Dolomites base

I am thinking end of August or beginning of September timeframe.

I recommend staying in one of the three towns in Val Gardena: Ortesei, Santa Cristina or Selva. Ortesei is the busiest of the three options. We enjoyed our stay in Selva this past summer, using the free bus transportation to go up and down the valley to the various lifts. We were walking distance from two lifts. I felt like we were more in the mountains in Selva than the other two towns. Many of the small, family run accommodations require a minimum of 5 nights stay, so if you want more accommodation options, you might want to bump your stay up to 5 nights.

I think Ortisei is ideal. I was just there earlier this month (for the second time)and had a wonderful time. You could get a 3 day lift pass which works on lots of lifts. There are three on Ortisei and two each in St Christina and Selva. Your hotel will give you a free bus pass so you can easily travel among the three villages. A car is not needed. There are endless hiking options from easy to difficult.

I concur that Ortisei is the most convenient. In fact, you can reach 3 cable cars without having to drive and find parking elsewhere. You will travel during peak season and therefore don't underestimate the headaches of driving around to find parking.

Thank you all. Steve

If you can time this for early Sept it will be slightly easier to find accommodations. Italian’s flood the area in July and August and set up their lodging up to a year in advance, but by September 1, there is better availability,

We liked Ortisei (2x)

Ortisei if you like a circus and loads of Instagramers. The turnstile installation on the Seceda trail says it all.

Don’t follow the crowd. If you have a car, anywhere is good, speaking from experience.

With a car, we prefer the Alta Badia. This is generally Corvara, Colfosco, La Villa, San Cassiano.

We’ve stayed here twice in La Villa and loved it.

www.montanara.it.

https://www.altabadia.org/en/

This is a nice quiet place in St. Christina, Val Gardena, which is easy by car or bus. We stayed here once.

www.garniariston.com

I recommend staying in Alta Badia: Badia, San Cassiano, or Corvara. Many mentioned Val Gardena. However, I would only visit Val Gardena outside of peak summer season (e.g. October).
Easy-moderate hikes: Armentara Meadows, Colfosco High Trail, Pralongia Plateau, San Cassiano to La Crusc

We stayed in Ortisei two summers ago at the very start of July. I was a little worried by some of the references here to it being a circus or super busy but did not find it so. It was not the smallest village but was a small cute town. Very nice downtown walking / shopping / restaurant strip and convenient to both the lifts we wanted to do.

Hotel Grien was where we stayed - a slight drive up the hill from the heart of town - and was lovely.

Again, I found Ortisei totally ok. The convenience factor was important to me. Parking in any small town in the Dolomites was difficult. If you could walk to cable cars by staying in Ortisei, do so.

PSA: hiking usually means serious business in the Alps. Moderate hikes in Europe are often difficult for Americans.

I'm a senior myself. I stayed for two nights (no car) in Bolzano. I found it to be a nice town, very convenient for hiking the Dolomites. The cable car was a short walk from my hotel (the hostel). I followed the instructions in Rick's Italy guidebook. I did need some help buying a ticket for the cable car but someone was there to help me. The hike (which was easy) left me in tears. In the evening, I had a nice drink in the main square: Hugo. (pronounced OOO-go).

Depending upon where else you want to visit, Feltre might be a good choice. We stayed there on two of our trips to the Dolomites and found it to be a good base and an enjoyable town. It is not heavily touristed but has a number of good restaurants and nearby villages to explore. We skipped the packed hiking areas around Aune and found a nice hike outside the village of Faller. You are also in Veneto and have easy access to Treviso, Asolo and Venice. Feltre is mentioned in The New York Times 52 Places 2025.
https://www.nytimes.com/shared/v2/interactive/2025/travel/places-to-travel-destinations-2025/dolomite-mountains.html

The wife and I (both seniors) stayed at Hotel Feichter in Bolzano. No car.

Our first day there we walked to the Ritten/Renon cable car. That takes you to Oberbozen, where you can catch a cute little train to Klobenstein. We then hiked from there to a view of earth pyramids. Very pleasant and easy hike through a beautiful small town. Great views. You can also take a bus to another cable car that takes you further. Many other hikes to choose from. We got a map of the Ritten/Renon area from a tourist point, it includes many hikes. Check the Ritten.com website.

Our second day we walked to the bus station and took #170 to the Seiser Alm Cablecar. A very exciting 40 minute bus ride around mountain curves along narrow roads. Bus drivers have nerves of steel! We arrived at the cablecar when it first opened (08:00), and were the only folks there (mid-Sept). The lift arrives at the Alpe di Siusi, a simply amazing place. There are many hikes to choose from, and finding a non-strenuous one should be easy. We did eventually run into other human beings, but most of our companions were cows - cowbells were a constant background soundtrack. We hiked for over 8 hours, and did not want to leave. We are already ready to go back.

The Rick Steves Italy guide book details many of the available hikes in the area, and rates their level of effort.

The staff at the Hotel Feichter was helpful in suggesting hikes. They also provided a fantastic bag lunch (in lieu of breakfast, since we left early - but I'm sure they can be purchased). We also had a nice evening meal (spaghetti cacio e pepe) at Signor Vino, a short walk from the hotel.

The other suggestions others have provided sound great too. But whatever you do, hike Alpe di Siusi!

Have a safe trip.