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Walking in the Dolomites
25 multi-day routes in Italy's Dolomites
Walking in the Dolomites
25 multi-day routes in Italy's Dolomites
Guidebook to 25 multi day walks in the Dolomites mountains of northeast of Italy. The walks are mostly circular and 2 to 4 days long, and take in the Marmarole, Marmolada, Civet, Sella and Cortina Dolomites among others. Includes notes on accommodation, wildlife, transport, equipment, a glossary and other practical information.The Dolomites are one of the world's great mountain walking destinations. These extraordinary pale limestone towers, rising from the valleys of northeast Italy, form a UNESCO World Heritage Site of exceptional natural beauty, and the network of hut-to-hut routes threading between them offers some of the finest multi-day walking in Europe.
Ranging from 11 to 41km (7 to 25 miles) and taking 2 to 4 days to complete, the 25 mostly circular routes in this third edition Cicerone guidebook by Gillian Price span the full breadth of the Dolomites. Suitable for experienced hikers with a head for heights, routes range from moderate to challenging, with some traverses involving scrambling and exposure.
- 25 multi-day hut-to-hut routes covering the full breadth of the Dolomites, from the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Cortina Dolomites to the Marmolada, Sella, Civetta, Pale di San Martino and Dolomiti di Brenta
- Iconic highlights include the Tre Cime tour, the Sella traverse, the Catinaccio loop, the Civetta tour and the Tofane-Lagazuoi circuit above Cortina d'Ampezzo, some of the most celebrated mountain walks in Italy
- Routes across UNESCO-listed mountain groups are also described, including the Puez-Odle altopiano, Sassolungo, Latemar and the remote Dolomiti Friulane, covering the full range of landscapes within the World Heritage Site
- 1:100,000 mapping provided for every route alongside detailed information on hut accommodation, public transport connections, access points and route difficulty
- Comprehensive practical guidance covering the best season to walk (mid-June to late September), accommodation in mountain rifugi, food and drink, equipment, waymarking and an Italian-English glossary
The Dolomites are at their most spectacular when explored over multiple days, moving from hut to hut through the high passes and rocky cols that connect each mountain group. Gillian Price, Cicerone's foremost Italy author, has crafted the definitive multi-day walking guidebook to one of Europe's most breathtaking mountain landscapes.
Walking in the Dolomites - Quick Facts
Area: Dolomites, northeast Italy
Designation: UNESCO World Heritage Site
Total routes: 25
Route format: Mostly circular, multi-day hut-to-hut
Route distances: 11 to 41km (7 to 25 miles) total; 5 to 15km (3 to 9 miles) per day
Route duration: 2 to 4 days
Difficulty: Moderate to challenging; suitable for experienced hikers with a head for heights; some traverses involve scrambling and exposure
Mountain groups covered: Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Cortina Dolomites, Marmolada, Sella, Civetta, Pale di San Martino, Puez-Odle, Catinaccio, Latemar, Sassolungo, Dolomiti di Brenta, Dolomiti Friulane, Marmarole, Fanes-Senes-Braies
Route highlights: Tre Cime tour, Sella traverse, Catinaccio loop, Civetta tour, Tofane-Lagazuoi circuit, Palarondatrek, Eastern and Western Brenta
Accommodation: Mountain rifugi (huts); details and contacts provided throughout
Mapping: 1:100,000 maps included for every route
Centres: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Belluno, Arabba, Canazei, Selva, Bressanone, Dobbiaco
Best season: Mid-June to late September when mountain rifugi are open; peak season August
Special features: Italian-English glossary; public transport information; notes on plants, wildlife, geology and food and drink
Author Highlight
“The magnificent Dolomite mountains offer an extraordinary array of landscapes. There are high-altitude lunar-like plateaus, where adventurous walkers are dwarfed by soaring peaks, crazy spires and breathtaking sheer walls.”
- Gillian Price, author of Walking in the Dolomites
Printed book
A guidebook with detailed route descriptions, stage breakdowns, accommodation listings, profiles and maps - everything you need on the trail.
ISBN
9781852848446
Availability
Published
Reprinted
3 Nov 2025
Published
24 Jan 2017
Edition
Third
Pages
288
Size
17.20 x 11.60 x 1.60cm
Weight
330g
eBook
The complete digital edition of the guidebook, with full route descriptions, accommodation listings, profiles and maps, ready to use on any device. To access your eBook, you will need an eReader app. For more details, visit the eBook FAQs.
Map key
Overview map
Preface to the third edition
Introduction
The Dolomites
Geology
Plants and flowers
Wildlife
Getting there
Local transport
Information
When to go
Accommodation
Food and drink
What to take
Waymarking and maps
Dos and don’ts
Emergencies
Using this guide
Dolomiti Friulane
Walk 1 Anello delle Dolomiti Friulane
Marmarole
Walk 2 Along the Marmarole
Dolomiti di Sesto
Walk 3 Vallon Popera
Walk 4 Tre Cime tour
Walk 5 Tre Scarperi tour
Fanes–Senes–Braies
Walk 6 Croda Rossa tour
Walk 7 Sasso della Croce–Cunturines
Cortina Dolomites
Walk 8 Tofane–Lagazuoi
Walk 9 Nuvolau–Cinque Torri
Walk 10 Croda da Lago–Pelmo
Civetta
Walk 11 Civetta tour
Dolomiti Bellunesi
Walk 12 Cime de Zita traverse
Walk 13 Alpi Feltrine
Pale di San Martino
Walk 14 Palarondatrek
Walk 15 Over the Pale di San Martino
Marmolada
Walk 16 Behind the Marmolada
Sella
Walk 17 Sella traverse
Puez–Odle
Walk 18 Around the Puez–Odle Altopiano
Walk 19 Odle di Eores
Sassopiatto–Sassolungo
Walk 20 Sassopiatto–Sassolungo tour
Sciliar and Catinaccio
Walk 21 Sciliar–Antermoia traverse
Walk 22 Catinaccio loop
Latemar
Walk 23 Latemar traverse
Dolomiti di Brenta
Walk 24 Western Brenta
Walk 25 Eastern Brenta
Appendix A Route summary table
Appendix B Tourist offices
Appendix C Italian–English glossary
Appendix D Further reading
Seasons
Mid-June to late September, when the majority of the refuges are open. Peak Italian holiday time is August, especially around 15th August.
Centres
Main centres for the Dolomites include Cortina, Belluno, Selva di Cadore, Arabba, La Villa, Selva, Bressanone, Dobbiaco, Canazei.
Difficulty
Moderate and challenging routes, including some mountain traverses involving scrambles and exposure.
Must See
Spotting your first chamois, marmot or Ibex. The majestic Marmolada and Pelmo, the towering Civetta, and the Cinque Torre (now only four of them!).
February 2025
Alpine Clubs
Neither the American Alpine Club nor the Alpine Club of Canada belong to the reciprocal agreement in the Alps so walkers are advised to join CAI, the Italian Alpine Club if interested in alpine rescue insurance and reduced rates in huts.
August 2024
Walk 1 amendment
Walk 1
P49, paragraph 3: Text should read "tight zigzags due E" (not W)
Walk 1
P49, paragraph 3: Text should read "tight zigzags due E" (not W)
February 2024
Rifugio Puez - Walk 18
Rifugio Puez - Denis Koster is the new hut manager - info@rifugiopuez.it
August 2022
Photo correction
p145 photo - this belongs on p195 and shows Rifugio Boè
June 2022
Navetta shuttle service
p239 + p242 the navetta shuttle service linking Pera di Fassa with Rifugio Gardeccia is no longer running
January 2022
2022 reprint route updates
844 Walking Dolomites 2022 Rpt (64.811 KB)
March 2021
Rifugio Fanes phone number has changed
Walking in the Dolomites
p103 Rifugio Fanes phone has changed to 0474 453001
May 2019
Route updates and corrections
Visitors to the Dolomites in summer 2019 need to be aware of possible problems regarding paths. The best advice is to check locally with Tourist Offices and refuges, be versatile and don't take any risks.
Storm Damage in the Dolomites:
Six months ago, in October 2018, the Italian Dolomites were hit by a devastating hurricane - Tempesta Vaia. Winds up to 200km/hr caused widespread damage to villages, houses and roads, and there were several deaths. Millions and millions of trees were toppled. Forestry workers and sawmills are struggling to deal with the massive amount of timber that needs removing and storing.
Naturally, hundreds of kilometres of paths in the Dolomites have been affected by landslides, rockfalls and fallen trees. Despite the snowy winter season plenty has already been done to improve the situation - the authorities as well as volunteers have been hard at work clearing timber, rerouting, and affixing new signs where possible. (Though priority has obviously been given to essential services for villages). The Italian Alpine Club, CAI, as well as SAT, the Trento branch, are involved.
Things are definitely looking up - and even Rifugio Venezia on the Pelmo will hopefully open for the summer season despite having had its roof torn off, the top floor with beds and mattresses ruined by rain and snow, and its jeep access track blocked by rockfalls and landslips. Another refuge with supply problems is Rifugio Pordenone in the Dolomiti Friulane. Thankfully the building was not damaged but its access road all but washed away. But they plan on 'business as usual' this year too.
The following web site lists all the paths by number in the Belluno province (central-southern Dolomites) with notes about what's open and possible problems. It's updated regularly. Google Sheet 'Non percorribile' means 'not walkable' ie closed.
As regards the Trentino area (south-western Dolomites), see this web site: https://sentieri.sat.tn.it/wp/?p=2444. Moreover as of May 20 an App will be downloadable on www.visittrentino.info with up-to-date path info for the Trentino.
Aug 2018
There's been an increase in cases of TBE (tick-borne encephalitis) across Europe, Italy included. Walkers should be aware that they may pick up ticks while walking through grass and woodland up to approx 1500 metres altitude. Not all ticks carry the disease but better safe than sorry. Simple precautions and plenty of useful information is available on the website: https://ecdc.europa.eu/en/tick-borne-encephalitis. Vaccination is also an option.
July 2018
page 218 :Private car traffic is finally being limited through one of the key Dolomites road passes (Passo Sella) http://dolomitesvives.com/en/. More buses have been put on to allow visitors to reach the pass.
p55 Walk 2: Access: Pozzale no longer has a summer bus service but can be reached by taxi (tel 328 7536842, 0435 30725) from Pieve di Cadore.
p57 the walk start should now read:
Starting out from the village square in Pozzale (1054m) follow the signposting for Rifugio Antelao due N uphill on Via Centrale. Once out of the village, where n.520 goes straight ahead, fork L for a minor sealed road climbing in bends. This becomes a 4WD track making its relaxing way up the southern flank of Monte Tranego.
p118 Rifugio Averau tel 0436 4660 open June to Sept, credit cards accepted https://rifugioaverau.wixsite.... Rifugio Pisciadù www.rifugiopisciadu.it
... Rifugio Catinaccio has closed
p244 Stage 2 box: ascent 850m, descent 1120m
p278 Tourist Office Braies tel 0474 748660 www.valledibraies.info
... 2017
Walk 22, Stage 2: Ascent should be 850m and descent 1120m
(Thanks to Estelle)
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