Lake Sorapis & Tre Cime di Lavaredo: Hut-to-Hut Hike

Arrive in Cortina d’Ampezzo by pre-booked transfer or your own arrangements, settling into your accommodation in the heart of this legendary mountain town.

The afternoon is yours to prepare for the days ahead – pick up any last-minute supplies, take a stroll along the pedestrian Corso Italia, or simply relax with an aperitivo watching the evening light paint the Tofane peaks. Summer brings the town to life with outdoor cafes, mountain gear shops, and authentic trattorias serving local Ladin specialties.

Rest well tonight – tomorrow, your Dolomites adventure begins!

Accommodation: Hotel in Cortina
Meals: Dinner at your leisure – Cortina offers an excellent range of restaurants, and guests love experiencing the town’s dining scene.
If you prefer, we can include dinner at your basecamp hotel.

Your Dolomites adventure begins with the Faloria Cable Car ascending from Cortina to 2,120 meters. As you climb, spectacular panoramas unfold: the Cortina valley spreads below, the dramatic Tofane peaks dominate the western skyline, and the glacier-capped Monte Cristallo gleams to the north. The ten-minute ride delivers you directly into high alpine terrain.

From the top station, the trail descends gently through the forest toward Passo Tre Croci, a pleasant two-hour walk with continuous mountain vistas. After lunch, the landscape shifts dramatically. The final 2.5-hour climb follows a well-trodden path through the forest before ascending toward the grand Sorapis amphitheatre. The trail narrows a little with some exposed ledges secured with fixed cables – enough to add adventure without advanced technical difficulty.

Then, suddenly, Lago di Sorapis appears: an impossible turquoise jewel cradled in a massive rocky cirque. The lake gets its colour from a mix of seasonal snow melt and glacial melt during the summer.

Rifugio Vandelli sits just minutes from the shore – your home for the night, with the lake entirely to yourself once any lingering day-trippers have retreated.

Hiking: 10.6km | ↑466m ↓656m | 4.5 hours
Accommodation: Mountain hut overlooking Lake Sorapis
Meals: Breakfast and dinner included

Today takes you through one of the quieter sections of the Dolomites, beginning with a steep descent through beautiful forested terrain. The trail drops over 600 meters through mixed larch and beech woods, winding past a scenic waterfall with the imposing walls of Monte Cristallo dominating the southern skyline. The forest changes character as you lose elevation – a peaceful, solitary walk that feels worlds away from the crowds at Lago di Sorapis above.

After crossing the valley floor, the route climbs gently through high alpine meadows, opening up into one of the most stunning panoramic walks in the Dolomites. You’re surrounded by a 360° theatre of peaks: the jagged Sorapis massif rising behind you, the massive Marmarole Group stretching across the eastern horizon, and on exceptionally clear days, the unmistakable silhouette of Tre Cime di Lavaredo visible in the distance.

We have a wonderful lunch stop at an agriturismo malga (alpine farm), that has been elegantly restored and is highly rated for their local and seasonal cuisine.

The final approach to your mountain hut at Forcella Maraia (2,110m) is pure Dolomite magic. The rifugio, sits on a high saddle with dramatic spires towering directly above, while Lake Misurina shimmers in the valley below. This south-facing trail crosses wildflower-filled meadows where you might spot chamois grazing on the slopes. The rifugio’s terrace offers one of the finest sunset panoramas in the Dolomites – a fitting reward for the day’s journey through forest, valley, and high alpine pasture.

Hiking: 12km | ↑828m ↓645m | 4.5-5 hours
Accommodation: Mountain Hut in Forcella Maraia
Meals: Breakfast and dinner included

This is the most challenging day, taking you on a dramatic loop around the Cadini di Misurina, descending to the valley floor before climbing back to some of the range’s most imposing towers.

Starting with a steep climb from an alpine meadow to a rocky basin, the terrain grows increasingly wild as you ascend – scree fields give way to a narrow, debris-filled gorge that tightens with each step. Your effort is rewarded with a powerful 360 degree view. The jagged spires of the Cadini rise like gothic cathedrals all around you, framed by the distant Marmarole and Sorapis massifs stretching across the southern horizon.

Then begins a short but steep descent, requiring careful footing, especially if snow or ice lingers into the early summer. The trail eases as you drop into the wide valley of Ciadin della Neve, as the forest closes in – larches and spruce trees offer cool shade before you emerge at lake Misurina, with Tre Cime di Lavaredo commanding the northern skyline.

You will have the opportunity to circle Lake Misurina and take in the wild beauty, perhaps over a well-deserved lunch. Your final ascent is a classic Dolomite approach, climbing steadily through peaceful larch meadows before breaking back into the stark beauty of the rocky Ciadin dei Tocci landscape. Your accommodation and the immense Torre Wundt looms directly ahead, its massive wall dominating your view, while the southern faces of Tre Cime rise in the distance – a dramatic crossroads surrounded by some of the Dolomites’ most iconic towers.

Hike info: 8.9km | ↑1102m ↓851m | 5hrs
Accommodation: Mountain Hut
Meals: Breakfast and dinner included

This is the day you’ve been waiting for – when you stand face-to-face with the most photographed mountains in all the Dolomites!

The morning begins with a short technical descent right from your hut, dropping through a steep, aided gully where fixed cables and rock steps** guide you down through dramatic terrain. Within the hour, you reach Forcella di Rinbianco, a windswept saddle, with distant views of the southern faces of Tre Cime di Lavaredo; an intriguing preview of what awaits.

The trail descends toward the valley floor before the climb to Rifugio Auronzo pulls you back into the high alpine terrain.

From here, you begin the famous Tre Cime circuit. The trail rounds beneath the southeast faces before climbing to Forcella Lavaredo (2,454m), offering a different angle and new perspective.

Descending from the forcella, the view transforms with every step. The three peaks gradually shift and align, side-by-side, revealing more and more of their legendary north faces. Next, crossing some wildflower meadows, you arrive at the red-roofed mountain hut – your bed for the night.

This is it: the definitive viewpoint, the postcard shot, the image that has defined the Dolomites for generations. Standing here, with all three summits rising in perfect symmetrical formation directly before you, you’ve reached the culmination of your trek – and quite possibly the finest mountain hut views in all the Alps. Waking early to witness first light on Tre Cime is an absolute must.

We also recommend a visit to the Grotta delle Tre Cime –  a network of WWI tunnels constructed by soldiers for supply lines and shelter from relentless attacks and the unforgiving winters.

**This is a short 10-minute section that is exposed, steep, and can be slippery. There are fixed cables to assist you for added safety. Additional equipment is not required; however, you must be confident, sure-footed, and not afraid of heights nor suffer from vertigo. (A pair of gloves may be helpful for extra grip).

Hike info: 10.2km | ↑688m ↓652m | 4-4.5hrs
Accommodation: Mountain Hut looking onto Tre Cime
Meals: Breakfast and dinner included

Your final day delivers more memorable experiences – completing the circuit of Tre Cime’s legendary northern walls, followed by one of the Dolomites’ most exhilarating viewpoints of Cadini di Misurina.

The trail descends into Pian da Rin before reaching Malga Langalm, where you find yourself standing face-to-face with Tre Cime’s northern walls rising directly before you in all their glory. The path continues around the western flank of the massif, traversing a high ridge where 360-degree panoramas unfold across multiple Dolomite ranges.

The day does not end here; your next adventure now begins! Following the trail south, you hike across the ridgeline of Monte Campedelle toward the legendary Cadini viewpoint. The Cadini peaks remain hidden until you round a bend and pop over a hill, then the full extent of Cadini di Misurina suddenly comes into view – a breathtaking wall of razor-sharp limestone spires rising like Gothic cathedral towers above the Dolomites.

The (optional) final approach to the lookout is not for the faint-hearted; it is narrow and exposed on both sides, but for those wanting to trek out, the reward is standing on a knife-edge ridge face-to-face with one of the most dramatic mountain panoramas in the Alps.

Descending to Lake Antorno, you’ll see the Cadini peaks mirrored in its waters before continuing on a gentle final stretch to Lake Misurina. A well-earned lunch at a lakeside restaurant provides the perfect ending before taking the afternoon bus back to Cortina – the culmination of an unforgettable Dolomites adventure!

Distance: 13km | ↑326m ↓983m | 5hrs
Accommodation: Hotel in Cortina
Meals: Breakfast included (can include Dinner as an option – however, most guests like to enjoy a celebratory meal in one of Cortina’s many great restaurants).

After breakfast in Cortina, it’s time to say goodbye to the Dolomites – though the memories will stay with you far longer. The impossible turquoise of Lago di Sorapis, those first views of Tre Cime’s legendary north faces, the ridge walk at Cadini, sunset from your mountain hut terraces – these moments have a way of calling you back!

Depart Cortina or continue your adventure at your leisure. Whether you’re heading to Venice, Lake Garda, or onwards to explore more of the Dolomites, you leave having experienced some of the finest mountain scenery the Alps have to offer.

Meals: Breakfast included