Home > Venice > Dolomite Mountains and Cortina Small-Group Day Trip from Venice
USD $160.00
Dolomite Mountains and Cortina Small-Group Day Trip from Venice
Venice, Italy
Escape the city and spend a day in the Dolomite Mountains on a full-day trip from Venice! With an expert driver-guide to tell you all about the region, you’ll see two of the area’s finest lakes, Lake Santa Caterina and Lake Misurina, headed up by the heart-stopping Tre Cime di Lavaredo peaks. Enjoy lunch in a traditional ‘trattoria’ (own expense), soak up the scenery on a bracing mountain walk, and then enjoy free time to explore the chic ski resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Numbers are limited to 8 on this small-group tour, ensuring you’ll see the best of the Dolomites with personalized attention from your driver-guide.
Meet your driver-guide in central Venice and then leave the city by luxury minivan, traveling north through the Veneto countryside and into the Sesto region in the Dolomite Mountains. Stop for a coffee (own expense) in Pieve di Cadore, a gorgeous little village known for being the birthplace of the Renaissance painter Titian, and then continue to Lake Santa Caterina.
Stretch your legs on a quick stroll, admiring the lakeside scenery, and then continue by coach to Lake Misurina -- known as the ‘Pearl of the Dolomites.’ Have your camera poised, ready to capture breathtaking shots of the lake against the backdrop of Tre Cime di Lavaredo – the Dolomite’s three distinctive peaks. Travel toward the peaks by coach, stopping at a vantage point to soak up the serene mountain views.
Rest at a local trattoria for lunch (own expense), and then choose to either take a walk or stay at the restaurant and relax. If you opt to do the walk, follow your guide's explanations and walk along one of the gentler mountain trails to see more of the area’s sublime scenery, as well as its mountain flora and fauna.
Leave the foothills of Tre Cime di Lavaredo in the afternoon and travel by coach to the swanky ski resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo, where affluent Italians go not just to ski, but to see and be seen. Stop for photos at a panoramic viewpoint and drink in views of the bustling town encircled by towering mountains.
Enjoy free time in Cortina to do as little or as much as you want. Perhaps browse its elegant boutiques, or visit one of the street-side cafés for a coffee (own expense). Meet your driver-guide back at the pre-arranged time, and return to Venice, passing the peaks of the Dolomite bathed in the late-afternoon sun. Your tour finishes at the start point in the early evening.
This tour was AMAZING. It was so worth it to leave Venice for the day. Our driver and guide, Luca, was wonderful and very knowledgeable about the places we saw. We drove through beautiful countryside and saw gorgeous little towns and stopped for lunch at a fabulous restaurant by a lake. We went almost as far up into the Dolomites as a car can drive about 8,000 feet in elevation, if I remember correctly. This is as close to Austria or Switzerland as you can get without leaving Italy. It was a magical experience, and I can't recommend it enough.
Review by: pamdrager, June 2018
While this was awesome to see the Dolomites - I don't know that it was worth the money. The tour guide, I believe Nicholai, brought us to a different small town for lunch, not Cortina, and by the time we got to Cortina everything was closed for siesta and it was rainy, so we had 40 minutes to do nothing. There was one shop that I found to have a hot chocolate but a few of the group just stayed in the van. Once he realized that we weren't getting back to Venice until 6 was supposed to be 5 he was speeding, and seemed really angry. Not to mention, the getting back an hour late messed up my evening plans as well. Once he dropped us off at a different spot then where we left, he walked away without even saying goodbye. It was very strange. You could easily rent a car for a day and do this drive for much cheaper.
Review by: Charmaine, May 2018
All this is is an expensive tour to take photos. For me, it wasn't worth it but that's just my opinion. If you insist on taking this tour, however, I would recommend going during the summertime as everything is closed outside of this period, it seems.
Review by: Carissa J, April 2018
This tour was my favorite thing I did on my week vacation. Its so beautiful! Our driver was great, he was so pleasant to talk to and was easy going. Very safe driver, never scared me even on windy roads, and I am a nervous Nellie. Be aware it is hours in the van, so there is a lot of driving involved. It was so neat to see the mountains and Cortina and be so near the Austrian border and see how things blended together. Just beautiful sights. The restaurants were terrific and far more reasonably priced than Venice, which was a treat.
Review by: Andrew S, April 2018
Our initial thoughts were that this was not going to be great as the guide did not seem very social. But after we were on the main roads out of Venice doing 160 km/h in a people mover - fun, the guide opened up and we had an awesome time. He knew lots of information and the views were breath taking.
Review by: robert k, April 2018
Nicoli sp? was an excellent tour guide. The views were amazing. Had a great espresso break in Pieve di Cadore and then lunch at a prosciutto restaurant in Cortina d'ampezzo . _br/_ In between winter season and spring, so some facilities were not open._br/_ Four couples representing Missouri, US, Nova Scotia, CA and Malaysia! Cozy and personal. I loved it and highly recommend it.
Review by: tatiana a, April 2018
The tour is beautiful and close to the city. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and pleasant. The sights are spectacular and the place we stopped for lunch had fantastic pizza! I highly recommend it. The tour company itself was extremely accommodating and professional and worked with us to reschedule our tour due to flight cancellations.
Review by: g_racheva, March 2018
A whole day small bus tour into the mountains with multiple comfort and photo stops, the lunch own expense at a very good restaurant with local food. the guides were really very nice. A bit more information and time for souvenir browsing and shopping probably would be good.
Review by: Paula F, March 2018
Wonderful day ! Highly recommended.
Review by: Harvey S, March 2018
Loved this tour! One of the best tours we have ever taken. Beautiful country and excellent guide - the lunch was incredible.
Review by: Jacob K, March 2018
I only chose one star because I couldn't choose zero. This trip was horrid! These people take you on the trip rain or shine or in our case dense fog. The driver was telling us on the ride up to Cortina that it would be impossible to see any of the sites due to the enormous amount of FOG. So the whole point of the trip is to sight see, and when the travelers can't see the sights or beauty of the Dolomite's, you would expect the company to cancel the trip, which they did not! We paid over 500 to see one town Cortina, and the other stop was a small town that was closed down for the afternoon, with the exception of a bar that served alcohol and a cafe. Just be aware on this one, b/c rain, sleet, snow or dense fog, they wont cancel and you may end up losing a nice chunk of change which we are fighting to get back.
Review by: Iris D, March 2018
This is a fantastic tour and definitely worth the money. You get picked up by the driver on tronchetto stop which is about 1/2 hr public boat ride from st marks square bus number N2 which cost 7.50 each way which runs approximately every 10 minutes. Its a 8 seater mini bus and the driver Marco was very hospitable, knowledgeable and friendly. Marco pointed out points of interests along the way not part of designated stops and allowed us time not part of designated stop to stop to take photographs. All places listed on the tour was at it shows on photos attached to this site and TripAdvisor. You cant predict the weather as it changes so rapidly as one minute it can be raining, cold, warm or cloudy so best to dress appropriately. We went in March so there was still abit of snow on the grounds and at some points the clouds blocked the view of top of Dolomites but within a short space of time sometimes within seconds, minutes or less than an hour the clouds disappear and you can get really good photographs of the Dolomites. The restaurant we stopped for lunch was reasonable priced, good selection and food was lovely. We had 2 course meal with drinks for two which came to around 45 euros - lunch prices vary depending on what you have. We got back to Tronchetto stop around 1745 hours however times may vary depending upon traffic as to what time you get back but Marco says its normally around 1730-1800 hours. Would highly recommend this tour and well done Marco for making the tour memorable.
Review by: Eve R, February 2018
A must place to visit! Giovanni was a great tour guide! He knew what the tourist wants like me who love to take beautiful pictures of the scenery. So glad the weather was great, cold but sunny which was the important one. Its more beautiful than what we thought. The snow added the WOW factor of the tour. Walking in the middle of the frozen lake was a great experience. The food in the restaurants we went to was great.. Such a memorable Valentines day! A bit expensive but so worth it.
Review by: Poi Lin G, January 2018
This tour was amazing!
Review by: brianandrewosborne, January 2018
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Karen T, January 2018
The scenery was lovely and we had a small group which was nice. our driver/guide shared lots of info about the winter olympics in the area. It was very cold, not the driver's fault but that did impact our enjoyment. We had a couple of stops in small villages but as we were there on Sunday shops were closed. I would not go on Sunday. The place we stopped for lunch had excellent food but was very crowded and we had a bit of a wait for a table.
Review by: Noor Suhaila S, January 2018
This tour was amazing!
Review by: Karlin G, December 2017
This day tour is a must do. We had a very nice guide who knows a lot about the dolomites and surrounding towns. He met us in Venice and we were only 7 in the bus. He had stories to tell about all the towns we passed. We had a great lunch in Cortina then drove back to Venice.
Review by: Dana C, December 2017
never maded it to this trip
Review by: DIANNE W, December 2017
Did this tour in 2015 and it was raining and quite foggy. Took many beautiful photos from the front of the van but was disappointed that the lakes were barely visible as it was foggy. This tear 2017?I returned to Venice and booked the sane your again. It was fantastic. It stopped at a couple of different viewing points for photos and the lakes....wow...amazing. It gad recently snowed when we reached the Dolomites so that was a bonus. Loved it as much the second time but felt like I had a whole new experience. Great value for money. Loved this trip!! Highly recommended.
Review by: Lisa B, December 2017
This tour was incredible. Exceeded all expectations. Our tour guide Philip was absolutely excellent.
Review by: azahari1974, December 2017
Fantastic views, nice trekking through snow, very good tour guide. Worth the money
Review by: casann, December 2017
This tour was a highlight! We luckily had amazing weather. It was such a full day from the moment we left Venice, the guide stopped at various vantage points all the way up the Dolomites. The scenery is truly spectacular and words are not enough to describe the beauty we encountered that day. Cortina was a beautiful mountain village. Lake Misurina was absolutely stunning and when we reached the very top of the mountainside to view the Tre Cime, we really were in awe. Coming from Australia, we don't have scenery like this anywhere. The only thing we would recommend is to bring a picnic lunch to have by the Lake instead of spending a large amount of money at the only restaurant which is recommended on the tour. Also, the guide didn't tell anyone, nor is it mentioned on the Viator site, that the restaurant only takes cash! No cards! made it very difficult for many people. We used all our cash and therefore had nothing left for a tip at the end, which we felt bad about but this was Viator's error, not ours. We would definitely do this trip again if we had the opportunity, it is a very long day, but well worth it! Again, Viator has delivered amazing quality, can't wait to do another one of your Tours.
Review by: Gurkirat Singh B, December 2017
it was winter and all day we enjoyed snow fall. the driver was very interactive thus making it a wonderful trip.
Review by: Sheldon C, November 2017
Great
Review by: jennattan08, November 2017
Would have been great if the weather was better and we were not blocked from going up to the mountain by the group of people who's filming there. There wasn't much to see, shops were not opened in Cortina as well. The guide should have known better. It was a wasted trip for all of us
Review by: Lenny F, November 2017
This tour was amazing, and the Dolomite mountains and surrounding countryside were absolutely beautiful. Justin, our leader did a fabulous job. The tour was very professionally run and organized. At the same time, it didn't feel rushed or too structured. It was one of our best days in Italy.
Review by: Kaye C, November 2017
great trip - well worth it
Review by: morello_mary, November 2017
Excellent tour !
Review by: Fran M, November 2017
This trip is a must! The best 8 hours ever! The scenery was breathtaking! Lunch and views on a lake was outstanding, as was the entire drive up the mountains and back home! The views were to die for! This is a 'total must' tour! Our guide was such fun and shared so much! Would do this tour again in a heartbeat!!!!!!!
Review by: Betsy D, October 2017
This trip was amazing! Our tour guide, Michaela, was so educated, spoke English and knew the area so well with lots of great stories along the way. This trip is so beautiful, you will not be disappointed by the scenery. We were fortunate and had a no cloud in the sky kind of day and were able to go to the top due to the weather conditions. Plenty of stops to take picturesque photos, lunch was delicious and in a gorgeous location. Only 8 people on tour and the van was very comfortable. We would definitely go again!
Review by: Andy C, October 2017
The trip was amazing. Fantastic photo spots and beautiful country._br/_ The tour driver was fantastic and had a huge knowledge of the area and we learned a lot._br/_ Overall a fantastic experience.
Review by: LOIS B, October 2017
I had previously been to Venice and did not have time to see the mountains so I ensure I would see them this time and the sights were amazing and thoroughly enjoyed by all of us.
Review by: Nielu S, October 2017
Fantastic trip. Tour guides Justin and Carlo were hilarious. Took us to some amazing locations for photographs. All in all wonderful experience.
Review by: Marion L, October 2017
My family and I spent two weeks in Italy, from north to south, and this trip was truly the most memorable highlight. The day's journey to and from the Dolomites and Cortina was breathtaking - the views, amazing. The trip was made all the more enjoyable by our driver, Michel, who, along with being very informative, was warm and funny. We would highly recommend this trip if you have a day to spare while in Venice.
Review by: Kristine S, October 2017
We started the day fairly early and drove up to the mountains, However it was very misty and although we reached the top, the view was quite obscured by the cloud. However, our guide provided a great day out and gave plenty of information regarding the region and our visit to Cortina was wonderful. Great day out.
Review by: Meryl M, October 2017
This trip was amazing. We were split into small vans, of 6 or 7 people, so the tour was very personal. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgable. The sights were spetacular.. This trip is worth going on!
Review by: Janet G, October 2017
It was simply a joy to get out of Venice's rat race for one day. This trip to the Italian alps was fantastic. Breathtaking! My only wish was for more time. I would have liked to have taken the lift to the top.
Review by: Ohio John, October 2017
I would highly recommend this tour as a break from the crowds of Venice. The Dolomite Mountains are beautiful and well worth your time to visit.
Review by: Margaret B, October 2017
We did this tour as a group of three at the end of September, a spectacular day well worth the time to see this part of the world. Our driver was very professional and helpful. Unfortunately we missed the last part of the upward journey due to a road closure so we did not get to stop at the mountain trails. _br/_ The stop at Cortina unfortunately or maybe fortunately coincided with the afternoon closure of the stores but we were still able to have a walk through such a pretty town and enjoy a gelato.
Review by: xkkraftx, October 2017
Great experience with breathtaking views. Driver/tour guide was very knowledgeable and pleasant. Van was comfortable and allowed everyone to view the countryside along with easy access in and out for stops. Plenty of stops for great photo ops. Lunch stop was perfect with great food at a reasonable price with a wonderful view.
Review by: family.orsi, October 2017
Tour is awesome. A long day, but worth it. The scenery is spectacular. Michael, our guide, is knowledgable of the area, loves it, and enjoys showing it off. Not to be missed. The small group size is perfect for the number of stops.
Review by: Michael C, October 2017
The weather was fantastic, which made the views incredible.
Review by: temptationwaits, October 2017
Amazing doesn't cover it! I loved this tour. Everything was breathtakingly beautiful. While booking this tour, I wondered how cold the Dolomites could be in September and the answer to that is FREEZING! We arrived to see fresh mountain snow.
Review by: Keith, October 2017
This is an excellent tour, with only eight people. The guide spoke English which is what we booked.
Review by: Thornton W, October 2017
The narration and information on the trip was minimal, but the scenery was amazing. We got a lot of photo stops, and the small group of 8 made for a pleasant experience.
Review by: merlot, October 2017
A long day in a van with the drive broken up by several stops at dull locations. However the destination made it all worthwhile to me but others differed.
Review by: Dinmeher Bunshah, May 2017
Hi, We were a group of six. All of us thoroughly enjoyed the Dolomite Tour. Justin our Driver and Guide, through out the way took Photo stops and told us about the History and Geographical importance of each place we drove through. He was kind enough to take our pictures. What lovely views of the mountains and lakes truly spectacular. _br/_ At the places we stopped for snacks and meals Justin would recommended what is the best and indeed it always was delicious. _br/_ I would highly recommend this Tour to people who are visiting Venice, keep a day free and take this trip.
Review by: Greg M, May 2017
We were lucky to get a beautiful day....incredible mountain range where you end up right at the top of the Dolomites. Good tour guide, not a bad drive from Florence. A little difficult to get to the starting point of the tour in Florence. I live in the Rocky Mountains and was still awed by the Dolomites.
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