Bolzano Day Tour Highlights of the Dolomites

Departing from Bolzano, the gateway to the Dolomites and the capital of the province of South Tyrol, we'll cross the Ega Valley, which begins in Bolzano and runs east between the Catinaccio and Latemar mountains. This road was built in 1894 when the area was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. We'll stop at Lake Carezza, the most beautiful lake in the western Dolomites: a 30-minute stay with a walk around the lake, if you like.

We'll then arrive at the Costalunga Pass. Near the pass, we'll see the historic Grand Hotel Carezza, built in 1893, the first luxury hotel in the Dolomites, which has hosted very important guests such as Empress Sissi, Winston Churchill, and Agatha Christie. From the Costalunga Pass, we'll reach the Fassa Valley in Trentino: we'll pass through the towns of Vigo di Fassa and Canazei to arrive beneath the imposing peaks of the Sella Group. From here, a long series of 27 hairpin bends (bends) begins, leading us to the famous Pordoi Pass, at an altitude of 2,239 meters (7,350 feet) above sea level. It's a one-hour journey if you decide to take the cable car to Sass Pordoi (2,950 meters; the cable car is open from late May to late October and from Christmas to Easter).

We reach the Falzarego Pass through which we enter the eastern Dolomites.

From the Pordoi Pass, we descend to the village of Arabba and continue east until we reach the Falzarego Pass, the gateway to the eastern Dolomites. We then reach Cortina d'Ampezzo, the "Pearl of the Dolomites," Italy's premier mountain resort and host of the 1956 Winter Olympics. Cortina, along with Milan, will once again host the Winter Olympics in 2026.

From Cortina, we then reach Lake Misurina, with its incredible panoramic view of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The lake, with its view of the Tre Cime to the north and the Sorapis mountains to the south, is the most famous image of the Dolomites in the world.

Just 20 minutes from Misurina, we'll have the opportunity to make a short stop at another important lake in the eastern Dolomites, Lake Dobbiaco.

From Dobbiaco, in about 20 minutes, we reach the far northeast of Italy, just a few kilometers from the Austrian border, for the day's grand finale with a visit to the famous Lake Braies. From Braies, we return to Bolzano in an hour and 40 minutes through the Pusteria Valley and then the Isarco Valley.