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8 of the best (easy) walks in the Dolomites
If you’re looking for day or half-day walks that deliver drama without difficulty, Val di Fassa, Selva Val Gardena or resorts in the Brenta Dolomites like Madonna di Campiglio or Molveno should be top of your list. Around all of them you’ll find gentle routes that take in rolling meadows, impressive peaks and plenty of mountain huts (called rifugios) for tasty mid-walk breaks. Plus, summer lifts and cable cars are on hand to help you reach the heights.
We’ve rounded up our favourite walking routes in these areas for you to add to your list, with handy info about their start points, difficulty and walking time. Some require a slightly higher level of fitness than others, but they all dish out big rewards relative to the effort required.
Top tip: Pick up a trail map from the tourist office to help you navigate. And check whether your resort has summer cards up for grabs – these often give you free travel on public transport and sometimes cable car access too.
1. Vallunga valley – from Selva Val Gardena
Best for: relaxed walking with dramatic scenery
Walking time: approx. 2-3 hours (10km out-and-back)
Difficulty: easy to moderate – a mostly flat trail
Start and end point: start and finish at the entrance to the Vallunga valley.
Getting here: take the bus from Selva to the Dantercëpies lift station, then it’s a 15-20min walk to the Vallunga valley.
This route through the almost perfectly U-shaped Vallunga valley is almost entirely flat, following an easy path through lush alpine pasture and larch forest, with the scenery getting better and better the further you walk.
You can choose to turn around whenever you like and appreciate your surroundings from a fresh angle as you stroll back towards your starting point. It’s about 5km to the far end of the valley, just beyond the picnic-perfect Prà da Ri pasture, where the only sound’s likely to be the rush of nearby waterfalls. This makes a good turning point – from here the path starts to narrow and rise and the terrain becomes rocky and more challenging.
2. Seceda ridge to Rifugio Firenze – from Selva Val Gardena
Best for: Famous views and fairytale scenes
Walking time: approx. 2 hours (6km point-to-point)
Difficulty: moderate – some uphill walking and uneven paths
Start and end point: start at the Seceda cable car station, and finish at the Col Raiser gondola station.
Getting here: take the bus to Ortisei to begin, and then back to Selva from Santa Cristina.
The piercing peaks of the Seceda ridgeline hardly seem real, with swirling clouds often adding to magic. You can reach the ridge easily by taking the Furnes-Seceda pair of cable cars from the centre of Ortisei (just note that from Summer 2026, these lifts need to prebooked online). You’ll then need to walk uphill for around 50m to reach the viewpoint.
To combine the view with a moderate hike through a fairytale-like alpine landscape, try the Seceda to Rifugio Firenze circuit. From the Seceda viewpoint, follow the ridge path then start heading downhill towards Pieralongia. Look out for animals grazing – you’ll probably hear the cow bells before you see them.
Follow signs to Rifugio Firenze. Dating back to 1888, it's one of the oldest mountain huts in the Dolomites and well-placed for a spot of lunch – grab a table on the terrace for the best views. From here, follow twisty trail 4 in and out of pine thickets to reach the Col Raiser gondola. This takes you down to Santa Cristina, the neighbouring village to Selva. From here, just jump on the bus back to Selva.
3. Lake Carezza circuit – from Val di Fassa
A short stroll around an emerald-green lake that's one of the best photo spots in the Dolomites.
Best for: Insta-ready photo opps
Walking time: approx. 30mins (1.6km loop)
Difficulty: easy – a short, flat route
Start and end point: the Lake Carezza bus stop, beside the lake.
Getting here: take the bus from Canazei or Campitello in the Val di Fassa.
You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into a screensaver when you get your first glimpse of Lake Carezza. Circled by tall conifer trees, the clear water glows emerald green beneath a backdrop of pale pointy peaks. A short, flat trail loops around the lake, giving you a chance to see it – and snap it – from different angles.
The lake’s fed by underground springs and snowmelt from the nearby mountains, meaning its water levels change throughout the year. To see it at its full-to-the-brim best, visit in June or early July. And try to aim for an early morning or late afternoon walk if you’re looking for peace and quiet – as one of the best photo spots in the Dolomites, Lake Carezza is popular in summer.
4. Alpe di Suisi to Monte Pana – from Selva Val Gardena
A half-day hike through the high alpine meadows of Alpe di Suisi.
Best for: high-altitude exploring without steep climbs
Walking time: approx. 3 hours (11km point-to-point)
Difficulty: easy to moderate – a longer walk, but mostly gentle
Start and end point: start at the top of the Mont Sëuc gondola, and finish by catching the Santa Cristina-Monte Pana chairlift into Santa Cristina.
Getting here: take the bus to Ortisei and return by bus from Santa Cristina.
Alpe di Suisi – also known by the German name Seiser Alm – is Europe’s largest mountain plateau, and if relaxed but rewarding walking is what you want from your Dolomites holiday, this enchanting place has you covered. Take the Mont Sëuc gondola up from Ortisei, and at the top you’ll find gentle trails stretching out across the plateau in all directions. For a spectacular option that’s not overly taxing, pick trail 9 towards the little hamlet of Saltria.
To your left, the Sassolungo peaks rise like a crown above the rolling wooded meadows, with the cliff-like Sciliar range over to the right, and wooden huts dotting the sea of green all around you. Pause in Saltria for lunch or a drink before taking the wide trail 30 downhill to the Monte Pana plateau above Santa Cristina. From here, hop on the Santa Cristina-Monte Pana chairlift down to the village.
5. Lake Molveno loop – from Molveno
An easy-to-follow route looping around a mountain lake, with the option to take a swim.
Best for: lake views
Walking time: approx. 3 hours 30 minutes (11.5km loop)
Difficulty: easy to moderate – mostly flat, with some gentle ups and downs
Start and end point: the lakeside in Molveno village.
Getting here: you can walk to the lake from your hotel.
Bright blue Lake Molveno nestled in the Brenta Dolomites is one of the more underrated Italian lakes, and if you love a waterside walk you should definitely set off on the gentle trail that wraps around its edge. Start from Molveno village, following signs marked Giro del Lago. You’ll begin in the forest, with the turquoise of the lake peeking through the trees, before the views open up back across the lake to the village, with the Dolomite mountains beyond.
Take a break at the southern end of the lake, roughly halfway, for a dip or a picnic. Then follow the path uphill for more unforgettable scenes before winding your way back towards Molveno.
6. City of Stones – from Val di Fassa
A short hike through a fascinating rocky landscape that kids will love exploring.
Best for: family walks
Walking time: approx. 1.5 hours (5km out-and-back)
Difficulty: easy to moderate - fairly short and flat but with some uneven paths
Start and end point: start and finish at the Passo Sella bus stop.
Getting here: take the bus from Canazei in Val di Fassa to Passo Sella. You can also get here easily by bus from Selva.
For a walk that’s short on time but big on wow factor, hop on the bus to Passo Sella – the mountain road that connects Val Gardena with Val di Fassa – and set out to explore the City of Stones.
Take a moment before you start to snap a pic of the looming Sassolungo – one of the tallest and most recognisable peaks in the Dolomites – then set off to your right. Strolling in the shadow of the Sassolungo, you’ll soon find yourself weaving through an otherworldly landscape filled with sweet-smelling Swiss pine and giant boulders that were scattered by a seismic event about 20,000 years ago. This is the Città dei Sassi, or City of Stones.
Keep following the mostly flat path until you reach the Rifugio Comici, which is a great spot for a drink or bite to eat with a standout view over the giant Sella mountain range. Then head back the same way you came.
7. Via Crucis trail – from Selva Val Gardena
A short stroll straight out of Selva, passing the ruins of an ancient castle.
Best for: a short route with plenty to see
Walking time: approx. 60mins (3km out-and-back)
Difficulty: easy – a mostly flat path
Start and end point: begin from the Daunei area of Selva. Finish in Daunei or Selva centre depending on your return route.
Getting here: walk to the start from your hotel in Selva.
The Via Crucis trail is one of the oldest walking paths in the Val Gardena and skirts the edge of the village beneath the sheer-sided Mount Stevia towards the Vallunga valley. Along the way you’ll pass 15 Stations of the Cross, carved into tree trunks by local artists.
If you pay close attention to the rockfaces above, you’ll also spot the ruins of Wolkenstein Castle clinging to the side of the mountain. It dates back to the 13th century and once guarded the route over the Gardena pass into the neighbouring valley of Alta Badia. If you fancy a closer look, a short but steep path leads up to the ruins. Once you reach the Vallunga valley, head back along the same path or follow the road down into Selva past the Dantecepies gondola station.
8. Spinale mountain hut loop – from Madonna di Campiglio
Best for: panoramic mountain views
Walking time: approx. 2 hours 45 minutes (8km)
Difficulty: moderate – some uphill sections and uneven paths
Start and end point: the Spinale cable car in the centre of Madonna di Campiglio.
Getting here: stroll through Madonna’s pedestrianised centre to reach the cable car station.
For a route that puts you right in the heart of the Brenta Dolomites, pop this panoramic hike from Madonna di Campiglio on your list. Grab the Spinale cable car straight out of the centre of Madonna and set off on trail 331 past little Spinale Lake.
You’ll be mostly heading uphill for the first part of the walk along a gravel path, but it never gets too steep, and you’ll have far-reaching views all the way. Keep an eye out for the blue shutters of Rifugio Graffer al Grostè, which otherwise blends right into its high alpine surroundings. After a meal or a drink here, it’s downhill most of the way to Rifugio Boch – where you can take another pitstop on the large terrace – before finishing the loop back at the Spinale cable car.
Author: Polly Bryan
Last updated: 10/10/2025