Are you looking for the best hikes in the Dolomites that you can do in just 1 day? Well you’ve come to the right address! Over the past year I have visited this magical place in Northern Italy 3 times! And I can honestly say, I would go back in a heartbeat.
There is something about the Dolomites, their rugged appearance and how their mountain tops can disappear above the clouds. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped onto a movie set of either Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones.
The hiking culture is real in the Dolomites and a lot of people come here armed with hiking poles and overnight back packs. But even if you’re not an experienced hiker you can reach some of the most amazing viewpoints that the Dolomites have to offer.
That’s why I wanted to combine all of my knowledge from my past 3 visits and create this guide for you. Here you’ll find the most beautiful hikes in the Dolomites but those that you can easily do in just 1 day.
Top 8 Best And Easy Day Hikes In The Dolomites
Planning your trip to the Dolomites
🏨 Find the best accommodations on Booking.com
💰 Get reliable travel insurance from World Nomads
🎒 Pack a power bank, hiking shoes and trekking poles.
🚗 Rent a car to drive to the best hiking trails in the Dolomites with SunnyCars.com
📚 Read Photographing the Dolomites and Walking in the Dolomites
1. Tre Cime di Lavaredo Hike
Let’s start with one of the most famous hikes in the entire Dolomites! The Tre Cime National Park is UNESCO World Heritage and located in the area of South Tyrol. It’s safe to say that you simply can’t visit the Dolomites without doing this beautiful hike!
There are many hiking trails in the Tre Cime National Park but the one which offers the best views over the world famous Drei Zinnen is the Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop trail.
Distance – 10km (6 miles)
Elevation – 340 meters
Difficulty – Easy
Starting Point – Rifugio Auronzo
Ending Point – Rifugio Auronzo
The Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike will take you approximately 4 hours to complete. This includes a rest at the famous Drei Zinnen hut and enough time to take an endless amount of photos! Since this hike is pretty easy I recommend you to start early in the morning, preferably around sunrise. Not only will you be rewarded with the most stunning views over the mountain but you also won’t be bothered by hundreds and hundreds of other hikers.
To reach Rifugio Auronzo you simply drive up the mountain pass and upon entering the National Park you will have to pay €30. They accept cash only so make sure you have this on hand. The rifugio’s that you’ll encounter along the hike also only accept cash.
If you are touring the Dolomites by public transport and you don’t have a car you can also take the bus from Dobaccio and Cortina D’Ampenzo. The fee for going up to Rigufio Auronzo will be €8.
What to bring – water, snacks, a jacket, your camera and cash.
Where to stay – Stay in Dobbiaco or Sexten for the best experience.
2. Cadini di Misurina Hike
This hike in the Dolomites is one of my favourites, especially cause you get rewarded with the most amazing view point at the end! And do you want to know the best part? This is a super short hike! It will only take you around 30 minutes to reach one of the most beautiful places in the Dolomites.
Distance – 4km (2.5 miles)
Elevation – 100 meters
Difficulty – Easy to Moderate – This hike is not for you if you have a fear of heights.
Starting Point – Rifugio Auronzo
Ending Point – Rifugio Auronzo
To get to this hiking trail you’ll start the exact same way as with the Tre Cime di Lavaredo hiking trail. You’ll drive up your car to Rifugio Auronzo but instead of walking left and going to the Tre Cime you now go right and walk away from them.
If you look to the right when you’re standing on the parking lot you will see the rigged peaks from the Cadini di Misurina behind a hill. On that hill you will see a hiking trail, this is where you’ll go!
Try to plan this hike together with the Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike, this way you only have to pay the €30 fee once!
What to bring – water, snacks, a jacket, your camera and cash.
Where to stay – Stay in Dobbiaco or Sexten for the best experience.
3. Lago di Braies Hike
In recent years the popularity of Lago di Braies has literally exploded and it quickly became the most visited place in the Dolomites! And in all fairness, it is as beautiful in real life as it is in photos.
To have the best experience at Lago di Braies make sure to arrive as early as possible. If you can muster it, sunrise is a really good idea. Not only will you be one of the only ones hiking you’ll also be able to admire the beauty of sunrises in the mountains. Cause when the first light hits the mountain tops their colour turns into the most magnificent orange shade of pink.
There is a parking lot right next to the lake but since this place gets crowded very early in the day you have to arrive before 9am to be able to still score a place here. The parking fee for a couple of hours goes from €3 to €5.
Don’t be scared off by the amount of people that will be there at sunrise. These are mainly photographers that stick to the area to the pier and leave once the best lighting is over.
Distance – 4km (2.5 miles)
Elevation – 50 meters
Difficulty – Easy
Starting Point – Lago di Braies parking lot
Ending Point – Lago di Braies parking lot
What to bring – water, snacks, a jacket, your camera and cash.
Where to stay – Stay in Dobbiaco or Sexten for the best experience.
4. Lago di Sorapis Hike
This hike is actually still on my bucket list but I already wanted to give you all of the information you need to have the best day hike to Lago di Sorapis. Cause believe me when I say, this magnificent turquoise lake has to have a place in your itinerary. I even gave it a special spot in my own itinerary but it turns out this hike is not suitable for people who have a fear of heights. And since this time I was traveling with my parents (my dad is the one with the fear of heights) and family time was the priority, I decided to not do it this time. It just gives me another reason to return to the beautiful Dolomites!
Distance – 14km (8.7 miles)
Elevation – 460 meters
Difficulty – Moderate, not suitable for people with a fear of heights
Starting Point – Passo Tre Crocci
Ending Point – Passo Tre Crocci
What to bring – water, snacks, a jacket, your camera and cash.
Where to stay – Stay in Dobbiaco or Sexten for the best experience.
5. Seceda Ridge Line Hike
For this particular hike you will actually take the cable car up to Seceda. There is the possibility to start the hike from the bottom of the mountain but unless you’re an experienced hiker and have really good stamina I would choose to go for the cable car.
You can find this particular cable car in Val Gardena and from there simply follow the road signs that will lead you to the Seceda cable car. It’s all pretty straight forward. There is a big parking lot next to it so you don’t need to worry about where to leave your car. The price to take the gondola up and down is €34/person.
Once you reach the top you have to first hike up for 10 minutes and then you will be rewarded with one of the most insane views in the Dolomites. During a bright Summer’s day you’ll be able to see all of the different mountain peaks. But Seceda is also beautiful on a moody day cause it’s ridge line gets hugged by the clouds.
Once you reach the top you’ll see that there are many different hiking trails going across the mountain. Just have fun exploring and enjoy the views!
Where to stay – I stayed at Alpina Dolomites, for more hotels in Alpe di Siusi click here.
6. Seiser Alm/ Alpe di Siusi Hike
When it comes to visiting Alpe di Siusi, also known as Seiser Alm, things can become a little confusing. Cause upon arrival you will see a street sign which says no driving up between 9am and 5pm. So the first time I visited this place and I saw this sign, I checked my watch and noticed that it was 5.20pm. I figured I was good to go cause I hadn’t done proper research on visiting this place.
So how can you properly visit Alpi di Siusi? Well, if you want to go by car and go before the gondola’s are running you can drive up before 9am but you can’t drive any further than the parking lot in Compatsch. This is a small town a little on the outskirts of Seiser Alm and there is a small parking lot where you can leave your car.
To reach the famous viewpoint you will now have to hike for about 45 minutes but the trail is almost completely flat and super easy. The easiest way to reach the viewpoint is to put in Malga Sanon into Google Maps. Follow the paved road and before you turn right to go down to the restaurant simply walk a hundred meters further and you’re there! But let me tell you, it would be a shame if you only visited Alpe di Siusi for this viewpoint. Cause this beautiful meadow is filled with fun and easy hiking trails!
Where to stay – I stayed at Alpina Dolomites, for more hotels in Alpe di Siusi click here.
7. Val di Funes Hike
If you’ve ever seen a postcard or an ad for the Dolomites, chances are very high that this incredible picturesque spot is on it. The church of Saint Magdalena in Val di Funes is one of those places that simply takes your breath away. Nestled in a green meadow and the beautiful Dolomites towering high in the background, you simply can not visit this place without taking an abundance of photos!
To reach the best viewpoint you have to hike up a little since you can not drive up this road. It is privately owned and you can get fined if you do. Simply park you car near Saint Magdalena church and walk up the hill in front of you across the bridge. You’ll even encounter a sign at one point which says Panoramastrasse. The hike up will only take you around 20 minutes but you can go as high up as you like!
Where to stay – I stayed at Alpina Dolomites, for more hotels in Alpe di Siusi click here.
8. Lago di Carezza
The hike to Lago di Carezza is another popular hike which will take you through a beautiful pine tree forest. Legend says that Lago di Carezza, also known as Karersee holds its beautiful emerald colour due to a wizard. He fell in love with the mermaid that lived in the lake and to draw her to him he made a rainbow over the lake. The mermaid got out of the water but got scared upon seeing the wizard and jumped right back in and disappeared. The wizard, in his rage, tore down the rainbow and threw it in the lake and that’s how Lago di Carezza got its vibrant colours.
Distance – 3.5km (2.5 miles)
Elevation – 280 meters
Difficulty – Easy
Starting Point – Near Hotel Adler Carezza
Ending Point – Near Hotel Adler Carezza
What to bring – water, snacks, a jacket, your camera and cash.
Where to stay – I stayed at Alpina Dolomites, for more hotels in Alpe di Siusi click here.
Before visiting Lago di Carezza it is very important to know that the entire lake is fenced off. So, even that you’ve probably seen tons of photos where people are standing right next to it you can not do this. These photos are either photoshopped or taken illegally. The reason that they fenced it off was that people were going into the water which destroys the algae in it and would thus result in the lake losing it’s magnificent colour. So please respect the rules when visiting!
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Charlotte Lint is the founder of Charlies Wanderings.
Charlotte has traveled all over the world and is based in Belgium where she also owns her very own dental practice.
She is an expert on writing efficient travel guides and finding unique places to stay.
Every month she helps over 134.000 people discover the most beautiful places in the world through her detailed travel guides.
The Wanderlust Rose says
Love this list! Can’t wait to visit here once international travel is safe again!
Charlotte says
My fingers are crossed for you!
Kim Seng says
thank you so much for this helpful tips. If i only have a day to hike say 9 to 6pm in May. Which hike i should prioritize? if i want to cover as many as possible.
Charlotte says
Hi Kim!
I would start in the morning at the Tre Cime and then when you’re back at the parking lot you could still do the short hike to Cadini Missurina. You can end your day with driving back down and watch the sunset at Lago di Braies which isn’t too far.