Overview
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Tre Cime di Lavaredo Loop Hike
To have the full experience of everything the Tre Cime di Lavaredo area has to offer, you can do the Tre Cime di Lavaredo Loop hike. It is a long but easy hike with breathtaking views the entire way. The whole loop is about 10,3 kilometers with an elevation of approximately 400 meters. It takes around 3 to 4 hours to complete this hike.
There are a few short and steep inclines but in general, it is quite an easy walk. You’ll be rewarded with some of the most beautiful views in the Tre Cime di Lavaredo National Park. You can hike the Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop in both directions. We recommend you go counterclockwise as it will give you the best views.
Tip: Both the Tre Cime di Lavaredo Loop hike and the Cadini di Misurina hike (further in this guide) start from Rifugio Auronzo, making it easy to combine both hikes!
About the Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike
The Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop hike starts at Rifugio Auronzo, but you can start the hike just from the parking lot. When facing the three peaks, you walk to the left side of the parking lot where you can see the path begins. You follow this path, keeping the three peaks on your right side. When you pass the Forcella la Col di Mezzo, you turn right at the junction, following path 105 in the direction of Rif. Locatelli. After a few hundred meters, the path becomes a bit rougher.
Then the path will start to descend strongly until you reach the lowest point. This is where the toughest part of the walk begins. In a fairly short distance, you have to ascend about 250m until you arrive at Rifugio Locatelli, where you can rest for a while. Only a few hundred meters away from this rifugio, you find the famous Tre Cime di Lavaredo caves, which are remains of World War I.
When you leave Rifugio Locatelli, you continue your way on the wide gravel path back into the direction of three peaks. After a while, you reach Rifugio Lavaredo. Here, you find a junction with different paths coming together. Take the right track to complete the loop around Tre Cime di Lavaredo and walk back towards Rifugio Auronzo.
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Cadini di Misurina Hike
There’s another, shorter, hike that will reward you with one of the most beautiful views in the Dolomites. On this hike you won’t have views of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo but of another mountain range called Cadini di Misurina. This hike is about 4 kilometers in total with an elevation of around 110 meters.
It takes around 1,5 to 2 hours to complete this hike. It is a little more tricky than the loop hike as you go over some slippery gravel paths, along some small ridge lines next to a ravine. Especially to reach the little summit you see in the picture, you have to cross a really small ridge. We do not recommend you go there on foggy or rainy days when the trail is slippery. The ridge goes along a deep ravine and it’s not worth taking the risk to slip and slide all the way down, so please be careful!
About the Cadini di misurina hike
To start the hike to the Cadini di Misurina viewpoint, you also start at the Rifugio Auronzo but instead of taking the path along the Drei Zinnen, you turn your back to Rifugio Auronzo and take a small path (path 117) going over a hill away from Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
The start of the walk is easy. At one point the path will split. Here you can chose to go left or right because they both go to the viewpoint. The left path takes you along a narrow edge. When you choose the right path, you keep walking along the sloping mountainside. The path is indicated with red-white marks, but it is not always very clear. Just keep on walking in the direction of the rigged peaks of Cadini Di Misurina.
After a while, you’ll see the little summit in the distance and a little ridge line going towards it. The last part of the trail is not the best path for people who are afraid of heights, but you don’t have to go all the way to the little summit to get this incredible view!
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When to hike Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Looking at the weather conditions the best time to visit and hike at Tre Cime di Lavaredo is from the end of May to October. During the summer months, you’ll get the best weather, but unfortunately, also a lot of other hikers, as it is one of the most popular hikes in the Dolomites.
In addition to the weather, you should also keep in mind that most Rifugios are only open from mid-June to the end of September. The toll road that leads to Tre Cime di Lavaredo is open from the end of May until the end of October.
Therefore we recommend you to visit the Tre Cime di Lavaredo in June or September as it will be less crowded and Rifugios will still be open. Unless you don’t mind the Rifugios being closed, you can also go in October if the snow doesn’t come too early. As hiking has only gained popularity over the years, we recommend starting hiking as early as possible.
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How to get there
By car
To get to Rifugio Auronzo by car, where most of the hikes start, you have to take a 7-kilometer-long toll road (€30 for cars, €45 for campers). The toll booth is open from 7 am to 7 pm. From here you drive along a scenic route up to Rifugio Auronzo.
By foot
If you don’t want to pay for the toll road, you can also hike up to Tre Cime di Lavaredo from Lago D’Antorno. It’s quite a tough hike and takes you about 1.5 hours.
By bus
During the summer months, there are different shuttle buses from Cortina, Dobbiaco, or Missurina to Tre Cime di Lavaredo. The prices for a round trip vary between €8 and €16, depending on where you take the bus. More information about the bus and current departure times can be found on the official website.
Tip: When you are on a Dolomites road trip with a campervan, you can stay the night in the Rifugio Auronzo parking. At night, you can watch the beautiful stars at night and wake up in a breathtaking landscape. Your toll ticket is valid for 24hrs!
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Tips and Safety considerations
Tre Cime di Lavaredo is a very popular destination among tourists, so it will probably not surprise you that it can get very busy here. If you want to avoid the big crowds, we recommend you start hiking early in the morning.
Important hiking tips!
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However, you still pay the same and therefore have no extra costs! So a win-win for everyone. This way, we can continue to add even more travel inspiration and tips to this blog for your next adventure. Thanks a lot!
2 Responses
HEY
I liked your view
I wonder weather is it reasonable to do it on 07 APRIL?
If not do you have any other recommendations on APRIL?
Hey
At the beginning of April there can still be snow on the hiking trails and the toll road to the beginning of the hike is closed during the winter months. Usually the hiking season in the Dolomites runs from late May to early October, depending on weather and snow conditions. When the toll road is closed, you can only get to the beginning of the hike by foot and probably only with snowshoes. The road opens at the end of May, depending on the snow and weather conditions. You find more information about this road on this website https://www.south-tirol.com/useful-information/toll-road-auronzo-hut
So we recommend you to go there early June, to be sure the toll road is open and that there is no or not too much snow left.
Enjoy your trip!