Hiking the Tre Cime di Lavaredo

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The Tre Cime di Lavaredo, the “Three Peaks,” are the postcard of the Dolomites. My family has walked beneath them for more than 60 years, and they’re still the last day of our 6-day trip for a reason. Here’s everything you need to hike them well.

Quick Facts

• Distance: about 10 km (6 miles), a loop
• Climbing: about 350–400 m (1,100–1,300 ft)
• Time: 3–3.5 hours of walking, 4–5 hours with stops
• Start and finish: Rifugio Auronzo (2,320 m)
• Highest point: Forcella Lavaredo (2,454 m)
• Difficulty: moderate, with no technical sections on the standard loop
• Season: mid-June to mid-September

Meet the Three Peaks

From left to right as you see them from the north: Cima Ovest (2,973 m), Cima Grande (2,999 m) and Cima Piccola (2,857 m). From the south, where the trail starts, they look like one big wall. The magic happens when you walk around to the north side and the three towers suddenly stand apart.

The Loop, Step by Step

We walk it counterclockwise. The easy part comes first, and the famous view opens up just when you’ve earned it.

1. Rifugio Auronzo to Rifugio Lavaredo (about 30 minutes). A wide, almost flat gravel track under the south faces. A good warm-up.
2. Up to Forcella Lavaredo (2,454 m). The one real climb of the day: short and steep. At the top, the north faces appear all at once. This is the moment everyone comes for.
3. On to Rifugio Locatelli (2,405 m). The classic Tre Cime view, with Monte Paterno and its war tunnels right beside the hut, and the small Laghi dei Piani lakes below.
4. Down to Malga Langalm (2,232 m). A quieter stretch through meadows, and our favorite place for a slow lunch.
5. Back to Auronzo over Forcella del Col di Mezzo (2,254 m). A gentle finish with views across to the jagged Cadini di Misurina.

The War in the Rocks

From 1915 to 1917, the front line between Italy and Austria-Hungary ran right through these mountains. You’ll walk past trenches, dugouts and stone shelters, and the slopes of Monte Paterno and Sasso di Sesto are cut with tunnels dug by soldiers. It’s hard to imagine fighting a war at this altitude, through the winters, and walking here makes you think about it.

A note on the tunnels: the passages through Monte Paterno are a via ferrata route and need a helmet, a headlamp and proper equipment. The standard loop doesn’t go through them.

Getting There in 2026

• Toll road: the road from Misurina up to Rifugio Auronzo needs an online reservation. In 2026 it cost €40 per car, parking included, for a 12-hour time slot. No reservation means no entry.
• Shuttle bus: also needs to be booked ahead in peak season.
• On foot: you can hike up from the Misurina area or Lago d’Antorno and skip the road entirely.

The rules change almost every year, so check the official booking site before you go.

Local Tips

• Go early or go late. Arrive before 8:00–8:30 in summer, or come in the late afternoon when the day-trippers leave.
• See it at sunrise if you can. If you sleep at a hut nearby, the first light on the north faces is unforgettable.
• Watch for June snow. Forcella Lavaredo can hold snow into June. Check conditions before you go.
• Start early on summer days. Afternoon thunderstorms are common in July and August.
• Pick a weekday. Late August and early September weekdays are the sweet spot. Read more in the best time to visit the Dolomites.

The Tre Cime on Our Trip

The Tre Cime are the finale of our 6-day hut-to-hut trip. After a quiet, wild day around Croda dei Toni, we start early, catch the sunrise, and walk toward the Three Peaks past the remains of the war. We handle the timing, the bookings and the logistics, so all you have to do is look up.

See the 2027 departure dates →

I’ve seen the Tre Cime more times than I can count, and the north faces at sunrise still stop me in my tracks.