Dolomites June 2025

Stay in Ortisei the whole time. There are more than enough hikes to fill a month. On another trip, start working your way east in the Dolomites.

We followed up our five days in Ortisei with three nights in Riva de Garda. Nice but busy.

On touring the lake by ferry, we really were attracted to Malcesine (east side) and Limone sul Garda (west side) and would have vastly preferred being in either (Limone #1).

Thank you Jason for your response. I think we're getting caught up in reading/watching so much about Northern Italy that we've strayed off course. Ortesei as a base was our original plan. Would love to hear of hotels/airbnb's you might recommend. Restaurants? And def thank you for info on Garda. We were going to stay at the north end but have seen much about both of the other towns. I guess Limone closes up early? More quiet? And I hear very steep. We're doing this whole trip to hike so can't imagine it being a problem. Thanks again. D

We're heading there in late Aug, early Sept. We would welcome a hotel recommendation in Ortesei

I don't think a car is really needed in the Dolomites. You can take the train to Bolzano and then use the excellent bus system to get around the region. Most hotels include a regional bus pass. I suppose if you want to go to a more distant part of the Dolomites for a day trip from Ortisei a car could be useful though.

As your trip gets closer look up the activities offered including guided hikes on the https://www.valgardena-active.com/en website (summer activities probably aren't posted yet). We did several from Ortisei last year and they are free if your hotel is a Val Gardena partner which most are.

If I was going on our trip again I'd stay at a place with half-pension so breakfast and dinner are provided. There weren't that many restaurant choices in Ortisei, a bit to our surprise. Some low-end places and a couple that were very pricy. At least that was our opinion.

For Ortisei restaurant, try Mauriz Keller. It is listed as a pizzeria and popular for pizza but they have other things too. I had a delicious mushrrom risotto there for example.

If you want to see other iconic destinations in the Dolomites such as Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Lago di Braies, then consider spending 3 nights in Ortisei and 3 nights in Val Pusteria around Toblach, San Candido or Sexten. From those towns, you can reach some of the best hikes in the Dolomites within 30 minutes.

Tubladel is a great restaurant in Ortisei that you should not miss! Have a wonderful trip!

Thank you for the responses and restaurant advice. In the past month we finally booked flights and hotels. We will land in Milan early, rent car and drive to Bellano on Lake Como for 3 nights. With jet lag, we hope to get to Bellano and maybe take the ferry around the lake to get an idea of where everything is? So suggestions for restaurants, places not to miss and hikes would be great. Then we will stay in one place in Ortesei. We've been told that there are more than enough hikes in the area, plus having a car we can venture out. I'm pretty sure we are doing half board? So breakfast/dinner set but still would like advice on restaurants, sights and rufugios not to miss. Last night we still need to book hotel at MXP as we leave fairly early in the morning to return home. We've been wanting to do this for two years so thrilled it's on our calendar.

We stayed in Bellano in 2021 for five nights without a car. We really liked the town--it had several grocery stores and a pleasant waterfront with a beach that my young adult children visited several times.

But it isn't as convenient by ferry. There are not as many routes and you do have to plan carefully. One hint is that Varenna is on is on the more frequent midlake ferry. One day we took the ferry to Varenna, had dinner, and took the train to Bellano. It is one stop. We had missed the last ferry back from Bellagio to Bellano.

Personally I wouldn't get on the ferry jet lagged. You really have to have some brain power to know where to get off and on and when to return. The biggest tourist attraction in Bellano is Orrido di Ballano. It is a series of bridges through a gorge and waterfalls. I would go there.

Thanks for advice. Def planned on orrido do ballano so maybe wander there while trying to stay awake. Years ago on the advice of others, we took a local tourist bus around Rome the day we landed to get the lay of the land while trying to get through first jet lagged day. Thought hopping a ferry or two would be the same. :)

The ferries go between places so would have to read the schedule, get off somewhere, and then return. They don’t go in a loop necessarily like a hop off and on bus. There also aren’t that many ferries to and from Bellano so would have to be careful not to get stranded. That is more than I would want to do upon arrival.

Appreciate it!