# Seven days in the Dolomites, gate by gate

> Braies parking is €44 and bookable, the Alpe di Siusi road shuts to cars 9 to 5. Seven days across nine listed massifs, gate by gate.

URL: https://myitalia.it/itineraries/7-days-dolomites
Last updated: 2026-09-02

Seven days, three valley bases, and two gates that decide the shape of your days: Braies parking costs €44 and has to be booked, and the Alpe di Siusi road is shut to private cars from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

## The property is 9 separate massifs, not one range

The Dolomites entered the World Heritage list on June 26, 2009 at the Seville session as a serial natural property made of 9 mountain systems, across Veneto in the province of Belluno, Friuli Venezia Giulia in Pordenone and Udine, and the autonomous provinces of Bolzano and Trento.

Those 9 systems total roughly 142,000 hectares and they do not touch each other. Puez Odle, Sciliar Catinaccio and Latemar, the Northern Dolomites and the Bletterbach sit in South Tyrol; Marmolada, Pale di San Martino with the Vette Feltrine, Catinaccio Latemar and the Brenta group fall in Trentino; 5 systems lie in Belluno province, which gives Veneto the largest share.

Since May 13, 2010 the provinces and regions involved have run the property through the Fondazione Dolomiti UNESCO. The practical consequence for a week here is that you cannot see the listing, you can only see one massif at a time.

## Days 1 to 3: Val Gardena, and a road that closes at 9

The road up to the Alpe di Siusi is closed to private cars every day from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. In those hours the plateau is reached by cable car or bus only, and guests staying in accommodation on the Alpe and holders of the European Disability Card are the exceptions.

From June 29, 2026 the two car parks also require an online booking: P1 Spitzbuhl at €15 a day, €10 for motorcycles, and P2 Compatsch at €30, €15 for motorcycles and €160 for coaches. Overnight parking is banned from 11:00 pm to 5:00 am.

The simplest version is the cable car from Siusi, with free parking at the valley station. The restriction lifts only in the shoulder weeks, mid April to mid May and early November to early December, when the lift is not running anyway. Prices are quoted in euros throughout.

## Days 4 and 5: Val Pusteria and the €44 lake

From July 1 to September 15, 2026, between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, Lago di Braies is reachable by car only with an online parking booking at €44, or €49 for vehicles over 2.2 m tall, or with a transit permit.

Outside that window and outside those hours, driving in is free. On foot and by bike there is no restriction at any time, and entry to the lake itself costs nothing: what you pay for is access and a space.

The ticket includes transit permission, a guaranteed parking place, a shuttle where needed and a €22 voucher to spend locally if booked in advance. Buses 442 from Dobbiaco and Villabassa and 439 from Monguelfo cost €7 to €13 for adults and must be booked online in the regulated period.

The provincial notice describes the scheme with a 9:30 am start while the operating portal gives 9:00 am. Where they disagree, the operating portal is the one updated every year.

## Days 6 and 7: the Marmolada, 3,343 meters

Punta Penia on the Marmolada reaches 3,343 m, the highest summit in the Dolomites, and carries the largest glacier in the range. A cable car climbs from Malga Ciapela to Punta Rocca and the Belluno side ski run measures 12 km.

On July 3, 2022 a serac collapse on that glacier killed eleven people. The ice is in steep retreat and its current surface changes every season, so any figure you read for its area needs a date attached; we do not publish one.

The summit ridge marks the boundary between the province of Trento and the province of Belluno under the 2018 watershed definition, which is why two different tourist boards will tell you it is theirs.

## What we could not verify for this week

The total surface of the World Heritage property is not stated on any official page we could open, because the UNESCO site refuses automated access, so the 142,000 hectare figure comes from Italian institutional sources rather than from the nomination file.

The same applies to the exact provincial split of individual systems. Treat the lists above as the Italian regions publish them, not as a closed inventory.

For the wider mountain picture, see [Mountains](/themes/mountains).

## FAQ

### Do I need to book to drive to Lago di Braies?

Between July 1 and September 15, 2026, yes, if you arrive by car between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm. Parking is €44, or €49 for vehicles over 2.2 m tall, and includes transit permission and a guaranteed space. On foot or by bike there is no restriction at all.

### Can I drive up to the Alpe di Siusi?

Not between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm on any day. In those hours the plateau is reachable only by cable car or bus, and from June 29, 2026 the P1 Spitzbuhl car park at €15 a day and P2 Compatsch at €30 also have to be booked online.

### What exactly is the UNESCO listing in the Dolomites?

A serial natural property of 9 mountain systems, inscribed on June 26, 2009 at the Seville session, spread across Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia and the autonomous provinces of Bolzano and Trento. Five systems are in Belluno province alone.

### How high is the Marmolada and can you go up?

Punta Penia reaches 3,343 m, the highest point in the Dolomites, and a cable car runs from Malga Ciapela to Punta Rocca. The glacier below it is the largest in the range and shrinking fast; a serac collapse on July 3, 2022 killed eleven people.

### Is entry to Lago di Braies itself free?

Yes. The €44 charge is for access and parking, not for the lake, and walking or cycling in costs nothing at any hour. Buses 442 from Dobbiaco and Villabassa and 439 from Monguelfo run €7 to €13 for adults and must be booked in the regulated period.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dal 1 luglio al 15 settembre 2026, fra le 9 e le 16, al Lago di Braies si arriva in auto solo con prenotazione online del parcheggio (44 euro, 49 per veicoli oltre 2,2 m di altezza) o con permesso di transito; fuori da quella fascia oraria e da quel periodo l'accesso in auto e' libero, mentre a piedi e in bici non c'e' alcuna limitazione | [Braies/Prags - portale ufficiale della regolamentazione](https://www.prags.bz/it); [Provincia autonoma di Bolzano](https://news.provincia.bz.it/it/news/piano-braies-accesso-al-lago-con-prenotazione-dal-10-luglio) | high | 2027-06-30 |
| La strada che sale all'Alpe di Siusi e' chiusa alle auto private ogni giorno dalle 9 alle 17: nelle ore di divieto l'altopiano si raggiunge solo con la cabinovia o con il bus, e dal 29 giugno 2026 anche i parcheggi P1 Spitzbuhl (15 euro al giorno) e P2 Compatsch (30 euro) vanno prenotati online | [Alpe di Siusi Marketing / consorzio turistico Seiser Alm](https://www.seiseralm.it/en/info-service/mobility/access-to-seiser-alm.html) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Le Dolomiti sono state iscritte nella World Heritage List UNESCO il 26 giugno 2009 a Siviglia come bene naturale seriale composto da nove sistemi, distribuiti tra Veneto (provincia di Belluno), Friuli-Venezia Giulia (Pordenone e Udine), Provincia autonoma di Bolzano e Provincia autonoma di Trento. Il 13 maggio 2010 le Province e le Regioni coinvolte hanno costituito la Fondazione Dolomiti UNESCO per gestirlo. | [Regione del Veneto](https://www.regione.veneto.it/web/economia-e-sviluppo-montano/dolomiti-unesco); [Commissione Nazionale Italiana per l'UNESCO](https://www.unesco.it/it/unesco-vicino-a-te/siti-patrimonio-mondiale/dolomiti/) | high | 2029-12-31 |
| Le Dolomiti sono patrimonio mondiale UNESCO come bene naturale dal 2009, articolate in nove sistemi montuosi distinti che sommano circa 142.000 ettari su cinque province (Bolzano, Trento, Belluno, Pordenone, Udine); i sistemi che ricadono in Alto Adige comprendono Puez-Odle, Sciliar-Catinaccio-Latemar, le Dolomiti settentrionali e il Bletterbach | [Commissione Nazionale Italiana per l'UNESCO](https://www.unesco.it/it/unesco-vicino-a-te/siti-patrimonio-mondiale/dolomiti/); [Provincia autonoma di Trento](https://www.provincia.tn.it/Argomenti/Focus/Riconoscimenti-UNESCO-in-Trentino/Dolomiti-Patrimonio-dell-Umanita) | medium | 2099-12-31 |
| Dei nove sistemi delle Dolomiti UNESCO, cinque ricadono in Veneto, tutti nella provincia di Belluno: Pelmo-Croda da Lago, Marmolada, Pale-Dolomiti Bellunesi (due porzioni) e Dolomiti Friulane. E' la ragione per cui il Veneto e' la regione con la quota maggiore del bene dolomitico. | [Regione del Veneto](https://www.regione.veneto.it/web/economia-e-sviluppo-montano/dolomiti-unesco) | medium | 2029-12-31 |
| Dei nove sistemi che compongono il bene UNESCO Dolomiti, iscritto nel 2009, quattro ricadono in Trentino: Marmolada, Pale di San Martino con le Vette Feltrine, Catinaccio-Latemar e Dolomiti di Brenta, l'unico gruppo dolomitico separato dal resto della catena | [Provincia autonoma di Trento](https://www.provincia.tn.it/Argomenti/Focus/Riconoscimenti-UNESCO-in-Trentino/Dolomiti-Patrimonio-dell-Umanita) | medium | 2099-12-31 |
| La Marmolada, con i 3.343 metri di Punta Penia, e' la cima piu' alta delle Dolomiti e ospita il ghiacciaio dolomitico piu' esteso; il 3 luglio 2022 il crollo di un seracco ha ucciso undici persone sul ghiacciaio | [Wikipedia](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmolada) | medium | 2029-12-31 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/region.provincia-bolzano.v2.1600.jpg
Author: Einaz80. License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Santa_Maddalena_Funes_2.jpg

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