The Dolomites were very high on our list of bucket list destinations, and have been for quite some time. In addition to being super mega Italy fans, the dreamy photos, surreal vistas, and ample outdoors options all seemed like something we’d really, really be keen to check out.
Sandwiched between Austria and Switzerland in the northern reaches of the Italian peninsula, the Dolomites span the Trentino-Alto Adige (also called South Tyrol), Veneto, and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions in all their mountainous glory.
Sometimes called the “Southern Limestone Alps,” this is truly a hiker’s paradise– with excursions at all levels, some of the most gorgeous panoramas we’ve ever seen, and so, so many options you won’t know what to do with yourself. Add in the delicious cuisine, breathtaking drives, and ample opportunities for quiet time and you’ll see why this is such a special place to so many people– and to the surprise of no one, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
While here, you’ll hear German, Italian, and Ladin (a local language spoken in the Val Gardena and Alta Badia area) – all official languages in the area, with differing place names and lengthy road signs to match. One example is the town of Ortisei, called St Ulrich in German, Ortisei in Italian, and Urtijëi in Ladin.
As a rule of thumb, the South Tyrol areas mainly speak German, while the Veneto areas are more Italian, due to forced “Italianization” during Mussolini’s times, and it’s not necessarily the case that “everyone speaks both.” We definitely found that most people approached us in German on the Tyrolean side, which is definitely an interesting experience given you’re still technically in Italy.
Relatedly, the architecture is definitely “cozy-Alpine” in nature and you may have to remind yourself frequently that you’re not actually in Austria– there is very little of the “dolce vita aesthetic” you’ll see elsewhere in Italy, for sure. Indeed, like much of Europe, the region was long under dispute, under Austrian rule for ages before Italy took over during World War I, a boundary that stuck in this age of “border-fixity” but with many citizens to this day feeling more Austrian than Italian, and some even desiring South Tyrolean independence.
Rather than further indulging our inner political scientists, we want to start out by saying that this was one of the more daunting trips we’ve planned. The sheer quantity of options for trails, lagoons, mountains, rifugios, and vistas is definitely an embarrassment of riches.
Relatedly, the number of “best” vistas, “top” hikes, and “must-see” attractions found online is honestly panic-inducing. We are so grateful for the fabulous guides we found on other travel sites (particular shout-out to Earth Trekkers and The Common Wanderer) from folks who have visited many times and provide detailed, nuanced, and emotive advice. This is definitely one of the most special places we’ve ever visited, and you’ll see the love leaping from the pages!
Read on for all our tips for visiting the Dolomites in the summertime, including hikes, other outdoor activities, restaurants, and more.
Disclaimer: there is no “one itinerary to rule them all” here– the region is massive and open to your interpretations, whatever those may be! We also urge you to pay attention to the difficulty level of hikes, and keep in mind that any hike in the Alps is likely to have elevation gain, even those marked “easy.”
The Dolomites can be a bit of a lift planning-wise, but it’s absolutely worth it in order to maximize your trip– we want to stress that this is 100% a trip that you don’t want to “just wing.” There are absolutely destinations where it’s wonderful to just wander and see where the day takes you (Venice being one of them, which we also explored on this trip.)
However, the Dolomites are, quite frankly, not suited to a lot of spontaneity, especially if you’re visiting for less than 2 weeks.
The sheer quantity of activities available, the large surface area covered by the region, and the huge spectrum of fitness, experience, and equipment suggested for the different hikes means that this is a trip that you should put a lot of thought into. We spent weeks scoping out hikes, reading guides, and looking at maps, and we’re so excited to share all that bounty with you!
Advance trip planning
1. Book early! We booked our hotels a full 6 months before our trip. Since the hiking season is so fleeting in the Dolomites and there’s a pretty limited number of (affordable) accommodations available, it’s worth snagging your hotels as soon as you have your dates.
2. We recommend splitting your trip in half– a few nights in Cortina d’Ampezzo, and a few nights near Val Gardena or Ortisei. We stayed at the lovely Hotel Villa Alpina in Cortina, and at a really peaceful agriturismo in Soprabolzano called Höldhof that we originally found on Airbnb. Soprabolzano was a bit further from the western Dolomites attractions than we would’ve liked, but also gave us the opportunity to really immerse ourselves in South Tyrolean culture and visit Bolzano (the region’s largest city) by cable car.
3. Keep in mind that certain hikes are best done at certain times of day, and others are only open in peak season. Strategizing will definitely be needed– but don’t panic! We’ve got all sorts of tips and suggestions forthcoming.
4. It’s going to be crowded: The Dolomites have skyrocketed in popularity in the past years, with places like Lago di Braies (nicknamed “Lago di Instagram” for the droves of influencers flocking to its banks) and Alpe di Siusi imposing parking limits and crowd-control measures.
We’re dying to go back in the fall to have a less crowded experience, but summer is so popular for good reason.
Regardless, here, we urge you to:
- Wake up early: parking lots fill up, trails get crowded, and places like the above-mentioned Lago di Braies and Alpe di Siusi close to cars between 9 and 5PM. We woke up at 5:30 or 6 every morning to hit the trails and don’t regret it.
- Mix-and-match your itinerary between the most popular things and lesser-known highlights so you’ll have an escape from the crowds. We have some recommendations on that below.
- Have a plan B in mind for parking if you arrive at a full lot. We found that arriving super early mitigated this, but heard lots of stories that popular attractions were already full by 9 AM.
Getting There & Getting Around
To get to the Dolomites, we flew from Amsterdam into Venice’s Marco Polo Airport. From there, it was easy to rent a car and drive to Cortina d’Ampezzo– it takes about 3 hours and the road is gorgeous. While the region doesn’t have an airport per se, it’s also easy to fly into Innsbruck, Austria, or take the train from Bolzano or Verona.
Note that there are daily shuttle buses in the high season to the South Tyrol region from various airports in the region, including Innsbruck, Venice, Verona, and Milan Malpensa, if you’d prefer not to rent a car.
If arriving by train, you can book the South Tyrol shuttle to your accommodation here, an initiative aimed at lessening the number of cars around the area. Definitely good to look up your airport or train station to see if it’s included.
After much deliberation, we opted to rent a car for this trip. There was just so much we wanted to do and see, and the region lends itself beautifully for a road trip. While there is a lot of public transportation available, we ultimately decided that a car rental was the best option for us on our first visit here.
Long-term readers know we really aren’t keen on driving and avoid it whenever we can, but we think we made the right call. Mostly, we wanted to be able to get to places at sunrise or however early we wanted to avoid crowds and have a more serene experience. We absolutely plan to forgo the car rental on our next visit, however.
Again, while there is ample public transit, something that is also likely on the rise as the region tries to encourage folks to visit sans cars, a car does give you a flexibility that buses don’t.
Just be sure to be mindful of your speed and watch out for speed cameras– they’re boxy and orange, and Google Maps often gives you a heads up.
We also want to say that, given the winding and narrow nature of the roads, speeding in general isn’t a good idea. We saw a lot of people (particularly motorcycles) going way, way too fast and tailgating those going the speed limit, and it made us pretty nervous.
Recommended Reading
Where to Stay
Where to stay is a seriously hot topic in the Dolomites. It’s a deceptively large region, and we’re so thankful that we read early on to consider splitting our week-long trip into 2 hotel stays– as mentioned above, we urge you to do so as well.
Most accommodation is found in the vicinity of the following towns:
- Cortina d’Ampezzo
- Val Gardena
- Ortisei
Some folks stay in Bolzano proper, but this is quite far away for the early morning hikes. While the above towns are certainly not budget accommodations, the amount of time you’ll save driving endlessly back and forth is worth it, in our opinion.
As we said before, we stayed in Soprabolzano for the latter half of our trip, and while we loved the serene surroundings and the adorable Burmese mountain dog in residence, driving an hour or more to get to hikes wasn’t super ideal.
All that said, we recommend staying in Cortina d’Ampezzo or surroundings for a few days, and then in Val Gardena, Ortisei, or surroundings for a few days. This allows you to get the best of the eastern and western side of the region.
What to Pack
Here’s a general packing list:
- Hiking boots (already broken in!) and good hiking socks
- Shorts, leggings, or hiking pants
- Fleece or hoodie
- Rain layer
- Combination of long- and short-sleeve shirts
- Sunscreen (essential!)
- Band-aids
- Motion sickness pills if hairpin turns make you too nauseous
- Coins, especially 1€ and 2€ denomination
- DSLR camera if you have one, or whatever you like to take photos with
- Refillable water bottle
- Something a bit dressier if you’re spending time in Venice
Some specific tips:
1. In terms of footwear, pack those waterproof hiking boots! We’d say that hiking boots in general are a must, even if they’re not the most fashion-forward of accessories… and we definitely don’t recommend wearing them in Venice! 😉 The trails can be slippery and muddy, with rock scramble and scree occurring pretty often. You’ll feel much more comfortable in hiking boots, and good ankle protection is never a bad idea.
2. The Dolomites have a really curious climate, a mix of alpine and Mediterranean. It’s important to note that it can still be chilly in the mountains– for a place that can still be snowy well into June, July isn’t exactly going to be tropical. However, South Tyrol enjoys loads of sunny days per year, and the valleys are balmy and lovely in summer.
All that to say, layers are your friend, and be sure one of them is a rain layer in case of a sudden thunderstorm. The region is known for afternoon thunderstorms, so it’s wise to do your hiking in the morning just in case. We had a grand total of 6 epic thunderstorms while we were there– they all arose out of nowhere and cleared up just as fast, but with huge thunderclaps and bolts of lightning. If you see the sky starting to darken, it’s best to seek some sort of shelter to wait it out.
3. Interestingly, we had read online that we should bring fleeces, even in the summertime. Maybe we had a different experience, but it was very hot while we were there and we certainly didn’t need them. However, we think it’s not a bad idea to have one just in case it does get chilly.
Hike Planning
1. Our biggest piece of advice here is don’t feel like it’s mandatory to do all the most popular hikes.
We’ll be the first to tell you that we saw the same hikes over and over again listed on other blogs and websites as we planned our trip. While the popular things are popular for a reason (Lago di Braies is indeed very gorgeous), you don’t have to take these recommendations as gospel.
For example, despite feeling some pretty strong FOMO, we decided ahead of time not to do Tre Cime di Lavaredo– it’s mega-crowded, parking costs 30€, and there were so, so many other things we wanted to do. We ended up seeing the iconic peaks from a different viewpoint on our Cadini di Misurina hike, so life ends up working out.
2. Check the difficulty level of the trails you’re interested in, and don’t feel obligated to do via ferratas. We’ve written a guide to all the hikes we did, none of which are considered via ferratas.
For those who don’t know, via ferratas are protected climbing routes common in the Alps, typically composed of steel fixtures and cables that hikers hold onto or clip into using harnesses. There are about 700 of them in the Dolomites, and they have quite a cool history: most of them were built during World War I as a way to move soldiers, weapons, etc. between Italy and Austria.
One of us (we won’t say who! 😉) is absolutely terrified of heights, and the idea of strapping ourselves to a mountain didn’t really seem necessary when there were endless other gorgeous hikes to check out.
Ultimately, via ferratas are meant for those with the right gear and the right experience, and it’s often recommended to have a guide. Friends have told us terrifying stories about hiking via ferratas in improper footwear, and it’s not something we’d recommend.
3. It’s definitely worth it to wake up super early for the more popular hikes, and then check out a less-crowded or easier option in the afternoon if you’re still feeling up to it.
While You're There
1. Be ready to drop some money on food. In that vein, a few recommendations:
- Pack lunch. Though there are loads of rifugios with great offerings, they can be quite expensive unless you really want to splash out every day. We checked out a few of them (more on that later) to try a coffee or apple strudel, but always packed our lunch to stay budget-friendly.
- Have lots of snacks on hand. We brought loads of homemade trail mix with us from the Netherlands and it was a godsend for a break while hiking.
- Bring a refillable water bottle, and bring more water than you think you’ll need.
- Refill your water whenever you have the opportunity, even if it’s only a top-off. We ended up running out of water on our Croda da Lago hike, which was a bit freaky on such a hot day. In hindsight, we recommend considering one of those straw filters if you’re doing longer hikes like this one.
2. If you see trash anywhere, pick it up. For this pristine wilderness area to stay gorgeous and special for many generations to come, it’s imperative that litter not be thrown in the first place, or left. Practice the tenets of “leave no trace” and try to avoid bringing plastics, etc. on trails with you. We kept a little bag inside our backpack for our apple cores, etc. and disposed of them back at the hotel.
3. While we’re on the soapbox… and while this should go without saying… if you see signs asking you not to do something (e.g., swimming in Lago di Sorapis), it’s for a good reason.
Using Sorapis as an example, the lake is super delicate, and turns that ethereal, gorgeous milky blue color because of the silt composition. Swimming, wading, or even walking into the water destroys the mineral balances and ruins the lake. Similar to Iceland, there are so many stories floating around of people behaving badly here, which makes your heart hurt when you see what a pristine and life-altering place it is.
3. Relatedly, we should all do what we can to keep this region as close to perfect as possible in the future. We agree with the numerous other blogs advising to call people out who are behaving badly– trampling wildflowers, climbing over fences, swimming, flying drones, etc. While the “main character syndrome” that has skyrocketed with the rise of Instagram influencers is super annoying in most places, here it’s downright destructive.
4. Bring cash. Unlike much of the rest of the continent, things like parking will often be cash-only, preferably paid in coins. It’s good to have cash with you for eventualities like this.
Where to Go: Dolomites Itinerary
As we said above, this was definitely one of the most challenging trips we’ve ever planned. It’s so breathtakingly, heart-stoppingly beautiful that you’ll want to do absolutely everything. Unless you have years to spend here (don’t we wish!) it’s pretty much impossible to be able to do everything you want to do.
Prioritization is definitely needed here. Spend a lot of time reading guides to specific trails, seeing the distances from your hotel and the difficulty level.
Hikes (that don’t require via ferrata equipment)
We wrote a full guide to hiking in the Dolomites, that is definitely the place to check out as you plan. As a “teaser”, here are some brief introductions to our favorite places:
- Croda da Lago | 15 km | Moderate to strenuous: In retrospect, one of our favorite hikes, but it’s a toughie! First, get your heart pumping on the first 3km up to breathtaking Lago Federa. Refill your water bottle (crucial!) at the lakeside Rifugio Palmieri and continue uphill to Forcella Ambrizzola, followed by a (quite frankly, extremely difficult) trek upwards at the Forcella Rossa del Formin saddle. What goes up must go down, and what follows was our least favorite part of the hike– a 2km descent down a boulder field in Val de Formin. Follow the trail markers carefully. Once you finish that, the rest of the loop is fairly easy and forested back to the parking lot.
- Cadini di Misurina (Free version) | 14 km | Moderate to strenuous: The easiest way to get to Cadini di Misurina is to park at the Rifugio Auronzo lot, which is also the jumping-off point for the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. However, this lot costs 30€, which is a bit too rich for our blood. There’s another way, though, and while it’s tough, it’s definitely worth it for some of the most breathtaking vistas on earth. Parking at the free lot at Lago di Antorno, hit the trail behind the lake. You’ll likely see some cows before the path starts to ascend (pretty sharply) uphill. While it’s not always super clear where you’re going, the vistas are gorgeous as you bop along, and when you start to see Rifugio Auronzo, veer right. There, you can scramble all around to your heart’s content. Some paths are less death-defying than others, so keep right on the ridgeline if you’re afraid of heights.
- Adolf Munkelweg to Rifugio delle Odle | 10 km | Easy: From the Zanser Alm parking lot (which already has amazing views), follow trail 6 towards Geisler Alm/Rifugio delle Odle until it turns into trail 35, the famed Adolf Munkelweg. You’ll see the most gorgeous views of the Odle group, lots of cows, and compared to other hikes, it’s not too strenuous. This is a great hike for just about anyone, with far fewer uphills than other hikes and nothing scary like boulder scramble. Rifugio delle Odle is a great place for a coffee, apple strudel, and a break– it’s tempting to spend hours here.
- Armentara Meadows | 10km point-to-point | Easy: The good news is, this hike is almost entirely downhill, as you skip the hard part by way of a cable car. The even better news is that it’s absolutely gorgeous, and much less popular than other hikes. To get there, park your car in the cute town of Badia in the lot by the La Crusc cable car and purchase a 1-way ticket for La Crusc 1 and La Crusc 2 (you’ll need to ride both to get to the top.) Enjoy the cute church, rifugio, and views from the top, and take trail 15. You’ll be absolutely swooning at the little huts and dreamy meadows along the way. About halfway down, you can opt for a break at the Hütte da Andre rifugio, a great place for a bathroom break and water refill, or a meal if you’re so inclined. From there, continue on trail 7a behind the rifugio, following the signs back down to Badia.
Vallunga | 9km out-and-back | Easy: If your legs desperately need a break but you’re still wanting some time outdoors, head to local’s haunt Vallunga. Shaped like a “U”, you’ll see all sorts of dogs, strollers, cyclists, and families here. While there are a few little hills, this hike is pretty much all in a valley. Turn around whenever you wish, and keep an ear out for bugle calls across the widest part, as well as some of the most delicious fresh water to refill your bottle.
Non-hiking hotspots
If you’re between hikes or feeling a little tired, there are also some non-hiking activities to consider:
- Ride some cable cars: the region is packed with cable cars, many of which function primarily as ski lifts in the wintertime. Disclaimer– this is a very expensive way to pass time. Many of them run you upwards of 40€ round trip, and we actually didn’t do several hikes (like 5 Torri and Seceda) because of the high costs. A few lower-cost versions include the Soprabolzano to Bolzano cable car (6€) or the La Crusc cable car (15-25€ round-trip, or hike down from La Crusc 2).
- Bike the Alpe di Siusi: Unfortunately we didn’t get to do this, but it’s high on the list for next time. The Alpe di Siusi is the highest alpine meadow in Europe and one of the most popular areas to visit in the region. While many people do hike, we read in several places that the scenery is best seen by bike, as it can get a bit repetitive on foot. There are a few places nearby where you can rent e-bikes or mountain bikes, and this seems like an absolutely fabulous way to spend a day. Note: you can’t enter by car between 9 and 5 pm in an effort to preserve the environment, so keep this in mind as you plan. Parking costs a (quite steep) 20€.
- Visit some photo spots: The Dolomites are packed with iconic photo spots, and while you have to hike to arguably most of them, there are some accessible by car. A few of our favorites include:
- Passo Falzarego: this high-mountain pass is one of the most scenic and popular passes in the region, and for good reason! The pass reaches an elevation of approximately 2,105 meters (6,906 feet) above sea level, and the journey through it is truly a feast for the eyes– you won’t know where to look next. The road winds through stunning alpine landscapes, offering panoramic views of towering peaks, lush valleys, and picturesque mountain villages, and also serves as a jumping-off point for loads of outdoor activities and mountain biking routes. The pass was also a strategic location during World War I, and remnants of military fortifications and trenches can still be found in the area, as well as a museum (Museo della Grande Guerra) located nearby.
- Passo Giau: another scenic high-mountain pass, Passo Giau sits at an elevation of approximately 2,236 meters (7,336 feet) above sea level, higher than Falzarego and one of the highest mountain passes in the Dolomites. The pass offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding Dolomite peaks, including the nearby Nuvolau and Averau, and is generally a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts and mountain bikers, frequently forming part of the Giro d’Italia, Italy’s most famous cycling race. However, if you’d just like to park your car and look around, the photo opportunities are endless– you can’t go wrong.
- Lago di Braies (Pragser Wildsee): fondly (or not-so-fondly) nicknamed “Lago di Instagram” for its tremendous popularity, Lago di Braies is a must-see on any visit to the region, but also admittedly a bit of a frustration. It’s not particularly centrally-located (about an hour from Cortina d’Ampezzo), and be prepared to wake up very, very early if you want to have a stress-free visit– we arrived at around 5:30 in the morning and were by no means the first people there. In retrospect, we don’t think we need to arrive quite as early as we did, but it’s generally a good idea to arrive before 7AM if you want a photo of the iconic boats– they pull them in to start renting them out at 7. It’s also critical to know that the lake is closed between 9 and 5 to cars unless you book a parking spot in advance. This is quite strictly monitored, with the aim of protecting the area. So, either arrive before 9AM (our recommendation), book a parking spot for 38€ (ouch), or take a shuttle in from a parking lot 5 km away. We really value the advice we read in this Lago di Braies guide and recommend it for strategizing purposes. We parked in parking lot 3, which is about a 2-minute walk from the lake, and paid the 7€ parking fee (cash only!) to the attendant when we left. Note that the prices to rent boats increased astronomically this year– it’s now 50€ for half an hour. If you want to shoot photos inside the boathouse, it’ll cost you 400€. Needless to say, this just seemed exorbitant to us.
- Lago di Misurina: An absolutely charming lake surrounded by quaint hotels and restaurants, we were dying to stop every time we drove by. You can swim, rent boats, or just enjoy the views, and it’s much more relaxing and reasonably-priced than Braies.
Bonus stops
Explore Cortina d'Ampezzo
We totally understand the hype around Cortina d’Ampezzo now– it is absolutely swoony. Surrounded by the region’s gorgeous peaks, with cozy-alpine architecture and a pedestrian-only downtown, Cortina is such a treat.
Unlike many other cities like it, we noticed that they’ve done a really good job keeping the city non-touristy. While of course there are a lot of hotels and restaurants, they haven’t gone too overboard on the shops. There were almost no kitschy souvenir stalls, and while the big names like Gucci, Dior, etc. had storefronts, Cortina felt refreshingly un-commercial.
We loved going for early-morning strolls before breakfast along the pedestrian areas and got some great golden-hour photos.
Explore Bolzano
We were tempted to skip Bolzano, and we’re glad we didn’t. Despite feeling distinctly European, it didn’t really remind us of any other cities, like so many European cities do. It’s super walkable, the architecture is lovely, and there’s nice restaurants, gelaterias, etc. to check out. Ultimately, it’s a super low-key place and we were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed it.
Bonus: Stop in Verona
As you drive back to Venice from the Dolomites region, chances are you’ll drive right through Verona, a cute-as-a-button little city bursting with history and culture, particularly famous for its association with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. While you could spend a full day here, a quick visit is perfect for seeing the top sights, like:
- The Verona Arena (Arena di Verona), a well-preserved Roman amphitheater that hosts opera performances and concerts during the summertime, and surrounding Piazza Bra.
- Juliet’s House (Casa di Giulietta), the famous house associated with Shakespeare’s tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet. Legend says that rubbing the Juliet statue’s right breast will bring you good luck in love.
- Piazza delle Erbe, Verona’s main square, is surrounded by historic buildings, cafes, and market stalls selling local products.
- The medieval fortress of Castelvecchio, which now houses an art museum, and the Scaliger Bridge, a beautiful medieval bridge over the Adige River.
- The Romanesque San Zeno Basilica (Basilica di San Zeno Maggiore) dedicated to Verona’s patron saint, San Zeno and Verona Cathedral (Duomo di Verona).
- The lovely Renaissance gardens at Giardino Giusti, featuring manicured hedges, statues, fountains, and breathtaking views of Verona.
We found Verona very romantic! If you have the time, a nice half-day stop here is very recommended. The architecture is lovely and colorful, and while it’s busy and touristy, it’s not overwhelming.
Bonus: Stop in Padova
Relatedly, the road back to Venice also passes right through Padova (Padua in English), one of Italy’s most historically-significant “art cities,” thought to have been one of the sparks of the Renaissance. While you could spend a full day here, a quick visit is perfect for seeing the top sights, like:
- Scrovegni Chapel (Cappella degli Scrovegni) and its frescoes, painted by the Italian master Giotto. The frescoes are considered one of the most important works of Western art!
- The Piazza dei Signori, a historic square home to the Clock Tower and Loggia della Gran Guardia, packed with nice cafés.
- Prato della Valle, one of the largest squares in Europe, featuring a central green island surrounded by a canal and a series of statues. It was raining quite heavily when we were there, but seems like a great place for a walk or picnic. If you’re visiting on the last Sunday of the month, don’t miss the antiques market held here.
- Basilica of Saint Anthony (Basilica di Sant’Antonio), a popular pilgrimage site dedicated to Saint Anthony of Padua. The basilica is a stunning mix of Byzantine and Romanesque architecture.
- The medieval town hall, called Palazzo della Ragione.
- The University of Padua (Università degli Studi di Padova), one of Europe’s oldest universities, founded in 1222. Public dissections once took place at the Anatomy Theatre– lovely!
- The Orto Botanico di Padova, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, established in 1545.
Bonus: Venice weekend
Either on the front end or the back end of your trip, consider spending some time in Venice, tacking on Murano and/or Burano if you have some spare time. We wrote a quick weekend guide to Venice that outlines how to maximize your time in one of Europe’s most romantic and spectacular places.
Once in Venice, there is a perfect 2-3 days’ worth of things to check out. Unfortunately, visiting in July was the best time for hiking the Dolomites but smack in the heat of summer and peak season in Venice. Our most critical advice here (if you, like us, can’t avoid a peak season visit) is to get up as early as you possibly can, even if that means you need to take a nap later on in the day.
Despite crowd-control measures coming to Venice at some point soon, this hasn’t been launched yet– and the city gets absolutely jammed. It’s such an unbelievably romantic place, but nothing bursts that bubble quite like feeling like you’re constantly fighting big crowds. We couldn’t believe how crowded Venice was, despite assuming it would be so prior to our visit. In the future, we recommend avoiding Venice in summer, as it’s a fragile place and the amount of tourists is absolutely unsustainable, but unfortunately there was nothing we could do about our timing this time.
Check out our guide for our Venice tips, like:
- The best early-morning itinerary
- Our favorite photo places
- How to structure your day to avoid crowds
- Murano, Burano, or both?
We truly can’t rave enough about our trip to the Dolomites. It was an absolutely stunning and very special trip. We fully recommend it to anyone, and would love to hear about your experiences in the comments!
For more Italy content, you can check out our Dolomites hiking guide, or our guides to other places like Venice, Rome, Taormina, and Lake Como. Feel free to click on either of the photos below to save this guide for later on Pinterest!
