# Great Dolomite Road: Bolzano to Cortina

> 3-day road trip of about 93 km (58 mi) with 6 stops, from Bolzano to Passo Giau. About 1 h 17 min of driving in total.

Source: https://camping-spirit.com/guides/great-dolomite-road/

**At a glance:** 3-day road trip of about 93 km (58 mi) with 6 stops, from Bolzano to Passo Giau. About 1 h 17 min of driving in total. The historic road over the Costalunga and Pordoi passes, past Lake Carezza, ending in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

| | |
|---|---|
| Distance | 93 km (58 mi) |
| Driving | 1 h 17 min |
| Suggested days | 3 |
| Stops | 6 |
| Route | Bolzano → Passo Giau |
| Countries | Italy |
| Updated | September 12, 2026 |

## Route description

From Bolzano, the SS241 enters the narrow Val d’Ega gorge and climbs towards the Latemar. Lago di Carezza, a small green lake below the Latemar spires, is one of the most photographed in the Dolomites, and a short path circles it.

The road crosses the Passo di Costalunga into the Val di Fassa and reaches Canazei, a mountain village below the Sella group. From there the SS48 climbs to the Passo Pordoi, a 2,239 m pass on the Sella ring road, where a cable car lifts you to the Sass Pordoi terrace at almost 3,000 m.

On the far side, the road descends to Arabba and then climbs over the Passo Falzarego before dropping into Cortina d’Ampezzo. A short side trip leads to the Passo Giau, a 2,236 m pass with tight hairpins and a wall of peaks at the top; come at sunrise.

The passes are usually open from June to October but can close briefly after snowfall at any time. The Val d’Ega road is narrow, with tunnels, and the passes are busy with cyclists and motorbikes on summer weekends, so start early.

## Stop-by-stop itinerary

1. **Bolzano** (Italy)
2. **Lago di Carezza** (Nova Levante, Italy): A small green lake below the Latemar spires, one of the most photographed in the Dolomites. A short path circles it.
3. **Canazei** (Italy)
4. **Passo Pordoi** (Canazei, Italy): A 2,239 m pass on the Sella ring road. A cable car lifts you to the Sass Pordoi terrace at almost 3,000 m.
5. **Cortina d'Ampezzo** (Italy)
6. **Passo Giau** (Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy): A 2,236 m pass with tight hairpins and a wall of peaks at the top. Come at sunrise.