Hiking Tre Cime di Lavaredo: The Most Famous Hike in the Dolomites
If you're looking to experience the most famous hike in the Dolomites, then you've come to the right place.
Tre Cime di Laveredo has become increasingly popular from its iconic triple peak, and hiking around it is seriously a must for your visit to the stunning Italian mountain range.
In this guide we're going to go over everything you need to know to visit this famous hike in the Dolomites- from how to get there, to everything you'll experience throughout the trek.
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📍 Where is The Most Famous Hike in the Dolomites?
Tre Cime di Lavaredo is located in the southern part of the Dolomites, which are in the north of Italy, in the province of Berullo.
The hiking trails starts from Refugio Auronzo, which is located in Auronzo di Cadori. It lies about 20 minutes from the town of Misurina, and is about 35-40 minutes from Cortina d'Ampezzo.
How to Get to Tre Cime di Lavaredo
In order to get to the start of the trailhead (the Refugio Auronzo parking lot) you can either drive or take a bus.
🚗 Driving to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo Trailhead
The most popular way to get around the Dolomites is by renting a car. This is because a lot of the top sites are spread out, and having a car allows for a lot more flexibility for getting to places on your own time.
If you are driving there, you will simply have to put Refugio Auronzo in the GPS. There is a toll road which leads there, that is 30 euros, and can be paid with cash or credit card.
🚌 Taking a Bus to Tre Cime di Lavaredo
We definitely suggest having a car while in the Dolomites. However, if you aren't comfortable driving, or are on a tight budget, you still make your way there by bus!
The buses that go to Refugio Auronzo leave from Lago di Dobbiaco, and it takes around 45 minutes to get there. The bus number is 444, and you can also grab the bus from the stops of Dreizinnenblick, Durrensee, Bivio Misurina, Misurina Genzianella, or Lago Antorno.
Tre Cime di Lavaredo Price & Timetable
The trailhead for Tre Cime di Lavaredo is open 24/7, and is free of charge to enter. However, in order to get to the parking lot, you will have to pass the toll road, which costs 30 euros. Since both
Cadini di Misurina and Tre Cime di Lavaredo start from the same parking lot, we suggest doing both of these hikes together so you won't need to spend the 30 euros twice.
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Amenities at Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Unlike Cadini di Misurina, Tre Cime di Laveredo has a number of amenities along the way.
Right at the start of the trailhead is a Refugio Auronzo, and along the way there are a few others.
They all have restaurants, bathrooms, and even allow you to stay the night. This makes it easy to hike Tre Cime di Laverdo, as you can frequently stop to rest, eat, or fill up your water bottle.
The start of the hike to Tre Cime di Lavaredo has a refuge with a restaurant and bathrooms.
🛌 Staying a Night at Tre Cime di Lavaredo
If you'd like, you can also spend the night at the refuge.
This is a great idea for those that want to do both Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Cadini di Misurina, but don't want to do both in one day. (Keep in mind this is the only option for staying over, as camping is forbidden).
The Most Famous Hike in the Dolomites: Conquering Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Now you know the basics for getting to Tre Cime di Lavaredo. So are you ready to learn how to conquer the most famous hike in the Dolomites? Let's check out the journey!
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👀 Can You See Tre Cime Without Hiking?
You won't be able to see Tre Cime just by driving straight up. However, you can actually see the three peaks after just a short walk from the parking lot!
One of the reasons that the Tre Cime di Lavaredo is the most famous hike in the Dolomites is because the trail is simply so dynamic. The cool thing about the trail is it is a loop, so there are two different ways to experience it, with several other paths that branch off of it.
You can see Tre Cime from various viewpoints, and a few of them are just after walking 15-20 minutes, making it suitable for families who don't want to do the entire loop.
You can start to see Tre Cime di Lavaredo after 15-20 minutes walking from each side.
⬆ How Long is the Tre Cime Trail?
The whole loop of the Tre Cime trail is 10.4 km.
⏳ How Long Does It Take to Hike the Tre Cime di Lavaredo?
If you don't really stop, and go at a fast pace, you can finish the loop in a little over 2 hours. However, there are a ton of things to enjoy that fork off the main trail, so we would suggest leaving at least 5 hours to experience all that Tre Cime di Lavaredo has to offer.
There are a lot of great things to see around Tre Cime di Lavaredo.
🥾 The Hike of Tre Cime di Lavaredo Step-by-Step
There are two different points that you can start hiking Tre Cime. You can either do the loop clockwise (to the left of the refuge) or you can do it counter-clockwise (to the right of the refuge). We chose to do it counter clock-wise, as this is how you get the best views.
The most popular way is to start counter-clockwise (with the valley on your right).
Now we're going to share our journey, step-by-step, so you know exactly what to expect.
Step 1: Walk to the Church/ First Viewpoint
After just 10 minutes walking along a flat path, you'll arrive at a small church. Just ahead of it on the right you can take a small detour (5-10 minutes), where there is a monument, and some pretty views of the valley and river below.
The first stop is a small church with a path going down to a monument.
Step 2: Walk to Refugio Lavaredo
After another 10 minutes you'll make it to the next refuge. Here is where you can start to see views of the Tre Cime. We stopped just a few minutes for pictures, but you can also stop here for a drink, bite to eat, or simply to use the bathroom.
Step 3: Walk to the Side of Tre Cime
The next part is where you'll start walking uphill. Be careful, because this part is full of loose gravel, and can be a bit trickier to walk up. In just 10 minutes you'll arrive at a flat area with a map, and you'll be right next to Tre Cime. We stopped at this part for 15 minutes to take pictures, check the map, and rehydrate.
Step 4: Walk to a Photo Area of Tre Cime
Once you get to the sign you'll start walking to the right. The further you walk, the more and more the views of Tre Cime start to get better!
After 10 minutes we decided to walk in towards Tre Cime, and this is where we flew our drone. This is a cool area to stop and rest, get pictures, or have a small picnic.