---
title: "Best Towns for Hiking in the Dolomites"
type: "hub"
lang: "en"
url: "https://dolomites-guide.com/best-towns/"
description: "Compare the 5 best towns to base in the Dolomites for hiking - Cortina, Ortisei, Corvara, San Candido, Dobbiaco. Elevation, trail access, transport."
---

# Best Towns for Hiking in the Dolomites

Compare Cortina, Ortisei, San Candido, Dobbiaco, and Alta Badia - elevation, trail access, transport, and what each base does best.

## Town Guides (5)

- [Cortina d'Ampezzo Hiking Guide](https://dolomites-guide.com/blog/cortina-dampezzo-hiking-guide/index.md): 1224 m - Eastern Dolomites - Best for Cinque Torri & Tofane - A practical guide to hiking from Cortina d'Ampezzo, the main base town in the eastern Dolomites. Covers the best trails, accessible rifugi, transport from Venice, and the right months to visit.
- [Ortisei and Val Gardena Hiking Guide](https://dolomites-guide.com/blog/ortisei-val-gardena-hiking-guide/index.md): 1236 m - Val Gardena - Best for Seceda & Alpe di Siusi - A practical guide to hiking from Ortisei and Val Gardena. Three cable car systems give access to Seceda, Alpe di Siusi, and Puez-Odle - covering the best routes, rifugi, and how to get there.
- [San Candido (Innichen) Hiking Guide](https://dolomites-guide.com/blog/san-candido-tre-cime-hiking-guide/index.md): 1175 m - Puster Valley - Best for Tre Cime di Lavaredo - San Candido (Innichen) is the most practical base for the Tre Cime di Lavaredo area, with direct train access from Innsbruck and bus links to Rifugio Auronzo. This guide covers transport, trail options, hut logistics, and when to go.
- [Dobbiaco (Toblach) Hiking Guide](https://dolomites-guide.com/blog/dobbiaco-hiking-base-guide/index.md): 1241 m - Puster Valley - Best for Lago di Braies - Dobbiaco (Toblach) is the most practical and underrated base for the eastern Dolomites - closer to Lago di Braies and Tre Cime than most alternatives, with a real train station and direct bus connections to both sites.
- [Alta Badia and Corvara Hiking Guide](https://dolomites-guide.com/blog/alta-badia-corvara-hiking-guide/index.md): 1568 m - Ladin Dolomites - Best for Alta Via 1 & Sella - Alta Badia sits at the geographic heart of the Ladin Dolomites, with Corvara acting as the highest and most central hiking base among the five main Dolomites towns. It covers the Alta Via 1 Fanes stages, Piz Boe access, and the best rifugi in the valley.

## How should you pick your hiking base in the Dolomites?

Your choice of base in the Dolomites determines the geography, transport, and type of hiking you can do without moving accommodation. Three factors drive the decision: **which mountain range you want to be closest to**, **whether you need a train station for car-free travel**, and **how high you want to start each day**. The five towns covered on this site each solve those three questions differently.

## At-a-glance comparison

| Town | Elevation | Main range | Best for | Train access? |
|------|-----------|------------|----------|--------------|
| [Cortina d'Ampezzo](https://dolomites-guide.com/blog/cortina-dampezzo-hiking-guide/index.md) | 1,224 m | Eastern Dolomites | Cinque Torri & Tofane | No (bus from Venice) |
| [Ortisei / Val Gardena](https://dolomites-guide.com/blog/ortisei-val-gardena-hiking-guide/index.md) | 1,236 m | Val Gardena | Seceda & Alpe di Siusi | No (bus from Bolzano) |
| [San Candido / Innichen](https://dolomites-guide.com/blog/san-candido-tre-cime-hiking-guide/index.md) | 1,175 m | Puster Valley | Tre Cime di Lavaredo | Yes (Puster Valley line) |
| [Dobbiaco / Toblach](https://dolomites-guide.com/blog/dobbiaco-hiking-base-guide/index.md) | 1,241 m | Puster Valley | Lago di Braies | Yes (Puster Valley line) |
| [Corvara / Alta Badia](https://dolomites-guide.com/blog/alta-badia-corvara-hiking-guide/index.md) | 1,568 m | Ladin Dolomites | Alta Via 1 & Sella | No (bus from Bruneck) |

San Candido and Dobbiaco are only 5 km apart - both work as bases for the same area. The choice between them is mainly about price and preference: Dobbiaco is quieter and marginally cheaper, while San Candido has more accommodation variety.

## Which town fits which traveler?

- **First trip, one classic base** - choose Cortina d'Ampezzo. The Cinque Torri loop, the Rifugio Lagazuoi cable car, and the Lago di Sorapis trail are all within 30 minutes. The town has the widest choice of accommodation and the best infrastructure for visitors who have never been to the Dolomites.
- **Cable cars and variety** - choose Ortisei in Val Gardena. Three separate cable car systems (Seceda, Mont Sëuc onto Alpe di Siusi, and the Puez-Odle access from Selva) mean you can change terrain every day without driving.
- **Tre Cime without a car** - choose San Candido or Dobbiaco. Arrive by train from Innsbruck or Bolzano, then catch bus line 444 from Dobbiaco station to Rifugio Auronzo. From San Candido, take the short train hop one stop west to Dobbiaco to connect to the 444.
- **Tre Cime on a budget** - choose Dobbiaco. Line 444 originates from Dobbiaco station, so you skip the San Candido connection. Accommodation runs 15 to 20 percent cheaper than San Candido.
- **Highest start, Alta Via 1 staging** - choose Corvara. At 1,568 m, you are already above the treeline within 20 minutes of your front door.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Which Dolomites town has the best train access?

**San Candido** and **Dobbiaco** are the standout choices for train travelers. Both sit on the Puster Valley railway, which connects to the Brenner main line at Fortezza. From Bolzano, the journey takes approximately 2 hours with a change at Fortezza; from Innsbruck, roughly 3 hours via Lienz. Both towns have access to the seasonal shuttle to Tre Cime di Lavaredo (line 444, originating from Dobbiaco station) and to Lago di Braies (line 442 from Dobbiaco). Cortina and Corvara have no train access - the nearest station to Cortina is Calalzo di Cadore, roughly 35 km away.

### What is the highest hiking base in the Dolomites?

**Corvara in Badia** at **1,568 m** is the highest village base among the five main Dolomites hiking towns, sitting approximately 350 m higher than Cortina d'Ampezzo (1,224 m) and roughly 400 m above San Candido (1,175 m). Trails from Corvara start well above the treeline zone, and the approach to the Sella Group and the Fanes plateau requires significantly less vertical effort than from any lower base.

### Where should I stay for Tre Cime di Lavaredo?

Dobbiaco or San Candido - both work well as bases. Bus line 444 runs from Dobbiaco station to Rifugio Auronzo from late June through September; San Candido travelers connect via Dobbiaco. Dobbiaco is consistently cheaper for accommodation and slightly less crowded. Book the rifugio for your overnight stay well in advance - Rifugio Auronzo and Rifugio Lavaredo fill by January for July and August nights.

### Where should I base for the Alta Via 1?

**Corvara** is the best base for the Alta Via 1's central and most scenic stages, covering the Fanes plateau and the high ridge between the Sella and Marmolada groups. Days 2 through 4 of the standard AV1 itinerary pass directly through the Alta Badia valley system. The Rifugio Fanes and Rifugio Lavarella are accessible as day targets or overnight stops from Corvara.

### Which town has the most cable car access?

**Ortisei in Val Gardena** has three separate gondola systems leaving the valley: the **Seceda gondola** climbing to the Odle ridgeline at 2,518 m, the **Mont Sëuc gondola** onto the Alpe di Siusi plateau at approximately 2,000 m, and the **Ciampinoi gondola** above Selva onto the Sella group. No other Dolomites valley concentrates three independent high-altitude access systems from a single base.

### Which Dolomites town is the most affordable?

**Dobbiaco** is consistently the cheapest of the five main hiking-base towns. It is quieter than San Candido (only 5 km away) and substantially less commercialised than Cortina, with accommodation running 15 to 25 percent below Cortina or Ortisei rates. The combination of **train access on the Puster Valley line** and direct bus connections to both Tre Cime and Lago di Braies makes Dobbiaco the best value-for-money base in the eastern Dolomites.