you get settled in and pick your bunk, they have lots of different cards and board games you can play. There’s no cell service or Wi-Fi up here so unplug, make some friends, and play some cards! And don’t forget to walk back outside to check out the sunset view.

Hiking to & sleeping in a rifugio is such a cool experience. It’s like backpacking, except you don’t have to carry a tent and sleeping bag! Being able to sleep in the backcountry with a roof over your head is the best!

One thing to note with all rifugios, including this one, is that you must bring a sleeping bag liner to sleep in in the bunks. I ordered this one from Amazon, and it was great!

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Dolomites Itinerary Day 6

Hike Down from Rifugio, Finish Loop Trail, Head to Dobbacio/Lago di Braies Area

Hiking Back from the Rifugio

Today you are waking up in paradise, in the middle of the mountains! From Rifugio Plan di Cengia, you can either hike back down the way you came to meet back up with the loop trail, OR there is another trail that goes up & around the rifugio that meets back up with the loop trail at Rifugio Locatelli. The latter option means that you don’t have to backtrack on the trail you did the day before. However, we asked one of the employees at the rifugio about this other trail, and he said that it was too snowy at the time to hike that way (we were there June 18), so we backtracked instead. Make sure to ask!

If you’re backtracking the way you came, you’ll hike down about 3.5 miles until you reach the fork where you originally turned off, and meet back up with the loop trail. The trail is super easy to follow (and there will be a lot of other people on it) so you shouldn’t have any problem finding your way! Once you get back to the main trail, you have about 3.5-4 miles to go to finish the loop. Even though it’s a bit crowded on the trail, it’s stunning!

You have two other rifugios you can stop at for a snack or lunch as you finish the rest of the loop trail: Rifugio Locatelli, and Malga Langalm. Plan to have lunch at Malga Langalm (towards the end of the loop) – the food is amazing! We loved their apple strudel. If you stop at Rifugio Locatelli – there are some caves up a hill behind the rifugio. If you hike up there, you can get an iconic photo from inside the cave perfectly framing the three peaks. I wanted to do this, but when we got there, there were so many people up there at the caves that I felt like it wouldn’t be worth it (not sure why I thought that spot would be a hidden gem!). But maybe you’ll get lucky with no people up there when you go!

After lunch at Malga Langalm, there’s only about 1.5 miles left to finish the trail. You’ll pass by this beautiful lake as well. I wished I had brought my swimsuit to jump in!

Drive to Dobbacio Area and Relax

Once you finish the hike, drive about 45 minutes to the town of Dobbacio. This area is the perfect place to pre-position to be close to Lago di Braies for the next morning.

Best Place to Stay in Dobbacio / Near Lago di Braies

Mid-Range: Berggastaus Agritur Moserhof

This is where we stayed, and we loved it! The property is on a local farm, and the food they serve for dinner and breakfast is all sourced from there. It’s delicious! The staff is friendly and the rooms were nice with a fabulous view. There was also a beautiful patio area where you can hang out. It’s just a 10 minute drive to Lago di Braies for the next morning.

Luxury: Hotel Lago di Braies

If you have the budget, staying at this hotel would be amazing! It’s located right on the lake, so you can have epic views straight from your balcony and can easily be one of the first ones there in the morning.

After you check in, relax after your big day of hiking and eat some dinner!

Dolomites Itinerary Day 7

Lago di Braies – Drive Back to Venice

On this last day of your 7-day Dolomites itinerary, you will visit the famous Lago di Braies. You’ve likely seen photos on Instagram of this bright blue/green lake with canoes floating on it. It’s definitely not a hidden spot – it’s known to be crowded! But if you go early in the morning, you can have the place mostly to yourself, and it’s so peaceful.

There are three different parking lots to choose from that vary in price. The closest lot which is right across from the lake is the most expensive of the three. It costs €10 to park there.

We arrived just before 7am, and had the place pretty much to ourselves, besides maybe 5 other people. It was very serene! There’s a trail that wraps around the lake so you can walk around and soak in the views.

If you want to rent a canoe, (and if you want a picture standing on the dock) the canoe rental dock opens at 8am. You are not able to access the dock before it opens. (However you are able to pay for a private photo session before opening hours by booking online ahead of time. There were a bride & groom taking wedding photos on the dock at 7am when we were there!) The canoes cost €18 for 30 minutes, or €28 for an hour.

After you spend the morning meandering around this beautiful lake, it’s unfortunately time to make your way back to Venice and return your rental car! It’s just under a 3 hour drive to the Venice airport from here.

Enjoy!