- 01
- Summer is hiking season, and peak crowds. From late June to mid-September every lift is running and the days are long, but Ortisei, Seceda and the Alpe di Siusi are at their busiest. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August, so start hikes early.
- 02
- September and early October are my favorite. Quieter trails, crisp clear days and, by mid-October, golden larches. The trade-off: lifts start closing in October, and villages like San Cassiano go quiet.
- 03
- Watch the closing dates. Many hotels and lifts close between seasons, roughly April to May and from late October or November into December. Check before you set dates; I do this for every trip.
- 04
- Winter is for skiing. From December to March the Dolomiti Superski network links the valleys. COMO Alpina is the only true ski-in, ski-out hotel here; Aman Rosa Alpina is a two-minute shuttle from the lifts, and Gardena Grödnerhof is close to them in Ortisei.
- 05
- Know the sauna rules before you go. The main sauna areas are mixed, men and women together. You’ll walk around the spa in a towel or robe, but swimsuits and wraps come off in the saunas and steam rooms. Your body isn’t supposed to touch the wood, so you sit or lie on your towel in the saunas, and on a small towel in the steam rooms. The culture here is very German and Austrian, and it applies at every hotel on this list. The pools are swimsuit areas.
- 06
- Pack layers, whatever the month. Mountain weather changes fast, and it can be much colder at the top of a lift than in the valley.
- 07
- Flying in. Innsbruck is the closest major airport, about two hours from Ortisei or Forestis. Verona is about two and a half hours, and Venice, Munich and Milan are about three to four, depending on the hotel and traffic.
- 08
- By train. The main line from Verona runs up through Bolzano and Bressanone to Innsbruck and Munich. Get off at Bolzano for Ortisei, the Alpe di Siusi or Merano, or at Bressanone for Forestis, and finish by private car.
- 09
- Between the hotels. Most pairings are about an hour by car: Ortisei to Forestis, Ortisei to San Cassiano over the Gardena Pass, and Ortisei to Merano. COMO Alpina is just over the mountain from Ortisei.
- 10
- Private drivers beat self-driving. Mountain passes are narrow and winding, parking in Ortisei is tight in summer, and the road up the Alpe di Siusi is restricted to permit holders. A private driver takes all of that off your plate, and I arrange them.
- 11
- Book the busy lifts and the guides ahead. The Seceda lift needs a time-slotted ticket bought in advance; the Col Raiser lift from Santa Cristina, about 10 minutes from Ortisei, reaches the same area with some planning. I’d always choose a private guide over going with the crowds.
- 12
- Go by helicopter, if the budget allows. A helicopter transfer from Lake Como, Venice or Milan saves hours, and a flight up to the high ground followed by a guided hike is the most memorable day you can have here. I arrange both.
