Week in Northern Italy focusing on Lake Como and the Dolomites

A little hard to answer with so little info. How long a trip, driving, activities interested in, move around vs staying in one or 2 places, etc. etc.

Being a long time Rick Steves fan I have always followed his advice regarding visiting these areas. I always make Castelrotto my home base in the Dolomites, and stay at the Hotel Zum Wulf. On Lake Como, Its Varenna, and the Hotel MIlano. Of course, there are many picturesque towns around the lake to explore, as well as some islands. September should be a lovely time there. Buon viaggio, e buon divertimento (have a good trip, and enjoy)

Lake Como- we always stay up the hill in Bellagio, away from tourist mobs.
Dolomites- We always stay in Ortisei at family owned and run, Hotel Grones. Highly recommend it!

Don't delay in pinning down lodging. I'm having trouble finding something suitable near Lake Como, but I won't have a car, which limits my options.

Thanks for your suggestions. Our current plans are to stay 2 nights in Verenna and see the sites around Lake Como. We will then head to Tirano to take the Bernina Express to ST Moritz and back that same day and then head to the Dolomites for a couple of nights. We will have to start locking down our lodging. Our plans are to fly in and out of Milano.

Hi Donald - My husband and I are going to N. Italy in end of August / early September. Should be beautiful in Italy this time of year - excited to see someone else on the forum visiting at the same time. I will keep my hotel bookings to myself since you only asked for Dolomites and Varenna recs, but I do agree that it’s imperative to book ASAP. I ended up changing my mind to stay in Como instead of Varenna, because lack of places to stay in Varenna and it just seemed like there was “more to do” in Como (for a late 20s couple, we like the simple things of life, but also want to make the most out of our trip to Lake Como!)

I’ve done extensive research on Dolomites, and seems like at minimum 4 FULL days is highly suggested (i’ve never been, just spent at least 20+ hrs on research).

Our final itinerary:
8/29 Arrive in Milan
8/29 - 9/2 Stay in Lake Como (in Como)
9/2 - 9/7 Stay in Ortisei, Dolomites (Hotel Gardena Grödnerhof & Adler Spa Resort)
9/7 - 9/10 Stay in Venice
9/10 - 9/12 Milan & fly out on 9/12

Link to my discussion post:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/northern-italy-itinerary-recs-lake-como-ortisei-dolomites-venice

Let me know if any q’s! Safe travels! ✈️

I stayed at the Mandarin Oriental Como for a couple nights and it was magical. Rented a boat for an entire day to check out the nearby locations around the lake, villas, as well as Bellagio. I definitely plan on going back at some point, and when I do I plan on staying at Villa d'este or passalacqua.

I was in the Dolomites in early Sept 2021. The weather was still ok but the crowd was thinner than the summer one. Spend at least 4 nights in the Dolomites. I stayed three nights in Olang (to see Tre Cime) and then 5 nights in Ortisei (to see Val Gardena). Be prepared that the weather may not be perfect on all days.

For the Tre Cime hike, you need to be quite fit to finish it. Trekking poles and hiking boots are recommended. Val Gardena offers a variety of trails suitable for different experience levels.