Dolomites Full-Day Coach Tour with Pordoi Pass from Lake Garda

The Dolomites, a UNESCO mountain range

The Dolomites are a group of pale limestone and dolomite peaks in north-eastern Italy, formed from ancient coral reefs that rose from a tropical sea millions of years ago. Their walls turn pink and orange at sunrise and sunset, a glow known locally as enrosadira, and since 2009 nine of their mountain systems have been protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A Dolomites day trip from Lake Garda is the easiest way to see them without a car: the drive north follows the Adige valley and then climbs into the side valleys, and your guide explains on the way how the reefs became mountains and how Ladin, German and Italian cultures meet in these valleys. The coach makes a short coffee stop on the way, so the journey is comfortable even for first-time visitors.

Moena, Cavalese and Lake Soraga

Depending on the day, the morning stop is in Moena, the lively centre of the Fassa Valley, or in Cavalese, the historic capital of the Fiemme Valley. Both are classic Dolomite towns with painted facades, wooden balconies and shops selling local cheese, speck and crafts, and both are well known to skiers in winter. You have time for a short walk and a hot chocolate.

Shortly after, the coach stops near Lake Soraga, a small reservoir on the Avisio river with emerald water framed by spruce forest and pale peaks. It is one of the best photo spots of the valley in the morning light, when the mountains are mirrored in the water, and the brief stop is enough for the classic postcard picture.

Pordoi Pass and the Sass Pordoi cable car

Pordoi Pass, at 2,239 metres, is one of the great road passes of the Dolomites, linking the Fassa Valley with the Livinallongo valley. Around midday you have about two hours of free time here, surrounded by the Sella group, the glacier of the Marmolada, the highest peak of the Dolomites, and the jagged Catinaccio range. Mountain huts and restaurants at the pass serve lunch.

From the pass a cable car rises in a few minutes to the Sass Pordoi terrace at about 2,950 metres, often called the terrace of the Dolomites, with a 360-degree view over dozens of summits. The ticket is optional and paid on site. If you prefer to stay at the pass, short walks across the meadows give beautiful views of the Sella walls.

Ortisei and the Gardena Valley

In the afternoon the tour crosses into the Gardena Valley to Ortisei, a well-known alpine resort and the main village of the valley. Ortisei has been a centre of wood carving for centuries, and its shops and workshops display hand-carved figures, nativity scenes and statues; the parish church holds remarkable carved works by local artists.

You have free time to walk the pedestrian centre with its painted houses, browse the craft shops for a genuine Dolomites souvenir and enjoy tea or hot chocolate in a café. The village also sits at the foot of the Seceda and Alpe di Siusi areas, which you can see from the centre, before the coach starts the return journey to Lake Garda.

Your Lake Garda departure town

The tour picks up guests from towns all around Lake Garda, and on this page you can choose the stop that suits you: Peschiera del Garda, Sirmione and Desenzano del Garda on the southern shore, Bardolino on the eastern shore, and Malcesine and Riva del Garda in the north. Each town has a set coach stop and a fixed time, earlier in the south and later in the north.

Expect a long but rewarding day of about 10 to 12 hours depending on your town, with the return between about 18:30 and 19:30. It is worth booking early in summer, when the Dolomites are at their best and this is one of the most popular day trips from the lake.