You don’t need to be a hiker to have one of the most extraordinary trips in the Dolomites! I’ve been twice now, and Manu (the Italian) has been more times than he can count, making summer trips here across his teen years as well as the times we’ve been together. Between the two of us, we’ve done this region both ways, and honestly, both are just as good.
It’s safe to say that the Dolomites are having a significant moment right now. The 2026 Winter Olympics brought global attention to the region, and visitor numbers are noticeably up. If you’re planning a trip this summer, particularly to the most photographed spots, timing and planning matter more than they used to. I’ve included everything you need to know throughout this guide.
This five-day itinerary covers the best viewpoints, lakes, and cable car spots in the Dolomites and requires nothing more than comfortable shoes and a willingness to sometimes get up early!
P.s. looking for a hiking itinerary instead? Check out my perfect 5 days in the Dolomites Itinerary for hikers!
Where to Stay in the Dolomites
We’ve stayed at three different hotels across our trips and genuinely loved them all for different reasons, and different price points!
Naturhotel Lüsnerhof
Honestly, this one’s my personal favourite – tucked into the peaceful village of Luson, Naturhotel Lüsnerhof is built almost entirely from natural materials, with warm wood throughout and a spa that uses locally foraged herbs in its treatments. The outdoor pool overlooks alpine meadows, and the farm-to-table restaurant is excellent.
Excelsior Dolomites Resort
Perched in San Vigilio di Marebbe, Excelsior is a different experience entirely. More polished, more design-forward, with a rooftop spa and infinity pool that frames the views perfectly. The suites have floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s also brilliantly positioned for the itinerary below, close to Lago di Braies, Seceda, and the valley roads connecting most of the key spots.
Apart Residence Rautal
Apart Residence Rautal in San Vigilio di Marebbe was where we stayed on our first proper Dolomites trip. It’s a self-catering apartment rather than a hotel, so it’s perfect if you want to stay in and cook some evenings too. It’s also got a spa that we had entirely to ourselves whenever we used it! It’s again well-positioned for this itinerary, sitting close to Lago di Braies, Seceda, and the valley roads linking most of the spots below.
Your 5-Day No-Hike Dolomites Itinerary
Here’s a suggested itinerary which is pretty chill, covering the course of 5 days, to give you lots of time to also relax and enjoy the beautiful spa of your hotel, which is SO important! If you’re in the Dolomites for less time, you can totally shrink this down to around 3 days with less relaxation in between.
Day 1: Lago di Braies and Lago Antorno
Start with Lago di Braies early. The crowds here between 10am and 3pm in peak season are honestly a bit ridiculous! We got there just after 7am both times we visited and had the lake almost entirely to ourselves for the first hour (save for a few other keen photographers).
Between 10 July and 10 September, the Braies Valley road is closed to private vehicles from 9:30am to 4pm. During that window, you can only reach the lake by shuttle bus, on foot, or by bicycle, unless you have pre-booked parking or a road access permit through prags.bz. I’d recommend parking in P4, the closest lot to the lake, which costs around €6.
The path around the lake takes about an hour and a half at a relaxed pace. If you want to get out on the water, a shared boat ride costs around €15 per person for 45 minutes.
After the lake, drive 45 minutes to Lago Antorno. This is a much smaller and far quieter lake near the Tre Cime area that most visitors drive straight past in favour of its more famous neighbour. It’s particularly beautiful in the late afternoon and there’s free parking nearby (and a decent restaurant right near the water for a drink or meal!).
Day 2: Lago di Misurina and Tre Cime Viewpoint
Lago di Misurina is known as the Pearl of the Dolomites, and while that is a title somewhat liberally applied in this region, it is rather beautiful! Walk the shoreline, take your time, and stop for a coffee at one of the lakeside cafes. The large, faded building reflected in the water that people often assume is a grand hotel is actually a closed specialist children’s hospital.
From Misurina, it’s a short drive up a toll road to Rifugio Auronzo, which sits right at the base of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The toll road costs €30 per car to drive, and the parking at the top is included in that fee (yep, it’s really not cheap at all!). Even without walking the full circuit around the peaks, a relatively flat twenty-minute stroll towards Rifugio Lavaredo puts you right beneath them and gives you a proper sense of their scale.
For the best light and fewest people, aim to arrive at Rifugio Auronzo early in the morning as the car park fills fast in summer, on the other hand, you can also visit in the afternoon around 3pm onwards!
Day 3: Lago di Carezza, Passo Gardena and Seceda
Start early and drive the SS241 to Lago di Carezza. The flat path around the lake takes around 20-30 minutes and requires nothing more than comfortable shoes. The lake is fenced to protect it, so you follow the perimeter path rather than walking to the water’s edge, but the views from the path are excellent throughout. Arrive before 9am for the best reflections and the fewest people. Parking is straightforward and doesn’t need to be pre-booked, costing around €3 per hour.
From Lago di Carezza, drive 45 minutes north on the SS241 and then up the SS243 to Passo Gardena. The pass sits at 2,121 metres and connects Val Gardena and Alta Badia, and the views from the car park are immediate in both directions: the sweep of Val Gardena on one side, the wide Alta Badia plateau on the other, with the Sella Group above it all. There are rifugios at the pass for a mid-morning coffee, and the hairpin turns on the approach are well-managed and far less intimidating than they look on the map.
Drive 30 minutes to Ortisei in the afternoon for the cable car up to Seceda. The journey runs in two stages: the Ortisei-Furnes gondola first, then the Furnes-Seceda chairlift to the ridge. Round-trip tickets cost €35 and can be bought at the cable car station or online in advance, which is worth doing in peak season to avoid queuing.
When you step off at the top, the Odle ridgeline unfolds before you against the open sky. It’s one of the most distinctive views in the Dolomites, and I’d recommend having lunch at one of the mountain restaurants up here with a terrace facing the ridge.
Day 4: Alpe di Siusi (and time for the spa!)
We drove up to Alpe di Siusi for sunrise and were rewarded with mist still sitting in the valley below and the first light catching the peaks above. By 10am the plateau was busy. By noon, it was very busy.
Getting there does require a bit of planning. The road to the Alpe di Siusi plateau is closed to private vehicles between 9 am and 5 pm daily in summer. Your options are:
- Drive up before 9am and park on the plateau. Parking at P2 in Compaccio costs around €30 per day in high season. The free P1 car park at Spitzbühl is further from the centre but still a good option. Note that parking on the plateau is not allowed between 11 pm and 6 am.
- Take the cable car from Siusi allo Sciliar (Seis am Schlern). This runs from around 8 am to 6 pm in summer, with extended hours to 7 pm in high season. Round-trip tickets cost around €20 for adults. There is free parking at the valley station.
- Take the Mont Sëuc cable car from Ortisei, which opens at 8:30 am and reaches a different part of the plateau. Round-trip tickets cost around €26 in summer. Good option if you’re already spending time in Ortisei.
Once you’re up, the gentle paths through the meadows towards Sassolungo are an easy and beautiful way to spend a few hours. The trails are wide and flat, with rifugios scattered throughout for lunch and coffee stops. Once you’ve had your fill of pretty alpine views, head back to your hotel for a spa afternoon!
Day 5: Passo delle Erbe and Santa Maddalena
This last day is definitely the most chill and least logistically demanding, so it’s a great one to finish on!
Start at Passo delle Erbe in the morning. This mountain pass connects Val di Funes and Val Badia and is where the Sass de Putia hike begins for those doing the hiking version of this trip. However, you can totally just drive to the car park, step out, and the panorama opens up immediately. There are also rifugios at the pass for coffee that tend to be open early.
Drive back down into Val di Funes and make your way to the Chiesetta di San Giovanni in Ranui, a small Baroque church that sits alone in the valley with the Odle peaks rising directly behind it. This is the other iconic church view in Val di Funes, quieter and less visited than Santa Maddalena. The famous photograph is taken from a small wooden platform at the beginning of the road leading up to the church, where the building sits framed by the peaks in the background. Park at the roadside at the start of the road marked San Giovanni and walk the short distance to the platform.
Have lunch in the valley. There are a handful of restaurants and rifugios in and around Santa Maddalena and San Pietro. This is South Tyrol’s first Slow Food Travel Destination!
Spend the afternoon working your way up through Santa Maddalena and timing your arrival at the viewpoint for the two hours before sunset. Park in the village at one of the signed car parks, around €4 for the day, and walk west from the centre following the Panoramaweg signs. The path to the main viewpoint takes around 30 minutes and the church sits in the valley below you with the Odle peaks rising behind it. Most people stop at the main viewpoint and turn back. Walk a little further up the road above it, and you get a slightly different framing with more of the trees and foreground visible, and far fewer people.
A note on access: from May to November, barriers at Santa Maddalena prevent vehicles driving beyond the village towards the church. This has technically been the rule for years and has simply been enforced more formally from 2026.
FAQs
Can you enjoy the Dolomites without hiking?
Completely. The lakes, mountain passes, cable cars, and valley viewpoints are some of the most spectacular scenery in Europe and almost all of them are accessible in trainers or flat shoes. This itinerary covers five full days without a single proper trail.
What is the best time to visit the Dolomites without hiking?
Late May to early June or September to early October. You get better light for photography, fewer crowds, and a version of the Dolomites that feels calmer and more manageable. Summer is beautiful but busy, and 2026 is particularly high-traffic following the Winter Olympics. If you visit in mid-September, the Almabtrieb, the traditional cattle drive when animals return from the high pastures to the valley, is one of those unexpected local moments worth timing your trip around.
Do you need a car in the Dolomites?
Yes, for this itinerary. The viewpoints, passes, and lakes on this list are spread across the region and public transport connections are limited. A rental car is the only practical way to move through the area at your own pace. Fly into Venice Marco Polo and you are around two and a half to three hours from San Vigilio di Marebbe.
How many days do you need in the Dolomites without hiking?
Five days gives you a comfortable pace to cover the highlights without rushing. You could compress it to three days if needed, but the Dolomites reward slow mornings and long lunches, and five days lets you actually feel that rather than just tick things off.
Is the Dolomites worth it if you don’t hike?
Without question. I would go back tomorrow for the lakes and the cable car views alone, and Manu, who has been more times than either of us can count, still finds something new each trip. You do not need boots to fall for this place.
