The Dolomites in June

Posted by Cindy (Portland, OR) on 04/10/22 02:55 AM

Hello,

I need help planning 4 nights in the Dolomites. We will be taking the train from Varenna on June 20th to Bolzano. We are planning on renting a car in Bolzano so we can drive through the Dolomites and be more flexible. Should we spend our 1st night in Bolzano and then take off the next morning for the mountains or should we get a car right when we arrive in Bolzano and drive straight to Ortisei? After doing some research, Ortisei seems like a great town to stay for a few nights. That is about as far as I have gotten. I'm traveling with my husband and our 13 year old son. We are up for some hiking, but nothing too serious. What are the must see places? Any recommendations on 3 days in the Dolomites would be very mush appreciated.

Thank you!
Cindy

Posted by jasonindenver

04/10/22 04:32 PM

284 posts

I would spend one night in Bolzano only if you are arriving late in Bolzano. You absolutely must take your son to see Otzi the Ice Man. Incredible. However, if you can leave Varenna early and get to Bolzano by mid-morning, you should not need more than 3 hours to see the Ice Man and stroll through the old town. Then het your car and head up to Ortisei.

We spent four days in Ortisei a few years go and found there was more than enough to keep us occupied for that time. We are avid hikers and spent half of every day hiking and the afternoons lounging at our hotel’s spa. Ortisei is very small and shuts down early at night so you may want a larger town such as Cortina (4.5 hours drive) if you need more activity.

There are many easy hikes to do in the Alpe di Siusi adjacent to Ortisei and the ability to use the lifts (both up and down if need be) in other areas allows you to get to some incredibly stunning terrain with little exertion. Our favorite hikes were off of the Forcella lift (google it!!!) and Seceda lift.

Posted by smartin927

04/10/22 06:19 PM

62 posts

Thank you for this info. I have booked 3 nights in ortisei and cannot wait! I assume (as they hace been very helpful so far) that my hotel will help us to decide what to hike! I wish we could stay longer

Posted by Larry

Granite Bay, CA

04/10/22 07:02 PM

81 posts

Hi Cindy -
My wife and i spent a week in Kastelruth/ Castelrotto in September of 2018 after biking for a week in the Dolomites. I would definitely recommend skipping Bolzano and driving directly to Ortisei. It's only about a 45-minute drive, and we weren't enamored with Bolzano. Not very quaint like the Dolomite villages are. As far as hikes, the Alpe de Siusi has numerous easy and moderate hikes and is close to Ortisei. Do prepare for varying weather conditions, as it snowed on us the first week of September.

Posted by Cindy OP

Portland, OR

04/11/22 12:03 AM

92 posts

Thank you for all of your feedback! We will arrive around noon so I am leaning on getting a car and driving to Ortisei that same day. Seeing Otzi the iceman is definitely on our list as my son did a report on him last year in school. I just need to figure out the logistics with getting the car and then getting to the museum. We are super excited to explore the Dolomites. Thank you again for your recommendations.