The Atlas Expeditions

The Dolomites are having a major moment right now, so finding truly off the beaten path spots can be tough. But the second you set foot here, it’s easy to understand what the hype is all about. This has easily been one of my favorite trips with kids – the hikes are incredible, the food (and wine) delicious, and the alpine lakes look straight out of a postcard. And then there are the views… those dramatic mountain peaks that manage to make every backdrop feel oh so magical.

The Dolomites stretch across northeastern Italy in a spectacular landscape of jagged limestone peaks, green alpine valleys, and crystal-clear lakes. Part of the Italian Alps and recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this region is famous for its dramatic mountain scenery that changes color at sunrise and sunset, a phenomenon called enrosadira, in which the mountain peaks form a gorgeous hued pink, which my kids likened to ‘cotton candy’.

If you’re into history, there are several fascinating sites throughout the region that bring the area’s WWI past to life. You can explore interactive exhibits detailing the battles fought between the Austro-Hungarian and Italian forces high in these mountain passes, along with preserved trenches, barracks, and open-air museums.

And of course, the Dolomites are famous for their many via ferratas – Italian for “iron way.” Originally built during WWI, these routes used fixed iron cables and ladders carved into the rock to help troops and supplies move through the rugged mountain passes. Today, they’ve become a bucket list adventure for thrill seekers, who clip in and climb their way along the dramatic cliff faces, with equal parts adrenaline and fantastic views.

If you’re traveling with older, adventurous kids – or visiting the region without kids at all – via ferrata hikes might be right up your alley. But for my 5 and 7-year-olds, they were definitely not in the cards for this trip.

I’ve found that most every destination leaves me with a reason to return, and for me, the Dolomites are calling me back for future hut to hut hikes and via ferratas once my boys are older. For now though, with younger kids, the winning formula was shorter day hikes that ended with a reward: a mountain restaurant, a playground, or an alpine lake perfect for splashing around in.

Since the Dolomites cover such a large region, picking one area to base yourself in can make your trip feel a whole lot more manageable – especially since many of the popular hiking spots are surprisingly far apart. For this trip, we chose to stay in Bressanone because it offered a great balance of affordability, convenience, and easy access to the northern Dolomites.

Located just off the highway, Bressanone felt authentic and lived-in rather than overly touristy, while still being within easy driving distance to the hikes and sights we planned for the trip. 

Now onto some of our favorite family friendly summer spots in the Dolomites!

Seceda is one of the most iconic viewpoints in the Dolomites, famous for its ridgeline of jagged peaks rising dramatically above green rolling alpine meadows.

Perched above the villages of Ortisei and Santa Cristina in Val Gardena, Seceda is easily accessible by cable car, making it a fantastic option for families who want to experience dramatic mountain scenery without committing to a long, strenuous hike. As a bonus, there’s a small playground at the top of the cable car for your littles!

If you’re feeling up for it, you can take the cable car 1-way and hike down to the village of Ortesei, passing through green pastures, wildflowers, and traditional mountain huts that serve up some delicious local specialties. Most downhill routes will clock in at about 6 miles.

As of 2026, the cost for the cable car from the village of Ortesei up to Seceda costs 37 Euro for a round trip and 25 Euro for uphill only. More specific details can be found here at the official Seceda cable car website.

The hike to Geisler Alm is one of the most rewarding family friendly hikes in the Dolomites — and my favorite hike of this particular trip. The trail is flat, short and manageable enough that kids don’t get whiny (you know what I’m talking about). There’s something for everyone at the end of this hike that includes a well placed mountain meadow hut with phenomenal views of the Odle Mountains. Oh, and did I mention the alpine playground? 

For this hike, you can start at the Zan parking lot, which costs under 10 euros to park for the day. The trail then winds along the Adolf-Munkel-Weg where forests, flower-filled meadows, and traditional farm pastures are the name of the game before opening up to dramatic views of the jagged Odle peaks….which do not disappoint!

The trip from Zan parking lot to Giesler Alm is roughly 6 miles round trip as an out and back hike. If you plan to hike this route: From the parking lot take trail 6 until it meets with Adolf-Munkel-Weg (trail 35) which you follow for the majority of the hike until you reach trail 36/36A to the Giesler Alm.

The hike is pretty flat and very manageable for families with young kids and offers plenty of spots to stop and enjoy the scenery along the way. At the end, Geisler Alm welcomes hikers with a cozy mountain atmosphere, panoramic terraces, and classic South Tyrolean dishes that make the hike feel especially worthwhile, while the alpine playground is the true motivator for most kids.

My spouse and I enjoyed aperol spritzers on the patio of the Giesler Alm while watching our kids play on the playground, with the Odle peaks towering majestically above, some distance behind them. Lunch here was fantastic, and the presentation with various fresh flowers felt like the dishes were crafted with care and attention to detail. My spouse also enjoyed their free schnapps cupboard, for a quick shot, before our return hike back!

I recommend planning your hike to arrive at the opening time of Gielser Alm, as it does get busy. This ensures you can snag one of those coveted outdoor patio seats with views of both the playground and the stunning mountains beyond the Alm, without having to wait.

For some kid friendly fun, head to Plose mountain for mountain roller coasters, downhill mountain carts, marble runs, play areas and a dedicated kids hike. Adults will enjoy the vista of the sharp peaks just beyond the forested horizon. If your kids are slightly older and enjoy mountain biking, Plose is your spot.

My kids enjoyed watching people bike the ‘O’ while we snacked on a delicious charcuterie board of local cheeses and meats at one of the many restaurant sprinkled around the mountain paths.

Since we were staying in Bressanone, our accommodation included a free cable car ride up to Plose thanks to the town’s guest card program. It’s definitely worth checking with your hotel when you book, as many towns in the region offer similar passes that can include perks like free or discounted cable car rides, entry to swimming pools, museums, and other local attractions.

To reach Plose mountain, take the Plose Cable Car. For specific planning, make sure to check out the Plose website here.

We loved the dedicated kids’ hike, “Woody’s Walk” – a 3.5-mile trail filled with interactive play structures along the way that kept the kids fully engaged. This is also where we came across the most impressive marble run we’ve seen in Europe so far (and trust me, my kids have done their fair share of them!).

If you’re not familiar with marble run hikes, here’s how they work: at the start of the trail, you buy a small wooden marble from a vending machine – usually for just a couple of euros. Kids then carry their marble along the hike, stopping at a series of handcrafted wooden tracks, ramps, and contraptions scattered throughout the trail. At each station, they drop in their marble and watch it twist, spin, race, tumble and even jump its way through the run. The creativity and engineering behind the various installations never fails to captivate our kids – and let’s be honest, the adults too.

Plan to buy a marble there – these are not the tiny glass marbles your grandma kept in an old tin we’re talking about here. These marble runs use large wooden balls, often different sizes depending on the course design.

Fun fact: Before our first marble-run hike in Switzerland, I proudly packed a few marbles from home after reading about the trail online. My spouse got a good laugh when we arrived and realized everyone else was carrying oversized wooden balls instead of what we thought of as marbles.

For this particular hike, the marble vending machine is located at the playground near the mountain station at the top of the cable car.

Near the mountain station you’ll find the mountain roller coaster, Plosebob. It’s fast, smooth, and a bit more modern than many alpine coasters, which makes it extra fun (and maybe slightly more exhilarating than expected)!

Kids ages 4–11 ride together with an adult, which turns into a thrilling shared adventure and a pretty great memory-maker. We’ve made it a bit of a tradition to ride every mountain coaster we come across on our travels, and this one definitely landed near the top of our favorites list.

If you’d rather skip the cable car ride down, you can rent a mountain cart and race your way down the mountain instead. We didn’t try this activity ourselves since we had our dog with us, but it honestly looked like a lot of fun.

We originally planned to visit Cinque Torri for interactive hiking trails and fascinating WWI history, but on the way stopped at The Museum of the Great War in Cortina d’Ampezzo and ended up changing plans.

Instead of continuing on, we explored the fortifications just outside the museum grounds, which gave us a surprisingly immersive look at the area’s wartime past. The museum itself is housed in a former Austro-Hungarian fort and does a powerful job showcasing what life was like for soldiers stationed in these mountains.

Following the museum visit, we wandered downhill to explore the outpost remains. My kids appreciated running along the stone trenches, and exploring the various shacks that once made up command headquarters, infirmary, dormitories and the like.

An especially loud marmot, perched on his rock, also caught their attention. Meanwhile, I was ecstatic to come across naturally growing Edelweiss flowers (Edelweiss signify courage and love). Edelweiss grow in the high alps and are the official flower of Austria. On our exit, we learned the name of the area was the Edelweiss Position, which felt like a fitting name for the Austrian soldiers that once occupied this outpost.

You can check out more about the museum at their official website here. The website also discusses various historical hikes in the area, including Cinque Torri if you’re interested in more historical hikes in the Dolomites.

Another easy kid friendly hike is the stunning walk around Lake Braies. The glacier water, towering mountains, and charming wooden paddle boats make this lake quite the romantic spot. Every turn around the lake, opens to a new, and equally stunning perspective.

Lake Braies is a very popular location, and road access is limited during peak tourist season which runs from July to September. During this time, you can reserve a parking space online ahead of your trip, to park close to the lake. For more specific details check here.

The short, flat hike around the lake clocks in at about 2.5 miles, making it an ideal walk for families with younger kids, or strollers. There are also wooden row boats available to rent, although lines can be long for this popular activity.

If you’re traveling with older kids (or without kids) you might consider hiking up to Refugio Bellia from the backside of Lake Braies, which adds about another 4 uphill miles one way. This route is a part of the more famous hiking route starting from Lake Braies, the Alta Via, which is a series of hut to hut hikes stretching across portions of the Dolomites. If you plan to stay in a hut overnight, it is recommended to book your accommodations early, as these routes are extremely popular. If you just plan to stop at the hut for some tasty food and drinks, no need to make a reservation.

Tips for traveling to the Dolomites in summer:

🥾Book accommodations early!

🥾Plan to arrive at your planned hike parking spot early to secure parking, avoid crowds and wait times.

🥾If traveling with young kids, have their passport or copy of passport available to show proof of age if asked for free cable car rides. Many cable cars are free for kids under certain ages. It’s best to look up the specific cable car you plan to take and have documentation available to show proof of age, if asked.

🥾 If taking a return cable car, make sure to check hours of operation so as to not miss the last cable car down.

🥾Pack for various weather states. We visited the Dolomites in September and experienced fantastic weather. Weather in any mountainous region can change quickly. Make sure to pack extra waterproof layers in case of foul weather.

🥾Check with your accommodation if any town guest passes are included in your stay.

🥾Bring sun protection. The high alpine sun is quite strong, sun protection is essential.

🥾Carry extra cash. Some mountain huts may have limited connectivity and you may not be able to use a credit card.

🥾Renting a car to explore this area provides both maneuverability and flexibility. Many roads in this region are quite narrow, and European parking lots can be tight. Choosing a smaller rental vehicle will make your life easier.

With its blend of Italian and Austrian culture, the Dolomites serve up charming traditions, hearty food, and scenery that makes every day feel like you’ve stepped into a real life postcard.

I’ve only just scratched the surface of exploring this region with kids, but I hope that it gives you a helpful starting point for planning your own trip.