Lake Garda Travel GuideDolomites Day Trip from Lake Garda
- 10-12 hoursDuration
- 4.7 · 784Reviews on GetYourGuide
- From $95per person
- Free cancellation 24hCancellation
Quick answer The day trip in brief
Yes, a Dolomites day trip from Lake Garda is possible, and this one costs $95 per person and lasts 10 to 12 hours. You get a coffee stop, Moena or Cavalese, a photo stop at Lake Soraga, about two hours at Pordoi Pass (2,239 m) and free time in Ortisei. You return to your pickup point between 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM.
Key takeaways
- The optional cable car at the pass costs $31.16 (€28) extra and food is not included, so budget for both. See what the price covers.
- A travel forum puts the heart of the Dolomites 1 to 2 hours of driving from the lake, longer by bus. Read how long the day really is.
- Prefer a city to the mountains? The Verona day trip from Lake Garda costs $73 and runs 8-10 hours.
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A Dolomites day trip from Lake Garda is a long coach day to the Pordoi Pass at 2,239 m and the wood carving town of Ortisei, and this Likegarda listing is one way to do it without a car. The tour runs 10 to 12 hours, picks up at 17 meeting points around Lake Garda with hotel pickup and drop-off on the chosen option, and costs $95 per person. It suits travelers who want the high passes and one alpine village in a single day, with a guide on board in English, German or Spanish. It is one of several day trips that leave the lake, so this page sets out what the price covers, the hour-by-hour shape of the day and who should book something else. See the full Lake Garda guide for the rest of the region.
About This Tour
Likegarda runs this full-day coach tour from Lake Garda into the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The coach stops for coffee, passes through Moena or Cavalese, pauses at Lake Soraga for photos, waits about two hours at Pordoi Pass, then finishes in Ortisei in the Gardena Valley. The optional cable car at the pass costs $31.16 (€28) extra. The day ends back at the original pickup point between 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM.
Two group formats exist: a small-group option of up to 7 people and a standard coach of up to 55. A professional guide provides live commentary in English, German or Spanish. The itinerary can change with the weather and traffic, and pets are not allowed.
$95 per person. Transport by air-conditioned coach, live commentary, guide, entrance fees, all taxes, fees and handling charges, hotel pickup and drop-off are covered. Food, drinks and the cable car are not.
10-12 hours door to door, returning between 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM depending on your starting location.
17 meeting points around Lake Garda, depending on the option selected. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.
Departure time is not stated on the listing, so check availability for the starting time of your date.
Not a private tour. Small group: up to 7 people. Standard group: up to 55. The size depends on the option chosen.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, booked through GetYourGuide.
Check Dates and Availability
Departure times are not published on the listing, so check the calendar for your date before planning anything else around it. Pickup points and the small-group option depend on the option selected.
How Far the Dolomites Are and How Long the Day Is
Distance is the first question for a reason. The answer decides whether a day trip is a good idea or an exhausting one.
The Distance in Driving Terms
A travel forum puts the heart of the Dolomites 1 to 2 hours of driving from Lake Garda, and longer by bus. That sounds manageable until you add the reality of the day: pickup at 17 points around a 51.60 km long lake, the coffee stop, two towns, the pass and Ortisei, all in one coach circuit.
- Pickup at one of 17 meeting points, start time shown at booking
- The coach is at Pordoi Pass at midday
- Return to your pickup point between 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM
Why 10 to 12 Hours Is the Honest Figure
Door to door, the coach day returns between 18:30 and 19:30 depending on your start. The coach is at Pordoi Pass (2,239 m) from 12:00 PM and in Ortisei from about 3:15 PM, so much of the day is spent on the road. About two hours at the pass and the time in Ortisei are yours on foot.
Book the day knowing it is a driving day with three stops, not a hiking day.
What a Day Can Reach
The central Dolomites, the stretch with the famous massifs, is what a day trip from the lake can reach. Deeper valleys and longer trails belong to an overnight stay, which is a question taken up later on this page.
Clock times appear only where the listing gives them. The departure time is not published, so the early phases are labeled rather than timed.
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Meet
Pickup around Lake Garda
The coach collects you at one of 17 meeting points, or at your hotel on the pickup option. Return is set for between 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM at the same point.
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Morning
Coffee stop in the mountains
A 15-minute break where the guide introduces the itinerary and the story of these former coral-reef mountains.
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Morning
Moena or Cavalese
The route passes through one of the two towns, with time to stroll past the window displays and maybe find a hot chocolate.
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Late morning
Photo stop at Lake Soraga
A brief stop by the water with the surrounding peaks in frame.
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12:00 PM - 1:45 PM
Pordoi Pass, 2,239 m
About two hours of free time. Lunch at the alpine restaurants on site, or the optional cable car at $31.16 (€28) up to the terrace at 2,950 m.
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From about 3:15 PM
Ortisei, Gardena Valley
Free time in the pedestrian streets among the wood carving shops, boutiques and cafés.
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End
Return to Lake Garda
The coach arrives back at your original pickup point between 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM, depending on where you started.
Riva del Garda at the northern tip of the lake. Photo: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Price Covers
The $95 covers the coach, the guide and the ride. The table below separates what is in the price from what you pay on the day, based on the listing itself. One warning first: the platform's own includes list also names food and drinks, but the tour details state plainly that food and drinks are not included and lunch is only possible at the pass restaurants, and the two cannot both be right, so confirm on the booking page before you count on a meal. The optional cable car is $31.16 (€28) per person, paid separately.
Included and Not Included
Entrance fees, all taxes, fees and handling charges sit in the price. So do hotel pickup and drop-off and the air-conditioned coach with live commentary. Food, drinks and the cable car ride at Pordoi Pass do not.
Tips are not mentioned either way on the listing.
| Item | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Air-conditioned coach | Yes | Modern coach, live commentary on board |
| Guide | Yes | English, German or Spanish |
| Hotel pickup and drop-off | Yes | 17 meeting points around Lake Garda, depending on the option |
| Entrance fees, taxes, handling charges | Yes | All covered |
| Food and drinks | No | Lunch possible at the alpine restaurants at Pordoi Pass |
| Pordoi Pass cable car | No | $31.16 (€28) per person, optional, up to the terrace at 2,950 m |
| Tips | Not stated | The listing does not mention them |
The Pordoi Pass road and peaks in the Dolomites. Photo: Giorgio Galeotti, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Book It If, Skip It If
Book it if
- you want Pordoi Pass at 2,239 m and Ortisei in one day for $95 with hotel pickup at 17 points around the lake
- you are car-free, since trains reach Desenzano, Peschiera and Rovereto but no pass
- a small-group option of up to 7 people appeals more than the standard coach of up to 55
Skip it if
- 10 to 12 hours is too long a day, when the Verona day trip from Lake Garda costs $73 and runs 8-10 hours
- you need wheelchair access, since the tour is not wheelchair accessible and pets are not allowed
- you can add nights in the mountains, where forum advice favors two or three nights in Ortisei, Brixen or Merano over a coach day
What Works and What Does Not
The honest strengths and costs of this listing, drawn from the itinerary and from what reviewers flag.
What we genuinely like
- One fare of $95 covers the coach, guide, entrance fees and hotel pickup and drop-off around the lake
- About two hours at Pordoi Pass at 2,239 m, the scenic heart of the range, with the optional cable car to 2,950 m
- A small-group option of up to 7 if a 55-seat coach does not appeal
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead and reserve now, pay later
The honest downsides
- 10 to 12 hours is a genuinely long day, with only about two hours at the pass and a short spell in Ortisei on foot
- Food and drinks are not included, and the listing contradicts itself on this point, so confirm on the booking page
- The cable car adds $31.16 (€28) per person on top of the fare
- Food is not provided, so lunch at the Pordoi restaurants is an extra cost
- The itinerary can change with weather and traffic
Who it's NOT for: If mountains are not the point of your holiday, the cheaper Verona day trip from Lake Garda at $73 and 8-10 hours is the better match.
Before You Go
A few practical points separate a good mountain day from a cold and hungry one. None of them are complicated.
Weather, Height and What to Wear
The itinerary may change depending on weather and traffic, so a foggy or stormy day can alter the stops. Pordoi Pass sits at 2,239 m and the cable car terrace at 2,950 m, far above the lake at 65 m, so bring layers even in summer. The euro (EUR) is the local currency at the pass restaurants and the Ortisei cafés, converted here at the ECB rate of 1 EUR = 1.1130 USD.
Money On Top of the Fare
Budget for lunch, since food and drinks are not included, and for the cable car at $31.16 (€28) if you want the terrace.
Who Can Join
No minimum age is stated. The tour is not wheelchair accessible and pets are not allowed. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before the start, which gives you room to wait on the forecast.
If you need to cross the lake to reach your meeting point, Navigazione Laghi ferry one-way fares run from $1.67 (€1.50) to $19.48 (€17.50) by zone, but no passenger boats run from 2 November to 12 March.
Sources: Navigazione Laghi, European Central Bank.
How the Tour Runs
The day follows the same shape whichever pickup point you start from: a drive north into the mountains, two towns, a lake, the pass and then Ortisei. The listing gives a few clock times and free-time lengths, which are set out below. Anything the listing does not time is marked as not stated, and no start time is published, so the morning clock times cannot be fixed in advance.
From the Lake to the Pass
The coach collects you at one of 17 meeting points around Lake Garda, or at your hotel on the pickup option. A 15-minute coffee stop in the mountains comes first, where the guide introduces the itinerary and talks about how these former coral reefs became a UNESCO site. The route then passes through Moena or Cavalese, two mountain towns popular with skiers, with time to stroll and look at the window displays.
A short photo stop follows at Lake Soraga, with the peaks visible across the water.
- Coffee stop: 15 minutes, guide introduces the day
- Moena or Cavalese: stroll and window displays
- Lake Soraga: brief photo stop
Pordoi Pass and Ortisei
The coach waits at Pordoi Pass from 12:00 PM to 1:45 PM, about two hours of free time at 2,239 m. Views take in the Marmolada, Sella and Catinaccio massifs. The optional high-speed cable car lifts you to a mountain terrace at 2,950 m for $31.16 (€28) extra.
Alpine restaurants on site serve lunch. From about 3:15 PM the tour moves to Ortisei in the Gardena Valley, known for wood carvings and wooden buildings, with free time in the pedestrian streets. The return drive brings you back to your original pickup point between 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM.
| Part of the tour | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Meeting points and pickup | Not stated | 17 points, exact time depends on your location |
| Coffee stop | 15 minutes | Guide introduces the itinerary |
| Moena or Cavalese | Not stated | Pass through, short stroll |
| Lake Soraga | Brief stop | Photos of the peaks |
| Pordoi Pass, 2,239 m | 12:00 PM - 1:45 PM | About 2 hours free time, optional cable car $31.16 (€28) |
| Ortisei, Gardena Valley | From about 3:15 PM | Free time, wood carvings and boutiques |
| Return to Lake Garda | 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM | Back at your original pickup point |
The Pordoi Pass on Video
The road up to the Pordoi Pass. Third-party video by Dashcam Roadshow. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
The Mountains Beyond the Coach Day
This tour shows you the Dolomites from the road, the pass and one village. If the trip leaves you hungry for more of the range, the closest taste from the lake itself is on its own mountains.
Ortisei and the Gardena Valley
Ortisei is the afternoon stop, an alpine resort known for its wood carving tradition and wooden buildings. Free time here is for the pedestrian areas, cafés and boutiques. If the village tempts you, forum advice for a mountain and lake holiday is to give Ortisei a proper stay rather than a couple of hours, which is covered further down this page.
Closer to the Lake: Monte Baldo
For a cable car day that needs no coach at all, the Malcesine to Monte Baldo cable car climbs to 1,760 m in about twenty minutes. An adult return costs $33.39 (€30) at the ticket office or $31.16 (€28) online, and children up to 1.20 m ride free. Summer season runs 4 April to 1 November, first ascent 8:15, departures every 30 minutes, weather permitting.
Combine it with Malcesine castle and you have a mountain day without the 10 to 12 hour coach commitment. Or stay on the water, as the Sirmione boat tour around the peninsula does for $13 in 25 minutes.
Source: Funivie del Baldo.
Why Not Go by Train or Public Bus
Car-free travelers often ask whether public transport can reach the Dolomites from the lake. It can reach the towns. It does not reach the passes.
Where the Rails Actually Go
Trains reach Desenzano, Peschiera and Rovereto, not the passes. Riva del Garda has no railway station at all: the nearest is Rovereto, with regular Trentino Trasporti buses on to Torbole, Riva and Arco. From the south, you can alight at Desenzano, Peschiera or Verona and take an ATV bus.
None of these is described as reaching the passes this tour visits.
The Ground Public Transport Misses
The Dolomites' best ground lies up smaller valleys off the main roads and rail lines, reached by lifts and on foot. Chaining local buses into a pass like the Pordoi at 2,239 m in a single day from the lake is not a realistic plan.
Where the Coach Wins
A single coach with no driving and no parking worry is the fit for car-free visitors. One vehicle carries you from the lake to the pass and back, the driver handles the mountain roads, and the $95 fare with hotel pickup covers the whole circuit.
Day Trip or Overnight: When to Stay in the Mountains
A coach day gives you the passes and one village. If trails are the actual goal, the arithmetic changes.
What a Day Trip Buys You
This tour gives you the view from Pordoi Pass, an optional lift to 2,950 m and free time in Ortisei. It gives you no hiking. For travelers on a 4 or 5 night lake stay who want one taste of the mountains, that trade is usually worth the 10 to 12 hours.
When Two Bases Beat One
Forum advice for a five day trip is two nights on Lake Garda then three in Ortisei, Brixen or Merano, rather than forcing both from a single base. A 6-day Dolomites and Lake Garda hiking trip splits the same way: 2 nights in the Dolomites and 3 at the lake. Under that plan this coach day becomes unnecessary, because you wake up inside the range.
The Practical Middle Ground
If you cannot add nights, keep your Lake Garda Italy base and take this coach for the pass and Ortisei. If you can add nights, move for two or three of them and hike from your bedroom door.
What Travelers Said
We had the best time, the tour was amazing, long but really well worth it. Great value for money. The scenery we seen was out of this world, the weather was really good for October. Highlight was definitely the cable car views.
Although a long day was absolutely worth it for the stunning views of the dolomites and we were lucky to have a very clear day. Rest stops definitely helped to break up the day.
My partner and I had a fantastic time yesterday. Our guide, Tuomas was hilarious and the views were spectacular. It’s a very long day, but it is absolutely worth the effort.
Absolutely loved this tour. The driver was safe and steady and the tour guide was very informative. The itinerary was perfect. It’s a long day but worth it.
Questions About This Tour
Is it possible to take a day trip from Lake Garda to the Dolomites?
Yes. This coach tour runs 10 to 12 hours from 17 pickup points around the lake to Pordoi Pass and Ortisei for $95 per person. See how the day is timed.
Is there a train from Lake Garda to the Dolomites?
Not to the passes. Trains reach Desenzano, Peschiera and Rovereto, but Riva del Garda has no station, which is why the coach day exists. The details are under why not go by train or public bus.
Can you see the Dolomites from Lake Garda?
The northern shore is enclosed by high mountain ranges, but the Dolomite massifs such as the Marmolada and the Sella are a coach drive away, as described in how far the Dolomites are.
How far are the Dolomites from Lake Garda?
A travel forum puts the heart of the range 1 to 2 hours of driving from the lake, longer by bus, and the coach reaches Pordoi Pass at 2,239 m by midday. More on the distance and timing.
What time do you get back from the Dolomites day trip?
The coach returns to your original Lake Garda pickup point between 6:30 PM and 7:30 PM, depending on where you started. The full shape of the day is in the itinerary.
Is lunch included on the Dolomites tour?
No, food and drinks are not included. Lunch is possible at the alpine restaurants at Pordoi Pass, and the platform's includes list contradicts itself on this, so confirm on the booking page as set out in what the price covers.
Do I have to pay extra for the Pordoi cable car?
Yes, the cable car is optional and costs $31.16 (€28) per person on top of the $95 fare, lifting you to a terrace at 2,950 m. Details in what the price covers.
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