Lake Braies, Cortina and Tre Cime Day Trip from Venice

Lake Braies (Pragser Wildsee)

Lake Braies lies at about 1,496 metres at the foot of the Croda del Becco, a pale rock wall that rises to around 2,810 metres straight above the water. Its colour shifts from emerald to deep blue during the day, and the wooden boathouse with rowing boats on the south shore is one of the most photographed scenes in Italy. In winter the lake usually freezes and snow covers its shores.

A path circles the lake in about an hour of easy walking, with a few short climbs on the far side. In peak summer, road access to Lake Braies is regulated and requires a booking at certain hours, and this trip includes the access fee, so you can simply enjoy the visit. The best time to visit Lake Braies is early in the day or in late September, when the light is soft and crowds are lighter.

Views of the Tre Cime di Lavaredo

The Tre Cime di Lavaredo are three huge towers of dolomite rock, the highest reaching about 2,999 metres, and they are the symbol of the whole range. From the Landro valley, near the small Lake Landro with Monte Cristallo behind it, a famous viewpoint frames the three peaks at the end of a side valley, a classic stop for photographers.

During the First World War the front line between Italy and Austria-Hungary crossed these mountains, and nearby Monte Piana still holds trenches and tunnels. In winter you can choose an optional snowmobile ride up to Monte Piana, paid on the day. On this Tre Cime day trip from Venice you enjoy the views without a demanding hike, which suits most fitness levels.

Cortina d'Ampezzo

Cortina d'Ampezzo is the best-known resort of the Dolomites, set at about 1,224 metres in a wide valley ringed by the Tofane, Cristallo and Sorapiss peaks. It hosted the Winter Olympic Games in 1956 and co-hosted them again in 2026, and its pedestrian Corso Italia is lined with boutiques, cafés and the tall bell tower of the parish church.

Your free time here is perfect for a stroll, a hot drink and photos of the peaks above the rooftops. How to get to Cortina from Venice? There is no railway, and the road takes about two and a half hours, so travelling with a driver-guide who knows the mountain roads is the simplest way to combine it with Lake Braies on the same day.

The Puster Valley and the Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park

Lake Braies belongs to South Tyrol, the German- and Italian-speaking province north of Cortina, and lies inside the Fanes-Senes-Braies Nature Park, a protected area of high plateaus, larch forests and limestone peaks. On the way the road passes Dobbiaco in the Puster Valley, where onion-domed church towers and wooden farmhouses show a different side of Italy.

Signs here are bilingual, so Lake Braies is also Pragser Wildsee and Dobbiaco is Toblach. The lake is also the starting point of the first of the famous high-level trekking routes of the Dolomites. Our driver-guide explains this mix of cultures along the way, and the long drive from Venice becomes part of the experience rather than just transport.

From Venice to the Dolomites

Leaving Venice, the road runs across the Veneto plain and then climbs through the Piave valley and the Cadore region, with tunnels, gorges and mountain villages that appear suddenly between the peaks. The full drive to Lake Braies takes around three hours each way, with a comfort stop, and the Dolomites became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009.

Because the group is limited to eight, getting on and off is quick, and the driver-guide can share stories rather than run a coach timetable. If you prefer a vehicle for your party only, ask our team about a private Dolomites day trip. For most travellers, a day out like this is the easiest way to see the lake without a car.