Dolomites itinerary: 7 days and access rules

These days you don't just plan routes in the Dolomites, you plan time slots. You used to be able to drive up to Lago di Braies in summer and park. Now the best-known places require a reservation, the right hour or a cable car, and if you find that out the night before, you end up at a barrier. So this page is as much about when you need to be somewhere as about the order of places. The route runs west to east so you never have to double back: in at Bolzano, out over Cortina d'Ampezzo to Venice.

The route at a glance

Driving times: route calculation based on OpenStreetMap, without breaks. On pass roads behind motorhomes and cycling groups, add closer to half than a third.

1. Verona airport
2. Bolzano
3. Siusi
4. Ortisei
5. Corvara
6. Dobbiaco
7. Lago di Braies
8. Tre Cime
9. Cortina d'Ampezzo
10. Venice airport

Base map: Natural Earth

Which airport?

An open-jaw trip fits best: into Verona, home from Venice. A direct flight from London takes about 2 hours to either. You drive no kilometre twice, though a one-way fee on the hire car is common; compare options at car hire in Italy^*. Innsbruck is the alternative from the north: 124 km, about 1:35 hours to Bolzano over the Brenner. If you come that way by road you will need an Austrian motorway vignette, and tolls apply on the Brenner motorway and in Italy.

A day in a city before or after works well: see how many days in Verona, how many days in Venice or how many days in Innsbruck.

The four access rules

This is the most important section of the page. These are the rules for the 2026 season. They change regularly, so check the linked official page shortly before you go.

For Braies, the local tourist board says a regulation will apply again in summer 2027, with details due in spring 2027.

Day 1: Bolzano

After the drive, Bolzano is plenty for an evening: Piazza Walther, the arcades and, if you arrive early, the archaeological museum with the Iceman. You can check tickets in Bolzano^* in advance. With time to spare, it is 26 km, or 32 minutes, to Lake Carezza with the Latemar behind it, which is an easy add-on if you have a day more.

Day 2: Alpe di Siusi

According to its tourist board the Alpe di Siusi is Europe's largest high-altitude pasture, at 56 km². The road up is closed to private traffic during the day, and even with a parking reservation you must drive before 9:00 or after 17:00. So take the cable car from Siusi, which the tourist board itself recommends and which has parking at the valley station. At the top you walk across level meadows with the Sassolungo ahead and the Sciliar behind you. In the afternoon it is just 18 minutes to Ortisei.

Day 3: Seceda

From Ortisei the cable car goes via Furnes up to Seceda. The picture you are after is the tilted edge of the Odle group. As the lift has run on fixed time slots since 2026, book for the morning. Plan a walk across the meadows on top and, if you are fit, descend to Ortisei. Spend the evening in Val Gardena, where you will hear Ladin alongside German and Italian.

Day 4: over the Gardena Pass to Corvara and Dobbiaco

Today you drive around the Sella massif: Ortisei to Corvara is just 28 km, about 40 minutes over the Gardena Pass. Stop at the top and take your time in Corvara for a coffee or a short lift ride. From there the road runs down the Val Badia and east through the Puster Valley to Dobbiaco, where you stay two nights. The whole day comes to 108 km and about 2:05 hours. It saves you moving every day, and Braies and Tre Cime are both close.

Day 5: Lago di Braies

Set an early alarm. According to the local tourist board, in high summer 2026 the valley was accessible from 9:00 to 16:00 only with an online reservation or permit. You may drive in before 9:00, but that doesn't guarantee a parking space. Buses 442 from Dobbiaco and 439 from Monguelfo must also be booked and paid for online in that period. The walk around the lake is gentle, and you can be back by lunchtime. Take the afternoon easy in Dobbiaco.

Day 6: Tre Cime and Cortina

You reach Tre Cime di Lavaredo on a toll road of about 6 km from Lake Antorno to Rifugio Auronzo at 2,333 m. It is generally open from late May to late October, and without a reservation for your number plate the barrier stays down. The loop around the rocks is 9.5 to 10 km and takes 3 to 4 hours according to dolomiti.it, passing Rifugio Lavaredo at 2,344 m and Rifugio Locatelli at 2,405 m. It is easy to moderate, but you will want a jacket at this height even in summer. Afterwards it is 22 km, about 30 minutes, to Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Day 7: Passo Giau and on to Venice

If your flight is late, drive 16 km, about 17 minutes, up to Passo Giau in the morning and back. Then the road takes you to Venice in about 1:50 hours. That short run down to a big airport is why Cortina comes last. For the way into the city, see Venice airport to the city centre.

Where to stay

Four bases, none of which you should drop on this route:

• Bolzano (1 night): for arrival, close to the motorway.
• Ortisei (2 nights): the Seceda lift is in town, and the Alpe di Siusi is close.
• Dobbiaco (2 nights): between Braies and Tre Cime, with a bus to Braies.
• Cortina d'Ampezzo (1 night): a wide choice and a short drive down to Venice.

When you book, check whether your hotel in Val Gardena or on the Alpe di Siusi mentions exemptions or bus services, as that can simplify your days.

When to go

From late June to mid-September, and early in the day. Unlike the Mediterranean, summer here is not the dry season: Cortina gets an average of 189 mm in July, much more than in winter. Expect afternoon storms, so start early and aim to be down by early afternoon. September is cooler and, on these averages, drier. See the best time to visit Italy for the whole country.

Climate in Cortina d'Ampezzo: 2015–2024 averages from the ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo), rounded. It is much cooler on the passes and at Tre Cime.

Good to know before you go

• What you are looking at: the Dolomites have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009, spread over nine areas with 18 peaks above 3,000 m and 141,903 hectares.
• Mobile data: if your plan doesn't cover Italy, see our eSIM comparison for Italy. Signal can come and go in the valleys.
• Book early: time slots and parking at Braies, Tre Cime and Seceda are limited in high summer. Fix those days as soon as your accommodation is set.
• Direction matters: if you reverse the route, the reservations reverse too. For city ideas nearby, see our Alpine city breaks.

How YesTrip helps with this trip

Add the four overnight stops to YesTrip. The map shows your stations, the AI builds a day plan, and the weather for your travel days helps you decide which day suits Seceda or Tre Cime. The packing list follows the forecast, which matters here with cool nights. The offline map helps in valleys with a weak signal, and friends can share the trip and expenses in the app. Verona, Venice and Innsbruck have ready-made city plans.

Verona trip planDay by day, with map and tips

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