Dolomities in November? Itinerary help

Can work well with either Cortina (closer to Venice) or Ortisei (closer to Verona) as ideal places to find a hotel/town.
You can drive the mountain passes between these 2 towns as well.

Thanks for your response, any idea how the weather and driving conditions are around the Ortisei, Cortina and the mountain passes around end of November?

I do not and can only guess that is very forecast dependent as a storm could easily come through at this time of year which would make it dangerous or could be clear weather and then should be no problem at all.
Other than watching weather forecasts as the dates get closer and monitoring the existing web cams I am not sure if anyone will be able to give you much more than a guess.
The Val Gardena website has some good webcams and this site below has quite a few in the region overall, some of the them give peaks at the mountain pass road conditions.
https://www.skylinewebcams.com/webcam/italia.html

You can drive between the 2 towns in roughly the same time taking a more roundabout highway route (half circle north basically) but that is not as scenic.

Ortisei would be my choice. The Dolomites are simply spectacular. Like nothing else in the Alps.

Basically at the start of the Val Gardena is Klausen/Chiusa, which is a small, quaint old town with a nice pedestrian zone and has a Christmas Market which is open Fri., Sat. and Sun. starting November 25.

The pretty old town of Brixen/Bressanone isn't far at all and has the Christmas Market everyday and evening. Even the old towns of Bozen/Bolzano and Sterling/Vipiteno, both of which have everyday Christmas Markets, are easy drives. The "Ice Man" exhibit at Bolzano's Museum of Archaeology would be fascinating for the entire family.

www.christmas-markets.it/en/christmas-market-chiusa-south-tyrol.aspx

www.christmas-markets.it/en/christmas-market-bressanone-south-tyrol.aspx

www.iceman.it/en/the-iceman/

The Gardena, Sella, Pordoi, Campolongo and Giau Passes are easy from the Val Gardena. We were in the area in early Dec. 2010 and 2013 and had beautiful weather. Chilly and crystal clear skies. So if the weather cooperates, drive a few passes. You'll find places to park and get out walk among the peaks.

Paul

I've only been in the Italian Alps in the summer (the Dolomites, BTW, are merely one subrange of Italy's vast Alpine territory), but I have extensive experience in other Alpine regions all year round.

I would say this... go with lower expectations. November is not the worst month in the mountains (that would be April), but far from the best. Hiking options are greatly reduced and the winter walking trails are usually not yet groomed. The weather can be quite damp and overcast as well. Those stunning peaks you traveled so far to behold may hide behind a veil of grey. And, much of the tourist infrastructure in the mountains closes temporarily until the ski season kicks off in December.

Also, check your route carefully to make sure it doesn't include passes that close for the season.

I'm not saying don't go in November, just don't expect the region to be at it's best.

You can enjoy the mountain areas without the uncertainty of mountain passes. It's true that in good weather you can go into the mountains, but it's also true that snow falls are very difficult to predict and can affect small areas. This week we were in Turin with thin clouds and there was snow falling in the nearby Val d'Aosta. I would suggest staying in the valley floor and day tripping into the mountains if the weather is favorable. Look at Trent and Bolzano which have mountains on both sides, and teens will like Otzi the Iceman in Bolzano. The Val d'Aosta and the Val di Susa also have many great landscapes if you go toward the Piedmont, and in and around Turin are some wonderful sites such as the royal hunting 'lodge' of Stupinigi.

Chains or snow tires are required - after Nov. 15 in the regions I am familiar with - so be sure your car rental provides them. Also you will be dealing with shorter days. Currently, sunset is before 5pm.

Thanks everyone for the responses. Looks like there is rain in the forecast, we are going to Save the Dolomites for a Fall or Summer trip!

Not a good place for vacation when raining. The views will be obstructed by clouds, will be cold and not much to do.
All that said, the weather there changes on a dime and the forecast may only be accurate a day or two ahead and still able to change mid day from rain/clouds to clear in the afternoon and vice versa.
In general most of the folks we have met that travel to the Dolomites spend a good amount of time in the region (1 full week is common) which gives them a little cushion if they get a couple of days of less than ideal weather.