The main risks to solo female travellers in the Dolomites (or any travellers for that matter) are the elements, the terrain and the driving.
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Health & SafetyLast, but certainly not least, be safe! To ensure that you stay healthy and safe while you're hiking the Dolomites, here are a few safety tips to keep in mind: Don't hike alone – even if you choose not to participate in a guided tour, you should always hike with another person for safety's sake.
PRO TIP: Hiking is NOT all difficult in the Dolomites. There are plenty of trails that are rated easy and medium on the challenge scale, and everything is very well marked. In fact, some of the most iconic views from the Dolomites can be accessed by an easy hike!
THE DOLOMITES ARE EXPENSIVE BUT ALSO AFFORDABLE WITH THESE TIPS. We're not going to lie, the Dolomites can be very expensive, and for many travellers, prohibitively so. Accommodation, especially in popular areas, can exceed €200 per night and will likely be your largest cost.
Basic safety in the DolomitesNever go alone into the backcountry in winter alone. Guided tours with UIAGM or IFMGA Professional Mountain Guides are a great option, but even if you choose not to participate in a guided tour, you should always hike with another person for safety's sake.
We advise against drinking or filling your bottles from streams and/or melting snow, as the water source is not necessarily clean. Natural springs are the best choice as the water is naturally filtered by the soil. Natural springs can be found in many areas across the Dolomites or nearby the Rifugios.
We recommend a combination of cash (in Euros) and credit/debit cards. ATMs are the easiest way to withdraw money, but you should never rely solely on them – always have a back-up of cash.
There are plenty of trails that are rated easy and medium on the challenge scale, and everything is very well marked. In fact, some of the most iconic views from the Dolomites can be accessed by an easy hike!
The Spormaggiore wildlife park, near Andalo just a few kilometres from Molveno, offers you the chance to see brown bears, the star attraction, as well as wolves, lynx, foxes, eagle owls and otters.
There's no best time to visit the Dolomites; the region delights all year. While the rest of Italy sizzles Jul-Sep, temperatures here rarely top 25°C, with the odd thundery downpour – perfect for an active summer break. To avoid the crowds, visit in May, June or autumn, when it's cool and settled.
The dolomites are a major tourist destination so, as with all tourist destinations in Italy in August, they get crowded and expensive. If you can't do July, try end of June or the beginning of September.
If you simply want to drive through the Dolomites and visit a few highlights, two to three days is all you need. If you love hiking, spend as much time here as you can. I recommend five days at a minimum. So far, we spent 12 very busy days in the Dolomites and still have more that we want to come back and do.
Cortina d'AmpezzoThis town makes an excellent home base to explore the Dolomites, with a great location near Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Lago di Sorapis, the Croda da Lago Circuit, and Lagazuoi. While in Cortina d'Ampezzo, take a stroll along Corso Italia, the pedestrian street that runs through the city center.
It is the perfect tour for those who have only one day to visit the splendid Dolomites: you will travel in full “The Great Dolomites Road” from Bolzano to Cortina d'Ampezzo, with the best of the Western and Eastern Dolomites and all the most beautiful alpine lakes.
The only real drawback to visiting the Dolomites in the summer is that it's peak season, which runs from June to late August. While you won't experience the same kinds of crowds as the Vatican City at Easter or Venice during Carnevale, many hiking trails can get busy, and prices will be higher.