Guided Autumn Hikes

September and October are, for many hikers, the best months in the Dolomites. The heat and the summer crowds are gone, the air is clear, and in October the larch forests turn gold around the trails. They’re also the months when a hiking day needs the most planning, because the huts, the lifts and the toll roads that make the famous routes easy all close within a few weeks of each other.

A guided hike takes most of that planning off your hands. This page covers what you can still book, how hard each hike is, and how the season changes the walking.

What closes, and in what order

The huts first. Most mountain rifugi finish their season in the last week of September. For 2026, Rifugio Averau published a closing date of 25 September, Rifugio Locatelli at the Tre Cime 27 September, and Rifugio Fanes 4 October. From October, plan for no food or water on the trail.

Then the lifts. Around Cortina, the Cinque Torri chairlift closes on 11 October and the rest of the Cortina lift area, including the Lagazuoi cable car, on 18 October. Any route that used a lift to gain height turns into a longer climb or a different walk.

Roads and snow. The Tre Cime toll road usually runs to the end of October but closes whenever there is snow or ice. Early snow can also leave shaded trails icy for days after the sun has cleared the rest.

The guided hikes you can still book

The hut hike from Venice. The guided hiking day from Venice, featured at the top of this page, solves the biggest autumn problem, which is getting to the trailhead without a car. A GAE-certified environmental guide takes the group on one of three routes. The Tre Cime route goes from Misurina up to Rifugio Auronzo and over Forcella Lavaredo. The Cinque Torri route climbs from Passo Falzarego to the Scoiattoli, Averau and Nuvolau huts. The gentle alternative is three hours at Lago di Braies. Expect about 400 m of ascent on the hut routes, at 2,200–2,500 m. The guide chooses the route for the conditions, which late in the season is exactly what you want. 52 guests rate it 4.8 out of 5.

The Tre Cime loop. The guided Tre Cime loop from Misurina is the gentlest high-mountain walk here: 10 km and about 400 m of ascent on wide paths in five hours, with the toll road included. All 23 reviews are five stars. From mid-October, confirm the road is open. See Tre Cime in September and October.

Lake Sorapis. The Lake Sorapis and Rifugio Vandelli hike is the hardest of the three: a 12 km loop with about 700 m of ascent and exposed sections, to the turquoise lake under the Dito di Dio spire. It isn’t for anyone with vertigo. When we checked, its last date was 20 October.

Around Cortina and Passo Giau. Several local guides list day hikes on GetYourGuide, all new listings without reviews. They include a panoramic loop to the Cinque Torri from the Giau Pass, a loop hike from Passo Giau, a panoramic Cinque Torri hike, and a custom-made autumn-colours hike near Cortina built around the larches, with dates to 18 October in 2026. The Passo Giau walks had dates listed into November. Treat anything after mid-October as depending on the snow.

Choosing by difficulty

• Easy: the lakeshore at Lago di Braies (about 3.5 km, flat) or the Braies option on the Venice hiking day.
• Easy to moderate: the Tre Cime loop (10 km, about 400 m).
• Moderate: the hut routes from Venice (about 400 m at altitude).
• Moderate to demanding: Lake Sorapis (12 km, about 700 m, exposed sections).

What to bring in autumn

Waterproof hiking boots with good grip. Warm layers, a hat and gloves: mornings are frosty at altitude and the high saddles are windy. A waterproof shell. At least a litre of water, and all your food, because the huts will probably be shut. A headtorch, because the days are short. A charged phone. Guides on the Tre Cime and Sorapis hikes list most of these as mandatory.

When a guide is worth it

In summer, on a marked trail in good weather, you don’t need a guide in the Dolomites. In autumn the argument changes. Conditions change faster, fewer people are on the trail if something goes wrong, the huts you’d shelter in are shut, and a guide who knows the area will switch to a lower route after fresh snow. If you don’t have a car, it’s also the only realistic way to reach the Tre Cime or Cinque Torri trailheads from Venice in a day.

For the whole season, see the Dolomites autumn tours overview and what’s open in October. Check availability for the Venice hiking day.