Tre Cime di Lavaredo: Guide to Hiking the Three Peaks in the Dolomites

The iconic peaks you’ve seen in Alpine postcards

If you’ve ever looked at photos of the Dolomites (or the Alps in general), chances are you’ve seen Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

The Three Peaks of Lavaredo (which is what the Italian name means) – or Drei Zinnen in German – are among the most iconic landmarks in the Dolomites.

The peaks are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the scene is one of the best-known landscapes in the Alps.

We visited the famous peaks on our fourth trip to the Dolomites, and even though we knew they were hugely popular, we were still pleasantly surprised by how stunning the area is.

Beforehand, we’d wondered whether Tre Cime di Lavaredo might be a bit overhyped – but it really does live up to its reputation. Seeing the Three Peaks in real life is genuinely impressive.

And what the well-known photos don’t always show is that the views around Tre Cime are just as spectacular in every direction.

In this travel guide to Tre Cime di Lavaredo, we share why the Three Peaks are worth visiting, how to get there, practical info, when to go, and our best tips for making the most of your visit.

Where to stay near Tre Cime di Lavaredo

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• Albergo Chalet Lago Antorno – The hotel closest to the start of the Tre Cime hike.
• Hotel Sorapiss – 3-star hotel by Lake Misurina, also very close to Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
• Romantik Hotel Santer – 4-star hotel with pool in Dobbiaco, just over half an hour from the Tre Cime car park.
• Grand Hotel Savoia Cortina d’Ampezzo, A Radisson Collection Hotel – One of the most spectacular 5-star hotels in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Search for the best and cheapest hotels near Tre Cime di Lavaredo here or read our comprehensive guide to where to stay in the Dolomites.

Overview of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike

• Start and finish: Rifugio Auronzo.
• Duration: 4-6 hours, depending on how many breaks you take, photo stops, your walking pace and any detours.
• Distance: The circular route is just under 10 kilometres (around 6.2 miles). Any detours from the loop are added on top.
• Elevation: ~ 400 metres (around 1,312 feet) of ascent and descent.
• Difficulty: Easy to moderate. If you’re an experienced hiker, the loop around the Three Peaks of Lavaredo will feel fairly easy, but there are some ups and downs along the way, and beginners or anyone with walking difficulties might find parts of the climb a bit challenging.
• Suitable for children and dogs: We saw several families with children doing the hike, so it’s definitely manageable if they’re used to walking for a few hours. The easiest stretch is between Rifugio Auronzo and Rifugio Antonio Locatelli (Dreizinnenhütte), and you can always turn back the same way if you’d prefer a shorter or easier trip. Dogs are allowed on the trail but must be kept on a lead.
• Trail surface: Most of the paths are made up of compact gravel or stone, making them fairly easy to walk on. We found walking poles helpful for extra support and would recommend bringing some if you already use them.
• Facilities: Along the circular route around the Three Peaks of Lavaredo, you’ll find several mountain refuges offering restaurants and accommodation (book well in advance if you want to stay overnight). There are also toilets available – some free, while others charge a small fee or require a purchase. The refuges are open only during the high season, typically from late May to late October.
• Cost: The toll road, including parking, costs around 40 euros (~ 47 USD) in 2025. More details and alternative options are provided later in the guide.

Hiking around Tre Cime di Lavaredo

For most people, the hike around Tre Cime di Lavaredo starts at Rifugio Auronzo.

From here, you can either head anti-clockwise towards Rifugio Lavaredo or go clockwise in the direction of Malga Langalm.

As you’ll see further down under “Our personal experience”, we chose to start towards Rifugio Lavaredo.

Here, you climb Forcella Lavaredo before continuing towards Rifugio Antonio Locatelli (Dreizinnenhütte).

From this point, you get the best view of Tre Cime di Lavaredo! This stretch is also the easiest part of the hike.

You can either return the same way or make it a full loop by continuing towards Malga Langalm, which takes you all the way around the Three Peaks.

If you’ve got enough time and are in reasonably good walking shape, we’d definitely recommend doing the full circular route – it’s well worth it.

Tip: You can also combine the Tre Cime hike with the slightly shorter but beautiful hike to Cadini di Misurina, which starts from the same car park at Rifugio Auronzo.

Map of Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Tre Cime di Lavaredo is part of the Parco Naturale Tre Cime, situated in the north-eastern corner of Italy, near the border with Austria.

How long to spend at Tre Cime di Lavaredo

The circular hike around Tre Cime di Lavaredo is roughly 10 kilometres (about 6.2 miles) in total, with around 400 metres (1,312 feet) of elevation gain, excluding detours.

For most people, it takes around 4 hours to complete, but it’s a good idea to allow 5 to 6 hours if you want to stop for breaks and plenty of photos of the Three Peaks.

Detours from the circular Tre Cime di Lavaredo hike

From Rifugio Antonio Locatelli (Dreizinnenhütte), several detours are possible.

One popular option is to head up to the caves at Sasso di Sesto (Sextenstein), where you get a stunning framed view of Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

The caves lie just to the northwest of the refuge and are actually visible to the naked eye. The path up is a little steep but fairly short.

We’d also recommend a visit to the two lakes, Laghi dei Piani, located north of Rifugio Antonio Locatelli – a peaceful spot well worth the short detour.

When to visit Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Tre Cime is a very popular destination and, in our opinion, one of the best hikes in the Dolomites.

That’s worth considering when you plan to visit the Three Peaks of Lavaredo.

Like much of Italy, the busiest months here are July and especially August, when many Italians take their summer holidays.

If you’re visiting Tre Cime di Lavaredo in summer, it’s therefore important to get there first thing (car parks can fill up as early as 8.30 in the morning!), or come later in the afternoon when crowds start to thin out.

Outside the peak season, you shouldn’t need to be quite so early. When we visited in mid-September, we arrived around 8.15 in the morning without any trouble.

The best and easiest time to hike around the Three Peaks is during the summer months, from June to September.

In winter, the toll road to the car park closes, and weather conditions can be unpredictable and harsh.

It’s still possible to hike from the free parking area outside the toll road, but it’s a tough journey. Winter hikes are best done in snowshoes and ideally with a guide.

How to get to Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Drive to Tre Cime di Lavaredo by car

Most visitors arrive at Tre Cime by car.

The toll for passenger cars (including all passengers) to drive up to the car park is 40 euros (~ 47 USD)*. Parking itself is free.

The road is generally open from 6 in the morning to 8 in the evening. Keep some cash handy, as card payments aren’t always accepted at the entrance.

The final section of the road is steep and winding (roughly a 12% incline), but no more challenging than many other roads in the Dolomites.

For motorhomes, the toll is a bit higher at 60 euros (~ 70.5 USD)*, while motorcycles cost 26 euros (~ 30.5 USD)*.

*The prices were last updated in 2025. See the most updated prices here.

Walk for free

Pedestrian access is free, so you can avoid the entrance fee by parking before the toll road.

From there, you’ll need to walk the 500 metres up (~ 1,640 feet) to the car park before you can even begin the hike around the peaks.

It’s a tough start, but it will save you some money.

Bus to Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Taking the bus to Tre Cime can often be both cheaper and more comfortable.

The Dolomiti Bus service runs buses from Cortina d’Ampezzo and Auronzo di Cadore to Rifugio Auronzo.

Between mid-June and the end of September, there’s also a shuttle operated by SüdtirolMobil (line 444) that connects Dobbiaco station with Rifugio Auronzo.

It’s a good idea to check the timetable beforehand, but bear in mind that buses don’t always run exactly to schedule. If you’re unsure, your hotel should be able to help with the latest info.

Keep in mind, however, that buses don’t run very early or late, which might be inconvenient if you want to catch the spectacular morning or evening light for photos.

Also, during summer, the last bus in particular is likely to be very full.

Our experience at Tre Cime di Lavaredo

It’s hardly surprising that the weather above 2,000 metres (~ 6,562 feet) can be unpredictable, but we still weren’t quite prepared for how wild it would be on our day around Tre Cime di Lavaredo.

We arrived fairly early and drove straight into thick fog as soon as we reached the car park at Rifugio Auronzo.

No mountains in sight

We couldn’t see the Three Peaks at all (even though, as it later turned out, we were literally right beneath them) – or any of the surrounding landscape for that matter.

Well… A bit disheartened, we told ourselves that now we were here, the weather could only improve.

So, why not head up to Forcella Lavaredo and see if the view might be clearer from there?

We set off on the circular hike around the Three Peaks of Lavaredo, starting by going anti-clockwise from Rifugio Auronzo towards Rifugio Lavaredo.

The sun peeked through

We continued up towards the forcella (meaning mountain ridge/pass), and just as we’d hoped, the fog began to lift as we gained altitude.

We could just make out part of the west peak, which gave us a boost of energy.

At the top of the forcella, it was clear the haze was thickest behind us. As we moved on, a few rays of sun broke through the mist.

After a short but steep stretch, we reached Rifugio Antonio Locatelli (Dreizinnenhütte), where we had a coffee and kept a hopeful eye out for the Three Peaks.

And then, almost like magic, the fog disappeared just as we stepped back outside!

Sunshine, hail and everything in between

From here, we had a few fantastic hours in the company of Tre Cime di Lavaredo and the mountains that suddenly showed themselves in every direction.

It actually got really hot, and we ended up hiking in t-shirts for a while.

On the way back to the car park, though, we were caught off guard by a sudden storm near Malga Langalm – including some of the biggest hail we’ve ever seen (and felt…)

Fortunately, the storm passed quickly, but by then we were both soaked and shivering as we made our way from the car park towards the viewpoint of Cadini di Misurina in the sunset (click to read our hiking guide to the viewpoint).

Still, it was all completely worth it!

Where to stay near Tre Cime di Lavaredo

If you want to get to the Three Peaks of Lavaredo early (and avoid queues, crowds, or closed access during the summer), it’s a good idea to stay fairly close by.

The mountain refuges around Tre Cime are obviously the most convenient, but they’re very popular and can be hard to book.

And while the comfort is decent, it doesn’t quite match a hotel…

The nearest accommodation options are around Lake Misurina, or even better, at Lake Antorno, which lies on the way up to the Tre Cime car park.

If you don’t stay here, we’d suggest basing yourself in Carbonin (Schluderbach) or Dobbiaco (Toblach) to the north, the beautiful town of Cortina d’Ampezzo to the west, or Auronzo to the east.

Of course, you can stay further away, but expect at least an hour’s drive each way.

If you’re as far west as Val Gardena (for example, Ortisei or Santa Cristina), it’s roughly a two-hour drive each way.

The best places to stay near Tre Cime di Lavaredo:

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• Lake Misurina: The closest accommodation options to Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
• Carbonin (Schluderbach): A small town just 15-20 minutes from the Tre Cime car park.
• Dobbiaco (Toblach): One of the main towns in the northern Dolomites, close to spots like Lago di Braies.
• Cortina d’Ampezzo: The largest (and flashiest) town in the Dolomites.
• Auronzo: Where we stayed on our visit to Tre Cime.

The best hotels near Tre Cime di Lavaredo:

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• Albergo Chalet Lago Antorno – The hotel closest to the start of the Tre Cime hike.
• Grand Hotel Misurina – Simple 4-star hotel right by Lake Misurina.
• Hotel Sorapiss – 3-star hotel by Lake Misurina, also very close to Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
• B&B Hotel Passo Tre Croci Cortina – Hotel located right at the start of the Lago di Sorapis hike, just 23 minutes from the Tre Cime car park. Excellent value for money.
• Romantik Hotel Santer – 4-star hotel with pool in Dobbiaco, just over half an hour from the Tre Cime car park.
• Grand Hotel Savoia Cortina d’Ampezzo, A Radisson Collection Hotel – One of the most spectacular 5-star hotels in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
• Faloria Mountain Spa Resort – A more affordable luxury option in Cortina.

Our best tips for Tre Cime di Lavaredo

• Manage your expectations. Tre Cime di Lavaredo can get busy in high season and on weekends, so you won’t have the place to yourself.
• Come early or late in the day if you’d like a quieter experience and softer light for photos.
• Bring a good camera. Tre Cime di Lavaredo and the surrounding area are beautiful! Here is a guide to the gear we use.
• Be prepared for changing weather. Conditions in the mountains can shift quickly and be very unreliable – it’s not unusual to experience hail, rain and 25°C (77°F) all in the same day. Afternoon showers are common, but it’s always best to check the forecast before setting off.
• Dress in layers and consider bringing rain gear and gloves. The weather at altitude can change quickly, and it often feels colder than expected.
• Wear proper footwear. Hiking shoes or sturdy sneakers with a good grip make the hike more enjoyable.
• Walking poles can be useful to relieve your legs, especially if you already have a pair.
• Bring food, drinks and snacks and enjoy them with a nice view, if you don’t plan to eat at one of the refuges (during opening hours).
• Use sunscreen and bring sun protection. The sun can be intense in the summer, even if the air feels cool.
• Bring a headlamp if your hike might stretch into sunset.
• Remember to carry cash. Not all places in Italy accept credit cards; some refuges and the toll road may only accept cash.

Sustainable travel tips

To travel as sustainably as possible, we recommend the following:

• Bring your own drinking water in a refillable bottle.
• Avoid disposable plastics.
• Dispose of waste properly and don’t leave anything behind.
• Take only photos and leave only footprints. Avoid picking flowers or taking anything from nature with you.
• Stick to the marked paths.
• Show consideration towards other visitors.
• Respect the local wildlife.

Thank you for reading along

Thanks for reading our travel guide to Tre Cime di Lavaredo (the Three Peaks). We hope you found it useful!

If you’re in the area, don’t miss our travel guide to Cadini di Misurina, and take a look at our list of the best hikes and viewpoints in the Dolomites here.

Have you done the hike around the Three Peaks yourself? We’d love to hear your tips – maybe there’s a great little detour more people should know about?

And if you haven’t been yet, feel free to ask us anything in the comments. We’re happy to help.