As a family from Calgary used to hiking in the Canadian Rockies, hiking in the Dolomites felt completely different.
In the Rockies, most hikes start in the valley and involve a long climb before you reach those spectacular views. In the Dolomites, it’s almost the opposite.
Cable cars take you straight up into the mountains, many trails start high in the alpine meadows, and along the way you’ll find mountain huts serving pasta, espresso, and apple strudel.
It’s hiking but with a much more “civilized alpine” feel.
One of the best places to experience this is Alpe di Siusi, the largest alpine meadow in Europe and one of the most beautiful hiking areas in the Dolomites.
During our week in the Dolomites in July, we visited Alpe di Siusi twice, accessing it from two different towns. We stayed at a beautiful family-run farm stay nearby, which made the perfect base for exploring the area. You can read more about our experience staying at a Dolomites agriturismo here: Our Dolomites Farm Stay Experience.
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How Hiking in the Dolomites Is Different
Alpe di Siusi covers about 52 square kilometres of mountain pastures, surrounded by dramatic Dolomite peaks.
But what makes hiking here so unique, especially if you’re used to hiking in places like the Canadian Rockies, is how accessible everything is.
Instead of climbing for hours just to reach the views, cable cars bring you straight up into the alpine meadows.
Once you’re up there, you’ll find:
• well-marked trails
• mountain huts serving food and drinks
• playgrounds and rest areas
• stunning scenery in every direction
It feels less like remote wilderness hiking and more like a beautifully organized alpine park.
And for families with kids, that accessibility makes a huge difference.
Map of the Alpe di Siusi area showing the towns of Siusi and Ortisei where you can access the mountain by cable car.
Day 1: Hiking from Siusi (Seiser Alm Bahn Cable Car)
Our first hike started from the town of Siusi, which was just a 15-minute drive from the farm stay where we were staying.
The drive itself is beautiful, a winding mountain road with incredible scenery.
If you arrive before 9:00am, you can drive all the way up the mountain to Compatsch and park near the main trail area. After 9:00am the road is closed to private cars until 5:00pm.
You can still drive down the mountain at any time.
Parking at the top costs 30€ per day, so if you’re willing to get up early this option can save you quite a bit of money.
Since we arrived later in the morning, we parked in Siusi and took the Seiser Alm Bahn cable car instead.
There is a large free parking lot at the cable car station.
The cable car ride takes about 15 minutes and the views on the way up are incredible.
This cable car is not included in the Südtirol Guest Pass.
Ticket prices are approximately:
Adults: 28.50€ round trip
Kids 8–15: 17€ round trip
Under 8: free
For our family of four that day, the total came to about $100 CAD for the cable car. (I’m not sure why we paid less than the posted rates to be honest, but I checked my credit card statement and this is what I paid)
Lunch at the Top
Once you arrive at the top station, there are restrooms and several restaurants.
Even if you don’t plan to hike much, you could simply take the cable car up, enjoy lunch with a view, and head back down.
We stopped for lunch at Nordic Bar, which is located right near the station.
The views here are incredible and the prices were surprisingly reasonable considering the location.
We ordered goulash, apple strudel, pretzels and a couple beers, all delicious!
Our First Hike
One of the first things you notice once you arrive on Alpe di Siusi is the expansive views and the animals grazing in the fields.
If you’re used to hiking in the Canadian Rockies like we are, you’ll quickly notice that hiking here feels more like walking scenic alpine trails.
There wasn’t a huge amount of elevation gain, which makes it great for families with kids.
We veered left from the cable car station and followed the Compatsch – Biotope Großes Moos – Panorama trail.
The hike took about 2.5 hours total, ending back near the Nordic Bar where we had lunch.
Along the way we saw:
• alpacas
• cows
• horses
• beautiful alpine pastures
Another thing I really appreciated was that I wasn’t constantly thinking about wildlife encounters like bears, cougars, or moose! We’re always keeping this in mind when hiking in the Canadian Rockies so it felt a little more relaxing!
Day 2: Hiking from Ortisei
The second hike we did started from the town of Ortisei, about a 20-minute drive from our farm stay.
Ortisei is noticeably larger than Siusi and has more shops, restaurants, and services.
We parked in the parking garage directly beside the cable car station, which cost 12€ for the day.
There are two main cable car systems from Ortisei, the Seceda cable car (towards the Seceda ridge) and the Seilbahnen St. Ulrich cable car (towards Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm). We took the Seilbahnen St. Ulrich cable car towards the Alpe di Siusi.
Like Siusi, there are plenty of places in town to grab groceries, snacks, or last-minute gear before heading up the mountain.
Ortisei Cable Car
From Ortisei, we took the Seilbahnen St. Ulrich cable car up to Mont Seuc. You may also see it called the Mont Seuc cable car or the Alpe di Siusi cable car. All the name are confusing I know!
This cable car is more expensive than the one from Siusi.
Adults: 39€
Kids 8–14: 27.30€
Under 8: free
For our family of four, we paid about $195 CAD for the round trip.
The ride itself takes about 15 minutes and brings you up to Mont Seuc.
This area is less built up than the Compatsch area near the Siusi lift, but that also makes it feel a little quieter. There’s a little restaurant and a gift shop right as you get off the gondola.
Our Second Hike
This was the hike we originally planned to follow: Monte Piz – Schgaguler Hut via Monte Sëuc
But as often happens while hiking, we ended up exploring a bit further and continued toward Saltria, where we stopped for lunch. There are many places to eat in this area. I’d suggest saving a few on Google Maps before you head out.
We started hiking around 10:30am and finished around 3:00pm.
This hike had the classic views you often see in photos of Alpe di Siusi, wide alpine meadows surrounded by dramatic Dolomite peaks.
Personally, I enjoyed this hike even more than the first day.
Interestingly, we actually passed near the area accessed by the Siusi cable car during our hike.
So if you wanted to save some money, you could take the less expensive cable car from Siusi and still explore many of the same trails.
What Confused Us (And Might Confuse You Too)
One thing that genuinely confused us while planning and hiking in this region was the naming.
First, there are the Alps, which are the massive mountain range that stretches across several European countries – similar to how the Rocky Mountains stretch across western North America.
Within the Alps are many smaller mountain ranges, and the Dolomites are one of them.
Then within the Dolomites are specific areas and valleys and Alpe di Siusi is one of those areas.
So the hierarchy looks like this:
The Alps → The Dolomites → Alpe di Siusi
To make things even more confusing, many places in South Tyrol also have three different names: Italian, German, and Ladin.
So the same town, trail, or mountain can appear under different names depending on the map or website you’re looking at.
The trails themselves are marked with both numbers and names, but we still found ourselves a little confused at times.
Fortunately, because the terrain is wide open alpine meadow, you can often simply see where you want to go and navigate visually.
From Italy we headed to Austria and then took the overnight sleeper train to Croatia. To read more about that click below:
Is Alpe di Siusi Good for Kids?
Yes – absolutely!
Our kids were 10 and 14 on this trip, and they handled these hikes easily.
In fact, they’ve done much harder hikes in the Canadian Rockies.
What makes Alpe di Siusi especially great for families is that there’s so much to see and do along the way.
There are:
• restaurants and mountain huts
• playgrounds
• animals grazing in the meadows
• incredible scenery in every direction
Compared to many hikes in the Rockies, where you might hike for hours without seeing anything but trees, there’s constant variety here.
You can also find more family-friendly hiking options HERE.
Staying on Alpe di Siusi
Another option many visitors choose is staying directly on Alpe di Siusi.
There are several mountain huts and small hotels located throughout the alpine meadow.
Staying up here would allow you to enjoy the area early in the morning or in the evening when most day visitors have left.
It would also give you direct access to the hiking trails without needing to worry about cable cars or road closures.
We always use eSIMs from Airalo to stay connected while travelling without paying expensive roaming fees.
Practical Tips for Visiting Alpe di Siusi
A few practical things that are helpful to know before visiting Alpe di Siusi.
Arrive early if you want to drive up the mountain.
The road to Compatsch closes to private vehicles between 9:00am and 5:00pm, so if you want to park at the top you’ll need to arrive before the closure.
Bring plenty of water, especially in summer.
The trails are fairly exposed in parts and it can get quite warm during the middle of the day.
Wear proper shoes.
Many trails are wide gravel paths rather than technical hiking trails, but comfortable walking or hiking shoes will make the day much more enjoyable.
Mountain huts make hiking here very enjoyable.
One of the best parts of hiking in the Dolomites is stopping at the huts along the way. Many serve full meals, drinks, desserts, and coffee. It’s very different from hiking in the Canadian Rockies where you often need to pack everything yourself.
Bathrooms are easy to find.
Restrooms are available at the main cable car stations and at many of the mountain huts along the trails.
Plan for half a day or a full day.
You could easily spend 3–6 hours exploring Alpe di Siusi, depending on how far you hike and how many stops you make along the way.
Weather can change quickly in the mountains.
Even on warm days it’s a good idea to bring a light jacket.
Is Alpe di Siusi Stroller Friendly?
One thing that really surprised us was how family-friendly many of the trails are.
In several places we even saw parents pushing strollers along the paths. Many of the trails are wide, packed gravel roads rather than narrow rocky trails.
This makes Alpe di Siusi a great option for families with younger kids or toddlers who might not be ready for more technical hiking.
Quick Planning Overview
If you’re planning a visit, here are a few key things to know:
Location: Alpe di Siusi (Seiser Alm), Dolomites, Italy
Best for: Scenic hiking, families, alpine views
Time needed: Half day to full day
Kids: Very manageable for kids and many stroller-friendly trails
Access: Cable car from Siusi or Ortisei
Food: Many mountain huts and restaurants along the trails
Would We Do It Again?
Absolutely.
Alpe di Siusi ended up being one of our favourite hiking experiences in the Dolomites.
The scenery is incredible, the trails are accessible, and the infrastructure makes it easy to spend an entire day in the mountains without feeling rushed.
If you’re visiting the Dolomites with kids or simply want a beautiful alpine hiking experience that doesn’t require extreme elevation gain the Alpe di Siusi is well worth adding to your itinerary.
Planning a Trip to Italy, Austria or Croatia?
From Italy, we headed to Lienz, Austria to bike the Drau Cycle Path and then we took the overnight sleeper train to Split, Croatia. To read more about these experience click below:
- What we packed for Europe in the Summer with our Kids
- Taking the Overnight Sleeper Train from Austria to Croatia with Kids
- Our 3 Weeks in Italy, Austria and Croatia with Kids (Route, Stays & Costs)
- Split, Croatia with Kids What We’d Do Differently Next Time
- Bolzano with Kids: Easy Family Travel Tips for the Dolomites
- Biking the Drau Cycle Path in Austria with Kids
- Our Italy Dolomites Farm Stay (Agriturismo Experience)
Need pet care while you travel? We use TrustedHousesitters to look after our dog Archie when we’re away.
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