From Venice: Dolomites Day Trip with Cortina and 2 Lakes

About This Experience

More guests have reviewed this day trip than any other Dolomites tour leaving Venice — 1,116 of them, at 4.9 out of 5. That volume matters when you are comparing near-identical itineraries: it means the timings below are the ones the operator actually runs, day after day.

You are collected at Piazzale Roma and spend about an hour and forty minutes on the motorway and valley road north. The first stop is Pieve di Cadore, a small historic town with a viewpoint over the Centro Cadore lake, followed by a short photo stop at the Auronzo dam.

The long stop is Lake Misurina — two and a quarter hours, which is enough to walk the shore path, look up at the Sorapiss and the Cadini, and eat lunch at one of the lakeside restaurants. From mid-June to mid-September you can add the Col de Varda chairlift or a rowing boat at your own cost; outside those months the lake is a walk rather than an activity.

The last hour is Cortina d'Ampezzo, host of the 2026 Winter Olympics, with time to wander the Corso Italia pedestrian street before the drive back to Venice. Transport is an air-conditioned minivan with an English-speaking driver. Lunch is not included.

Highlights

• Two and a quarter hours at Lake Misurina — the longest lake stop on the Venice routes
• An hour in Cortina d'Ampezzo on the Corso Italia
• Pieve di Cadore's viewpoint and the Auronzo dam on the way up
• Pickup at Piazzale Roma, minivan with an English-speaking driver
• Running into late autumn — bookable through October and November

What's Included

• ✓ Air-conditioned minivan from Piazzale Roma and back
• ✓ English-speaking driver
• ✓ Viewpoint stop at Pieve di Cadore, about 30 minutes
• ✓ Photo stop at the Auronzo lake dam
• ✓ Over two hours of free time at Lake Misurina
• ✓ About an hour in Cortina d'Ampezzo

Not Included

• Lunch and drinks
• Col de Varda chairlift ticket
• Boat hire on Lake Misurina

What to Bring

• Comfortable walking shoes
• A warm layer — Misurina sits at about 1,750 m
• Cash or card for lunch

Good to Know & Caveats

• Misurina's chairlift to Col de Varda and the rowing-boat hire run only from mid-June to mid-September, so from late September the lake stop is a walk.
• Large bags and luggage are accepted only if you ask beforehand.
• No food or alcohol in the vehicle.
• About nine hours in total, roughly four of them on the road.

Meeting Point

Piazzale Roma, the bus and car terminal at the edge of Venice's historic centre.