The Dolomites
The Italian Dolomites have been on our bucket list for quite some time. Every time we saw photos or videos of this incredible place we were in awe. Finally, we had the opportunity to visit this summer and it sure did not disappoint! The Dolomites with a toddler (or any age child) is absolutely doable and should be added to every family summer vacation list. There is so much to do and see for people of all ages. Our itinerary is perfect for toddler travel, but anyone can enjoy these activities.
The Dolomites are a UNESCO world heritage site which expands through out the Südtirol (aka South Tyrol), Belluno, and Trento provinces of Northern Italy. Famous for it’s winter sports, summer hiking and cycling, this region is a hot Italian destination. Bright blue lakes, surrounded by dramatic mountains and limestone peaks are some of the many reasons we were drawn to the Italian Alps. We’ve been to many parts of Italy, but Northern Italy has been our favorite region by far. Get ready to see some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world with our Best of the Dolomites with a toddler itinerary.
Dolomites with a Toddler Itinerary
- Lago di Braies/Prager Wildsee (Lake Braies)
- Tre Cime di Lavaredo
- Lago di Sorapis (Lake Sorapis)
- Seceda
- Santa Maddelena – Val di Funes
- Adolf Munkel Weg Trail
Where to Begin
Planning our trip to the Italian Dolomites was extremely overwhelming at first. Many popular hikes and sights had multiple names due to the mixture of Italian and Austrian influences. Not to mention, how vast the alps expand across the border of Northern Italy. To experience the best of the Dolomites with a toddler, we recommend choosing your most desired locations to visit and then making a home base (or two) for the trip. We recommend visiting for at least one week to really explore the region.
Based on our top destinations, it made the most sense to stay in Cortina d’Ampezzo and Selva di Val Gardena. We didn’t have to drive too far to our desired locations and it was the most ideal for use traveling by car with Maya. When visiting the Dolomites with a toddler, you should ideally make your base within 30 minutes or so from your attractions. The Common Wanderer has a great blog post that explains each major destination thoroughly and helped immensely with our planning!
Most Popular Home Base Towns:
- Cortina d’Ampezzo*
- Alta Badia
- Selva Val Gardena*
- Bolzano
- Val di Funes
- Alpe di Siusi
*Our homebases
How Long to Visit the Dolomites
A trip to the Dolomites can as long or short as you want it to be. The region is massive and could take years to fully explore. We would recommend a solid week at minimum to truly experience the Dolomites. If we had two weeks to spare, that would’ve been more ideal. Nonetheless, we had plenty of time to visit our top destinations in 8 days. We recommend making a list of your must-do’s and planning accordingly to your trip duration. Keep in mind that summer will offer longer days, which will give you lots of exploring time. Also, most locations will require at least 30 minutes of driving to reach the trailhead. Make your list, choose a home base(s), and your planning will be much easier.
When to visit the Dolomites
The two main seasons to visit the Dolomites are summer and winter months. The Italian Alps are known for it’s world-class hiking and snow sports. Due to its terrain, hiking season is best from June to August as the snow has melted and most refugios (mountain huts) are open. Even in June, we experienced a quieter Cortina than expected. Many restaurants and shops had yet to fully open for the summer season.
Winter sports in the Dolomites are huge as well. Cortina d’Ampezzo was home to the 1996 Winter Olympic games and will be hosting once again in 2026. Making it a prime European destination for winter and summer sports. Expect high crowds during the months of December to March for optimal snow in the mountains. In either season, anticipate high hotel rates, especially in popular towns like Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Lastly, if you are traveling to the Dolomites with a toddler or young child, you probably will not be doing many winter sports or activities. Visiting in the summertime gives your family a larger variety of activities to enjoy without worrying about extreme temperatures or lack of entertainment.
Saving Money
Depending on your goals, you may want to visit during the shoulder seasons to avoid high rates. Just keep in mind that the climate may not allow you to visit certain locations and many businesses may be closed. It is called high season for a reason! The very beginning and end of the high season months are typically the best way to avoid steep rates. Also, booking far in advance will be advantageous, primarily if there are events taking place. For example, we did not realize that Val Gardena has a mountain cycling race the same weekend we visited. It was entertaining, but I’m certain that elevated our hotel nightly rate and made our dates difficult to obtain.
How to get to the Dolomites
Getting to the Dolomites typically requires a flight into either Venice, Milan, or Munich. The closest international airport is Venice at about 2 hours from Cortina d’Ampezzo. Below are the average distances of each airport from Cortina. We recommend getting around by car if you are traveling to the Dolomites with a toddler.
Distance to Cortina d’Ampezzo
Venice (VCE) – 2 hours
Munich (MUC) – 4.5 hours
Milan (MXP) – 5 hours
We flew into and out of Milan because we ended our trip in Lake Como, but would recommend flying into Venice if you do not plan on visiting the Northwestern part of Italy. From any of the airports, you have the option of renting a car (more expensive) or taking a train into the Dolomites. There are plenty of buses that will take you into the center of town and to the popular destinations. Many hotels will also include free transportation to nearby trail heads. Find timetables for trains and buses here.
“If you’re not on a tight budget, we highly recommend a rental car. Being on your own schedule for hiking is much more relaxing.”
Traveling with a toddler means we almost exclusively rent a car for safety purposes and ease getting around. For us, this was the simplest way to be on our own schedule and leave baby gear in the car as needed. If you’re not on a tight budget, we highly recommend a rental car. Being on your own schedule for hiking is much more relaxing. Plus, you can arrive before the crowds of tourists (if you can get out of the hotel in early enough)!
Nearest train station to Cortina d’Ampezzo: Calalzo di Cadore (22 km away)
How We Chose Our Home Bases
Before choosing your home base(s), we’d like to describe the two locations we chose, Val gardena and Cortina d’Ampezzo, and why. We based both choices on proximity to hikes, charm of the town, and other traveler’s reviews. Below are full details of each destination and our recommendations for accomodation, food, and more. When visiting the Dolomites with a toddler, you should ideally make your base within 30 minutes or so from your attractions. This will make your trip and life much less stressful with short and sweet car rides.
Cortina d’Ampezzo
The stunning Cortina d’Ampezzo has all the charm you could imagine in a mountain town. Though small, it has an abundance of accommodations, restaurants, and shops. This was one of the cutest mountain towns we have ever visited and worth the higher hotel cost. Not only was everything walking distance, but it was scenic and enjoyable as well. We believe Cortina is a must when visiting the Dolomites with a toddler or any children. It is a popular tourist destination for a reason. There is just so much to do!
Accommodation
Cristallo – $$$$
Grand Hotel Savoia – $$$
Radisson Residences Savoia Palace – $$
Hotel Bellevue Suites & Spa – $
The above hotels are all based in Cortina and within walking distance to the town center. We stayed at the Radisson Residences and had an excellent experience! The suites here were perfect for families with the bedroom being separated from the kitchen and bathroom. Not to mention, we had the best pizza here in town! The location was impeccable, being a less than 5 min walk to the center of town, shopping district, and grocery store.
We also could not rave enough about the friendliness of the staff here. They went above and beyond to make our experience so wonderful. From running across the street to a different hotel to grab Maya milk to staying open late and making us pizza after we checked in. We wish we could remember the bellman’s name who helped us out to much. He was absolutely incredible! Even though this place wasn’t a 5-star hotel or on the top of our list, it certainly met above expectations once we arrived. We would highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Cortina.
Food
The below restaurants and cafes are a must-try when visiting Cortina d’Ampezzo. There were a couple of other spots we tried, but were so-so. Make sure to add these to your foodie list when planning your trip. They are definites to check out when visiting the Dolomites with a toddler. Each place Maya loved and had something kid-friendly.
Bar Dolomiti – a locally-owned spot with the best pastries and coffee in town. You must try the apple strudel here. It is to die for!
Bar Café Embassy – our favorite stop for gelato in the afternoon! Grab yourself an aperol spritz and a pastry here after a long day in the mountains
Ristorante Savoy – The most amazing breakfast buffet at the Grand Hotel Savoia. We enjoyed eating a true American-style breakfast with all kinds of options. The was a nice break from our daily croissant and fruit pre-hike meals
Miscellaneous
Cristallo Ultimate Spa – One of the best spas in Cortina is at the Cristallo resort. Located up the mountain away from the hustle and bustle of the town center, you will find wide-open views of the ski slopes in the distance. The spa itself is spectacular and a nice way to wind down from days of hiking or skiing. The shared facilities were our favorite part. The hot tub overflowing into the large heated pool that looks out into the mountains was very relaxing. There are plenty of chairs around the pool area as well as outside on the patio that includes a second, smaller hot tub.
There is a separate steam room with rain showers and pressurized massaging faucets, as well as a sauna. The decor of the room is extremely tranquil. The food and beverage bar includes multiple types of soothing teas, water, champagne, fruits, and nuts. The staff were wonderful and always kept the premise clean and tidy. They even brought Maya a pair of toddler slippers to match us! We were relieved that kids were allowed in the pool area so we could alternate our massages while entertaining her at the pool.
We finished up our day at the spa with a lovely stroll in the garden and enjoyed a tasty burger and salad at the upstairs restaurant. The prices were reasonable for a 5-star resort. We highly recommend adding this to your list of things to do in Cortina! It provided something relaxing to do in the Dolomites with a toddler.
Selva Val Gardena
Another nice location when traveling to the Dolomites with a toddler is Val Gardena. It is a cute mountain town with lots of restaurants and local hikes. We happened to visit during a famous mountain cycling competition. It was fun to see everyone out and about over the weekend. In close proximity to Seceda and Selva di Val Gardena, this is an ideal spot to make your second home base.
Accommodation
Residence Antares $$ – This hotel was nothing special, but it was in a phenomenal location and had large rooms with a full kitchen. It was not luxurious in the least bit, but it did the job. The parking was a bit of a pain in the butt, but it kept the car safe. It was extremely kid and family-friendly, which made it worth the while. We loved that it was in the center of town, across from a pharmacy, delicious Creperie, and walking distance to great pizza. You can’t beat it. If you don’t chose to stay at here, be sure to stay in the similar region.
Food
Caffé Val d’Anna – Okay. If there is one place you go to eat in all of the Dolomites with a toddler it’s here! Honestly, there’s something for everyone, but this was one of the most family-friendly spots we ate at. At the bottom of the Seceda mountain, you will find this magical cafe. Wow, was the food delicious, the iced coffee with ice cream decadent and as if it wasn’t great enough, there’s a play area for kiddos. There’s lounge chairs to enjoy the Italian sun while you toddler plays with other children and toys in the shade. We saw it from the cable car and decided to check it out for lunch after our Seceda visit. This place is awesome and we could not recommend it enough!
Café Mozart & Apartment – delicious crepes, coffee, and gelato. Open surprisingly late
Ristorante Pizzeria Rino – family-owned feel. Excellent pies for a great price!
Costabella Ristorante & Pizzeria – a little bit of a walk from the hotel, but great service & food
Hotel Kabis – A random hotel restaurant in Val di Funes that had wonderful dishes and gelato! Also, Maya crushed the pasta here. Very random, but a must visit when visiting the Dolomites with a toddler. It’s a nice stop on the way to Santa Maddalena.
Miscellaneous
Dolomites with a Toddler/Baby Notes
Baby Items
Traveling to a unique destination such as the Dolomites with a toddler or baby may seem daunting. However, we had no issues traveling with our 18 month old daughter, Maya. There was never any struggle finding baby products or foods that she would enjoy. In Cortina and Val Gardena (as well as all of the major Dolomite towns, there are pharmacies that have diapers, wipes, formula, medication, etc). The pharmacists all spoke English (that we encountered).
Food & Milk
All of the restaurants had basic pasta and marinara sauce for Maya to eat. Not to mention, the endless gelato possibilities are a favorite of any child…and adult! Both Cortina and Val Gardena had a supermarket with baby food options. We stocked up on croissants, PB&J supplies, and fruits/veggies for snacks on the go.
Milk was not supplied at our hotel in Cortina, so we had to purchase some at the supermarket down the street. Our hotel in Val Gardena had milk in their downstairs restaurant, which we visited frequently to refill our milk thermos. However, they did charge us each time. All of the restaurants and cafes we visited gave us milk, and some did not even charge us. The term for whole milk in Italian is “latte interno” and cold is “frio.” Cold milk is “latte freddo.” We have no clue why every other country tries to heat up our baby’s milk, but I guess our daughters are not so picky LOL.
Diapering
There were not many readily available diaper changing stations in restaurants and businesses. Keep in mind that the Dolomites are composed of older mountain towns and are not as up-to-date with modern infant facilities. A few restaurants did provide a diaper station area in the restrooms, but I would say that was not common. The nice part about driving around the Dolomites is that you have your own traveling diaper changing station 🙂 We packed a portable mat with lots of pockets that we bring on all of our hikes. See link below!
Visiting the Dolomites with a toddler was not stressful at all. We honestly probably should have done more research prior to our trip, but we didn’t need to. The biggest issue we ran into was trying to order our latte’s properly and Maya’s cold whole milk at the same time. Forewarning, latte just means milk, so don’t try to order a soy latte like you would at Starbucks. Below is a list of common coffee drinks to order at an Italian cafe.
The Dolomites with a toddler was one of our favorite destinations yet. The scenery is unbelievably stunning and pictures just don’t do it justice. Families from all over Europe visit here each summer and winter, but it is definitely somewhere that anyone should visit. With many English-speaking Italians, this makes for the perfect stress-free vacation with your young ones. There are many easy hikes that can be done with a child, the restaurants are kid-friendly, and it’s overall a great place to wander and enjoy nature. Not only is this destination ideal for families, but anyone of all ages. The Dolomites was simply incredible and I hope we can return again for some vineyard exploring and also, maybe winter sports action!
