Hi there,
I’d like to spend a week in the Dolomites (4 days of trekking and a few day hikes). Unfortunately, it’ll be in August (no choice). My questions are:
- For a first time in the Dolomites, which 4-day trek should I pick? I’d love the most spectacular and varied landscapes possible. Around 1,000m elevation gain per day.
- Is it busier the first or last week of August?
- Will it still feel "quiet" while hiking? Not like a conga line in August...?
Hi Christophe,
I’ve been to the Dolomites twice: in 2021 in Trentino and in 2025 in Veneto. Always in September. I might publish a travel journal about the 2025 trip in January.
Regarding crowds during the first or last week of August: I don’t know.
As for hiking in single file, that wouldn’t bother me much. The sections near big roadside parking lots aren’t the main part of a trek anyway.
However, finding refuge accommodations that match your trek stages in August could be tricky (that’s just my impression—I don’t have firsthand experience). Also, in the Dolomites, bivouacking is sometimes allowed (tolerated) and sometimes forbidden, depending on the area, and it’s not easy to know where. For example, it’s banned in a zone around the Cinque Torri (I don’t know the exact boundaries). I only found this out while doing a day hike there.
Here’s what I did in 2021 in Trentino:
C14S Caoria - Passo Rolle
C15S Passo Rolle - Passo San Pellegrino
C16S Passo San Pellegrino - Rifugio Contrin
C17S Rifugio Contrin - Rifugio Marmolada Pian di Fedaia
To see what this looks like, search for "CAI Sentiero Italia" or go to the website
sentieroitalia.cai.it.
Then go to "tappe" (stages), then select the region: in this case, Trentino. You’ll find the Sentiero Italia stages with details (distance, elevation gain, a brief description, and a GPX track). What I did was a 4-day trek, but I broke it into day hikes with my own custom split.
For 2025 in Veneto (select the Veneto region):
B01 Rifugio Marmolada Pian di Fedaia - Arabba
B02 Arabba - Pralongia
B03 Pralongia - Rifugio Lagazuoi
B04 Rifugio Lagazuoi - Albergo Rifugio Ospitale
B05 partial: Albergo Rifugio Ospitale to Passo Tre Croci
This was a 4.5-day trek plan. I completed B01 and B02, then left the Dolomites for 4 days (bad weather). When I returned, I did day hikes instead of B03 and B04.
If the weather had cooperated, I would’ve done what I did in Trentino: a custom day-hike split (which I did for B01 and B02).
Here are two options—I don’t want to give formal advice.
The most famous and popular trek is the "Alta Via delle Dolomiti No. 1." It takes 9 or 11 days (I can’t remember). Many people do the northern section (from Lago di Braies southward), which brings you near the Cinque Torri in about 4 days.
Alternatively, you can design your own trek outside of the marked routes. For example, you could go from Cortina d’Ampezzo to Lago d’Alleghe with some detours (about 4 days in Veneto).
In September, the crowds were light in Trentino (2021). Around Arabba, it was quiet, but near Cortina d’Ampezzo, it was noticeably busier (2025).
If you have any other questions or need more details, don’t hesitate!
Hi "Valmichel",
sorry, I didn’t see that I’d gotten your reply.
A huge thank you for your super detailed and really helpful answer!
I’ll take a closer look at all of this as soon as I can!
One little question: you mentioned having to abandon part of the trek because of the weather. From what I’ve read, I got the impression that the weather in August is pretty predictable—sunny in the morning and storms rolling in during the afternoon. Was that more or less your experience, or can you also get full days of rain, and that’s what made you give up on part of the trek?
Thanks in advance for your feedback... or anyone else’s!
Hi Christophe,
I did specify that both my trips were in September.
In 2025, it started raining on Tuesday, September 9th around noon.
It rained non-stop until Wednesday the 10th in the morning when I left.
The forecast predicted rain all day, followed by very unsettled weather until Saturday. So, it’s possible to have 4 and a half days of continuous bad weather in September.
The following week (from Sunday to Saturday), however, was very sunny except for one day.
I read the same thing as you about the weather in August.
When you set dates several months in advance, you can get the usual weather, better... or worse. Especially in the mountains. You just have to deal with it.
I was lucky to be in the area for a long time, so I could leave and then come back.
Thanks again so much for this follow-up answer.
I’ve booked my trek (via Alta Via 1). We’ll be getting up early to avoid the crowds and the afternoon storms. And we’re keeping our fingers crossed for the weather ;-)
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Elocine
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We wish you happy holidays and a fantastic 2026, full of discoveries!
Claire and Albert
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