--- title: "Arabba Hiking Guide" type: "blog-post" lang: "en" category: "Town Guide" published_date: "2026-10-19" url: "https://dolomites-guide.com/blog/arabba-hiking-guide/" description: "Arabba, below the Sella, opens the Campolongo and Pordoi passes on foot. The Fodom gondola, the Viel del Pan and summer buses add to its hikes." --- # Arabba Hiking Guide **Published:** 2026-10-19 · **Category:** Town Guide > Arabba, at 1,602 m below the Sella, is a base for linking passes: you can walk to the Campolongo from the village, reach the Pordoi on foot and by gondola, and bus 472 links the village in summer to the Val Gardena and Val Badia. ## Why Choose Arabba as a Hiking Base? Arabba suits you if you like to walk up to a pass in the morning and change valleys from one day to the next without changing hotels. The village, at 1,602 m (5,256 ft) (Rèba in Ladin), is the main one in the Fodom valley, in the province of Belluno, below the Sella and the Col di Lana, between four passes: the [Passo Pordoi](/dolomites-passes/passo-pordoi/), the [Passo Campolongo](/dolomites-passes/passo-campolongo/), the [Passo Falzarego](/dolomites-passes/passo-falzarego/) and the [Passo Valparola](/dolomites-passes/passo-valparola/). If your plans fit in a single valley, sleep there instead: our [guide to Canazei and the Val di Fassa](/blog/canazei-val-di-fassa-hiking-guide/) covers the side of the Marmolada and the Val Contrin, and the one to [Alta Badia and Corvara](/blog/alta-badia-corvara-hiking-guide/) the other side of the Campolongo. ![The church and fountain on Arabba's village square, wooded ridges behind](/images/arabba-church-square.webp "Arabba, the church square") ## How Do You Get There and Get Around Without a Car? The nearest railway stations are **Brunico** (50 km (31 mi)), **Belluno** (70 km (43 mi)) and **Bolzano** (75 km (47 mi)), which also has the nearest airport. Our [guide to getting to the Dolomites](/blog/how-to-get-to-the-dolomites-a-complete-logistics-guide/) compares the airports and the car-free routes to the valleys. Two bus lines serve Arabba: - **472 from Südtirol Mobil**, from the Val Gardena to the Val Badia via the Passo Sella, the Passo Pordoi, Arabba and the Passo Campolongo, from 7 June to 11 October in 2026: enough to walk up to a pass and come back by bus, or to spend the day on the other side of the Sella. Times: [line 472, Südtirol Mobil](https://www.suedtirolmobil.info/fileadmin/pdf/2026/472_20260607.pdf). - **Line 3 from Dolomiti Bus**, from Arabba to Caprile and Agordo, in summer; the same line also serves the Passo Falzarego. Times and disruptions are on the [Dolomiti Bus](https://dolomitibus.it) website. The Sella and the Falzarego, further away, can also be done in a day by bus: the Sella on the 472, the Falzarego on line 3. [Passo Sella](/dolomites-passes/passo-sella/) [Passo Falzarego](/dolomites-passes/passo-falzarego/) ## How Do You Walk Up to the Passo Campolongo? [Passo Campolongo](/dolomites-passes/passo-campolongo/) You can reach the Campolongo entirely on foot from the village. On trail 638, allow 1 hour 30 minutes of walking, 2 km (1.2 mi) and 275 m (902 ft) of climbing. At the pass, the 472 takes you back down to the village or on to Corvara. ## How Do You Get to the Passo Pordoi From Arabba? [Passo Pordoi](/dolomites-passes/passo-pordoi/) **The Passo Pordoi along the Cordevole and the Fodom.** The path starts near the Porta Vescovo lift and follows the stream to Pont de Vauz, then the Fodom gondola climbs to the pass: allow 1 hour 30 minutes in all, for 3 km (1.9 mi) and 248 m (814 ft) of climbing, and 15 EUR ($17) for the gondola ride up (2026 fare); dates, times and other fares are on the [Val di Fassa tourist board's summer lifts page](https://www.fassa.com/en/ski-lifts-slopes/summer-lifts). **From Porta Vescovo to the Pordoi.** From the top station of Porta Vescovo, which the cable car reaches from the village, two trails reach the Passo Pordoi: trail 601 in 2 hours 30 minutes, 6 km (3.7 mi) and 260 m (853 ft) of descent, or trail 680 in 3 hours, 5.5 km (3.4 mi) and 153 m (502 ft) of climbing. At the pass, the Fodom gondola goes back down to Pont de Vauz. The Arabba - Porta Vescovo cable car ran from 13 June to 4 October in 2026, from 8:30 am to 5 pm: 17.80 EUR ($21) one way for an adult, 23 EUR ($27) return ([Funivie Arabba 2026 summer price list](https://www.arabba.it/files/content/1379639_55461_2_0/cifam-listino-prezzi-orari-24-it.pdf), in Italian). At the pass, the Sass Pordoi cable car climbs to a terrace with a view of the Marmolada and the Sella; from the top station, the loop to the Piz Boè (3,152 m (10,341 ft)) is 7.8 km (4.8 mi) and takes about 3 hours 15 minutes, but it goes above 3,000 m (9,843 ft): go properly equipped and in good weather. If you use the lifts for several days, the **Arabba Marmolada Summer Pass** covers them 3 days out of 4 or 5 days out of 7. If you stay in the Val di Fassa, its Guest Card and the Trentino Guest Card do not cover the Arabba lifts. ## How Do You Hike the Viel del Pan From Arabba? From the Passo Pordoi starts the Viel del Pan (Bindelweg), a path facing the Marmolada glacier that leads to the Padon, then descends to Lake Fedaia and the Castiglioni hut, at the Passo Fedaia. To reach the Pordoi, take the Fodom gondola or bus 472. The return by bus is long: there is no direct bus between the Fedaia and Arabba, and in summer 2026 you had to go down to Caprile on line 54 (2:59 pm, or 3:54 pm every day), then wait for the 5:55 pm bus to Arabba, on weekdays only ([Dolomiti Bus timetable for lines 2, 3 and 54](https://dolomitibus.it/files/orari/estivi/integrati/Linee02_03_54_E26_v0_A3.pdf)). At weekends, do the Viel del Pan as a round trip from the Pordoi. [Passo Fedaia](/dolomites-passes/passo-fedaia/) ![The Viel del Pan balcony path with the Marmolada massif and its glacier opposite](/images/viel-del-pan-marmolada.webp "The Viel del Pan, facing the Marmolada") ## Where Should You Stay in Arabba? The village offers hotels, garnì, apartments and residences. Without a car, pick accommodation within walking distance of the bus stop and of the lifts. To compare Arabba with the other bases in the range, our [comparison of the best towns for hiking](/best-towns/) sets the main ones side by side. ## When Is the Best Time to Hike From Arabba? Aim for mid-June to mid-September: in 2026, that is the window when the Fodom gondola and bus 472 both ran. The 2027 dates are not yet published: check them in spring on the Val di Fassa tourist board and Südtirol Mobil pages linked above. For month-by-month weather and crowds, see our [guide to the best time to hike in the Dolomites](/blog/best-time-to-visit-dolomites/).