Yellow larch trees, cozy alpine chalets, and spiky peaks – does it get any better? Nick and I just finished 9 days in Northern Italy (South Tyrol), and I can’t stop thinking about it. The verdant valleys, the long hikes, the cappuccinos, the winding roads, the half-moon shaped raviolis, the huttes.

Taken on the Croda di Fiscalina Circuit we did in October 2024.

Below, I put together a guide for friends who want to visit Northern Italy (South Tyrol) in early-mid October. Here’s what we did, and how we did it so that you can visit too (including a hot tip we received from a couple we met in a cave) — WHAT? Read below to learn more.

You can ask the beep boop AI machine if you want a stock answer of how to visit the Dolomites, but here is exactly what we did, how we got off the beaten path, why it was great, and what I would’ve done differently.

Before I go any further, I want to take the bold step of publicly admitting that a previously held belief of mine was wrong. At the risk of sharing a first-world problem, I’ve always said that I would “save Europe for last,” and hike the world’s mountains on other continents while I could. I imagined that Europe was "peopled-out," culture heavy, and best for visiting as an old lady — when my body wasn’t meant for climbing any more and I only had the energy to wander into museums and sip culture smoothies. I made a snap judgement, and I was wrong. There are some pretty epic mountains here. I’ve only scratched the surface.

Additionally, here are a few things I’ve learned about Italy & South Tyrol:

The Dolomites have a very heavy German/Austrian influence - most people in South Tyrol speak Italian and German. There isn’t a ton of English spoken here. That means that 1) you get to learn something new and 2) that sometimes you get to feel awkward (which is a joy of traveling and seeking novelty). If you can’t read the menu, you can play Alps Food Roulette and just point to something and guess. Don’t stress, it usually works out and a plate of warm raviolis arrives.
Italians have different eating habits - Breakfast isn’t heavy and typically includes a croissant and a cappuccino. That’s hard to get used to when you are a mountain-gorlie used to fueling with a giant breakfast burrito and slamming 3 black coffees before 10AM.
Try not to order a cappuccino after 10AM — this will queue locals into the fact that you are a tourist. If it’s after 10AM, order an espresso. You’ll get nods of approval. And for god’s sake, don’t take your drink “to go.” Food and drinks are meant to be savored. The only thing you are allowed to walk and eat is gelato (and maybeeee a sandwich). SLOW down, you silly American.
Most shops and restaurants close down for Riposo from 1-4PM (a time to rest and spend with family).
Restaurants don’t open for dinner until 7PM - don’t be nerds like us and be stick your pale Alaskan faces on the restaurant glass at 6:59PM.
The cost of living here (food specifically) is much more affordable than in the US. There are also fewer ingredients and few (if any) preservatives in the food here.
Water fountains aren’t a thing. Restaurants don’t like it when you ask them to fill up your hobo-looking Nalgene.
You may have to pay a euro to use public toilets (it helps to have cash on hand — don’t exchange cash at the airport, use an ATM).
“Hotel, pizzeria, wellness” is written on the front of every practically every lodge. Pizza = Wellness is what I’m getting.
Rifugios are pretty awesome inventions - they are basically little alpine chalets that sit high in the mountains. Owned by individual families, they serve cappuccinos to cold hikers and offer warm beds to trekkers. I was delighted by the ones we stayed in (especially Rifugio Alpe di Tires). If I could make that place my home, I would. I have been thinking a lot about whether 1) we need a better hut system in the US, and also 2) about how having rifugios in the mountains changes the alpine experience — making the mountains more accessible and sheltering people from adverse weather conditions. I’ve always thought that the point of mountains was to suffer a little bit - and to live on the edge of discomfort - so these rifugios (which on one hand are little hygge escapes for my mountain soul — alter my idea of the remote alpine experience). Not in a bad way, they just make me think about it all a bit more.
The best advice given to us by our hosts for exploring Italy: “if a door is cracked, open it. It is an invitation to enter.”
I miss sweet potatoes, sriracha, and consistent access to a climbing gym. Other than that, everything here is pretty perfect.

Dolomites in october - Tips for hikers, Backpackers, and Adventurous travelers:

How to Get Around: For the Dolomites, I 100% recommend renting a car. Car rental in Italy is much more affordable than it is in the US. We rented a Jeep Renegade from Discover Cars (Sicily by Car) and picked it up at the Milan MXP airport. Make sure to request an Automatic car unless you're a stick-shift pro. The roads up north are windy, with some exposed edges. Pro Tip: Get yourself an International Driver’s License before you travel abroad. Nick and I got ours from AAA. If you get pulled over and you do not have one, you will have to pay a very expensive fine.

Visiting in October: October is the off-season (it’s smack dab in between prime hiking and skiing seasons). Expect cooler temperatures (30s-50s), rain, and possibly snow. We were very fortunate with our weather, coming from Alaska, we were hot! However, locals told us that it had already snowed in September. We didn’t mind that some shops and restaurants were closed. Or that many of the refugios were closed for the season. I’ll take a quiet trail over a crowded trail any day. Plus, October is a prime time to see the larch trees turn yellow. (They look like big-bird infused evergreens). In my opinion October was the BEST time to visit.

Where to Go: We visited Sexten, Cortina, Alpe di Siusi, and Bolzano. Our favorites were Sexten and Alpe di Siusi. Below, I will outline what we did in each town.

Sexten:

Why Visit Sexten: The best thing about Sexten is that it’s quiet, peaceful, and relatively undiscovered. It’s a climber and hiker haven and offers unbeatable (and more remote) access to Tre Crime National Park. There are no souvenir shops here - or nightlife. It’s a simple valley town designed around the mountains. Vibe: Rural-Vermont-Valley-With Spikey-Teton-Peaks-Meets-Dreamy-Switzerland-Alpine-Chalet-Escape.
Where to Stay In Sexten: Do yourself a favor and treat yourself a stay at Albergo Panorama. We needed a place to recover after a month on the road and jet lag. Panorama was one of the best places I’ve ever stayed. The drive to get to the chalet is up a very windy road. The first time I drove it, I think my heart rate was 180BPM. The views of the valley (see photo above) from the top were so rewarding (a photographer’s dream). The chalet is owned by a very warm and welcoming family. There is a sauna and a quaint restaurant. The rooms are minimalist-styled, with light wood-panelling and perfect balconies. The hotel serves a very authentic breakfast and dinner (which we ate at both nights we stayed). Other options: If you want to splurge in Sexten, we ooh-ed and awwed at the Hotel Dolomitenhof, nestled at the base of the valley with peaks and horses in the distance. For those with tents, the Sexten campground and treehouses were another option we considered. And for those with vans, we saw people parked along the Fischleinboden valley road for a small overnight fee.
What to do in Sexten:
- Day 01 Warm up hike: To shake off the airport-dust, we opted for a more casual hike by the ski resort. We chose this trail on AllTrails. NOTE: the directions to this trailhead by car end on a farm road in front of someone's house. We were unsure whether or not we could park there, but eventually we saw a homeowner who gave us the thumbs up. Parking there doubled the day’s mileage - making the trail 8 Miles and 2200ft of vertical gain, but we were very happy with the epic views. If you don’t want the extra mileage, you can take the gondola up from the valley. We were lucky to be able to identify blueberries and crowberries and sample them on the trail. PRO TIP: Avoid the ski-resort-bougie-restaurant and opt for lunch in the more quiet Jaegerhutte Refugio.
- Day 02 - TOP HIKE Crodalina di Fiscalina Circuit w/ an Overnight in the Refugio: The goal of our visit to Sexten was to complete this circuit and see the standout Tre Cime National Park. After studying the terrain, it was clear to me that this was the cooler and less-trafficked side to enter the park on.
  - We opted for the Crodalina di Fiscalina Circuit and followed the instructions in this guide here. We added in a small extension suggested by this AllTrails Map that I found* and started from the Fischleinbodenhütte Parking lot for $30Euro overnight (rather than town like the AllTrails map above suggests). This made the total distance closer to 13.5 miles, 4300ft of vertical gain. All in all it took us a little over 6 hours. The hike was absolutely gorgeous and I am still thinking about it. Endless mountain views, rifugios that looked like they were straight out of Wes Anderson Film, limestone peaks, and snowscapes graced our retinas (see photo below). We brought microspikes with us but didn’t end up needing them. I recommend doing it clockwise and starting as early as you can. If I’d had more time to research I might’ve added in some additional mileage or loops. To get the full Italian experience, we booked a night in the only refugio that remained open. We did half board (dinner, breakfast and an overnight stay) at the beautiful Talschlusshuette Refugio on the way down (just 1.5miles from the trailhead), and were not disappointed.
- Day 03: Today, we stopped by the Sexten Climbing gym (which sadly was not open when we visited but looked awesome) and then drove to Cortina (see below).

Cortina D'ampezzo:

Strolling the Streets of Downtown Cortina.

Why Visit Cortina D’Ampazzo: Famous for it’s debut as a chic-alpine ski center in the 1956 olympics and soon to be host of the 2026 olympics, Cortina is a busy ski resort town (historically associated with Italy’s rich and famous). Vibe: Busy, chic, luxe, the Aspen of Italy. It’s also an important gateway to Tre Cime National Park. We ended up here because all of the blogs recommended it. While we enjoyed our visit here, it was more crowded than we imagined and (as a true mountain folk) we wished we had stayed deeper in the mountains. Olympic crews were already at work building more infrastructure for the 2026 olympics, so the town remained busy into the offseason. It was cool to explore, but maybe better as a day trip?

Where to Stay Near Cortina D’Ampazzo: We opted to stay 12 minutes outside of town at Hotel Albergo Dolomiti. The hotel had recently been renovated (so the photos on Expedia were outdated). It was a perfect choice for what we needed with clean modern rooms, a beautiful balcony, and a plentiful breakfast. Plus there was a nice walking path with llamas, a nearby pizza place, and beautiful views of the peaks behind us.

What to do in Cortina D’Ampazzo:

Stroll the streets - There is plenty of shopping to do. Most of the shops are high-end luxury stores, but there was also every outdoor store you could think of (La Sportiva, Patagonia, The North Face — you name it). It was cool to walk through the city, although we definitely looked like dirtbags in our hiking clothes.
Hike Tre Cime - We drove 35 minutes up the mountain to hike the other side of Tre Cime National Park via Lago d’Antorno. We followed this All Trails Map, and parked down by the lake for free. NOTE: the signs say 2-hour parking but after reading Google reviews and All Trails reviews, we chanced it and left our car there for the day with out a problem. This side of the park turned out to be much busier, and we preferred hiking from Sexten. But this was still VERY VERY gorgeous (see the photos below)) and gave us a different vantage point of the park and understanding of the Tre Cime. I would say that if you do Croda di Fiscalina (mentioned above) from Sexten, then you don’t need to do this hike as well. If you don’t do the Croda di Fiscalina Circut, then this is definitely worth it to see the Three Peaks. While hiking, we met a couple in a cave, who gavce us some beta on another cool mountain circuit (see below). Stop for a sandwich at Chalet Lago Antorno after completing the hike.
Other hikes and activities we wish we had time for:
- Marino Bianchi Via Ferrata or the Tofana di Mezzo Via Ferrata
- A local hiker told us that his favorite short trail (for photographs) was Lago Delle Baste

HOT TIP: Take the high road and go in the caves. This is where we met a couple from Florida, who told us that we had to go to Rifugio Alpe di Tires (our next, and favorite adventure of the trip).

Alpe di siusi- SEISER ALM

A rocky outcropping on the Compaccio - Rifugio Bolzano - Rifugio Alpe di Tires Circuit

Why Visit Alpe Di Siusi: We found out about Alpe Di Siusi from a couple we met in a cave while hiking in Tre Cime National Park: “You HAVE to go,” they said. And they were right. Glorious alpine meadows, rolling pastureland, and mountain spires abound. This place was special. Vibe: ski-resort-meets-pastureland-meets-horse-drawn-carriages-meets-quiet-in-october-mountain-access.

Where to Stay in Alpe Di Siusi: Adventurous travelers with steady legs should trek up to Rifugio Alpe di Tires and spend the night. Rifugio Alpe di Tires was a modern mountain oasis - nestled a good climb away from Campaccio. The clean wooden lines, the incredible food, and the cozy hygge vibe, the library full of photos and books about the dolomites, and the windowscapes made this place my personal little heaven. Plus, some of the staff reminded us of the staff from the Glacier Lodge. Over beers, they taught us how to say “cheers” or “Zum Whol!”.

Book a night with half-board (dinner and breakfast). It was the coolest place we stayed — if you are willing to trek in to get there (see below).

Rifugio Alpe di Tires - Just before the storm hit.

How to Hike the Rifugio Alpe Di Tires Circuit:

The Compaccio — Rifugio Bolzano - Rifugio Alpe di Tires Circuit: JUST DO IT. This is an epic circuit hike - where you will galavant through verdant pastureland, ascend steep switchbacks, and find yourself in an alpine paradise - surrounded by limestone peaks and adventure in every direction. The total mileage for the circuit is 14 miles. Find it on All Trails here. Depending on which direction you hike it in, you will gain between 3000-4000ft (I recommend hiking it clockwise). If you are short on time, you can do an out and back to Rifigio Tires via this AllTrails Map. There are a few logistical nuances to hiking this circuit— so here’s how we did it:
- We parked in the Seiser Alm Aerial Cableway parking lot (the parking is free overnight, but make sure you ask someone where to park overnight as most of it is dedicated day parking). Then, we took the cable car up to Compaccio ($26EURO each), and began the hike from there. The reason for taking the cable car is that the road from the cable car up to Compaccio (where the hike begins) is closed from 9AM-5PM. If you arrive before 9AM, you can drive up the road and park in a paid ($28EURO a night) lot in Compaccio. We arrived at 11AM, so we took the cable car up.
- We started our hike a little after 12PM, and followed the AllTrails map, hiking clockwise up (about 4.5 miles) to Refugio Tires. The hike started through verdant pastureland, and then ascended a steep switchback section (don’t worry too much, it looks steeper from a distance). We did not have poles and managed fine. We reached the Rifugio in just over 2 hours. The night in the Rifugio was the best night of our trip. The next morning we hiked out the other side (also stunning) and completed the circuit. It took us a little less than 4 hours to travel 9 miles (and stop for a capuccino in a tiny rifiguio).
- In my research for this hike, I referenced this blog. If we’d had more time or had been traveling earlier in the season, I would’ve spent another night out there — perhaps at another Rifugio — covering some more of the steep terrain in the park.

BOLZANO

Why Visit Bolzano: Often referred to as the gateway to the Dolomites, Bolzano offered us a place to stay in between our drive to the mountains and Milano. Although the outskirts of town looked industrial, and the town was the most city-like place that we encountered in South Tyrol, we were surprised by how beautiful the town was — with cobblestone streets, shops, markets, and a German/Austrian-meets-roman cityscape.

Where to Stay in Bolzano: We stayed at BNB Hotel Bolzano, which fit what we were looking for. It was simple, clean, affordable, modern, and had a nice breakfast. The only downside was that it was in a more industrial section of the city, right off the Autoban. We only stayed 1 night (on our drive back to Milan) and ended up taking a taxi into town for $15Euro for dinner/drinks after we found out about Batzen Brewery. We were glad we didn’t drive into the city center - as parking looked hectic.

What to do in Bolzano:

Sample German Beers at Batzen and then go downstairs for Live Music - Although our initial perception of Italy was that it was strictly wine-country, we quickly learned that the Bavarian influence in the north means that there are some great German and Austrian brews. The best beer we had of the trip was at a place called Batzen. I recommend starting with the sampler of all of their beers ($10EURO). Nick and I split this to get a feel for our favorites, and they gave us very decent pours. My favorite was the Gosexy. They also had an amazing veggie burger, which I devoured. While at Batzen, we sat next to the former mayor who welcomed us with open arms and seemed surprised to see Americans. The other reason we went to Batzen was because there was live music happening in the basement, and we are suckers for live music. We paid $10EURO for the show (where an Italian-version of Jack Black took the stage). Nick and I even danced. You can find their concert schedule here.
Climb at the Gym - there is a HUGE climbing gym in Bolzano called Salewa Cube. We went here and bouldered for 2 hours for $10EURO each. It was really cool to climb surrounded by people from other countries. I was nervous to climb in another country, but it turned out to be pretty much exactly the same. Even though we couldn’t speak the language, it was a welcoming, weird, bouldering community - just like I’m used to (maybe with more Buffs and La Sportiva)— in an oddly HUGE space.
PS - I am sure there is much more to do in Bolzano (and that I am not doing it justice here), but we were in and out in 24 hours.

Milan - MXP AIRPORT

Where to Stay Near the Milan Airport: We were really happy with MXP Rooms. We got our own little apartment with a small kitchen, a beautiful balcony, and plenty of space for less than 100 EURO. The spot was a little hard to find, but it was only 4 miles from the airport (which was good for us because we needed to drop off our rental car early). We parked our car behind a secured gate, which made us feel better about leaving our valuables in the car.

That’s IT!

I hope that you get to travel to the Dolomites some day - it’s absolutely worth it. Feel free to reach out with any questions you have, and please keep an eye on my Instagram and Spoonflower shop. We are posted up at our housesit in central Italy, and I have a feeling I’ll be doing more creating soon.

Oh - and don’t forget to take a look at this recent kid’s clothing collab I did with Little Alaskans! It was an honor to work with Shelby on the floatplane design.

Blog