The ultimate Dolomites itinerary
How to book the Dolomites: Lago di Braies, Paragliding, Spa Under the Stars, and more
Five days, one RV, and three big-ticket experiences we built the whole route around: A private rowboat on Lago di Braies, tandem paragliding over Val Gardena, and a couple of spa-and-mountain-hut detours that turned out to be just as memorable as the headline events. Here’s exactly how we booked it, what it cost, and the order we did it in.
Getting There + the RV
You’ll want to fly into Venice Marco Polo (VCE) and pick up a Roadsurfer RV for $1,000 for 5 days from the Roadsurfer Venice station in Oriago, just outside the city. Budget transfer time from the airport to the depot before heading into the mountains.
Transportation can get tricky out there. You’ll want to take the Tessera Aeroporto R to Mestre station, from there jump on a bus from Mestre Stazione to Oriago Romangna and walk through town. It can be a workout and stressful, but an Uber or Taxi will cost upwards of $200. The transportation in Venice is genuinely horrible, so just be prepared for it, and if you’re like me and have a 60lbs suitcase + a backpack… It will be your workout for the week!
We left from the cruise port you enter when in Venice, so the map will show the route from there.
Master route map: Full Google Maps driving route
On dry camping: download park4night before you leave
This is the single most useful app we used on this trip. park4night is crowdsourced, free, and shows you legal overnight spots for self-contained vehicles all across Europe with real reviews on whether a spot is quiet, scenic, has any services nearby, or is actually sketchy. We used it every single night to find where we could legally park and sleep instead of guessing or defaulting to a paid campground.
A few things worth knowing before you rely on it:
Wild camping (tents) is illegal in every Dolomites nature park — Fanes-Sennes-Braies, Puez-Odle, Tre Cime, all of it. Dry camping in a self-contained RV is a different category, but you still need to park in spots that are actually zoned for it.
Val Gardena specifically does not allow overnighting in a vehicle anywhere in the valley. This is why our route ducks in and out of Val Gardena rather than sleeping there.
Cross-check whatever park4night shows you against current local rules; access restrictions near Tre Cime and Lago di Braies (more on those below) can affect nearby parking too, and listings don’t always reflect the newest regulations.
If a park4night spot doesn’t pan out, paid campgrounds (Camping Olympia near Dobbiaco, Camping Sass Dlacia in San Cassiano, and others) are reliable backups scattered all through this route and worth having bookmarked. If you would prefer to stay in campgrounds, book spots in advance as they require reservations.
Day 1 Morning — Lago di Braies Private Rowing Boat
The Private Boat Experience at Lago di Braies can’t be booked online; it’s walk-up only, run by la Palafitta boathouse. Arrive 45–60 minutes before the first boat of the day and ask for the “Private Boat Experience for two.” Cost: €65 total, for 45 minutes.
2026 first-boat times:
Apr 25 – May 22: 10:00am
May 23 – Jun 19: 9:00am
Jun 20 – Sep 6: 8:00am
Sep 7 – Sep 27: 9:00am
Sep 28 – Oct 30: 10:00am
Oct 31 – Nov 1: 9:00am
If you’re going between June 20 and September 6 (peak season), get there by 7:00–7:15am for the 8:00am boat; it sells out, and lines build fast.
Access note: between July 1 and September 15, the road to Lago di Braies is restricted from 9:00am–4:00pm — you’ll need an online parking/road reservation if you’re arriving in that window. Current rules and reservations: prags.bz/en.
Day 1 Evening — Tre Cime di Lavaredo
Drive to Rifugio Auronzo for an evening visit to Tre Cime. You need a parking reservation booked in a 12-hour time slot in advance this is mandatory now, not optional, and it’s enforced at an automated gate. Book through the official Auronzo di Cadore portal. The 2026 fee is roughly €40 for cars and €60 for campervans; your slot is valid for 12 hours from the time you booked, regardless of when you actually arrive within that window.
Where we stayed: Chalet Lago, right at the bottom of the mountain by the lake (Lago di Misurina) about as convenient as it gets if you want to be close for an early Tre Cime hike or just want lake views to fall asleep to.
Day 2 — Alpe di Siusi + Gostner Schwaige
Take the cable car up to Alpe di Siusi, Europe’s largest high-alpine meadow. From the top station, it’s about a 2-mile hike through the valley to Gostner Schwaige, a farm-to-table mountain hut run by chef Franz Mulser. Genuinely one of the best meals you can get in the Dolomites, made almost entirely from what they raise and grow on-site (their own dairy cows, their own cheese, nose-to-tail use of the animals).
You need a reservation - they’re small, popular, and don’t take walk-ups well during peak season. Book ahead through their listing on suedtirol.info or by phone/email through their site, aussergost.com.
Order the lamb dish for two — it’s their signature, nose-to-tail preparation using the whole animal. Also get the ham and cheese appetizer plate, made from their own farm’s cured meats and house cheeses, and save room for their rose and lavender ice cream for dessert.
A quick honesty note on pricing: Gostner Schwaige doesn’t publish a fixed menu online (it changes seasonally based on what’s available on the farm), so prices for the lamb-for-two, the ham and cheese plate, or the rose and lavender ice cream specifically are subject to change. We paid roughly $200 for all of that plus a bottle of local wine. So budget accordingly and expect it to run higher than a standard hut lunch, but the food is exquisite!
Day 2 Afternoon/Evening — Spa of Wonders (QC Terme Dolomiti)
QC Terme Dolomiti, now rebranded under the parent company as part of the QC Spa of Wonders collection, is in Pozza di Fassa. You can book a day pass for around 2 hours, or upgrade to a full treatment slot if you want a massage or facial included. We paid $180 for a couples 30-minute massage and access to all the amenities for two hours. Having a nice spa day to relax, shower, and reset after a couple of days in the RV was the perfect reset.
That night: we dry camped in town using park4night rather than booking a campground; an easy way to stay close to the spa without a long drive afterward.
Day 3 — Paragliding + Hotel Freina + Monte Pana
Paragliding: booked through Gardenafly. Call or text +39 392 1286600 to book, since it’s not an online cart checkout. You’re going to want to do the superior flight as you literally go above the Dolomites and get the opportunity to look down at them. And when will you ever get to do something like that again? Cost ran €386–392 total for two flights with photos/videos and lift tickets. Don’t buy lift tickets until Gardenfly confirms your actual launch route. Wind decides which mountain you take off from that day.
Lunch/dinner after: Hotel Freina in Selva di Val Gardena. They have a full vegan and gluten-free menu, making it very allergy-friendly. I got the beef tagliata and it’s genuinely one of the better meals on this whole trip, and the restaurant has a solid reputation locally for it. Its walking distance from the landing zone for paragliding, so going and getting a meal and a celebratory drink is a great way to go over your experience!
Monte Pana: from there, head up to Monte Pana; there’s mini golf, and you can walk the property among the grazing cows with the Sassolungo massif mountain as a backdrop. While you’re there, book the ski lift dinner experience officially called the Flying Aperitif, it runs once a week (Thursdays, roughly 6pm, June through early September) on the chairlift from Monte Pana up to Mont de Sëura. They put a wood board across your lap and serve wine, cheese, and prosciutto while you ride. You need to register/reserve ahead; it’s limited capacity and weather-dependent, so it may get postponed if conditions are bad. Costs €42
Cost Snapshot
Item Cost Lago di Braies private rowing boat €65 Tre Cime parking reservation ~€40–60 Gostner Schwaige lunch (lamb for two + extras) €200 QC Spa of Wonders day pass (2 hrs, 2 people) €180 Paragliding + photos/videos + lift tickets €386–392 Hotel Freina dinner varies budget a mid-range sit-down dinner Monte Pana Flying Aperitif €42 Roadsurfer RV (5 days) $1,000 Dry camping via park4night mostly free, occasional small fee Fuel, food, misc parking budget roughly €300
Total: €2,440
Booking Priority
Gardenafly paragliding (weather-dependent, book first)
Gostner Schwaige reservation (small hut, fills up)
Tre Cime 12-hour parking slot
QC Spa of Wonders day pass
Monte Pana Flying Aperitif (only runs weekly, book as soon as you know your date)
Roadsurfer RV
Lago di Braies parking reservation (only needed if arriving July 1–Sept 15 between 9am–4pm)
Lago di Braies boat, plan as an early walk-up, not a reservation
