Veneto & South Tyrol

Ultimate Dolomites Road Trip – Venice Circular

Dolomites – Venice Circular

7 days~720 kmCalculating… drivingCircular route

Venice to Venice: east, north, west and south of the Dolomites without retracing a road.

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Love the route? Change your starting point, adjust the duration and personalise the journey to suit your adventure.

Your Road Trip

Venice Marco Polo AirportVenice Marco Polo Airport

7 days · Circular

About this route

One airport. One hire car. One incredible circular road trip. Fly to Venice Marco Polo (VCE), collect your car and head straight into the mountains: Cortina and Tre Cime in the east, Lago di Braies and Val di Funes in the north, Seceda and Alpe di Siusi in Val Gardena, then the great passes of Sella and Fedaia before dropping back south to Venice. Because you pick up and return the car at the same airport, there are no one-way rental fees — and the route never drives back over the same roads.

Fly & DriveMountain passesHikingLakesCable carsCouplesFamilies

One airport. One hire car. One incredible circular road trip.

Fly to Venice → collect your hire car → complete the Dolomites circuit → return the car to Venice. A same-airport return avoids the one-way charges you'd pay dropping the car elsewhere, and the loop sees the east, north, west and south of the range without retracing its steps.

Arrive and depart: Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE).
Car hire pickup and return: Venice Marco Polo Airport.
A compact, standard, automatic or electric car is ideal — an SUV is not needed on the paved Dolomites roads.
An automatic makes the hairpins and hill starts far easier if you don't drive manual often.

Day by day

Land at Venice Marco Polo (VCE), collect your hire car and drive north on the A27 past Belluno into the Cadore valley — about 2 hours. Stretch your legs at Pieve di Cadore if you like, then settle into Cortina.

Roads: A27 · SS51 Alemagna

Liridon · CC BY-SA 4.0
Pieve di Cadore & Lago di Centro CadoreOptional detour~45 min
Titian's birthplace above a long reservoir — a relaxed first leg-stretch on the way up from Venice.
kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cortina d'AmpezzoRecommended~120 min
The grand old Dolomite resort and your two-night base for the eastern Dolomites.

Open Park4Night

Kept deliberately light for arrival day.
EV: charge near the airport before leaving — the climb to Cortina is steady.

Weather on this route

Starting

High passes (Sella, Gardena, Fedaia) can close temporarily after snowfall, most often outside June–September. Alternatives are given on each day. Dates beyond the 16-day forecast window show a seasonal outlook.

Weather along the way

Checking the forecast for your dates…

Approximate costs

Indicative totals for 7 days, 2 adults. Fuel is based on the live route distance.

Budget

€750–€1,500

Accommodation€270–€480
Food & drink€210–€350
Attractions & activities€70–€210
Fuel€90–€130
Tolls€15–€40
Parking€70–€280

Comfort

€1,550–€2,700

Accommodation€700–€1,150
Food & drink€420–€700
Attractions & activities€210–€420
Fuel€90–€130
Tolls€15–€40
Parking€70–€280

Premium

€2,900–€5,100

Accommodation€1,450–€2,400
Food & drink€850–€1,400
Attractions & activities€420–€850
Fuel€90–€130
Tolls€15–€40
Parking€70–€280

The A27 motorway between Venice and Belluno is tolled; the mountain passes generally are not.
Cable cars are a significant cost if you use several — budget separately.
Returning the car to the same airport avoids one-way rental fees.
Estimates only — Roadly never quotes live prices.

Optional detours

Passo Giau from Cortina

On Day 2, hikers with energy left can loop over Passo Giau's 29 hairpins (about 1 hr 30 min round trip). Not recommended in long vehicles.

Adds about 1.5 hours

Extend the trip

Extend Your Adventure – Venice

After returning the hire car at the airport, add 1–2 nights in Venice: St Mark's Square, the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge, and a lagoon boat to Murano and Burano. Take the water bus or airport bus into the city — never drive into central Venice.

Adds 1–2 nights (no car needed)

Who this route suits

Families

good

Excellent for active families, with cable cars doing the hard work.

· Alpe di Siusi and Seceda give high-mountain scenery with only gentle walking.
· Lakes at Braies, Misurina and Alleghe are easy, short and rewarding.
· The arrival drive is a manageable 2 hours — good after a flight with children.
· Long hairpin days can be uncomfortable for children prone to travel sickness.

Campervans

moderate

Very drivable in a compact campervan; harder in anything long.

· Good campsites around Cortina, Dobbiaco, Val di Funes, Val Gardena, Canazei and Alleghe.
· The Tre Cime toll road has vehicle-size rules and charges — check current limits.
· Passo Sella and Passo Fedaia are steep and narrow in places; take them slowly.
· Overnighting outside campsites and official sostas is generally not permitted in the protected areas — don't assume you can stop anywhere.

Motorhomes

challenging

Possible for experienced drivers, but several passes are uncomfortable in a large motorhome.

· Passo Fedaia's eastern ramp is steep — use the Pordoi–Arabba alternative in a long vehicle.
· Trailhead car parks are often too small for motorhomes in high season.
· Base yourself in valley campsites and use buses and cable cars to reach the honeypots.

Electric vehicles

The Venice circular makes EV planning simple: charge at or near Venice airport before setting off, and top up overnight in Cortina, Val di Funes / Val Gardena and Alleghe. Mountain climbs use far more energy than flat-road range suggests, so charge before the pass days (Day 2 Tre Cime road, Day 6 Sella and Fedaia) and keep a backup charger in mind. Regenerative braking recovers a useful amount on the long descents back towards Venice.

· A27 motorway tolls apply between Venice and Belluno on Days 1 and 7.
· Expect paid parking at popular trailheads, plus a toll on the Tre Cime access road — check current prices.
· Refuel or charge before returning the hire car — airport fuel stations are expensive.

Practical travel notes

Arrival airport: Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE).
Departure airport: Venice Marco Polo Airport (VCE) — the same airport, so this is a true circular fly-drive.
Car hire: Pick up and return at Venice Marco Polo Airport. Compact, standard, automatic and electric cars all suit the route; an SUV isn't necessary on normal paved roads.
Driving side: Right.
Currency: Euro (EUR).
Road type: Fast motorway from Venice to Belluno, then excellent mountain roads with relentless hairpins. Journey times are far longer than distances suggest.
Access restrictions: Lago di Braies and the Tre Cime toll road restrict access at peak times in summer. The Alpe di Siusi plateau road is closed to private cars during the day in season — use the cable car from Ortisei or Siusi.
Limited traffic zones: Never drive into central Venice — it's car-free. Some Italian town centres also have ZTL camera zones; park outside them.
Campervans: Use campsites or official sostas; overnighting on passes and at trailheads is generally prohibited. Check Park4Night and local signage before stopping.
Mountain roads: Use low gears on descents; passes are shared with cyclists and motorcyclists.

Roadly tips

· Reach Lago di Braies and Tre Cime before 8am in summer — after that, both access and parking get difficult.
· Make Seceda your signature morning: first cable car up, before the cloud builds.
· Plan roughly 30–40 km/h average on pass roads when estimating your own timings.
· Book the return flight with at least 3 hours between leaving Alleghe and take-off — the drive is about 2 hr 15 min.
· Keep one flexible afternoon — weather here turns fast.

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Highlights

Tiia Monto · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tre Cime di Lavaredo
The three towers. Relaxed: walk the flat first stretch to Rifugio Lavaredo (about 1 hr return). Hiking: the full 10km loop from Rifugio Auronzo (3–4 hrs).
Gabriel Marchionni · CC BY-SA 3.0
Lago di Braies
The turquoise lake with the wooden boathouse. Allow a proper morning: the 3.5km shoreline loop, a rowing boat and coffee by the water.
Eric Kilby · CC BY-SA 2.0
Val di Funes (Santa Maddalena)
The much-photographed church and meadows below the Odle peaks — best in the late afternoon and early morning.
H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0
Seceda
The signature experience of the trip: the Ortisei–Furnes–Seceda cable cars lift you to the tilted Odle ridge. Allow half a day — easy ridge viewpoints at the top, or hike down via Rifugio Firenze or the Pieralongia meadows.
This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder . Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a message . This image is not in the public domain . Please r · CC BY-SA 3.0
Alpe di Siusi / Seiser Alm
Europe's largest high-altitude meadow. Families: flat paths to Compatsch and the Sassolungo viewpoints. Hikers: loop towards Rifugio Molignon or up to the Sciliar. Photographers: sunrise at the meadow huts.
This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder . Feel free to use my photos, but please mention me as the author and send me a message . This image is not in the public domain . Please r · CC BY-SA 3.0
Passo Sella
The pass between the Sella and Sassolungo massifs, with roadside viewpoints and short walks.
kallerna · CC BY-SA 4.0
Cortina d'Ampezzo
The grand old Dolomite resort and your two-night base for the eastern Dolomites.
User Giampaolo.Trapasso on it.wikipedia ; Improved Version: User ThomasKloiber · CC BY-SA 3.0
Lago di Misurina
A lake with a full-frontal view of Sorapis and the road up to Tre Cime — an easy flat loop for relaxed travellers.

Best time to go

bestgoodpossiblechallenging

High passes (Sella, Gardena, Fedaia) can close temporarily after snowfall, most often outside June–September. Alternatives are given on each day.
Cable cars (Seceda, Alpe di Siusi, Marmolada) run seasonal timetables — check current opening times and prices before relying on one.
Lago di Braies and the Tre Cime toll road operate seasonal access restrictions and booking systems in summer; check the current rules before travelling.