Cortina d'Ampezzo itinerary: 1 to 2 days
Plans for one and two days in Cortina d'Ampezzo, day by day: the open-air WWI museum at the Cinque Torri with lunch at Rifugio Scoiattoli, the Tofana cable car, the basilica and Corso Italia first, then the Falzarego Pass, the Lagazuoi cable car and tunnels and the Giau Pass, and a second day at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo and Lake Misurina ending with an evening at the Enoteca Cortina, as you add a day. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 2 days
Cortina d'Ampezzo in 1 day
Day 1
Cinque Torri (open-air WWI museum)
Five rock towers above the Falzarego road, with restored First World War trenches and gun positions in an open-air museum.
Rifugio Scoiattoli
Mountain hut at the top of the Cinque Torri chairlift, with a sunny terrace for lunch or a drink facing the rock towers.
Tofana cable car (Freccia nel Cielo)
Cable car from the town towards the summit of Tofana di Mezzo, rising in stages to over 3,000 metres for views across the Dolomites.
Basilica of Saints Philip and James
Cortina's main church on Corso Italia, an eighteenth-century basilica with a tall bell tower that dominates the town's skyline.
Corso Italia and the town centre
Cortina's pedestrian main street of boutiques, cafes and the basilica, busiest during the early-evening stroll with the peaks behind.
Cortina d'Ampezzo in 2 days
Day 1
Falzarego Pass
High road pass west of Cortina below the Lagazuoi, where the cable car leaves, with wide views of the surrounding Dolomites.
Lagazuoi cable car and WWI tunnels
Cable car to the Lagazuoi summit and its rifugio, with views over the Dolomites and First World War tunnels dug through the mountain.
Cinque Torri (open-air WWI museum)
Five rock towers above the Falzarego road, with restored First World War trenches and gun positions in an open-air museum.
Rifugio Scoiattoli
Mountain hut at the top of the Cinque Torri chairlift, with a sunny terrace for lunch or a drink facing the rock towers.
Giau Pass
Grassy high pass south of Cortina facing the Ra Gusela and Nuvolau peaks, one of the finest roadside viewpoints in the Dolomites.
Day 2
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Three sheer limestone peaks north-east of Cortina, circled by a popular walk from Rifugio Auronzo that passes rifugi and WWI remains.
Lake Misurina
High mountain lake on the way back from the Tre Cime, ringed by peaks and an easy flat stroll for lunch by the water.
Tofana cable car (Freccia nel Cielo)
Cable car from the town towards the summit of Tofana di Mezzo, rising in stages to over 3,000 metres for views across the Dolomites.
Basilica of Saints Philip and James
Cortina's main church on Corso Italia, an eighteenth-century basilica with a tall bell tower that dominates the town's skyline.
Corso Italia and the town centre
Cortina's pedestrian main street of boutiques, cafes and the basilica, busiest during the early-evening stroll with the peaks behind.
Enoteca Cortina
Long-established wine bar in the town centre, a cosy place for a glass of wine and cheese and cold cuts after the mountains.
Watch: Cortina d'Ampezzo
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Cortina d'Ampezzo
Summer, from late June to mid-September, is the season for hiking, the high lifts and the WWI sites; August is the busiest month. Winter, from December to March, is ski season on the Dolomiti Superski slopes, and Cortina co-hosted the 2026 Winter Olympics. In May, early June, October and November many lifts, rifugi and hotels close between seasons.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Cortina d'Ampezzo on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Cortina d'Ampezzo on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Cortina d'Ampezzo on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Italy from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for Cortina d'Ampezzo
- The high cable cars and the chairlifts to the Cinque Torri and Lagazuoi run only in the summer and winter seasons; in late spring and late autumn many lifts and rifugi are closed.
- Go up early: clouds and afternoon thunderstorms often build over the Dolomites in summer, and the morning light on the peaks is clearest.
- The passes, the Cinque Torri and the Tre Cime are outside town; drive, or use the summer buses from Cortina's bus station, and expect busy parking in August. The last stretch to the Tre Cime is a toll road to Rifugio Auronzo.
- Bring a warm layer, good shoes and a head torch for the Lagazuoi WWI tunnels, which are steep, dark and cold even in July.
- Corso Italia is the place for the evening passeggiata and an aperitivo; stay in town and use it as a base for both days.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Basilica of Saints Philip and James: Dirgela, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cinque Torri (open-air WWI museum): Luca Sartoni from Vienna, Austria, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Corso Italia and the town centre: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Falzarego Pass: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Giau Pass: Frisia Orientalis, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lagazuoi cable car and WWI tunnels: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lake Misurina: User Giampaolo.Trapasso on it.wikipedia; Improved Version: User ThomasKloiber, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Tofana cable car (Freccia nel Cielo): 2015 Michael 2015, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Tre Cime di Lavaredo: Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
