A Guide to Driving in the Dolomites

This driving guide to the Dolomites was created as proof that visiting the glorious mountain range can be done without hiking. In fact, we strongly believe the Dolomites is made for road trips. This Dolomites driving guide includes the best routes, most sensational views and beautiful places to visit during a road trip throughout the Dolomites region.

Discover why the Dolomites has no shortage of the best scenic drives in Italy.

Are the Dolomites Suitable for Nonhikers?

I was seven months pregnant during our first ever trip to the Dolomites. This made experiencing the area’s many hiking opportunities less feasible. I will admit, I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to fully enjoy what the Dolomites has to offer without trekking our way through it. Would a Dolomites itinerary be truly complete without hiking Tre Cime?

My assumption quickly changed as we set out for our Dolomites road trip. We caught one breathtaking view after another, all from the comfort of our car. Whatever your reason may be for choosing sandals over hiking boots, this Dolomites road trip itinerary will show you how to soak in the vistas with minimal sweat.

→ 🥾 Compare and book activities in the Dolomites ←

Practical Tips for Visiting the Dolomites

Where and What Are the Dolomites?

The Dolomites are a World Heritage Site located in the northeast part of Italy and in the South Tyrol region. The mountain range which is nearly 250 million years old is set in the northern Italian Alps. Although the site is no secret to tourism, its beauty is surreal and remains a popular destination all year round.

How to Get to the Dolomites if You’re Flying

Unfortunately, there’s no Dolomites International Airport. The benefit of this is that you have a few options and can price out the cheapest offer. Most major airports will be within a 2.5 hour drive from Bolzano. Time to get creative!

• Although Verona (Verona Villafranca Airport) is closer, flights into Venice (Venice Marco Polo) will likely be less expensive. Venice is a busy hub with more flight routes.
• Innsbruck, Austria (Innsbruck Airport) is a relatively close option as well. Although, you will have to keep in mind tolls in Austria and border crossing fees from rental car agencies. The same fees and border crossing costs goes for flying into Munich (Munich International Airport- Franz Josef Strauß).

→ ✈️ Find cheap flights to Venice ←

Do You Need a Car in the Dolomites?

Although doable on foot or by public transportation, having a car for your Dolomites itinerary will maximize your time. Some sights can be hours apart and driving makes the most sense logistically. View our tips on driving in Europe here. If you are planning a Dolomites road trip with a rental car, keep these things in mind:

• You do not need 4WD/AWD to drive in the Dolomites if you are visiting in the summer. The main roads running through the Dolomites are paved and since this is a UNESCO World Heritage site, off-roading is discouraged.
• Manual transmission cars will be more affordable than automatic ones. You’ll want to feel comfortable driving down curvy mountain roads, hills and navigating parking lots.
• The Dolomites are a hot travel destination. It’s best to book and plan well in advance so car rental agencies aren’t sold out!
• Ensure you are picking up and dropping off your car at the same place to avoid massive extra fees.

→ 🏷 Compare rental car prices for the Dolomites ←

When to Road Trip in the Dolomites

One reason the Dolomites is one of Italy’s best destinations is that it’s fantastic to visit in every season. Not many other places can say that!

Mountain weather can be unpredictable, which means rain can never be completely avoided. The weather chart below can be used as a general guide, but we recommend always being prepared with an extra jacket on hand. We know you cannot control the weather, but driving in the Dolomites is best done without fog and rain. If possible, schedule your scenic drive for nice weather.

Overall, we’d recommend visiting in Spring or Autumn for the classic reason of staying clear of crowds. These seasons are particularly ideal for driving in the Dolomites. If you come during the shoulder of those seasons, you won’t have to worry about fresh snow. Many mountain roads may be closed completely in the winter due to snow.

Summer: An average around 20°C – 25°C  (68°F – 77°F)

Autumn: An average around 0°C – 11°C (32°F – 52°F)

Winter: An average around -4°C – – 2°C (24.8°F – 28.4°F)

Spring: An average around 5°C – 13°C (41°F – 55°F)

→ ✈️ Find flights to Venice during your preferred season ←

More Essential Tips for Driving in the Dolomites

Languages – Although the Dolomites are technically in Italy, you will hear German more over Italian. This applies to road signs as well. You will see the names of places written in both German and Italian. There are also some parts of the Dolomites which speak a third language called Ladin.

Parking Fees – When budgeting your Dolomites road trip, take into account the cost of parking. Tourism comes at a price and this is especially true with paid parking lots. It’s not unusual to see parking cost anywhere from to €8-€25 for an entire day.

FUEL – This is a general tip for traveling anywhere in Italy, especially when paying with a credit card. For some reason, many self pay stations don’t like our U.S. credit cards so it’s a hit or miss. Furthermore, Italians will typically take a break after lunch. This means you’ll have no other option besides self fueling when there are no gas station attendants present. Always keep some cash on you or fuel up well in advance to avoid any emergency situations.

ROAD SNACKS – A road trip is not complete without road snacks. Always have something ready to eat as you don’t know if your route will take you longer than expected. Similar to fueling up, many restaurants may also close for midday. This is a bummer if you happen to stop in a town for food at 2pm. There’s also nothing quite better than enjoying an impromptu lunch after stumbling upon a breathtaking view.

→ 🚗 Book a cheap rental car from Venice Airport ←

Where to Stay In The Dolomites

Depending on how long you plan on road tripping, it may make sense to book more than one stay. Some of the best places to visit in the Dolomites (hiking spots, views, lakes) are spread far out within the mountain range. If you’re interested in cutting down on driving time, choose a couple of areas to stay in and explore them properly instead of spending too much time driving back and forth. We find that a road trip no longer becomes enjoyable if you’re racing from point A to B. Here are the towns we recommend staying in as central locations for exploring the Dolomites.

→ 🏠 Read More: Where to Base Yourself in the Dolomites←

Chiusa
We stayed in an Airbnb in the heart of town for only $88/night. We loved how conveniently located it is to the motorway and “entrance” to the Dolomites.

Ortisei (also known as Urtijëi)
You’ll find many options for hotels of all sorts (luxury and budget) in this picturesque town nestled in the Val Gardena valley. The proximity to many sights in the area makes this one of the best places to stay in the Dolomites.

Badia
A great option for those seeking a quiet stay. Badia is comparatively smaller and defined as a quaint mountain town.

Cortina d’Ampezzo
Surrounded by high mountain peaks, this is a suitable option for those interested in activities and things to do. Cortina d’Ampezzo is a popular ski resort in the Dolomites.

→ 🛌 Find a place to stay in Cortina d’Ampezzo ←

Dolomites Driving Routes & Places to See

As you research, you’ll find a handful of variations for the best Dolomites driving route. Truth be told, they’re all only slightly different from one another. This is one of the best things about driving through the Dolomites, you’ll stumble upon a gorgeous view in every direction. Our point is, your road trip doesn’t have to be planned down to the very last detail like where you’ll take a bathroom break. Don’t think about it too hard! This UNESCO World Heritage site guarantees beauty around every twist and turn.

Quick Overview: Dolomites Road Trip Itinerary

• Oritisei (town)
• Val Gardena (valley)
• Hotel Cir (viewpoint)
• Passo Gardena – Ju de Frara (pass and viewpoint)
• Sella Pass (pass)
• Piz Boè (mountain)
• Canazei (town)
• Karersee or Lago di Carezza (lake)
• Prösels Castle (castle)
• Seiser Alm (alpine meadow)
• Alpenhotel Panorama (viewpoint)
• Val di Funes (valley)
• St. Magdalena (church viewpoint)
• San Pietro (town)
• Lago Di Braies (lake)

Dolomites Road Trip Map

Recommended Driving Routes in the Dolomites

Oritisei to Lago di Carezza Route

Oritisei is a great starting point to embark on a drive throughout the Dolomites. It is also one of the area’s more popular towns so you’ll be able to stock up on food or gas before heading out. For us, it was an opportunity to pick up the first of many apple strudels for the day.

From Oritisei, head east on the SS242 to explore Selva di Val Gardena. Take your time and don’t be afraid to pull over as there are many wondrous views to take in. Don’t worry if you miss one, there will be another waiting for you just around the next corner.

Type in Hotel Cir in your navigation which will steer you on the SS243 from the SS242. This will get you to a convenient parking lot and an area to walk around near the hotel. There are many places to pull over for sensational photo opportunities in this area and the hotel makes for a good navigation point. Here, we decided to turn back and continue in a different direction for sight seeing. However, you can certainly keep going on the road beyond the hotel.

If you decide to turn around, you’ll head south on the SS242 and get onto SELLA PASS which will pop you out on the other side of piz boè. On this route, you’ll find no shortage of fairytale landscapes and that famous Dolomite scenery we can’t get enough of.

The road will eventually turn from SS242 to SS48 where you’ll hit the town of Canazei. This is a great place to grab some lunch and stretch your legs. We also made sure to stop at the the ATM and grab gas here since we just finished a long stretch of driving without hitting another town. It’s always a good idea to have cash on hand as a lot of establishments in smaller mountain villages don’t accept cards.

After lunch, hop back on the SS48 and merge onto the SS241 towards Lake Karersee (or Lago di Carezza). The alpine lake is a spectacular sight to see as the color of the water is quite unreal. With the mountains set in the background and trees perfectly layered into the scenery, it’s one of the best spots to take a photo in the Dolomites. There is a convenient parking lot near the lake and costs about €1 – €2 per hour. If you don’t plan on staying long, you can also pull to the side of the road for free (especially during off or shoulder season). The lake does not permit swimming as it is closed off for conservational purposes.

Bolzano to Seiser alm ROUTE

This is a super convenient route if you are staying in Bolzano and looking for a shorter drive to some scenic sights in the Dolomites. The drive can be done in one hour, but you’ll want to account for spontaneous stops along the way – that’s the key to any road trip itinerary! This route can easily keep you out all day.

Once you head out from Bolzano, you’ll hop on the SS12 and divert to the LS24 which are both toll free roads. Conveniently located on this route is prösels castle, a Gothic style castle beautifully perched on the plains beneath the towering mountains. This is a wonderful first stop for a light hike throughout the castle and cup of coffee.

As you get back on the LS24 and head towards the town of siusi, we recommend stopping at Konditorei Andreas for your daily dose of strudel. From the town of Siusi, it’s also possible to cut your drive short here and take the cable car instead to reach your next destination of Seiser Alm. The cable car ride takes about 20 minutes to reach the meadow and costs around €25 round trip per person.

If I had to show someone what the Dolomites feels like, I’d show them a photo from our time in Seiser Alm. This place is the Dolomites of your dreams, I swear. However, it’s a bit tricky to get there by car as the road that leads up to the meadow is technically privately owned. Unless you are staying at one of the hotels in Compatsch, you cannot access the road by car after 9am.

So, how can you reach this alpine paradise? The trick is to access the road here before 9am. There is a huge parking lot once you get to the very top but costs about €20 per car. We thought the price was kind of outrageous because it didn’t matter how long you parked there, the cost was still €20. If you drive around and further from the hotels, you’ll find some parking off to the side of the road for free instead. You must be super mindful of “no parking” signs if you do this.

An entire morning or afternoon can easily be spent up at Seiser Alm. We recommend taking your time to hike around, greet some cows and enjoy a beverage or two. One of our favorite views from our entire Dolomites road trip can be found by heading towards the alpenhotel panorama. The hotel is private and they may raise an eyebrow if you park in their lot so just park a bit further away if you are driving. The 360° view can be admired from any direction, but you can enter Monte Giogo Alpe di Siusi into Google Maps for a more precise location. This area is ideal for those looking to stick to light hikes only.

CHIUSA (VAL DI FUNES) to Lago di Braies ROUTE

We ended up in chiusa because our Airbnb happened to be located there. The village has a flowing river, narrow cobble streets lined with boutique shops and medieval ruins. It’s a true hidden gem and didn’t seem to be visited often by people who travel to the Dolomites. If you have time, we highly recommended stopping in this unsuspecting and charming town.

Next on the Dolomites road trip itinerary is val di funes, another stunning valley and scenic roadway. Once you start your drive on the SP163, you’ll head through San Pietro and arrive in St. Magdalena, two beautiful towns burrowed in between the mountains. The most popular stop is in St. Magdalena for a picture of the popular Church of St. John. It can be a bit of a tourist trap so we steered clear of paid parking and entrance in order to get closer to the church. We simply parked along this road here instead for free to snap a quick photo.

Head back towards San Pietro to get back on SP163. Unless it’s winter, the SP29 should be open as this is the most scenic route you’ll want to take next. Head towards Antermoia in Google Maps. Beware, this is a narrow road but you’ll unlikely run into many other cars since it’s a bit off the beaten path for most tourists. One of the main reasons we loved this section of our Dolomites road trip! You may need to pull off the paved road in order to take photos so be cautious but the absolutely gorgeous views are worth it.

To reach the final destination of Lago di Braies, the quickest way is to take the SS244 through the bigger town of Brunico. The road will turn into SS49 until you reach a large roundabout with a sign to Lago di Braies to your right. The route from this point on is very straight forward as Lago di Braies is a major tourist attraction in the Dolomites.

The entire area is very developed in terms of parking lots, restaurants and walking paths. Unless you’re visiting during off season, expect to pay around €8 for car parking. You can rent a row boat for a pretty penny or simply take a free stroll around the lake which is what we opted for. There are a handful of benches situated along the water so you can rest with a splendid view.

Optional Sight to See

For those looking to see something spectacular, we highly recommended making a detour to the western part of South Tyrol. Reschensee is a lake located just 2.5 km from the Austrian border and about 1.5 hours from Bolzano. Apart from the delightful little village, Reschen am See, Reschensee is home to one of the most interesting attractions we’ve ever seen. Campanile di Curon Venosta Vecchia (or Curon Bell Tower) is a church tower from the medieval era which sits partially submerged in the lake. If you visit during the winter, the lake is frozen over and it’s possible to walk to it or even ice skate around it. 

→ ⛰ Read More: Visit Lago di Resia ←

Travel Resources for Driving in the Dolomites

TRAVEL INSURANCE: EKTA or VisitorsCoverage

CAR RENTALS: Rentalcars.com or Discover Cars

FLIGHTS: CheapOair or Agoda

ACCOMMODATION: Booking.com, Hostelworld or Trivago

ESIM / CELL PHONE DATA: Airalo

TOURS & ACTIVITIES: GetYourGuide or Viator

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