Dolomites Day Trips from VeniceBest of the Dolomites Mountains Day Trip
- 10 hoursDuration
- 4.7 · 1,087Reviews on GetYourGuide
- From $111per person
- Free cancellation 24hCancellation
Quick answer Price, stops and who it suits
This best of the Dolomites mountains day trip costs $111 per person and lasts 10 hours, with about 3 h 50 min at the stops. It is a coach for up to 50 people from Venice Tronchetto with 70 minutes in Cortina, 2 hours at Lake Misurina and 40 minutes at Auronzo Lake.
Key takeaways
- The chairlift to Col de Varda at Misurina costs $18.92 (€17) return and is not in the tour price.
- The bus does not take the Tre Cime toll road, so you see the peaks from the lake instead.
- Want a smaller group or more stop time? Compare the 8-seat minivan version of this route.
- See all day trip to the Dolomites from Venice before you commit to one bus.
Sold and operated by Bea Vita Tours. Booked and paid through GetYourGuide. We may earn a commission if you book through our link, at no extra cost to you. Compare all Dolomites day trips from Venice
The best of the Dolomites mountains day trip by Bea Vita Tours is a 10-hour coach run from Venice to Cortina d'Ampezzo, Lake Misurina and Lake Auronzo. It suits travellers who want one big day in the eastern Dolomites at a low price and do not mind sharing a coach with up to 50 people. You get 70 minutes in Cortina, 2 hours at Lake Misurina and 40 minutes at the Auronzo dam, about 3 h 50 min at the stops in total. The rest of the day is the drive. The tour runs all year in any weather. To see how it stacks up against small vans and other routes, start with the Dolomites day trip from Venice comparison.
About This Tour
Bea Vita Tours runs this 10-hour coach day trip from the Tronchetto tourist bus parking in Venice. A top-class bus takes up to 50 people with an English-speaking guide through the eastern Dolomites, with free time in Cortina d'Ampezzo and long stops at two mountain lakes. The Three Peaks of Lavaredo are visible from Lake Misurina but the tour does not drive the Tre Cime toll road.
Of the 10 hours, about 3 h 50 min are spent at the stops: 1 h 10 min in Cortina, 2 hours at Lake Misurina and 40 minutes at Auronzo Lake. The rest of the day is the drive, including roughly 1.5 hours to the first cafe stop. Lunch is not included. The tour operates year-round in any weather, though the chairlift and boat rental at Misurina only run from the middle of June through the middle of September.
$111 per person. It covers the English-speaking guide and transport by top-class bus. Food, the chairlift ticket and boat rental are not in the price.
10 hours in total, with about 3 h 50 min at the stops. 70 minutes in Cortina, 2 hours at Lake Misurina, 40 minutes at Auronzo Lake.
Parcheggio bus turistici, Isola Nova del Tronchetto 311, Venice. No hotel pickup. Departure in the morning, check the booking page for starting times.
Year-round. The tour runs in any weather, but Misurina chairlift and boat rental are only available from middle June through middle September.
Standard group of up to 50 people on a coach. Not private, not suitable for children under 6 or wheelchair users.
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund on GetYourGuide. Reserve now and pay later is offered.
Check Dates and Availability
Departure times vary, so check the calendar for your date before planning the rest of your Venice stay.
The Prettiest Town and Lake on the Route
Cortina and Misurina are the two stops people remember. They give you very different hours, so choose your walk accordingly.
Cortina D'Ampezzo
Cortina is an Olympic town, host of the Winter Games in 2026 and an earlier Winter Olympiad. You walk down Corso Italia, the pedestrian street described as the most well-known in the Dolomites, with 70 minutes for shopping and photos. That is enough for the main street and a coffee, not much more.
Lake Misurina
Lake Misurina sits at 1,756 m with a flat shore path, and it hosted Olympic speed skating in 1956, the last Games held on natural ice. With 2 hours here you can walk the shore, have lunch at a lakeside restaurant and, from middle June through middle September, rent a boat or take the Col de Varda chairlift. If you only want one proper walk on this day, spend it here rather than in Cortina.
Source: Dolomitibus.
No clock times are published beyond morning and evening, so the steps use phase labels with the stated durations.
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Meet
Tronchetto bus parking
Meet at Parcheggio bus turistici, Isola Nova del Tronchetto 311, Venice, in the morning. No hotel pickup.
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Drive
Out of Venice
About 1.5 hours by top-class coach towards the mountains, with an English-speaking guide on board.
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Break
Cafe stop
20 minutes at a local cafe.
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First stop
Cortina d'Ampezzo
70 minutes for the Corso Italia pedestrian street, shopping and photos.
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Main stop
Lake Misurina
2 hours. Walk the shore, have lunch at a lakeside restaurant, and in season rent a boat or ride the chairlift to Col de Varda. The Three Peaks are in view.
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Last stop
Auronzo Lake
40 minutes on the dam on the way back, with a chance to see water rushing through the gates.
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Drive back
Return to Venice
The tour ends at the meeting point in Venice in the evening.
Sunrise over Lake Misurina. Photo: Eric Kilby, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Price Covers
The $111 per person fare covers the guide and the coach. Everything you eat, drink or ride at the lakes is extra, so bring cash or a card for lunch, the chairlift and any boat.
Included and Not Included
Included: an English-speaking tour guide and transportation by top-class bus. Food and drinks, the chairlift ticket and boat rental are not included. Lunch is not part of the fare, but the plan gives you time to eat at a Lake Misurina restaurant.
The chairlift ticket is not included, though the description mentions the ride. The tour runs in any weather, and the operator states it is not responsible for a reduced experience in poor weather.
Tips are not mentioned for this tour.
| Item | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| English-speaking guide | Yes | One guide travels with the group of up to 50 |
| Transport by top-class bus | Yes | 10-hour day, morning departure from Tronchetto |
| Lunch at Lake Misurina | No | Time to eat at a lakeside restaurant is given, food and drinks not allowed in the vehicle |
| Col de Varda chairlift | No | $18.92 (€17) adult return, $14.47 (€13) uphill only, runs 18 June to 20 September |
| Boat rental at Misurina | No | Middle June through middle September only |
| Child seat or booster | No | Parents bring their own, UNI ECE R129 norm, under 125 cm child seat or under 150 cm booster |
| Tips | Not stated | Not mentioned for this tour |
Corso Italia in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Photo: Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Book It If, Skip It If
Book it if
- you want the cheapest of these coach days at $111 per person with free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- you are happy with 70 minutes in Cortina, 2 hours at Lake Misurina and 40 minutes at Auronzo Lake on a 10-hour day
- you travel without young children or a wheelchair and just need a year-round English-guided coach
Skip it if
- your child is under 6 years old, the minimum age for this tour
- you want fewer than 50 people and a printed 4 h of stop time, book the Dolomites Day Trip with Cortina and 2 Lakes instead
- you want a stop under the Three Peaks or at Lake Braies, book the Lake Braies and Tre Cime Minivan Trip
Pros and Cons
An honest read of this day against the other tours on the same routes.
What we genuinely like
- A low price of $111 per person for Cortina and two lakes in one day
- 2 hours at Lake Misurina, the longest single stop of the day and enough for lunch and a walk
- Runs year-round in any weather
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before and reserve now, pay later
- 4.7 rating from 1,087 reviews
The honest downsides
- Up to 50 people on one coach
- Only 70 minutes in Cortina d'Ampezzo
- No Tre Cime stop, no Rifugio Auronzo, no Lake Braies, and no Lake Landro
- Chairlift and boat only work from middle June through middle September, so much of the year the lake stop is a walk and lunch
- The operator runs the tour in any weather but accepts no responsibility for a poor experience in bad weather
- No hotel pickup and a Tronchetto meeting point at the edge of the city
Who it's NOT for: If you want fewer than 50 people, more time in Cortina or a stop under the Three Peaks, book the Dolomites Day Trip with Cortina and 2 Lakes instead, an 8-seat van with 4 h at the stops for $107.
Before You Go
A few practical points decide whether this coach day works for you. Season, money and the child rules are the main ones.
Season and Weather
The tour runs year-round and in any weather, and the operator states it is not responsible for a reduced experience in poor weather. The Misurina chairlift and boat rental only operate from middle June through middle September. Outside that window, your 2 hours at the lake are walking and lunch only.
Pack layers in any season, the lake sits at 1,756 m.
Money, Lunch and Cash
The tour price is $111 per person and covers the guide and coach only. Lunch at a Lake Misurina restaurant, the chairlift and boat rental are paid on the day. Prices in Italy are in euros, and 1 EUR = 1.1130 USD is the reference rate used on this page.
Food and drinks are not allowed in the vehicle.
Children, Bags and Access
Children under 6 cannot join, and every child needs their own ticket. Parents must bring their own child seat for children under 125 cm or booster seat for children under 150 cm, to the European norm UNI ECE R129. The driver and tour leader are not responsible for fitting them, that duty falls to the parents.
The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users. Bring comfortable shoes, and leave pets and food at your accommodation.
Source: Auronzo Misurina Tourism.
How the Tour Runs
The day is built around four stops on a fixed coach schedule. All times below are the stated stop times, and no clock times are published.
Meeting and Departure
You meet at Parcheggio bus turistici, sosta breve, Isola Nova del Tronchetto 311, Venice. There is no hotel pickup. Departure is in the morning, so check availability for the exact starting time on your date.
The coach takes about 1.5 hours to reach the first stop, a local cafe, where the group breaks for 20 minutes. From there the drive continues into the mountains.
The Stops in Order
After the cafe break the bus reaches Cortina d'Ampezzo for 70 minutes of free time, shopping and a walk along Corso Italia. The route then crosses the panoramic Passo Tre Croci road to Lake Misurina for 2 hours. The Three Peaks of Lavaredo are visible from the lake.
On the way back the coach stops 40 minutes at Auronzo Lake, where you can walk on the dam and sometimes see water rushing through the gates. The tour ends at the meeting point in Venice in the evening.
| Part of the tour | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Meet at Tronchetto bus parking | Morning, time not stated | Check availability for starting times |
| Drive to the cafe stop | About 1.5 hours | First leg out of Venice |
| Cafe break | 20 minutes | Local cafe on the way |
| Cortina d'Ampezzo | 70 minutes | Photo stop, free time, shopping, walk on Corso Italia |
| Lake Misurina | 2 hours | Walk, lunch, sightseeing, views of the Three Peaks |
| Auronzo Lake | 40 minutes | Photo stop, walk on the dam |
| Return to Venice | Evening, time not stated | Back at the meeting point |
Cortina d'Ampezzo on Video
A walk through Cortina d'Ampezzo, the first stop of this day. Third-party video by Vivid World Tours. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
What You See on This Day and What You Miss
This coach covers the headline sights of the eastern Dolomites. It does not cover everything the region is famous for, and it is worth knowing the gaps before booking.
What Is on the Route
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Lake Misurina and Lake Auronzo are all on the day. From Lake Misurina the Three Peaks of Lavaredo are in view, and the peaks are considered among the most striking rocks in the Dolomites. The Dolomites as a whole have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 26 June 2009.
Cortina itself sits about 162 km from Venice Marco Polo airport in the eastern Dolomites, close enough for a long day trip.
What You Miss and Why
The Three Peaks are seen from the lake, not walked. The tour does not use the Tre Cime toll road, so there is no stop at Rifugio Auronzo under the peaks. Lake Braies is not on this route at all.
Val Gardena and Alpe di Siusi lie in the western Dolomites and need a different base and a longer transfer.
- Want Braies and a Tre Cime viewpoint? Look at the Lake Braies and Tre Cime Minivan Trip.
- Want the same three stops with more time and 8 seats instead of 50? The Dolomites Day Trip with Cortina and 2 Lakes gives 4 h at the stops.
Source: Cortina Tourism.
The Stops on This Day Trip
Each stop comes with its own fee rules and season, even where the tour itself pays nothing. Here is what applies at each place and which other tours cover what this one leaves out.
Cortina D'Ampezzo
70 minutes of free time on Corso Italia. If you ever come without a tour, buses link Cortina with Venice: Cortina Express tickets start from $13.91 (€12.50) each way, and Cortina's bus terminal is at the Ice Stadium. The nearest railway stations are Calalzo, 35 km away, and Dobbiaco, 31 km away.
For more time here, the Dolomites Day Trip with Cortina and 2 Lakes is the small-group version of the same route.
Lake Misurina and the Col de Varda Chairlift
2 hours at the lake. In season the chairlift to the Col de Varda viewpoint runs 18 June to 20 September, with an adult return at $18.92 (€17), uphill only at $14.47 (€13), downhill only at $8.90 (€8) and a reduced return at $13.36 (€12). Children under 6 ride free.
Hours are 9:00-16:45, extended to 17:15 from 25 July to 30 August. None of this is in the tour price.
The Tre Cime View from the Lake
The Three Peaks of Lavaredo are admired from Lake Misurina. This tour does not drive the toll road to Rifugio Auronzo, so there is no fee and no reservation for you to worry about. If standing under the peaks matters to you, book a tour that goes there, such as the Lake Braies and Tre Cime Minivan Trip or the Dolomites and Cortina Small-Group Tour.
Auronzo Lake
A 40-minute photo stop at the end of the day. You can walk on the dam and sometimes see water rushing through the gates. No fee or rule is stated for this stop.
What About Lake Braies?
Lake Braies is not on this route, so its 2026 traffic rule does not affect your day. For context: from 1 July to 15 September, between 9:00 and 16:00, access to the lake is only by public transport, on foot, by bicycle, or with an online reservation or transit permit. A combined ticket at $48.97 (€44) buys a full-day transit permit, guaranteed parking and a $24.49 (€22) voucher for restaurants and shops.
Tours that go there include the Dolomites and Braies Lake Full-Day Tour.
Source: Cortina Tourism.
Tre Cime Without the Hike
You can see the Three Peaks on this tour without paying a toll or walking the loop. Here is what the alternatives cost and involve.
What This Tour Gives You
From Lake Misurina the Three Peaks of Lavaredo are in view for a full 2-hour stop, at no extra fee and with no reservation. For many travellers that view across the water is enough. This tour does not use the toll road, so it does not reach Rifugio Auronzo.
The Loop and the Road
The classic Tre Cime loop is under 10 km with 468 m of ascent and takes about 3.5 hours, which does not fit this day. Driving up to Rifugio Auronzo, about 6 km of road ending at 2,333 m, needs an online parking reservation tied to your number plate. The 2026 toll is $44.52 (€40) per car, $89.04 (€80) per bus up to 30 seats and $178.08 (€160) per bus over 30 seats.
A minivan tour that includes the viewpoint is the Lake Braies and Tre Cime Minivan Trip.
Shuttle Option
If you travel independently in summer, the Dolomiti Bus Tre Cime shuttle runs daily from 30 May 2026 from Misurina Genzianella to Rifugio Auronzo via Lago Antorno, at $11.13 (€10) per person for a day ticket. Cash is not accepted on the bus, so pay by app, contactless or at the machine in Misurina.
What Travelers Said
Shout out to our driver Nico! Best day yet of our vacation! Would highly recommend this day trip.
It was a nice escape from busy Venice to spend time in nature and in the mountains.
Thoroughly enjoyed by all in my group! Views were AMAZING!!
Marta and Nico were excellent. Would definitely recommend booking this activity
Questions About This Tour
How much does the best of the Dolomites mountains day trip cost?
It costs $111 per person and covers the English-speaking guide and coach transport only. Lunch, the chairlift and boat rental are extra. Compare it with other Dolomites day trips from Venice before booking.
How long are the stops?
About 3 h 50 min at the stops in total: 70 minutes in Cortina d'Ampezzo, 2 hours at Lake Misurina and 40 minutes at Auronzo Lake. The rest of the 10-hour day is the drive. The small-group version of this route gives 4 h at the stops.
Do you see the Tre Cime di Lavaredo?
Yes, from Lake Misurina, where the Three Peaks are in view during the 2-hour stop. The coach does not drive the toll road to Rifugio Auronzo. Tours that reach the viewpoint include the Lake Braies and Tre Cime Minivan Trip.
Is the chairlift to Col de Varda included?
No, the chairlift ticket is not included. It runs 18 June to 20 September at $18.92 (€17) adult return, payable at Misurina. Details are in the price coverage section.
What happens if the weather is bad?
The tour runs in any weather, but the operator states it is not responsible for a reduced experience in poor weather. You can still cancel free of charge up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, or look at a winter private option.
Can I bring my child?
Children under 6 cannot join. Older children need their own ticket, and parents must bring their own child seat under 125 cm or booster seat under 150 cm to the UNI ECE R129 norm. The rules are set out in the before you go section.
Where does the tour start?
At Parcheggio bus turistici, Isola Nova del Tronchetto 311, Venice, with no hotel pickup, departing in the morning. Some tours leave from Piazzale Roma instead, so check the Dolomites day trip from Venice comparison for start points.
Compare with
Lakes of the Dolomites Tour with Drone Video
Small group of up to 15 with a free drone video over Cortina and a Tibetan Bridge walk, at $111 from $123.
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- UltraRock
Dolomites Day Trip with Cortina and 2 Lakes
Longest stop is 2.25 hours at Lake Misurina plus an hour in Cortina, capped at 8 travelers per minivan.
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- Bea Vita Tours
Dolomites, Cortina & Three Peaks Day Trip
Large group coach day trip with a Lake Landro viewpoint stop for the Three Peaks and long free time at Lake Misurina and Cortina, without hiking to the peaks
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation 24h
- Operator
- VEDITALIA
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