Last updated: September 2026.
Three days in the Dolomites might not sound like long, but you can fit a surprising amount into a long weekend here, especially if you pick the right base.
We flew into Munich on Thursday evening in September, drove down into South Tyrol and based ourselves in Val Pusteria for three nights. From there we could reach Lake Braies, Kronplatz and some brilliant toddler-friendly stops without spending half the weekend in the car.
We travelled with R at 20 months, so this isn’t an itinerary built around huge hikes. We wanted the big Dolomites scenery, but mixed with cable cars, playgrounds, good food and plenty of time back at the hotel. If you’re planning a short Dolomites trip with a baby or toddler, this is our 3-day itinerary, plus the things I’d have done if we had another day or two.
Getting to the Dolomites
The drive from Munich took us close to three and a half hours, and while a straightforward drive, it’s long enough that you’d want to factor in a stop if driving in the daytime with a toddler.
Munich isn’t actually the closest airport to the Dolomites so take a look at options. Innsbruck is around 1.5 hours by car from where we stayed while Verona is around 2.5 hours. There’s also an airport called Bolzano which is even closer, and you can fly there from Gatwick with an airline called SkyAlps.
For our three-night Dolomite itinerary, having a car made Lake Braies, the Perca Earth Pyramids and the playground stops much easier. We were short on time and a car gave us far more freedom to combine the bigger sights with spontaneous stops along the way.
The public transport options looked excellent though (we saw an abundance of train stations and with buses, cable cars and a big cycling culture). So I definitely think you could visit this part of the Dolomites without a car, particularly if you choose your hotel carefully. For example Falkensteiner Lido is opposite the Casteldarne/Ehrenburg railway station, with trains running along the Puster Valley. Hotel guests actually receive the Südtirol Guest Pass/Holidaypass, which includes free regional public transport in South Tyrol.
If you’re renting a car, Italian law requires a car seat or booster depending on your child’s age, so bring your own or confirm the hire company has the right one (here’s our guide to the best travel car seats).
Where in the Dolomites should you base yourself for this itinerary?
This itinerary focuses on Val Pusteria (Pustertal) in South Tyrol, in the northern Dolomites close to the Austrian border. It’s a quieter, more low-key base than the bigger names like Val Gardena or Cortina, but I think it offers the best of the Dolomites without the crowds or the price tag of the more famous valleys.
We stayed in Kiens/Chienes, between Bruneck and Bressanone, which put us within easy reach of Kronplatz, Lake Braies and Alta Pusteria. It’s also home to the wonderful Falkensteiner Lido Family Resort, which really cemented this as a trip to remember. More on that below!
If you’re choosing between this area and better-known Dolomites bases such as Val Gardena, Ortisei or Cortina d’Ampezzo, I’d pick Val Pusteria for a short trip with young children if you want easy access to family attractions as well as the mountain scenery. I’ve compared the different areas in my broader Dolomites guide.
Day 1: Perca Earth Pyramids and Falkensteiner Lido
Visiting the Perca Earth Pyramids with a toddler
Given how short a long weekend trip is, we managed to pack quite a bit into our first full day. Breakfast at Falkensteiner Lido is an array of freshly made egg dishes, avocado on sourdough, pancakes – and that’s before you get to the buffet selection! We decided to drop R off at the kids club given the morning itinerary included a train ride into the nearby town to go to the playground. We knew he would love the kids club (and he did, pointing out the window of the hotel towards the train station and saying ‘choo choo’ for the rest of our stay!
We took the opportunity for our first parents-only hike in a long time, visiting the Piramidi di Plata (earth pyramids) near Percha. At the end of the walk you find tall sand pinnacles each capped with a protective rock, but the majority of the hike you’re walking along a short forest trail.
We saw plenty of kids in backpacks but it’s not pram-friendly. Park at Parkplatz Erdpyramiden and follow the path up steep steps before a more gradual incline through the woods.
After a very good lunch (think Italian pastas, risottos and the freshest salads) at our hotel (and a rare chance to have lunch just the two of us), we picked up R who was having lunch in the children’s restaurant and happily joined us for dessert before his nap in our room.
Afternoon at Falkensteiner Lido
It’s not often we spend so much time in a hotel but Falkensteiner Lido really is an exception to our norm and we didn’t feel a need to leave. With a sky adventure park on the top of the hotel there was just so much fun stuff to try out, so we spent the afternoon in the playgrounds and tubing down the dry ski slope before we tried out the family spa which includes a gorgeous pool that cuts out into the lake.
Day 2: Lake Braies with kids and what you need to know
Walking around Lake Braies with a toddler
Lake Braies (Lago di Braies/Pragser Wildsee) is one star of the Dolomites that you’ve likely seen in photos, and I can confirm it does earn the hype.
Surrounded by mountains, I was disappointed but not surprised when we arrived around 10am to find the clouds were covering the peaks and the lake looking a little gloomy while atmospheric. But by the time we were two thirds around the lake loop walk (around 4km and it took us just over an hour) the sun was shining and the scene in front of me was much more akin to what I had been picturing.
There’s a couple of restaurants by the lake and a takeaway coffee/snack bar, plus public toilets available. Aside from walking around the lake, the ‘thing’ to do is to hire a rowing boat and there were plenty of them on the lake when we were there. It looked a little congested but I’m sure it was amazing nonetheless, although if you can then walking around is a must, giving you a chance to see the lake from multiple aspects and heights.
Lake Braies is not really pram friendly although you can walk some of the way round with one (towards the right as you look at the lake from the car park). I’d strongly suggest a carrier to make the most of it.
Lake Braies parking: what we paid and where we parked
My biggest tip is to go early. The car parks fill up fast and the boathouse already had quite a long queue when we got there. We managed to park in P4, the car park closest to the lake, and paid €15 for 1hr 15 mins – but when we left the further away car parks were full and P4 had a queue to get in. I believe P4 is more expensive than the car parks further out, so worth weighing up how much you want to save the walk in versus save the money (if you have options on spaces).
Day 3: Kronplatz with kids
Taking the Kronplatz cable car with a toddler
Kronplatz is the local mountain, and it’s an easy one to do with kids because the cable car does all the work for you (although it’s quite a long ride).
In terms of how long you need there, I’d allow about half a day. The cable car journey is part of the experience and, once you’re at the top, there are viewpoints, restaurants, two museums, paraglider watching, and Little Kronplatz for children. There are also family activities including a treasure hunt and wooden ball track, so you could easily spend longer here with older children – and make it a full day if you are to hike or cycle down.
If you’re staying at Falkensteiner Lido, don’t buy your cable car tickets before checking if your stay includes a Holidaypass. Our stay included the Holidaypass Premium, which covered our return trip up Kronplatz as well as public transport across South Tyrol. With the cable car being one of the bigger costs in the area, this is a really useful perk of staying at the hotel.
Key things to note:
- The cable car runs from Reischach, about 2km from Bruneck, taking you to the 2,275m summit
- You can take a pram up on the cable car as the immediate summit area is relatively easy to explore with one. Once you start heading further onto the mountain trails, however, a carrier becomes much more useful.
- At the top, the Lumen photography museum has a panoramic terrace, and the Messner Mountain Museum Corones is a striking piece of architecture built right into the mountainside
- There’s several cafes and restaurants which were open in September when we were there
- There’s a small playground, Little Kronplatz, right up there too
- Kronplatz’s summit is at 2275m, so it’s noticeably cooler than the valley. We needed extra layers even though it was much warmer below.
We saw lots of people taking mountain bikes up on the cable car and it looked like an amazing ride down in paths weaving through the forest. Had we been staying longer we would have seriously considered hiring one and cycling down while R was in kids club, or attempted the long hike down with him in the backpack.
Mondo Bimbi playground, Valdaora
On the way back, we stopped at Mondo Bimbi in Valdaora di Sopra, a nature adventure playground with tree houses, a climbing area and a huge slide (56m for over-10s, a shorter one for younger kids). It’s free to visit and sits more or less on the route back from both Kronplatz or Braies, so it’s not a detour. I would say better for slightly older kids, as most things were a little big for R.
Bruneck old town
Bruneck (Brunico) is the valley’s main town, a few minutes from the Kronplatz cable car station. We didn’t have time to stop but we did drive through and saw the old town with its medieval castle, an arcaded main street, and enough cafes and shops for a relaxed lunch stop. There’s also a playground right in the centre if you need your little ones to burn off energy before heading back to a hotel.
Other Dolomites playgrounds to know about
Val Pusteria offers several alpine playgrounds if you want to fill a spare hour:
- Animal Park Reierhof, St Magdalena
- Kronplatz treasure hunt, St Vigil in Enneberg
- Skyscraper zip-line park, Valdaora di Mezzo
- Playground Oberwielenbach, Percha
For the full regional roundup, including Val Gardena, Alta Badia and beyond, look out for our best playgrounds in the Dolomites guide (coming soon).
If you have longer: Alta Pusteria
We didn’t make it out to Alta Pusteria this trip, but it’s the natural next stretch of the valley heading east from Kiens and often recommended by families. If you’ve got a fourth day, or want to build a longer trip, this is where we’d have gone.
- San Candido (Innichen): a more bustling town with crazy golf, bike rental, and an indoor pool (Acquafun San Candido) with a slide, waterfalls and a baby pool – although you won’t need this if you stay at Falkensteiner Lido
- Regno del Gigante Baranci: reached by chairlift from San Candido. An adventure trail, a “dwarf village,” shallow pools, a climbing course and a Funbob summer toboggan run. We really fancied this but R is just that bit too young for a chairlift
- Dobbiaco (Toblach): quieter and more of a lake town, Lago di Dobbiaco is flat, about 2.5km round, and one of the few lakes in the area where swimming is allowed, though it stays cold
- Magico Mondo della Foresta: a forest playground in Dobbiaco with a tree village
- Gustav Mahler Wildlife Park: animal fun, also in Dobbiaco
- Tre Cime di Lavaredo: the iconic three peaks, further east again and a proper hiking day rather than a toddler outing, but worth building a trip around with older kids
Practical tips for visiting the Dolomites with your family
- Weather changes fast up here. Pack proper layers even in summer. It’s common to be in a t-shirt at the valley floor and needing a jumper at the top of the cable car
- Malga food is part of the experience. If you stop at a mountain hut for lunch, try the dumplings (canederli/knödel), speck and apple strudel rather than defaulting to pizza
- A baby carrier is a useful backup even if you’re bringing a buggy, particularly on the Lake Braies loop and anywhere on Kronplatz beyond the immediate summit terrace
Frequently asked questions
Three days is enough to see some of the Dolomites’ highlights, but you’ll need to focus on one area rather than trying to cover the whole region. We based ourselves in Val Pusteria, which meant we could easily visit Lake Braies, Kronplatz and the Perca Earth Pyramids without spending hours in the car each day. With a toddler, three days actually felt like a good amount of time for a first trip, particularly as we could mix sightseeing with slower afternoons back at the hotel. If you have five to seven days, you could add places such as San Candido, Dobbiaco and Tre Cime.
I’d recommend hiring a car for this particular itinerary. It gave us much more flexibility around naps and meant we could reach places like Lake Braies and the Perca Earth Pyramids easily. That said, you don’t necessarily need to drive everywhere. Falkensteiner Family Resort Lido has a train station almost opposite the hotel, and public transport around South Tyrol is surprisingly good. If you’re staying at a hotel that includes the South Tyrol Guest Pass, you can also use much of the region’s public transport for free.
Yes. We did this itinerary with R at 20 months and found there was plenty we could do with him, without needing to take on big hikes. Lake Braies, the cable car up Kronplatz and the family attractions around Val Pusteria all work well with young children, and there are some brilliant playgrounds too. A baby carrier is useful, though. Some of the most scenic walks aren’t suitable for a buggy, including the route to the Perca Earth Pyramids.
Kronplatz is the easier of the two with a buggy. You can take a pushchair on the cable car and much of the summit area is accessible, so we found it very manageable with a toddler. At Lake Braies, you can use a buggy around parts of the lake, but I wouldn’t rely on one if you want to complete the full 4km loop. Sections of the path are rocky and include steps, so we used our carrier instead. If you’re travelling with a baby or toddler, I’d bring both if you have space.
For this exact itinerary, I’d stay in Val Pusteria rather than one of the better-known Dolomites bases further south. We stayed at Falkensteiner Family Resort Lido near Brunico, which put us within easy reach of Lake Braies, Kronplatz and the Perca Earth Pyramids. It also worked particularly well with a toddler because we could spend the morning exploring and then come back for the pool, playgrounds and kids’ facilities rather than trying to fill an entire day with sightseeing. If you’re planning a different Dolomites itinerary, my broader Dolomites with kids guide compares the main areas to stay.
Our rating
Getting there: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Munich is manageable, but take the shorter drive and fly to Innsbruck or Bolzano if you have the choice.
Pramability: ⭐️⭐️ – Bruneck old town and the Kronplatz summit terrace are fine with a buggy, but the Perca Earth Pyramids walk and the Lake Braies loop both need a carrier.
Adult fun factor: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Between Lake Braies, the Kronplatz apres-ski vibe (even in the summer), the incredible scenery and the food, there’s plenty here for the grown ups and your hotel time will be jam-packed if you stay somewhere like Falkensteiner Lido!
Cost: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ – Mid range for the Dolomites. Cheaper than Cortina or Val Gardena, with most of the best bits (the lake, the playgrounds, the town) free to visit.
We stayed at the Falkensteiner Family Resort Lido for this trip. Our full hotel review is coming soon, with the room, food, spa and kids club detail.
Allie, Jack & R x
This post contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We were invited to stay at Falkensteiner Family Resort Lido in exchange for a review, but opinions are wholly ours.
