[ADD: our own intro/context, the moment the Dolomites won us over, why we ended up in Val Pusteria specifically]
What we didn’t expect before our first trip is that “the Dolomites” isn’t really one place. It’s a whole stretch of the Alps spanning several valleys and a couple of different Italian provinces, and each one has its own feel: some built around iconic ridgeline views, others around mountain playgrounds, others around a proper town to wander in the evening. Working out which corner suits your family matters more here than almost anywhere else we’ve written about.
If you’re short on time, a long weekend in one valley is genuinely enough to fall for the region, which is exactly what we did in Val Pusteria. Give yourself closer to a week if you want to properly explore two areas, or fit in a full day of hiking at altitude without rushing back down for dinner. Here’s how we’d help you choose.
Which area of the Dolomites should you stay in?
| Area | Best for | Stay here if… | Family hotel pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Val Pusteria / Kronplatz | Babies and toddlers, playgrounds, Lake Braies | You want easy family days plus a big family resort | Falkensteiner Family Resort Lido |
| Val Gardena | Iconic Dolomites scenery | Seceda and Alpe di Siusi are priorities | Cavallino Bianco Family Spa Grand Hotel |
| Alta Badia | Mountain play, easy family activities | You want the Moviment parks and lift-accessible days | Movi Family Apart-Hotel |
| Cortina | First-time sightseeing | Tre Cime and the eastern Dolomites are priorities | Faloria Mountain Spa Resort |
| Val di Fassa / Trentino | Longer family holidays | You want lots of activities without changing base | [ADD once we find a genuine kinderhotel-standard pick] |
Our pick with a toddler: Val Pusteria
If you’re travelling with a baby or toddler, we’d start with Val Pusteria. We based ourselves near Kronplatz and could combine proper Dolomites days out, including Lake Braies and Kronplatz itself, with playgrounds, Bruneck old town and plenty to do at the hotel without much driving. For a first short trip in particular, that made a real difference over trying to tick off the whole region.
Read our 3-day Dolomites itinerary in Val Pusteria →
Val Pusteria with kids: best for babies and toddlers
Val Pusteria is the valley running east from Bressanone, with Kronplatz and the town of Bruneck at its centre, and San Candido and Dobbiaco further east towards the Austrian border. It’s a strong fit for babies and toddlers specifically: the childcare provision at the bigger resorts here is genuinely excellent, distances between the highlights are short, and there’s a good mix of resort days and proper Dolomites days out.
Headline activities are Kronplatz itself (cable car up, playgrounds and viewpoints at the top), Lake Braies, and Bruneck’s old town. Buggy access is good in the towns and on the Lake Braies loop, more limited once you’re up on Kronplatz beyond the summit terrace.
Munich or Innsbruck are the sensible airports, both roughly 3 hours’ drive.
We stayed at the Falkensteiner Family Resort Lido, and our full 3 days in the Dolomites with kids itinerary covers everything else.
A few other kinderhotel-style options sit close to the western end of Val Pusteria, near Bressanone/Brixen (roughly 40 minutes from Kiens): AKI Family Resort PLOSE, SAN SONNEA Family Dolomites (formerly Sonnwies), and Das Mühlwald on the Natz-Schabs apple plateau. All are newer or recently refreshed family resorts worth shortlisting if Falkensteiner Lido is booked up.
Val Gardena with kids: best for iconic Dolomites views
Val Gardena, with the towns of Ortisei, Selva and Santa Cristina, is probably the single most photographed part of the Dolomites, thanks to Seceda’s ridgeline and the Alpe di Siusi plateau. Both are reached by cable car, and both have family-friendly hiking with playgrounds at various points along the way, including the PanaRaida adventure trail.
Innsbruck, Bolzano or Verona all work as airports, roughly 1.5-2.5 hours depending on route. Cavallino Bianco Family Spa Grand Hotel in Ortisei is a long-established, family-exclusive pick right in the centre of the valley. [ADD once visited: our own pramability and driving notes]
Alta Badia with kids: best for mountain play
Alta Badia, centred on Corvara, Colfosco, La Villa and San Cassiano, has built its family reputation on the Moviment parks: destination playgrounds at the top of gondolas and chairlifts, designed specifically to give families a mountain day that’s built around the kids rather than a serious hike.
Innsbruck, Bolzano or Verona all work as airports here too. Movi Family Apart-Hotel in Corvara ties directly into the Moviment parks and is purpose-built for families. [ADD once visited: our own pramability and driving notes]
Cortina with kids: best for a first Dolomites trip
Cortina d’Ampezzo is the glamorous, more built-up option, with access to Tre Cime di Lavaredo and the eastern Dolomites. It suits families wanting a proper town base with shops and restaurants alongside the mountain activities.
Venice is the natural airport here, though Innsbruck and Bolzano also work with a longer drive. Faloria Mountain Spa Resort has a dedicated kids club. [ADD once visited: our own pramability and driving notes]
Val di Fassa and Trentino with kids: best for a longer stay
Val di Fassa sits a little further south, in Trentino rather than South Tyrol, and was one of the first Dolomites valleys to properly position itself for family tourism. It suits a longer holiday where you want a wide spread of activities without needing to change base.
Verona or Bolzano are the sensible airports. We haven’t found a hotel here that matches the standard of the picks in the other regions yet, so we’re holding off naming one until we do. [ADD once researched: a genuine kinderhotel-standard pick for this area]
Getting to the Dolomites: which airport to choose
It depends on where you’re staying.
- Munich (MUC), Germany, roughly 3 hours’ drive. The best option for Val Pusteria, Kronplatz and northern South Tyrol generally. This is the one we flew into
- Innsbruck (INN), Austria. Also strong for Val Pusteria and Val Gardena, sometimes a shorter drive than Munich depending on exact location, with fewer direct UK flights
- Verona (VRN), Italy. Best for Val di Fassa and Val Gardena, and easy to combine with a Lake Garda stop en route
- Venice (VCE), Italy. The largest airport with the most flight choices, and the right pick for Cortina and the eastern Dolomites
- Bolzano (BZO), Italy. A small regional airport right in South Tyrol, worth checking for a direct route if one exists, since it cuts the drive dramatically
Playgrounds across the region
If a great mountain playground is part of what you’re looking for (and in the Dolomites, it usually should be), we’ve rounded up our favourites by area in our best playgrounds in the Dolomites guide, covering Val Pusteria, Val Gardena, Alta Badia, Cortina and beyond.
Frequently asked questions
Is Val Gardena or Val Pusteria better with kids?
Choose Val Pusteria if you have a baby or toddler and want an easier, resort-led trip with excellent childcare on tap. Choose Val Gardena if your children are a bit older, you want the classic postcard Dolomites views, and you’re comfortable with more hiking.
Do you need a car in the Dolomites with kids?
For most families, yes. Some valleys, particularly Val Gardena, have good local buses and cable car passes that reduce how much you need to drive once you’re there, but getting between valleys and reaching spots like Lake Braies is much easier with your own car.
Practical tips for the Dolomites with kids
- Choose one area and stay put. This isn’t a road-trip destination, it rewards a slower pace
- Pack proper layers. Weather changes fast at altitude, even in summer
- Bring a baby carrier as a backup to a buggy, since plenty of the best viewpoints and playgrounds involve some uneven ground
- Carry cash. Some mountain huts and parking areas don’t take cards
- Best time to visit is roughly June to September for hiking, and December to March for skiing. Outside those windows, many cable cars and mountain huts close for the season
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Allie, Jack & R x
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