Top 10 Must-See Spots In The Iconic Italian Dolomites

As my family is from Italy, I have been wanting to visit the Italian Dolomites for years, so here are 10 must-see spots in the Italian Dolomites for your future trip! This only scratches the surface.. but it’s a start.

How to Get to the Italian Dolomites

The Italian Dolomites are relatively easy to reach, especially if you’re planning a road trip through northern Italy. We flew into Milan, picked up a rental car, and drove about three hours into the mountains. Having a car made getting around the Dolomites much easier, especially since many of the best hiking trails, viewpoints, and mountain towns are spread out across the region.

Another popular option is to fly into Venice, which can be a great starting point depending on which part of the Dolomites you’re visiting. From Venice, it’s roughly a two-hour drive to the mountains, making it easy to turn your trip into a scenic road trip through northern Italy.

Once you’ve made your way into the mountains, the scenery starts almost immediately — and trust me, the drive is part of the adventure. Now, let’s get to the good stuff!

Must-see spots in the Italian Dolomites

Seceda

Seceda was easily one of my favourite spots on our road trip through the Dolomites. The dramatic peaks, endless trails, and incredible viewpoints make this one of those places that feels almost too good to be real. Plus, it’s incredibly accessible, making it a great option even if you don’t want to tackle a huge hike.

We took the Ortisei-Furnes gondola from the town of Ortisei and then the Furnes-Seceda cable car the rest of the way up the mountain. Once at the top, there are plenty of trails and viewpoints to explore, but the famous jagged Odle peaks are the main attraction.

If you’d like to catch sunrise, you can hike up and take the gondola down, or you can take the gondula up, stay for sunset and hike down.

New to 2026: The private landowners charge a €5 fee to access the fenced path leading directly to the main viewpoint.

Photo tip: In the summer, sunrise light comes from the side and is beautifully glowy, while sunset light hits and illumiates directly.

Lago Di Braies

Lago di Braies is breathtaking, but is commonly nicknamed “Lago di Instagram” because it’s incredibly busy. All you need to do is drive to one of the many parking lots at the lake, pay for parking, and walk a few minutes to the lake shore.

It’s super easy to get to and beautiful, so in turn, thousands of people visit each week. With all of this said, I still recommend visiting it at least once because of how beautiful it is.

Many people hang around the entrance of the lake, but there is much more to explore than just that. So, I suggest walking around the entire lake to enjoy its beauty.

Photo tip: Sunrise is beautiful especially with the reflection, and worth the early wake up call.

Gardena Pass

There are many mountain passes in the Italian Dolomites, and if you’re doing a road trip through the area, you’re bound to drive through a few. One of them is Gardena Pass, and the views from the top of the pass are incredible.

We parked at the summit to explore the area. We were pleasantly surprised to see many hiking trails that took us closer to the surrounding mountain peaks.

Photo tip: I love sunset here, and it’s an easy one especially if you had n early morning.

Alpe Di Siusi

This spot is absolutely magical and is one of the most picturesque places I’ve ever been to. The rolling hills, wild flowers, and rustic cabins left us speechless. Alpe Di Siusi looks great in any season, but in the summer, the grass is a vibrant green, which I love.

To get here, you’ll need to drive and park in Compaccio. I stayed the night in a hotel here, and rented e-bikes which was great if you want to photograph the area at both sunset and sunrise. From there, if you’re by foot, walk on the road towards Adler Lodge. You are only allowed to drive on this road if you are staying in one of the hotels in the area, but if you’re not, you’ll need to walk it.

It only took about an hour to get to this spot in the photo, so it’s not too far and is worth every step.

Photo tip: Both sunrise and sunset are so beautiful, you can’t go wrong. I might give the edge to sunrise as there is a possibility of some beautiful clouds.

Lago Di Sorapis

Another favourite hike of mine was Lago di Sorapis. It only took us about 1-1.5 hours to hike to the lake, but we didn’t even realize how long it was because the views were incredible the entire time.

Once we got to the lake the views got even better. Mount Sorapis towered above us, vibrant, blue water in the lake, and no crowds made this hike an incredible experience. This is a must-do when you’re in the Dolomites!

Photo tip: I loved the morning light here so the color of the lake pops.

Tre Cime Di Lavaredo

Tre Cime di Lavaredo is one of the most well-known areas of the Dolomites. There are countless hiking trails you can explore and rifugios (mountain huts) you can stay in. You can easily spend a few days here.

On our trip, we hiked to Rifugio Locatelli and took in the views of the three towering peaks there. I recommend hiking before sunrise, as it was incredibly busy as the day went on.

When I go back to Italy, I’m going to stay in some of the surrounding rifugios to explore more of Tre Cime.

New to 2026: you need to book parking, which you can do here.

Photo tip: I found any time of day is great, but sunrise will have less people around.

Val Di Funes

Val di Funes is a beautiful area to explore if you want to experience a quintessential Italian town.

We stopped by the Chiesetta di San Giovanni, which is what most people go there to see and photograph. We also drove around the little back roads to find more spots to take in the views.

Photo tip: This is for sure a sunrise spot!

Geisler Alm

To get here, we parked at the Zanser Alm parking lot and hiked the Adolf Munkel Trail. It’s an easy loop trail that allowed us to see the Geisler/Odle Peaks up close and personal.

Photo tip: I loved this spot in early morning, but sunrise would be beautiful as well.

Lake Antorno

This small lake is a little gem we happen to have passed by on our way to Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

We decided to stop by one morning to catch the sunrise, and it didn’t disappoint. If you’re looking for a great place to have lunch, shoot some photos or just hang out—this is it!

Photo tip: Sunrise was beautiful even though the light came from behind the mountain. Sunset would be great here too, but will be much more busy.

Saturnia Hot Springs

Okay, okay, okay, this magical spot isn’t technically in the Dolomites, it’s just outside of Tuscany. Depending on where you are in Northern Italy, Saturnia Hot Springs can be a 7-8 hour drive away.

It is pretty incredible, though, and worth the trek. The silky, blue water is rich in minerals, which gives it the vibrant colour you see. The entire hot spring is huge, so there is a lot of space for everyone to soak.

That said, it can get very busy, so my suggestion is stay in a nearby town and go at sunrise.

Photo tip: Sunrise is the key here.