5 Best Family Friendly Hikes in the Dolomites

Hiking in the Dolomites has been on my bucket list for a very long time. I actually lived and worked in Italy in my early 20s but never made it to the Dolomites. Now, almost 10 years since that time I am married and have a 2.5 year old daughter. I finally decided to go back to Italy and hike and explore the Dolomites together with my family. We spent about 6 weeks exploring and hiking in different areas of the Dolomites, and we were blown away by the beauty of this special place and also that it was very family and kid friendly. Of all the hikes we did during our trip, here are my five favorite family friendly hikes in the Dolomites.

Adolf Munkel Trail

This was the first hike that we did when we arrived to the Dolomites and it is my favorite family friendly hike we did during our trip. It’s located in one of the most perfect valleys in the Dolomites, Val di Funes in South Tyrol, and takes you to the foot of the Odle (Geisler) peaks. To get to the trailhead you need to drive through a beautiful little town of Santa Maddalena which has two of the most photographed little churches in the Dolomites, which I highly recommend taking pictures of in the evening after the hike when the light is perfect. From the town, continue up the road for about 10 mins to Zanser Alm (Malga Zanes) at the elevation 1,685 meters where you will need to pay 6 euro per vehicle to park for the day.

Although the hike is only 9km with 300 meters of elevation gain, I recommend starting early and to allow your family plenty of time to take in the views, eat and relax at the rifugios while the kids enjoy the playgrounds at each ot them. We did this hike the first week of June which is still considered an early season in the Dolomites, and it was completely free of snow yet there was still some snow on top of the mountains which made the views even better.

After you park the car take the trail number 6 which will begin by going along some meadows, after that it starts to steadily climb along the stream. Start by hiking up the trail until there is a big bridge crossing the stream. From here follow the trail number 35 to Gschnagenhart Alm (Malga Casnago) and Geisleralm (Rifugio delle Odle) which are located at elevation 2,006 meters. These rifugios (mountain huts) are a great place to stop, have lunch and relax for a while. We actually had a lunch at one and a desert at the other. My favorite part about many rifugios in the Dolomites is that they have awesome playgrounds, and my daughter Zoey was all about them. Our favorite rifugio was Geisleralm which had lots of fun and unique details, phenomenal desserts and a big playground with a zip line, slides, swings and all kind of stuff. After spending time at rifugios continue on the trail 36 and descend to another lovely rifugio with amazing views Dusleralm (Malga Dusler). From here continue down the trail towards Zans (Zannes) which will take you all the way to where you started. We did it as a loop hike but there are different ways to explore this area. You could opt for a shorter option and do it as in and out hike to visit a specific refugio.

Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Tre Cime di Lavaredo is one of the most iconic hikes and mountain views in the Dolomites. This relatively easy 10 km (6 mile) loop hike with 340 meters of elevation gain offers jaw-dropping views from the very beginning until the end. The hike begins at Rifugio Auronzo which is located at 2,340 meters. You have different options for getting to rifugio Auronzo, either by car and paying the 30 euro parking fee or by taking the shuttle from Lake Misurina or a smaller lake Alberto. There is a free parking by lake Alberto and the shuttle leaves every hour during early season and every half an hour during high season, and it costs only 4 euro per person one way. I would recommend spending the night at one of the rifugios along the hike if you would like to enjoy a sunrise or sunset there, and also fewer people because the gate located 5 miles away from rifugio Auronzo is closed from 8am until 7pm. We hiked Tre Cime loop in the second half of June and there was still snow in some spots on the trail because it’s still an early season at this altitude, and rifugio Locatelli doesn’t open until the end of June.

The hike begins with a 20-30 minute walk on a wide and mostly flat trail that connects rifugio Auronzo and rifugio Lavaredo. There is even a little chapel along the trail with a spectacular mountain backdrop. We definitely took our time on this hike because we stopped every few steps to take pictures. From rifugio Lavaredo the trail gradually climbs up for a short distance. From here you have a different view of the valley in front of the Tre Cime and rifugio Locatelli in the distance.

From here it’s a relatively flat trail with a slight decent up until almost rifugio Locatelli where the trail splits. From this fork you can do a short hike up to a rifugio or continue down the loop trail. I highly recommend stopping at rifugio Locatelli because it’s a nice spot to take a break and it offers the best views of Tre Cime.

After resting at rifugio Locatelli go back on the trail and drop down in the valley. From there you will need to climb back up and regain the elevation. This is the biggest hill of the entire hike. The nice thing is that a lot of people just turn around and go back the same way from rifugio Locatelli so there are a lot less people on this section of the trail. In my opinion it is totally worth to do the entire loop hike because the views are awesome on the other side too.

From the other side you can even see the Cinque Torri in the distance. The hike goes back to rifugio Auronzo where you started. We stayed at rifugio Auronzo and had a spectacular sunset view from our room. I do recommend booking refugi in advance as this is a highly popular place.

Seceda (from Rifugio Firenze)

The Alpe di Seceda is one of the most unique and beautiful natural features I’ve seen on our trip in the Dolomites. It’s located in Val Gardena in South Tyrol and is a part of Parco Naturale Cisles-Odle (nature reserve).

There are different ways of getting to Seceda. Instead of doing this hike during the day we decided to do it late in the afternoon and spend the night at rifugio Firenze. We took Col Riser gondola from Selva del Gardena in the afternoon which cost us 20 euro one way per person. It is a pricey ticket but it’s valid for a week in case you want to do other hikes in the area. Also it was totally worth it because it was a very hot day and we didn’t want to hike all the way uphill. But if you are on a budget you can take trail number 1 from the bottom of the gondola and hike it instead, and there is a nice little lake along the way to cool off in. From the top of the gondola it’s a short 15 minute walk to rifugio Firenze that has stunning views of Odle (Geisler) peaks and grazing cows and horses in the meadows. We dropped off some items at our room and headed out to Seceda. From rifugio Firenze it’s about 50 min to 1 and a half hour hike to Seceda depending on the trail you pick. I recommend picking up a little free map of the area from the gondola station that shows all the different trails that lead to Seceda. We took the upper trail 2B that meanders through beautiful green meadows with cute old wood cabins and has unobstructed views of the Sella mountain group and Catinaccio. Once at the ridge you can admire the dagger-like Fermeda peaks. Enjoy this unique and spectacular views and head back the same way or take the trail number 1.

Of course, you don’t have to hike to Seceda and could just take the gondola and the cable car right to the top from the town of Ortisei (St. Ulrich) or even do a loop hike from there to rifugio Firenze and back. There are many different options but we sure enjoyed this beautiful area with all the spectacular views and were very happy to hike around and explore.

Cinque Torri

Cinque Torri is a small cluster of rocks that is identified but the five biggest of them, from which it derives its name meaning Five Towers. It is a part of the Nuvolau group and is located in between Paso Falzarego and Passo Giau.

There are different ways of getting to Cinque Torri, The easiest way is just by taking a chairlift running directly to Cinque Torri. The easiest hike to get there is by hiking directly underneath the chairlift that starts at Baita Bai de Dones. Second hike option is to hike from rifugio Gallina near Passo Falzarego by taking trail number 440. We picked a slightly longer and challenging hike that starts at Paso Giau but offers spectacular views along the way. While this hike doesn’t have much elevation difference between the beginning and the end of the hike, it does drop and gain some elevation in couple of spots making it a good workout.

Once you get to Cinque Torri, rifugio Scoiattoli is a good place to stop for a break or to eat lunch while enjoying the views before exploring Cinque Torri itself. There is a scenic hike that goes through and around the five towers. There is a lot to explore and see as this area is considered an open air WWI museum because this area was heavily used during World War I. So if you like history you will particularly enjoy this little hike that even has couple of exhibitions to simulate WWI fortifications.

Lago di Sorapis

I debated about including this hike as a family-friendly hike. While we did see a number of people with kids it is important to note that the last section of the hike before getting to the lake is steep and exposed, there are even some cables to hold on too if you need to and metal steps to climb. While it’s not a technical trail, it is advised to exercise extra caution when hiking with kids. So keeping this information in mind this hike is pretty straightforward and doable with kids, and it will take you to a beautiful turquoise alpine lake with Punta Sorapiss peak towering above it. It is a stunning place and it’s no wonder it attracts a number of visitors. Try to get to the trailhead early to beat the crowds and get a parking spot. But I have to say that the hike itself is as enjoyable and stunning as its destination.

The trailhead for this hike is at the Tre Croci pass. The hike is about 13.5 km (about 8 miles) roundtrip and it’s a mostly flat trail at the beginning but it gains elevation in the last couple of miles so it’s not to be underestimated. It starts out as a wide dirt road through the forest. Keep your eyes open for World War I bunkers hidden in the trees. You will get some glimpses of the Monte Cristallo and evenTre Cime di Lavaredo through the trees but soon enough the views open up and the trail starts to climb up. There is one significant steep uphill to climb that will make you sweat especially because it has no shade. Make sure to bring plenty of water on this hike and be prepared to be exposed to the sun. After you gain some elevation the trail narrows and you will come to the cables.There is a sheer drop on one side so hold on to the cables if you are feeling lightheaded but the views from here are just breathtaking. After some time you will come to couple of sections of metal ladders to climb. Continue along the the cliffside and in a little bit the trail goes back into the shelter of the trees and soon enough you will come to a fork. Go up to take a break and a drink at rifugio Vandelli because you definitely deserved it, or continue to the right towards the lake. After a few minutes you will be greeted with a spectacular and iconic views of the stunningly blue lake. This hike can be done in the early season. We did this hike the second week of June and the trail was already snow free but there was still ice in the lake and snow around it. It was a memorable hike and we even brought our parents along.

About Me

Hi, My name is Natasha Moon. I am a blogger, photographer, traveler and an adventure mom. I consider nature and experiences in the outdoors to be a much needed therapy for me and my family. I hope you can find inspiration and motivation on my blog.

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