I did this hike up as part of my 4 day trip in Dolomites. The hike up to Rifugio Auronzo is a simple and short hike that takes you through nature with rewarding views of Tre Cime Lavaredo along the way.

What to Know

Tre Cime Lavaredo is one of the key highlights of visiting the Dolomites, and is a recommended stop by many travel guides out there. The easiest way to get started with a hike around Tre Cime is to begin at Rifugio Auronzo. Assuming you are not hut hopping from other regions of the Dolomites, Rifugio Auronzo can be accessed easily via car, or by hiking from Lake Antorno (Or Lake Misurina, which is an additional 2km away). This article shares more about hiking from Lake Antorno to Rifugio Auronzo.

If you plan to drive up to Rifugio Auronzo, you will be driving along the Tre Cime Toll Road which leads you to the south face of Tre Cime. Be mindful of operating times as it changes seasonally. This article summarizes it well and includes information about opening times and fees involved.

Otherwise, hiking up to Rifugio Auronzo is a viable option if you have time on your hands. There are plenty of parking lots available at Lake Misurina and Lake Antorno which you can begin your hike from.

The hike is not challenging nor is it technical, and one can arrive at Rifugio Auronzo after about 2 hours with an elevation gain of roughly 600m.

Before the Hike

My hike started from Lake Antorno but we made a pit stop at Lake Misurina first just to recharge and take in the fresh mountain air. In the middle of the European summer, I finally got to enjoy cooler air after spending a full day at Venice the day before.

At 1,754m, Lake Misurina is the largest lake in the Dolomites and certainly a popular tourist destination. There are many things to see and eat here, but we were short on time, so we stayed around the lake to admire its views.

It is absolutely possible to commence the hike to Rifugio Auronzo from Lake Misurina, but this will be an extra 2 km distance added to your hike. Additionally, you will have to consider parking costs at Lake Misurina which might add up if you're spending a few days up in the Dolomites.

Alternatively, I suggest driving another 10 minutes down towards a much quieter Lake Antorno where parking is free. Specifically, I parked at a small open area right outside Chalet Lago Antorno. The chalet is family-run and is traditionally a go-to for hikers looking to rest for the night before / after a hike up to the Dolomites. Head in and dine in on the ground floor cafeteria for a quick bite to recharge and refuel before starting the hike.

The Hike

The google maps embedded at the top of this article shows an illustration of the route up to Rifugio Auronzo. It takes around 2 hours, covering little over 4km and around 550m of elevation gain.

You begin by walking along Lake Antorno and following the road until a track breaks off-road into a trail.

Follow the trail through some forest initially before commencing a steeper climb up where you will be able to see the landscape more clearly.

If the skies are clear, you will be able to see the beautiful Tre Cime from afar.

As you proceed further, the trail soon changes into a steeper climb up rugged rocks, although no scrambling is required.

The hike continues along a forested area and gives you a glimpse of the toll road from afar while you can faintly hear the revving of car engines. As there were few hikers around, it was easier to get nicer shots like this one:

As you break through the forested area, you will be able to see the mountain face more clearly.

If skies are clearly, you can even see Rifugio Auronzo in the distance:

As you ascend further up, don't forget to capture the beautiful surroundings!

At one point, the trail connects back to the main road - Cut across (safely) and opposite to continue onto the hiking trail. This segment will be steeper with some light scrambling required time to time.

By this time the surrounding views should be quite the one to soak in. I even managed to spot cattle on the other side of the mountains chilling:

If you have time, a nice picture (in my opinion) can be taken in the middle of the road too (Make sure there are no cars though!)

Continue up and you will see Rifugio Auronzo clearly in the distance (Finally)!

Few more steps up and we finally arrived at Rifugio Auronzo where we got ourselves checked in, before heading down for a delicious dinner to wrap up the day.

End of Hike

And that concludes the hike to Rifugio Auronzo from Lake Antorno. I spent the remaining day to enjoy the views up from the hut and get a good rest because the next day would take us on a hiking loop around the famed Tre Cime Lavaredo (3 peaks) with great views all around.