I was a bit nervous when planning my trip to the Dolomites, that I wouldn’t be able to find any hikes with an easy rating that still offered amazing views. One of the hikes that kept coming up in my research was the Cinque Torri hike which is easily accessible from Cortina. I read many blogs about people taking their kids on this hike so I thought if kids can do it, then so can I!

Quick facts about the Cinque Torri hike

• Distance: 9.7 km / 6 mi
• Elevation gain: 600 m / 1950 ft
• Walking time: 2 – 3 hours
• Type of hike: circuit (can be done in clockwise or anti clockwise direction)
• Hiking difficulty: moderate (there are steep steps to the World War 2 tunnels but this is an optional section of the hike, otherwise I’d say the hike is easy)
• When to go: June – October
• Nearest town: Cortina D’Ampezzo

I did the hike in a clockwise direction. The lighting worked well for this route when I started at 10:10am and finished at 12:10pm. The recommended time is 2 – 3 hours. I thought it would take me longer but I did stop frequently to take photos and took my time doing the hike. If you’re pressed for time you could definitely do this hike faster than I did, then go and do another hike in the afternoon, or take one of the cable cars up the mountain back in Cortina.

What to bring for the Cinque Torri Hike

• Sunscreen
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Good walking shoes (hiking shoes not necessary)
• Water
• Camera!

I didn’t need a jacket in August, but I like to take a light one that has UV protection (got it from Uniqlo) so I don’t have to worry about my arms getting sunburnt.

How to get to the Cinque Torri Hike

It depends on where you stay in Cortina, I just followed the directions Google Maps gave me on my phone which was to take bus No.30 departing from Hotel Cortina on the edge of town (about a 15min walk from the church in the town centre).

There’s probably plenty of other people headed in the same direction but I find it’s always a good idea to ask the bus driver where you want to stop. There are ‘stop’ buttons on the bus as well (make sure you track the dot where you are on Google Maps so you give the bus driver enough warning). By telling them where I want to stop they’ll usually yell out the stop and make eye contact rather than just silently parking the bus at the stop.

The bus ride takes approximately 25 min and will drop you off at a carpark. Walk through the carpark to the cable car station.

If you’re driving get there early, the carpark is small

If you choose to drive, this is the type of road you’ll be driving on (quite narrow with no shoulder, I struggle to see how 2 cars could pass each other).

Most of the drive is forest with some Refugio huts / rest stops along on the way.

What is there to see on the Cinque Torri Hike?

• World war 1 trenches and bunkers
• A variety of scenic views including of the mountains, a valley that would look stunning with autumn leaves, and a view looking back at Cortina d’Ampezzo
• Walk through a narrow crevice between the rocks approx. halfway through the trail
• Observe people abseiling down the sides of the cliff face near the trail

I’m not very interested in war history so didn’t spend too long looking at the war stuff, but if you are interested then on the trail you’ll find:

• Restored trenches
• Machine gun positions
• Observation posts
• Soldier shelters built into the rock

There are info signs explaining what things are and what it was like for the soldiers.

The trail winds past limestone cliffs, and like the trail name suggests, around 5 limestone towers (torri). I liked that you were never really sure what was coming next on this hike, each turn offered a new angle of the rock formations and mountain views.

The hardest part is the first part on the left side of the Cinque Torri where the world war I trenches are. There are some steep steps in this section (there’s a rope to help you up the stairs). I was a bit concerned about this part of the hike after seeing some photos online but when I got there it was actually quite easy.

You don’t have to follow the routes on the trail maps, you could easily create your own route. The trails are all in a loop around the rocks so they all lead back to the cable car.

 

There are a few maps and signs along the route but it’s a bit hard to get lost, the gravel trail is well marked.

When is the best time of year to do the hike?

I think this hike would be best in September when the summer crowds have gone, or in October to see the autumn leaves.

I did this hike on the 1st of August (a Thursday). I was worried there would be so many people on the trail that my photos wouldn’t be very good, but there was plenty of space to spread out and as you can see from the photos in this post, it was quite easy to get pictures without anyone in them! It didn’t feel crowded at all.

As this is a hike people were doing with children, it would probably get quite busy on a weekend.

When is the best time of day to do the hike?

The 5 Torri chair lift opens at 9am. If you are driving, you probably need to get there by 8:30am – the carpark was full when I arrived on the bus at 10am.

For my visit on 1st August, the first bus departing from Cortina was at 9:18am, taking about 25 minutes to arrive just before 10am.

After a short walk through the carpark and ride up the chair lift (was only a short queue and I got one all to myself), I arrived at the mountain top at 10:10am.

I finished the hike around 12:20pm and I was pleasantly surprised that the lighting was fantastic for photos the entire hike – in all directions.

The 5 Torri chairlift typically operates from June to mid October, operating from 9am to 5pm. If you’re visiting in shoulder season, make sure you check the status of the chairlift on the 5 Torri website before going, it may close earlier or later in the year depending on the weather.

If you don’t like heights the chairlift ride only takes 6 minutes.

How much does it cost to do the Cinque Torri Hike?

At the time of my visit in 2024, the bus cost €1.90 to get there, €3 to get back. I found this odd as the distance is exactly the same.

I didn’t know there was a return ticket option until other people specifically requested this from the driver. If you don’t ask, they’ll just sell you the single ticket.

You will need cash to pay the bus driver, although I did see what looked like a card reader machine, I never saw anyone paying by card. When you buy your bus ticket, you’ll need to validate it immediately using the machine near the front door of the bus.

A return trip on the 5 Torri chairlift costs €27,50 (adult price, no discount for seniors or students). They’re introducing a 5% discount if you pay by credit card in summer 2026.

There is no charge to hike the trail once you get to the top.

There are toilets in the restaurant (Rifugio Scoiattoli) at the top of the cable car which you can use for free (sometimes the mountain huts / restaurants have a tip jar). I didn’t check but there is a restaurant at the bottom of the cable car which probably also has toilets.

Mistakes to avoid

It’s best to do this hike in the morning. The carpark fills quickly and there can be afternoon storms. There is nowhere to shelter from rain on this hike.

There’s a hiking trail under the chairlift but I don’t know why you would bother wasting energy doing it. You’re not going to see anything other than trees beside you the whole way up. The chairlift ride was quick and relaxing. Even during peak season in August, I had an entire 4 seater all to myself both up and down, and I didn’t have to wait long for it either.

Throughout the Dolomites (including the Ortisei side), most people were happy to wait to get a cable car or chairlift on their own or with their group. I was going up and down cable cars all time the and only had to share a cable car twice the entire trip.

Don’t forget to do the 30 minute part of the hike (the blue route) that most people miss.

If the bus times had aligned, I would’ve loved to do this hike again in reverse. I saw people online offering different opinions about which direction had the best views. There wasn’t much signage once you get there and people were doing the hike in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions.

If you do not time the bus, do not start walking and think you’ll get the bus from the next bus stop! The road is windy, there is no shoulder and it’s a tight enough fit for the cars and buses. You could get hit by a car if you attempt to walk on the side of the road.

Note: the bus stop is literally just a sign and a bench near the carpark.

Do I recommend the Cinque Torri hike?

Yes! I really enjoyed this hike. I get bored when hikes have much the same view the entire time but because this was in a circuit there was a great variety of things to see on the trail itself, as well as different scenic views from the trail.

If I’d had more time or you miss the bus back to Cortina (it doesn’t operate very frequently), you could do the trail in reverse for different views as well.

There’s a restaurant (Rifugio Scoiattoli) at the top of the chairlift, so you can have lunch before heading back down to the bus stop.

This hike didn’t involve too much effort and is suitable for all ages. If you have a baby in a carrier or are elderly, take the easy route at the start and skip the world war II tunnels – there’s a few steep steps up and down to visit them.

Plan the rest of your trip to the Dolomites

• 3 Days in Cortina d’Ampezzo: Best Viewpoints, Cable Cars and Things to Do
• How to get from Venice to the Dolomites via the Cortina Express bus
• Where to stay in the Dolomites: Bolzano, Ortisei or Cortina d’Ampezzo?

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