A guide by @vik.aroundtheworldUpdated: November 2026
The Dolomites, Slowly
A first summer week in one valley: lakes, cable cars, easy hikes and hut lunches, planned down to the parking slot.
An online guide for your phone: 11 parts, 26 places on the map, every price with its source.
This is what opens on your phone.
Real screens from the guide. Swipe through them.
Lago di Braies under the Croda del Becco. Arrive early or book the combined ticket.
Photo: kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons11 parts, in the order you will need them.
- 01
Why one valley, and why Val Gardena
- 02
When to go: June to September
- 03
Getting there and getting around
- 04
Cable cars and lift passes: which card for which week
- 05
Where to stay, by budget
- 06
The lakes: Braies, Carezza and Sorapis
- 07
Easy to moderate hikes, with times and distances
- 08
Hut lunches and what to eat
- 09
A seven-day plan from one base
- 10
Safety: weather, paths and via ferrata
- 11
What to pack
- ★
Plus the map, the budget and the quest
An interactive map with 26 places, an example week budget, the booking calendar, a quest card with 12 missions, 8 answers to common questions and 40 linked sources.
The price of four coffees on a hut terrace.
A coffee at a Dolomites hut costs €2–2.50. The guide costs €9,99. One tip in it saves a family of three €253 on lift passes, so it pays for itself before you buy your first ticket.
Where the €253 comes from: for two adults and a 9-year-old based in Val Gardena, the widely advertised Dolomiti Supersummer Card (5 of 7 days) costs €500 (2 × €185 + €130). It is not accepted on the Seceda lifts, so you would pay another €185 there (2 × €74 + €37): €685 in total. The 6-day Gardena Card costs €432 (2 × €160 + €112) and includes Seceda. €685 − €432 = €253.
- Dolomiti Supersummer Card + Seceda tickets (2 adults + child)€685
- 6-day Gardena Card, Seceda included (2 adults + child)€432
- You save with this one tip€253
- The Dolomites, Slowly, the full guide€9,99
Bars drawn to scale. 2026 prices from the guide: valgardena.it (Gardena Card and Dolomiti Supersummer pages) and seceda.it.
What a week there really costs.
The example week from the guide: two adults and one child aged 9, seven days in Val Gardena in July or August, hotel on half board (dinners included), excluding flights, car hire and accommodation.
≈€1,048≈ €1,048 for the week, or about €150 a day for the family
- Gardena Card, 6 days, 2 adults€320
- Gardena Card, 6 days, junior (8–17)€112
- Lago di Braies combined ticket (parking, transit permit, €22 voucher)€44
- Lago di Carezza parking, 2–6 hours€13
- Hut lunches, 6 days for three people€450
- Seceda €5 turnstile, extras, coffees and ice creams€60
- Tourist tax, 2 adults × 7 nights (child exempt)€49
- Buses and regional trains€0
A quest for the trip.
Twelve small missions to tick off as you go, for children and grown-ups alike. Try the card here; the guide has a version to print.
The Dolomites Quest
0 of 12Tap a mission to tick it off.
40sources, each one linked
Researched, not guessed.
Every price, timetable and rule in this guide was checked against its source: operators, tourist boards, official price lists and menus. Each source is linked in the guide, so you can check it yourself before you book.
Curated by Vik, @vik.aroundtheworld, author of the guide Lapland with a Child. This guide is built from official sources, not from the diary of a single trip.
Questions before you buy
Is it a PDF?
No. It is a web page made for your phone, with interactive maps and Google Maps links that a PDF can't do. The quest card is designed to be printed.
How do I get it after paying?
The link to the guide appears on your order page right after payment and in your confirmation email. Bookmark it and open it whenever you need.
Do I need a car?
Not for Val Gardena. Lifts start in the villages, and the free Guest Pass covers valley buses and most public transport in South Tyrol, including bus 471 to Passo Sella and 473 over Passo Gardena. A car helps for Braies, Carezza, Sorapis and Tre Cime, which are long days by public transport.
Is the Dolomiti Supersummer Card valid on Seceda?
No. The Ortisei–Furnes cable car, the Furnes–Seceda gondola and the Fermeda chairlift do not accept it. The Gardena Card does include them (2026: €160 for 6 days, junior €112, Kids €5).
Is this trip OK with a small child?
Yes. Under-8s ride most lifts free with a paying adult, and there are many flat, pushchair-friendly walks: the Steger Trail on the Alpe di Siusi, the Carezza circuit and Monte Pana. Skip Sorapis and the Sassolungo circuit until children are older and steady on narrow paths.
Do I really need to book Lago di Braies?
From 1 July to 15 September (2026 rules), yes, unless you arrive before 9:00 (no parking guaranteed) or come by the booked 442/439 shuttle. The €44 combined ticket includes guaranteed parking and a €22 voucher. From 16 September there are no traffic restrictions.
Can I swim in the lakes?
Not at Lago di Carezza, where swimming is strictly prohibited and the shore is protected. At Braies you can hire a rowing boat from the boathouse instead. The water at these mountain lakes is very cold even in August.
Will Passo Gardena be closed in summer 2027?
Not closed, but possibly restricted. There were no restrictions in 2026; the Province of Bolzano is studying a seasonal limited-traffic zone for roughly May to October 2027, with exceptions for residents and guests along the road. Nothing was confirmed when this guide was updated, so check before you travel and use bus 473.
When is the best time for a first trip?
Late June or the first three weeks of September. Lifts, huts and buses are running, crowds are smaller than in August, and in September the Braies traffic rules no longer apply after the 15th.
Can I use the Alpe di Siusi road by car?
Only before 9:00 or after 17:00 with an online parking reservation for P1 or P2, bookable up to three days ahead. Between 9:00 and 17:00 the road is closed to private cars. The Ortisei gondola or the Siusi cable car is simpler.
Which languages is it in?
Nine: English, Ukrainian, Polish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese and Dutch. The whole guide, map and quest card included, is available in each of them.
Can I open it on my partner's phone too?
Yes. It is a link, so it opens on any phone, tablet or laptop.
Can I buy it as a gift?
Yes. Buy it and send the link to the person who is going.
Are the prices up to date?
Last update: November 2026. Every price says which season it is for and links to its source. Where next season’s prices were not yet published, the guide says so.
Plan the whole trip in one evening.
One payment, and the guide is yours. It opens on any phone, tablet or laptop.
- The full online guide, 11 parts, in 9 languages
- An interactive map: 26 places with Google Maps links
- An example week budget, line by line
- The booking calendar and packing list
- A quest card to print, with 12 missions
- Updated: November 2026 · 40 sources linked
The link appears right after payment and in your email.
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