Experience · Italy

Snowshoeing in the Dolomites

Snowshoeing is walking with better PR — strap on the tennis rackets and the winter Dolomites open up: silent forests, frozen lakes and the pale pink towers above Cortina with the crowds gone home.

Best forWalkers & hikers · Adventure seekers · Couples
In October12°C · 11 rainy days
Ideal stayA day out from Cortina or Alta Badia
Approx. flying time~12h 20m from Los Angeles

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Happens around the Dolomites, Italy — nearest airport Venezia (VCE), about 126km away.

CurrencyEUREuro
LanguageItalian
Local time12:351h ahead of the UK
PlugsType C / F / LBring an adapter
Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
Dialling code+39

The experience

Snowshoes turn deep winter snow into walkable ground, which in the Dolomites means access to forests, frozen lakes and high meadows otherwise left to ski tourers. The pace is slow and the effort closer to a hill walk than to anything technical. Groups move through silent larch woods and out onto open ground beneath the pale towers around Cortina and the Alta Badia, comfortably away from the pisted runs.

Guided day trips need ordinary hill fitness and no previous experience, and equipment is rented locally. Many routes finish at a mountain hut, which changes the character of the afternoon considerably. January and February hold the deepest and most reliable snow, while March offers longer, warmer days. Avalanche risk off-piste is real, which is the argument for going with a qualified guide rather than alone.

Ideal stay: A day out from Cortina or Alta Badia
The vibe: Silent, snowbound, unexpectedly easy

From our guides

Guided day hikes from Cortina d'Ampezzo or the Alta Badia villages need only ordinary hill fitness, and many finish at a rifugio serving extremely serious hot chocolate. January and February bring the deepest snow. Rent everything locally, but bring your own gaiters.

Featured in Ten winter adventures beyond the ski piste

Make a trip of it

Lago di Braies

The frozen lake beneath Croda del Becco, circled on an easy trail. Very popular, so go early or late in the day.
Alta Badia meadows

Rolling open ground above Corvara and San Cassiano with the Sella massif behind, gentle enough for a first outing.
Cortina d'Ampezzo

The main resort town, with the Tofane and Cristallo rising above it and a pedestrian main street for afterwards.
Rifugio stops

Huts on the winter routes serve barley soup, canederli and hot chocolate thick enough to stand a spoon in.
Val Fiscalina

A steep-sided valley leading towards the Tre Cime group, with a well-used winter track running along its flat floor.
Night walks

Guided evening outings with head torches, often finishing at a hut for dinner and a toboggan descent afterwards.

Getting there

Fly to
Venezia (VCE)

Nearest airport to the Dolomites, about 126km away as the crow flies.
Then
To Cortina d'Ampezzo

Bolzano (BZO) has only limited flights, so most visitors arrive at Venice (VCE) or Innsbruck and transfer by coach or car, about two and a half to three hours up to Cortina d'Ampezzo.
On the ground
Getting around

Guided snowshoe groups leave from the town and drive to trailheads around the Tre Cime and the Alta Badia valleys, and ski buses link Cortina with the surrounding villages.

Public transport: Regional coaches connect the main Dolomite villages and run reliably in winter, but they are slow if you want to roam between valleys.

Flights

Los Angeles the Dolomites, Italy

Flying from

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Roughly 12h 20m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.

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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.

When to go

Daytime highs run from about 0°C in January to 20°C in July. Driest in February; wettest in May, with rain on about 22 days.

The year at a glance — pick a month for detail

October12° · rain 11 daysCool with rain most weeks.

Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis).

Where to base yourself

Family-run alpine hotels, many on half board, plus mountain guesthouses and apartments. Book-early rifugi exist but most winter huts on the snowshoe routes are day-only.

Best base overall
Cortina d'Ampezzo

The obvious base, with guides, rental shops and buses to the trailheads, plus a town that functions in the evening. Smart, expensive, and busier than the trails suggest.
Find stays in Cortina d'Ampezzo
Best for couples
San Cassiano and Corvara

Alta Badia villages with Ladin hotels, half-board traditions and rifugio-linked routes from the doorstep. Quieter than Cortina, and a long drive or bus from it.
Find stays in San Cassiano and Corvara
Best value
San Vito di Cadore

Ten minutes down the valley from Cortina with the same mountains and noticeably lower rates. Small, unglamorous, and dependent on the bus or a car.
Find stays in San Vito di Cadore
Best with children
Dobbiaco

At the head of the Val Pusteria near the Tre Cime, with gentle valley trails, a Nordic centre and family hotels. Flat routes suit shorter legs and beginners.
Find stays in Dobbiaco

Worth knowing before you book: Italian hotels here run in two seasons with a closed spell around late March, and February school holidays fill the valley with week-long minimum stays.

Search everything else in Cortina d'Ampezzo by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.

Or see everything in Cortina d'Ampezzo

Good to know

Guides: Off-piste snow carries avalanche risk. A qualified mountain guide chooses the route and carries the safety equipment.
Rental: Snowshoes and poles are rented locally and cheaply. Bring your own gaiters and properly waterproof boots.
Pack this: Layers, sunglasses, sun cream and more water than feels necessary. Snow reflects a surprising amount of sun.
Fitness: If you can manage a hilly four-hour walk, you can snowshoe. The technique takes about ten minutes to learn.
Timing: January and February give the best snow cover. Book huts and guides ahead over the Italian holiday weeks.