Have you dreamed of a different type of hiking experience? The Dolomites in Northern Italy provide a different mountain view than so many others! We hiked the Tre Cime di Lavaredo loop with the outlook detour. This is one of the most iconic Dolomite spots for photos. And let me tell you, it was stunning and 100% worth it. So how to get those awesome shots? Follow along!

The General Dolomites Deets

There are many hikes in this area of the Dolomites but this loop is one of the most common due to length and ease of accessibility. This is also where the iconic outlook spot is located. One of the hardest things I experienced while researching and then hiking this area was how confusing it was to find the correct trail and then to stay on that trail. So let’s get into it!

Address: Rifugio Auronzo Hut – 32041 Auronzo di Cadore BL Italy

Loop Time: 3.5-4 hours

Outlook Time: 2 hours

Parking: At the hut – it is also possible to park before the toll and pay for parking there instead

Cost: €30 if you park at the hut

Outlook Breakdown

If you choose to start at the hut for parking, arrive early! There is a toll and there are only so many parking spaces. We arrived at 8 am and there were already a handful of people around. Since you are paying for parking, I’d recommend planning for multiple activities in this area.

The outlook is to the SouthWest of the hut. As you follow the path it splits into two that connect further up. We took the left side going up because it was more out of the wind. The left side was more on the cliff edge so consider this when making the choice. It was roughly 45 minutes to walk out there then we took quite a bit of time to take photos. If you backtrack to where the “fence” is at, there is another small path to the right. This will take you to another look out point. Beyond that is another trail that we did not do.

Be careful when heading to other spots that appear to be look out opportunities. It is easy to slide on the rocks and there is nothing but air beyond the cliff edge (and rocks really, really, really far below that).

Tre Cime di Lavaredo Loop Breakdown

To go through the loop, start back at the hut and head to the east if you want to go counterclockwise. When we were there, everyone was going this direction. The trail is #101. There are many trails that offshoot from the main trail. Some are detours and some are their own trails.

One of the easy detours is right at the beginning by the church. It takes about 15 minutes and provides another great photo spot!

Further up there is a medium sized building. At this location there is a map. The map can be confusing as the trail numbers seem to change and there are many offshoots around that area. The two main sections of trail that are part of the loop are both on the left side of this building. One if very steep and shorter. The other is less steep and longer (the one we chose).

As you get to the top of this section, the entire area opens up to a completely different section of mountains that are stunning! We were told there are caves in this area as well to explore. Due to how windy it was at the top heading down the trail was our best option.

From the top section, go down and around. There is a trail that continues to the left where there are other buildings further along. This is a separate trail. To go down, you have a few options so choose the one that best fits your capabilities. Some appear shorter and more direct but they also appear to be literally along the side of the mountain with minimal stability.

Dolomites Italy

Recommendations

1. Take a beanie or wear a coat with a hood. The wind was no joke and it was cold early in the morning.
2. Arrive early to get the outlook to yourself. By the time we got there at 8:15, at least 3 other people were already there and over 15 were at the hut.
3. Wear shoes with good traction. The rocks were sliding like crazy and I definitely fell at one point (don’t worry, it was not in the dangerous area).
4. Pack snacks and water. Especially if you are planning to go slower, stopping for a protein bar with a view is important.
5. Stop by the hut after your hike. They had snacks and hot drinks.

Are you planning a trip to Dolomites, Italy? We would love to connect and hear about it!! Check out our other Italy posts here!

Take out the work of planning and schedule a guided trip in the Dolomites!

---

**That Adventure Couple utilizes affiliate links throughout our posts to assist you in getting access to the exact experiences and products we talk about. If items are bought through these links, we will earn a small commission which helps keep our site running at no cost to our viewers.