Where to stay in the Dolomites: the 6 areas to know in 2026
In the Dolomites, you choose your valley before your hotel. Each one is a world of its own, cut off from the others by a pass: Val Gardena and its pastures, Alta Badia and its Ladin villages, Cortina and its shops. You will come back to it every evening, to the hotel that also serves dinner.
Budget $135* a night for a guesthouse room, $210 to $340* on half board in a good valley hotel, and over $680* in the spa hotels. Six areas follow, from Val Gardena to the Brenta.
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One base or several?
A pass separates each valley from the next. Two bases are enough for a week: one in the west, one in the east.
- Four days: A single base, in Val Gardena or Alta Badia: Seceda, the Sella loop and a day out over the passes.
- One week: Two bases: four nights in Val Gardena or Alta Badia, then three in Cortina or the Pustertal, for the Tre Cime and Lago di Braies.
- Ten to fourteen days: Three bases: Val di Fassa, then Val Gardena or Cortina, then the Brenta, on the other side of the Adige.
How much driving between two bases?
Driving times over the passes, outside the August jams, when they can double. The hairpins slow everything down: satnavs get it wrong here more than elsewhere.
| Route | Driving time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Bolzano → Ortisei | 40 min | up Val Gardena |
| Ortisei → Corvara | 45 min | over the Gardena Pass |
| Ortisei → Canazei | 50 min | over the Sella Pass |
| Corvara → Cortina | 1 hr | over the Falzarego Pass |
| Cortina → Misurina | 25 min | for the Tre Cime |
| Cortina → Dobbiaco | 40 min | towards the Pustertal |
| Dobbiaco → Braies | 20 min | the lake |
| Canazei → Moena | 25 min | down the valley |
| Moena → San Martino di Castrozza | 1 hr | over the Rolle Pass |
| Venice → Cortina | 2 hr 15 | from the airport |
| Ortisei → Madonna di Campiglio | 2 hr 45 | via Bolzano |
At a glance: our picks by traveller type
Pick the profile that fits you and go straight to the recommended area.
Map of the areas in the Dolomites
See how the areas sit relative to one another before choosing your base. Click a name to jump to its description.
Val Gardena and the Alpe di Siusi Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva, the Alpe di Siusi, the Sciliar and Val di Funes
for a first stay, the alpine meadows and Seceda
The most sought-after valley in the range. Ortisei lines its woodcarvers along the main street, at the foot of the cable cars to Seceda and the Alpe di Siusi, Europe's largest high pasture. Selva, at the top of the valley, touches the Sella and its four passes. Val di Funes, next door, keeps the church of Santa Maddalena facing the Odle needles. The downside: the prices and the July and August crowds, at Seceda above all.
Where to stay in this area
Adler Spa Resort Dolomiti Luxury
In the centre of Ortisei, with pools and saunas that its guests mention before anything else.
Gardena Grödnerhof - Hotel & Spa Luxury
In the middle of Ortisei, near the lifts and the golf course, with a spa and breakfast cooked to order.
Pros
- The Seceda and Alpe di Siusi cable cars in the village
- The Sella loop starting from Selva
Cons
- The most expensive valley in the range
- Seceda overrun in summer
Alta Badia Corvara, Colfosco, La Villa, San Cassiano, Badia and San Vigilio, down to Arabba
for the Sellaronda, the Ladin villages and the fine dining
A valley of meadows and Ladin villages beneath the Sassongher. Corvara is the starting point of the Sellaronda, and its cable cars climb to the Boè. San Cassiano and La Villa keep the most acclaimed restaurants in the range. To the north, San Vigilio opens onto the Fanes-Senes-Braies park, and to the south Arabba looks out at the Marmolada. The downside: high prices in winter, and a valley that sleeps between seasons.
Where to stay in this area
Hotel La Perla: The Leading Hotels of the World Luxury
In the centre of Corvara, near the lifts and the shops, known for its cooking and its spa.
Hotel Col Alto Mid-range
Opposite the Corvara cable cars, with a pool, a sauna and balconies facing the peaks.
Pros
- The Sellaronda at the hotel door
- The best restaurants in the range
Cons
- Expensive in winter
- Almost everything closed in May and November
Val di Fassa, Fiemme and San Martino Canazei, Campitello, Vigo and Moena, the Latemar, the Rosengarten, Val di Fiemme and San Martino di Castrozza
for families, the Marmolada and a gentler budget
The Trentino side, more affordable than South Tyrol. Canazei sits at the foot of the Pordoi and the Marmolada, the highest peak in the range. Vigo and Pozza climb towards the Rosengarten, Predazzo towards the Latemar, Moena towards the San Pellegrino pass. Further south, San Martino di Castrozza backs onto the Pale, and Val di Fiemme rolls out its forests. The downside: resort villages, with less charm than Val Gardena.
Where to stay in this area
Croce Bianca Leisure & Spa Hotel Luxury
In the heart of Canazei, a family hotel with a spa, pools and a restaurant listed in the Michelin guide.
Ciampedie Luxury Alpine Spa Hotel Luxury
In Vigo di Fassa, where the cable car climbs to Ciampedie: a pool facing the peaks and a spa.
Pros
- Gentler prices than in South Tyrol
- The Marmolada and the Pordoi close by
Cons
- Resort villages, with less charm
- Canazei very busy in August
Cortina and the Cadore Cortina d'Ampezzo, the Cadore and the Comelico, the Agordino, the Zoldano and the Belluno side
for Cortina, the Cinque Torri, the Lagazuoi and the Tre Cime from the south
The chic resort of the range, host of the 1956 and 2026 Games. Cortina d'Ampezzo lives around the Corso Italia, its shops and its cafés, ringed by the Tofane, the Cristallo and the Cinque Torri. The Falzarego pass leads to the Lagazuoi, and Misurina to the Tre Cime in twenty-five minutes. To the south, around Alleghe and Belluno, the valleys empty out. The downside: Cortina's prices, and few hotels outside the town.
Even in the heart of summer, you can find spaces free from human pressure...
What to see and do in this area
Where to stay in this area
Hotel De La Poste Luxury
On Piazza Roma, in the heart of Cortina, a traditional hotel with spacious rooms.
Ambra Cortina Luxury&Fashion Hotel Mid-range
Right in the centre of Cortina, wood-panelled rooms and free parking on site.
Pros
- The Tre Cime twenty-five minutes' drive away
- A real town, with its cafés and shops
Cons
- The highest prices in the range
- Few hotels outside Cortina itself
The Pustertal Brunico, Valdaora, Dobbiaco, San Candido and Sesto, and the Braies valley
for Lago di Braies and the Tre Cime from the north, in peace
The long valley that closes the range to the north. San Candido and Dobbiaco keep their onion domes and their Austrian air. Lago di Braies is twenty minutes away, and the Tre Cime at the end of the Val Fiscalina, above Sesto. The valley train links the villages with Brunico. The downside: the heart of the range, Val Gardena and the Sella, is over an hour away.
Where to stay in this area
BAD MOOS - Aqua Spa Resort Luxury
At the end of the Val Fiscalina, in Sesto, with an indoor and outdoor pool and a large spa.
Hotel Lago di Braies Mid-range
The only hotel right on the shore of Lago di Braies, on half board, for walking around it before and after the crowds.
Pros
- Lago di Braies and the Tre Cime close by
- A train along the valley, no car needed
Cons
- The Sella and Val Gardena over an hour away
- Lago di Braies overwhelmed in summer
The Brenta Madonna di Campiglio and Pinzolo, Molveno, Andalo and San Lorenzo in Banale
for a stay apart, on the other side of the Adige
The western Dolomites, cut off on the far side of the Adige. Madonna di Campiglio is Trentino's big chic resort, and its cable cars climb to the Spinale and the Grostè. Molveno is mirrored in its lake, at the foot of the Brenta towers. The downside: two and a half hours by road to the heart of the range, so a separate base.
Where to stay in this area
Hotel Lorenzetti Luxury
A few minutes from the centre of Madonna di Campiglio, with a shuttle to the lifts and a spa.
Alexander Hotel Alpine Wellness Dolomites Mid-range
In the centre of Molveno, two pools, a spa and a playroom for children.
Pros
- A resort and a lake, fewer crowds
- Brenta trails straight from the village
Cons
- Two and a half hours from the heart of the range
- Madonna di Campiglio very expensive in winter
Our tips for booking the right place
- Take half board: Almost every valley hotel offers it, and it often works out cheaper than a restaurant every evening. Villages empty early at night: by 9 pm, few tables are still open outside Cortina and Ortisei.
- Book August and Christmas the winter before: For the week of 15 August, Christmas and February, good hotels are full months ahead, often with a seven-night minimum. Late June and September can be booked much later, and cost less.
- Check the opening dates: Many hotels close from April to mid-June and from mid-October to early December, like the lifts and the huts. Before booking a shoulder season, check that the hotel and the nearby cable cars will be open.
- Ask for the transport card: In South Tyrol and Val Gardena, many hotels give a card that makes buses free during your stay. It saves hunting for a parking space at the Tre Cime or Lago di Braies in summer.
- Staying in Bolzano to visit the Dolomites: every day starts with an hour's drive to the valleys.
- Doing the Brenta from Val Gardena: nearly three hours each way.
- Booking in May or November without checking: half the hotels and almost all the lifts are closed.
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