Day Trips From Cortina d'Ampezzo
How far the classic day trips actually are from Cortina in drive time and bus connections, from Lago di Braies to Bolzano, and which ones need a car.
Reviewed by the Cortina Compass desk
Last verified on foot: March 2026 How we research
Cortina works as a base partly because so much of the region sits within a couple of hours of it. The catch is that all of those hours are on mountain roads, and a plan that looks like two easy outings on a map turns into a day mostly spent driving.
One trip per day, not two
Pick one destination, leave early, and be home for a proper dinner. The valley roads are slow, beautiful and full of people doing exactly what you are doing.
The day trips, ranked by distance
Lago di Misurina
25km, 35 min drive, also reachable by SAD bus 30/31
Lago di Braies
40km, 50 min drive, no direct bus, needs an early start for parking
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
55km, ~55 min plus the toll road, best done as a full day
Bolzano
75km, 1h15 drive, worth a full day for the Ötzi museum and old town
Ortisei / Val Gardena
65km, ~1h drive via Passo Gardena, a full ski or cable-car day
Distances and driving times
How far is realistically far
Kilometres are meaningless here. A pass road with hairpins and camper vans runs at a fraction of the speed the distance suggests, and the popular car parks fill long before mid-morning in summer.
Getting there and back
Leaving before seven changes everything: parking, light, and the number of people in your photographs. Leaving at nine means queueing for the same views.
Where a shuttle or an access restriction exists, use it. It is almost always faster than trying to outwit it.
The trips worth the drive
The famous ones deserve their reputation and their crowds. The less obvious valleys give you a quieter day and a shorter drive, which on a week-long trip is often the better bargain.
If I had one day
My call
Do Tre Cime and Lago di Misurina as a single combined day rather than two separate trips — they share the same SR48 approach road and splitting them wastes a return drive.
Tolls, parking, tickets
€30–50 a day covers parking machines, small huts and tips.
Long lunch closure, late reopening, quiet Sundays out of season.
Tables turn late; 19:30 is early by local standards.
Alternate ambitious outdoor days with gentle valley time.
Day-trip miscalculations
Two headline destinations in one day. Ignoring pass closures in the shoulder seasons. And arriving at a paid car park with no cash.
Frequently asked questions
Which day trip is easiest without a car?
Lago di Misurina, served directly by SAD bus lines 30/31 from Cortina's bus station in about 40 minutes.
Can I do Lago di Braies as a day trip without driving?
It's possible via a bus change at Dobbiaco, but it's slow — most car-free visitors join an organised shuttle instead.
Is Bolzano worth the drive for a day?
Yes if you want city life and the Ötzi Iceman museum, but budget the full 1h15 each way and treat it as a dedicated day, not an add-on.
What's the earliest I should leave for Tre Cime?
By 07:30 in July-August — the Rifugio Auronzo car park regularly fills before 09:00.
Is Ortisei a good day trip or better as an overnight?
A day trip works for the cable cars and village, but many visitors end up wishing they'd stayed a night for the Alpe di Siusi at sunset.
The best day trip from Cortina is usually the nearest one you have not done yet. Save the long drives for clear forecasts and early alarms.
Sources & further reading
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