Private Great Dolomites Road Day Trip by Car from Bolzano

The Ega gorge and Lake Carezza

The Great Dolomites Road was built between the 1890s and 1909 to link Bolzano with Cortina d'Ampezzo across the high passes, when this land was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Leaving Bolzano, your driver enters the narrow red-rock gorge of the Ega Valley, then climbs through forests between the Rosengarten and Latemar massifs, with views opening at every bend.

Lake Carezza, at about 1,520 m, is often called the most beautiful lake in the Dolomites. Its clear water shifts from emerald to deep blue and mirrors the jagged towers of the Latemar, and local legend says a rainbow once fell into it, giving it its colours. A short path around the shore offers the best reflections. Is Lake Carezza worth visiting? It is small but unforgettable, and about 30 minutes of free time is ideal.

Costalunga Pass and the Fassa Valley

Just above the lake the road crosses the Costalunga Pass, at about 1,745 m, the meeting point of two famous groups: the Rosengarten, whose walls glow red and pink at sunset, and the Latemar. Here the old resort of Carezza has welcomed mountain travellers since the first days of the road, and the views back over the forest and the lake are wide and green.

On the other side you descend into the Fassa Valley in Trentino, a valley where the Ladin language and traditions are still alive. You pass through Vigo di Fassa and reach Canazei, the main village at the head of the valley, framed by the vertical walls of the Sella massif. Your driver-guide explains the history of the valley and the Ladin culture, and can stop for photos of the painted houses and wooden barns along the way.

Pordoi Pass and Sass Pordoi

From Canazei the road climbs a long staircase of 27 hairpin bends to the Pordoi Pass, at about 2,239 m, one of the highest paved passes in the Dolomites and a classic of every Great Dolomites Road trip. At the top you have about an hour to enjoy the panorama, walk a little on the high meadows or have a hot drink in one of the mountain huts.

When it is open, from late May to mid-October and from Christmas to Easter, you can take the cable car to Sass Pordoi, at about 2,950 m, known as the terrace of the Dolomites. The ride takes only a few minutes and the view from the top stretches over dozens of summits and the Marmolada glacier. The ticket is optional and not included; outside the season the pass itself still offers superb views.

Sella Pass: Sassolungo and Marmolada

Turning back towards the Sella Pass, at about 2,240 m, you drive right beneath the enormous vertical walls of the Sella massif. This is one of the most striking places on any private Dolomites tour by car: on one side the rock towers, on the other the long ridge of the Sassolungo, at about 3,181 m, the best-known mountain of Val Gardena, rising straight from green pastures.

On clear days you also see the white glacier of the Marmolada, at about 3,343 m the highest peak of the Dolomites. We stop here for about 10 minutes of photographs, and in a private car you can ask for a few more minutes if the light is perfect. The best time to visit the Dolomites passes is from June to early October, when all roads are open and the meadows are full of flowers.

Ortisei in Val Gardena

The road then descends into Val Gardena and its largest village, Ortisei, at about 1,236 m. Ortisei is famous for its centuries-old woodcarving tradition: shop windows along its pedestrian streets display carved figures and decorations, and the colourful houses, small squares and church spire make it one of the most charming villages of South Tyrol. Lifts from the village climb to the Seceda and Alpe di Siusi plateaus.

You have about an hour here to stroll and have lunch. Cafés and bakeries are easy to find, vegetarian dishes and fresh pasta are widely available, but halal food is limited in the mountains, so ask us for advice. From Ortisei the drive back to Bolzano takes about 45 minutes through the lower valley, and we drop you at your hotel.