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Three imposing obelisks of limestone almost 3,000 metres high rise into the sky of the Dolomites like a magnificent monument created by nature: these are the famous Tre Cime di Lavaredo (also called ‘Three Fingers of Dolomite’) on the border between Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige.
There are much higher mountains in the world, but the charm of the Tre Cime is unbeatable. Their shape is so peculiar that even those with little knowledge of the mountains can recognise them without hesitation.
The symbol of the Dolomites, they are a unique spectacle that the whole world envies us and in fact find their way onto all the lists of must-see attractions in Italy alongside artistic and historical masterpieces such as the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum in Rome, the Duomo in Florence and Piazza San Marco in Venice.
The good news is that you don’t need to be an experienced mountaineer to enjoy the beauty of the Tre Cime: they are easily reached without climbing or other extreme adventures and are a popular tourist destination, with accommodation and services within easy reach. There are, however, a few things you should know before venturing out on the trails in the area.
In this guide to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo you will find everything you need to organise your excursion and enjoy one of the most beautiful experiences of your life.
The three famous mountains that have become known as the ‘Tre Cime di Lavaredo’ are the Cima Grande, the Cima Ovest and the Cima Piccola; the latter includes the two smaller peaks of Punta di Frida and Cima Piccolissima.
The Grande is the one in the centre and, as its name suggests, is the highest mountain: one metre more and it would be 3000 metres high! The second highest is the Cima Ovest, 2973 metres, followed by the Piccola, 2857 metres.
The best way to admire them is to do the Tour of the Tre Cime on foot, a route that runs at the foot of the three famous mountains through meadows and scree with no demanding gradients.
Along the Tre Cime Walking Tour you will encounter other magnificent mountains that have made history in the Dolomites. Take some time during your hike to admire Cristallo, Croda Rossa d’Ampezzo (also known as Cima Dieci), Croda dei Toni, Marmarole, Antelao, Sorapis and the Cadini di Misurina Group.
Also, don’t miss the Sexten Sundial, an extraordinary natural phenomenon: it is the largest stone sundial in the world formed by the peaks of the Sexten Dolomites which, illuminated by the sun, give an indication of the time.
The Tre Cime di Lavaredo are the ideal destination for experiences as diverse as a pleasant Sunday outing or an adrenalin-fuelled sporting endeavour. What do you feel like doing? The choice is yours!
Hiking is the most popular activity at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo: there are many paths of various levels, from very easy to very difficult, and thanks to the many variants you can create an itinerary tailored to your own tastes and abilities.
You can choose to do a day hike or multi-day walking routes.
The second most popular activity at the Tre Cime is climbing. The first mountaineering exploits date back to the 19th century and since then, climbing these iconic walls has been the dream of many climbers and free climbers. For each of the three peaks there are several equipped routes that can also be climbed free, totalling more than 25 ascents.
The best known is the historic normal route of the Cima Grande: it is relatively easy if done in the right conditions. It is imperative not to suffer from vertigo and to have some basic knowledge of free climbing; it is always advisable to be accompanied by an experienced mountain guide.
A booming activity throughout the Dolomites, including the Cime di Lavaredo, is mountain biking. Be careful, however, if you want to pass through here on your bike: not all paths are open to two wheels and you must therefore plan your itinerary carefully.
The Veneto is more permissive in this respect than Trentino Alto Adige, so for a mountain bike holiday it is best to stay in the province of Belluno.
Fewer problems, on the other hand, for road cyclists: it is possible to climb to the Auronzo hut along the panoramic road without having to pay any tolls.
If you love winter landscapes, you can reach the Tre Cime in the cold months with snowshoes or alpine skis. Snowshoeing to the Tre Cime is demanding and should only be tackled if you already have experience of walking in the snow and are well trained; the same applies to skiing: it should only be done in safe conditions.
There are several paths to the Tre Cime that are also suitable for snowshoes; the most popular is the one that starts from the Piano Fiscalina hut in the locality of Sesto (13 km long, altitude difference 1000 metres).
For landscape photography enthusiasts, the Tre Cime represent an exceptional subject. Professional and amateur photographers can indulge in the search for the perfect shot that captures the beauty of these unique rock faces in an image.
The Tre Cime tour largely coincides with trails no. 101 and no. 105 and starts at the Auronzo Hut. The arrival point on the outward journey is the Locatelli Hut, from where the best view of the Tre Cime can be enjoyed. Along the way, you will come across the Church of Santa Maria Ausiliatrice, the Lavaredo Hut and the Forcella Lavaredo.
There are three different ways to reach the Forcella Lavaredo from the Lavaredo hut. The easiest way is to continue along the dirt road from which you came (a longer but less demanding route, recommended for less trained people).
The two alternatives are to take the path to the left of the hut, which cuts through the scree deposits at the foot of the Cima Piccola, or the path leading to the Forcella Pian di Cengia (104) and back up to the Laghi dei Piani (longer route, reserved for experts).
To return, you can either follow the same path as on the outward journey, or finish the tour along path no. 105 in the direction of Malga Langalm (also known as Malga dei Pastori). In the second case, at the start of the route there is a steep descent followed by a steep ascent, but then the route continues without any particular technical difficulties, first reaching Col Forcellina and then the Forcella di Mezzo, until returning to the starting point, i.e. the Auronzo hut.
The Three Peaks Tour is about 9.5 km in total, divided as follows
The estimated walking times do not include any stops.
The Tre Cime di Lavaredo fall within the territory of the Tre Cime Natural Park, established in 1981 to protect the environmental heritage of the area. It covers an area of 11,891 hectares bordered to the north by the Val Pusteria, to the south by the border with the province of Belluno, to the east by the Val di Sesto and to the west by the Val di Landro.
In 2009, the park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The park has a visitor centre, which is located inside the elegant Grand Hotel in Toblach.
It is worth a visit because the centre also includes an interesting multimedia museum: you can see fantastic aerial shots of the peaks, understand the conformation of the rocks and the variety of flora and fauna, and listen to the heroic stories of mountaineers and soldiers in the trenches that took place in these mountains.
Admission to the Tre Cime Park Museum is free.
Of course! The Tre Cime are a natural attraction, they have no fences or entrance fees. You can therefore see them 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Since they are high mountains, however, visits in the winter months must be planned more carefully, taking into account the shorter daylight hours, the cold temperatures, the presence of snow on the route and the closure of the mountain huts.
The best months to go to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo are May, June and the beginning of September, when the days are long, the temperatures warm but not sultry and the huts are almost all open.
July and August are the high season months and if possible it is best to avoid them: the Tre Cime di Lavaredo are a very popular tourist attraction and in the height of summer they are literally taken by storm. In the crowd of tourists there is unfortunately no shortage of rude and disrespectful people who, with their shouting and behaviour more suited to an aperitif in the city centre than to the high mountains, spoil the atmosphere of this magical place somewhat.
If you are travelling during these months, be prepared for long car queues along the road to the Auronzo hut. The only way to avoid them is to leave very early in the morning.
Autumn is another good time to visit the Tre Cime because there are few people and the hours of daylight are still sufficient for safe day trips, without the anxiety of having to complete the tour before it gets dark. Beware, however, of the dropping temperatures and the mountain huts, which may already be closed or work reduced hours in this season.
In winter, the landscape is completely transformed: now it is the white of snow and ice that dominates the colour palette. Only a few experienced hikers venture onto the snow-covered paths, certain that they can admire this unique natural spectacle in respectful silence. You can do it too if you are not afraid of the cold and have appropriate clothing.
Visiting the Tre Cime di Lavaredo alone is the preferred choice of most tourists. In fact, a mountain guide is not necessary because the classic route does not present any technical difficulties and is well signposted. Leaving in the company of a guide, however, gives you something extra: the added value of knowledge of the area.
In addition to making sure that you can walk the route safely (no small detail for those inexperienced in the mountains), the guide will give you interesting information on the morphology of the mountains, the flora and fauna, and will tell you the history of the summit climbs, anecdotes from the First World War, legends and local folklore.
You can book an excursion with a mountain guide online; alternatively, contact the local tourist information offices.
Yes and no: it depends on the route you want to take.
The classic tour that starts and finishes at the Auronzo hut is considered an easy trek, also suitable for families with small children. It is not infrequent that you will come across hikers equipped with a baby rucksack or trekking buggy (the latter is a little uncomfortable, but possible).
The total height difference is not demanding (about 400 metres, both uphill and downhill) and the overall length is also not exhausting.
Avoiding the more demanding variants, the route runs along a wide, largely flat forest road, with a not difficult ascent in the Rifugio Lavaredo-Forcella section and a somewhat steeper but rather shorter one near the Rifugio Locatelli. In the last section, the path narrows but is still easily passable. The few stones you will find along this stretch can be overcome without difficulty.
The longer variants, the trek from the bottom of the valley to the Tre Cime, the equipped path leading from the peaks to Monte Paterno, the ferrata from the Locatelli hut and other hiking routes marked on maps as EE or EEA, are of a medium-difficult level and should therefore only be tackled by experienced people in good physical shape.
To sum up, the Giro delle Tre Cime is an excursion within everyone’s reach if one has the foresight to choose a route suited to one’s physical fitness and level of experience in high-altitude walking. It is not dangerous in itself, but can become so if approached lightly and without the proper clothing.
It would be best to avoid it, but in the mountains, sudden rain showers are frequent and should be considered part of the experience. Always leave with a waterproof jacket in your rucksack, even if the sun is shining and the weather forecast is good.
Of course! All the mountain huts along the route offer a catering service. Almost all of them are open for both lunch and dinner (including the two largest huts, Auronzo and Locatelli), while some are only open for lunch.
The huts’ restaurants offer simple but tasty mountain cuisine. The choice of dishes is generally limited, but the quality of the food is good and the portions generally generous.
In the summer months the wait for a meal can be rather long, so keep this factor in mind when planning your excursions. If you do not want to waste time sitting at a table, you can take a sandwich to eat outside.
Although there are refreshment stations along the route, it is recommended to pack light snacks, such as fruit or bars, in your rucksack to break the hunger pangs. It is not a good idea to walk on an empty stomach!
It is important to emphasise once again that the Tre Cime tour takes place at altitudes between 2200 and 2400 metres. We are in the high mountains, with all the potential risks that this environment entails, and it is therefore necessary to dress appropriately.
Shoes must be trekking shoes, absolutely not trainers, sandals and flip-flops: it would seem pointless to have to point this out, but there are still many people who undertake the Tre Cime trails in inappropriate shoes.
Dress in layers with trousers, sweaters and sweatshirts made of technical, breathable and quick-drying material (very useful in the rain). A hat or bandana to shield your head from the sun and a waterproof jacket are also indispensable; depending on the season, a wool cap, neck warmer and gloves may also be required.
Trekking poles are not indispensable but are recommended as they help distribute fatigue over the legs and arms and relieve tension on the knees, as well as giving greater stability on descents.
Do not take these tips lightly: they are valid both for easy day hikes starting from the Auronzo hut by car and for demanding treks starting from the bottom of the valley.
The reference huts for visiting the Tre Cime are: Rifugio Auronzo, Rifugio Locatelli, Rifugio Pian di Cengia and Rifugio Zsigmondy-Comici. Do not set off without confirmation of a place to sleep in the mountain huts.
Sleeping in a hut is an exciting experience, but not suitable for everyone. The accommodation is spartan, albeit much more comfortable than the mountain huts of yesteryear; rooms are shared, hot showers are not guaranteed, and booking is not always easy and straightforward due to line problems and a very high number of requests to be handled. Some huts only accept cash payment.
If you are not an experienced hiker and your wish is simply to admire the iconic mountains, without exhausting trekking, the best thing to do is to sleep in a comfortable hotel far enough away to reach the Auronzo hut in the morning.
The best places to sleep when visiting the Tre Cime are Misurina, Dobbiaco, Sesto and Auronzo di Cadore. They are all tourist resorts with a good choice of hotels, b&b’s and holiday flats; of these, Auronzo is the one with the lowest average prices while Misurina is the closest.
Some hotels in these resorts have views of the Tre Cime. You will not have them in front of you, as you do at the Rifugio Locatelli, but on the other hand you can sleep in a room with your own bathroom, wash with hot water, decide more flexibly at what time you want to have breakfast, and pay by debit or credit card.
There are many ways in which you can reach the Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Depending on how far you want to walk, how much time you have available and how much you want to spend, you can in fact arrive by car, by bus or on foot.
We would like to remind you that the starting point for the Tour of the Tre Cime is the Auronzo hut: no matter by which means you have arrived, from here you must continue on foot.
Those who want to walk as little as possible can reach the Auronzo hut by car.
From Misurina take the SP49 road in a northerly direction and turn at the signs for the Rin Bianco and Auronzo huts. At a certain point you will come across a large car park: there the free public road ends and a toll road about 7 km long begins, which is only open from mid-May to the end of October/mid-November (the exact dates may vary from year to year depending on weather conditions).
The toll for the final stretch of road to the Auronzo hut is rather high: 30.00 euro for a car, 20.00 for a motorbike and 45.00 for a camper van; there is a supplement for those who spend the night in the hut and return to the valley the following day.
The road is free from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. It is imperative that you return to the valley before 6:00 a.m., otherwise you will be asked to pay the exit toll.
Getting to the Auronzo hut by car is the most convenient solution, but not necessarily the fastest (in the summer months the road is very busy and queues are not infrequent) or the cheapest (as we have seen, the toll is rather expensive) and certainly the least sustainable
For these reasons, many people prefer to reach the Auronzo hut by public transport. There are two shuttle buses departing from Dobbiaco (railway station or bus station) and from Misurina that go directly to the Auronzo hut. The first is operated by the South Tyrolean SAD company, the second by the Veneto-based Dolomiti Bus company.
The shuttles usually operate only in the summer months, typically from June to mid-October: check the exact dates and timetables on the official websites.
To reach Toblach without a car, you can take a train from Bruneck, Fortezza or San Candido. Misurina can be reached by bus from Cima Sappada, Passo Falzarego, Auronzo and Cortina with the Dolomiti Bus buses 33/31/30.
There is also the possibility of reaching the Tre Cime on foot, starting from the bottom of the valley: this is the best way to take in the beauty of the landscape and experience it without the stress of car parks or buses packed with tourists.
There are many paths to the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, here are the most famous ones:
The Tre Cime di Lavaredo are part of the Sexten Dolomites, the north-eastern end of the Dolomite mountain range, and lie on the border between the regions of Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige.
From an administrative point of view, they fall within the municipality of Auronzo di Cadore (province of Belluno) and Dobbiaco (province of Bolzano).
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