Exploring Lake Garda and the Italian Dolomites

As we’ve traveled more and more, we’ve begun to actively seek out destinations that offer dramatic scenery and views at every turn paired with the perfect balance of adventure and relaxation. I joke that I’m a vacation hiker, but the reality is, it’s somewhat true. I bought hiking boots for our fall 2024 trip to Peru and that was the first and last time I wore them before dusting them off to pack for our trip to the Dolomites!

I’ve saved hikes and hotels in the Dolomites on my social media for years and when we decided to book a September trip to commemorate our 14th wedding anniversary, I decided it was finally time to see this stunning region of Italy with my own eyes!

The Dolomites are incredibly vast, so depending on how long you plan to visit, you may want to focus on either the eastern or western portion of the area. We chose to center our vacation on the western Dolomites given its proximity to Lake Garda, where we wanted to visit first and the ability to take a direct flight from Boston to Milan. Despite only traveling to one part of the Dolomites, there was still a significant amount of driving that occurred both to and from our hotels, as well as to get to each scenic spot or hike. You will definitely want to rent a car to maximize your ability to explore the area and set your own pace for sightseeing. Trust me, you will want to pull over at every turn!

We began our trip with a stay in Gargnano, a quaint lakeside town on Lago di Garda. We chose the Lefay Resort & Spa as our first hotel because of its sweeping views and mountainside vantage point of the lake and mountains. The hotel is very focused on wellness, so we made sure to enjoy two of their signature spa treatments while on property. The spa area boasts a fantastic assortment of sauna and meditation rooms as well as an adjoining indoor/outdoor heated pool and nearby infinity pool. We enjoyed relaxing in all of these areas during our stay and it was the perfect way to adjust to the time change and recover from our journey.

During our stay in Lake Garda, we booked a sunset boat ride with Gargnano Boat Charters. The boat took us around the western side of the lake past quaint towns and Isola del Garda, a privately own castle! We always love being on the water and it offers a fantastic way to see a destination from a new perspective.

For our trip to the Dolomites, I was very torn between two hotels – Forestis and Adler Lodge Alpe, so we ended up booking both and splitting up our stay between them. This actually ended up being a fantastic decision, as they were very different from one another, but each offered something incredibly special and unique.

Forestis is next level. From the exceptional service to the breathtaking views, I was left speechless. We have been to our fair share of very nice hotels and I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a harsh critic when it comes to hospitality. It takes a lot to “wow” me and Forestis did just that. The move here is to book one of their tower suites — and if you can put in a request, room 392 was ours and it was spectacular. It was on the highest level of the first tower, which meant we had unobstructed views of the mountains as well as the property down below. I felt like we were in the clouds!

Since many of the best hotels in the Dolomites are in remote locations, they offer an all inclusive package, as there are not nearby restaurants. After a long day of hiking and exploring, it’s nice just to relax on property. The food and cocktails at Forestis were delicious. We experienced fantastic mixology and gastronomy paired with top-notch service and unmatched ambiance (the dining room is set up like an amphitheater with everyone’s table facing outward toward the mountains!).

The spa at Forestis is also highly regarded and we loved our couples’ massage paired with hours of relaxation in the spa area and indoor/outdoor heated pool.

Our second hotel, the Adler Lodge Alpe, was situated in the heart of Alpe di Suisi, the largest and highest alpine meadow. Unless you are staying at one of the few properties in the meadow, cars are not permitted, so it makes the area incredibly peaceful and serene. Think of miles of green grass, cows and horses roaming freely, and mountains surrounding you!

The lodge featured cozy outdoor fires, wood paneling throughout, and the melodic sound of cow bells serenading you. This was another all-inclusive package. The food and cocktails were also great at this hotel and we loved sitting outside by the fire for our nightly apertivo! They focused their nightly menus on local ingredients and cuisine, which I loved.

One of the hotel’s best amenities was its complimentary e-bikes! We took these out twice during our stay and both of us said it was a highlight of the trip. We rode the bikes through the beautiful Alpe di Suisi, up and down rolling hills and through remote meadow paths filled with wild flowers and grazing farm animals.

Outdoor activities and jaw dropping views abound in the Dolomites! It’s hard to know what to see and where to start. During our stay at Forestis, we focused on Val di Funes, given its proximity to the hotel. Here we did a portion of the Adolf Munkl hike, ending at Dusler Alm for lunch with a view. I tried the Canederli, a traditional dish of cheese dumplings! Be forewarned that parking fills up early in the day for the most desirable hikes, so come early or be open to pivoting your plan (we did the latter which still afforded us great views and exercise)!

Seceda is one of the most well-known scenic spots in the Dolomites and after visiting, we can see why. There are a few different ways to visit, hiking or taking cable cars, or some combination of the two. You can book the cable car tickets online in advance, which will save you time upon arrival. For roundtrip tickets, it was around 100 euro.

Seceda offers unmatched 360 degree panoramic views. For reference, at the highest lookout point, you are at 8,200 feet above sea level. I didn’t have altitude sickness here but you are certainly up there! The weather in the Dolomites is fickle. Every day brought sun, clouds, fog, and sometimes even rain, so it made our sightseeing a longer adventure, as we would often wait out the weather, hoping the sun would come out. Our trip to Seceda would be a great example of that waiting game! The pictures we took during our 1-2 hour visit show the progression of the weather perfectly…and wow, when the sun shined and the clouds cleared, it was truly spectacular and worth the wait! If you’re visiting Seceda, stop at Battia Sofie for a snack and drinks! It has unbelievable views and is the perfect spot for a post-hike fuel up.

The Gardena Pass is a scenic drive located about 30-40 minutes from Seceda, so they are easy to pair together. Winding narrow roads, dramatic valleys, and spectacular mountain ranges make it an epic, albeit, harrowing drive!

While Lago di Braies was on my list of places to visit, its location was too far east to make sense to drive to during this trip, so instead, we visited Lago di Carezza. Known as the “rainbow lake”, Lago di Carezza is the most striking green, turquoise hue! There is plenty of parking nearby and it is an easy 20-minute walk around the lake, enabling you to capture gorgeous photos at different vantage points.

The Dolomites look like a postcard! Every place we visited was more beautiful than the last and the journey to get to them was just as enchanting! If you enjoy outdoor activities, dramatic scenery, spas/wellness, exciting drives, and being in nature, this vacation is for you. We will definitely be back and can’t wait to explore more of this beautiful region.

Helpful notes:

• Make sure you – or someone in your party – feels comfortable driving narrow, winding, steep roads as that’s the name of the game in the Dolomites!
• While the Dolomites are in Italy, it often feels more German and Austrian given its proximity to those countries. You will hear a mix of these languages being spoken and notice the influence in the area’s architecture, cuisine, and style.
• Pack layers! The weather changes very frequently and you want to be prepared. Beyond sunscreen, hiking shoes/boots, and hats, make sure to bring a raincoat-windbreaker, long pants and shorts, and plenty of separates that you can add or shed as the weather fluctuates.
• Bring euros to pay for meals (and bathrooms) on your hikes. There are fantastic mountain huts along most of the major hikes or at scenic points and they serve authentic delicious cuisine, but take cash only.
• Consider emergency evacuation insurance. The area is fairly remote and on many of the hikes, you are “out there”. I have only bought this insurance for our Sahara Desert and Machu Picchu trips, but in hindsight, I should have purchased it for this one, too, as it’s better to be safe than sorry!