Dolomites family holidays

Flowering alpine meadows, a variety of leisure activities and an uncompromisingly family-friendly ambience: these are the ingredients for a perfect family summer holiday in Val Gardena in Italy.
A summer holiday with children in the Dolomites, seen here in Val Gardena on Seceda at the Lech Sant Hut.
A summer holiday with children in the Dolomites, seen here in Val Gardena on Seceda at the Lech Sant Hut.

Family-Offers

Inexpensive family summer holidays in the Dolomites

Come spend a holiday with your children in the Dolomites – a holiday paradise for families. Together, discover what Val Gardena has to offer your family and experience Europe's largest playground.

Family holidays should be fun for both children and parents while also offering excellent value for your money. Discover special family offers for an inexpensive holiday with your children and enjoy an unforgettable stay in Italy.

The best family hotels

Places to stay for the perfect family holidays in the Dolomites

The northern Italian region of South Tyrol has numerous accommodations that make family holidays in the dolomites a unique experience. From top to bottom, these hotels are geared towards families. They offer extensive entertainment programmes, childcare and children's activities, as well as relaxing spa sessions for parents.

The hotel staff knows just what families need. Special excursions for children are organised and prams and baby carriers are available for rent if needed. Put your holiday happiness in the hands of welcoming hosts and book your holiday in the perfect family hotel in Val Gardena now.

Val Gardena: ideal for family holidays

Val Gardena for families – the summer highlights

  1. Child-friendly options for various sports and activities
  2. The "Val Gardena Children's Weeks" offer special events and excursions for children
  3. A large selection of family hotels with child-friendly offers
  4. Professional childcare and the "Val Gardena Kids Active" programme
  5. On-site rentals of prams, baby carriers and sports equipment for children
  6. Nature, fresh air and lots of adventure await your family!

Holidays are a special time for families. Val Gardena offers everything you need to enjoy long summer days together and fill your photo album with happy memories. On well-signposted trails, hike with your children over hills and dales, through wild forests and the lush alpine pastures of Val Gardena and Alpe di Siusi. Whether on a mountain bike or on foot, in Val Gardena, you'll find hikes of various lengths and in all degrees of difficulty. Moreover, it is never far to the next hut where fresh mountain milk or a hearty snack awaits you after the ascent. And if the little ones get tired, you can simply take the cable car.

Besides hiking, cycling and tons of fresh mountain air, swimming pools, concerts, festivals or markets in the valley guarantee wonderful moments and memories that will last a lifetime. In winter, Val Gardena is also an ideal destination for a uniquely beautiful winter holiday with the family in the Dolomites.

Play
Val Gardena: the perfect destination for a holiday with children in the Dolomites

Hiking fun for families with children: The 5 most beautiful hiking tours

Hiking trails suitable for prams, easy walks with few altitude changes, leisurely circular walks as well as themed trails – Val Gardena is a hiker's paradise for families with children. Countless hikes encourage you to discover the peaks of the Dolomites, the rustic huts, the high-altitude alpine pastures and spectacular gorges. Variety and fun are guaranteed when hiking in the Dolomites.

Tour 1: Walk through the Val D'Anna

No family with children young or old will want to miss the walk through the picturesque Val d'Anna. At a total length of 2.9 kilometres, there are plenty of opportunities to explore and stop for refreshments, including the Kneipp facility, a high ropes course, a petting zoo, a café and a playground. With plenty to see and do, it's no wonder the estimated walking time of 30 to 60 minutes is exceeded by most families. Incidentally, the walk is also easy to do with a pram, as there is only a difference in altitude of around 100 metres. Tip: When hiking through the Val D'Anna, a small snack and a towel are essential accessories.

  • Length: 2.9 km
  • Difference in altitude: 100 m
  • Duration: 30-60 min
  • Special feature: suitable for prams

Tour 2: The Legend Trail

The Legend Trail tells you the legend of S. Giacomo. You can read his story on 16 information boards along the way and share it with your children. The starting point is behind S. Cristina Parish Church and leads to the oldest church of Val Gardena, The Church of S. Giacomo. It is located on a hill that is also one of the most popular photo spots in Val Gardena. The trail is an easy yet varied hiking tour. It leads through a forest and offers new, magnificent perspectives of the Sassolungo, the local mountain of Val Gardena. You can take a break, snack on chocolate and enjoy the view from small rest areas and rustic benches along the way.

  • Length: 5.7-7.5 km
  • Difference in altitude: 100 m
  • Duration: 2-2,5 h
  • Special feature: great vantage point

Tour 3: Hike to the Vallunga Valley

The Vallunga in Selva is one of the most beautiful places in Val Gardena and part of the Puez-Geisler Nature Park. The hike starts from the car park at the beginning of the valley near the Dantercepies cable car and runs mainly flat for 3 km in/along the forest and below huge rocks. Those who take on the entire trail reach Pra da Ri, a large meadow with a prominent boulder. However, many do not aim for the end of the Vallunga as a destination at all, as the surrounding nature captivates its visitors. Birds chirp, a small stream gurgles and cows graze along the path. After only 400 m, you will find the small St. Sylvester’s Chapel, which adds a touch of history and culture to the entire landscape.

  • Length: 5 km
  • Difference in altitude: 200 m
  • Duration: 2.5 h
  • Best season: all year round

Tour 4: Hike to the Brogles Hut

The hike from Ortisei to the Brogles Hut takes you up to a mighty 2157 metres. The tour starts in Rasciesa and leads along a beautiful scenic trail past flowering alpine meadows. The mighty walls of the Odle massif rise in the background of the lovely landscape. Once you have arrived at the alpine pasture, you can refuel or simply play in the wide meadows.

  • Length: 7.5 km
  • Difference in altitude: 150 hm ascent, 450 hm descent
  • Duration: 5 h
  • Best season: May to September

Tour 5: Hike to the Rasciesa Hut

The Rasciesa Hut is located north of Ortisei, surrounded by idyllic alpine meadows between the Val Gardena Valley and the Val di Villnos. The cable car takes you up to an altitude of 2100 metres in just a few minutes, where a magnificent view of the Dolomites awaits you. Via a flat and wide 1.4-kilometre-long path that starts at the mountain station, you continue to the Rasciesa Hut, passing through shady woods and over flowering meadows. On all sides, the mountains are close enough to touch. This easy tour is perfect for a family hike with children and can be extended as you please.

  • Length: 1.5-2 km
  • Difference in altitude: 150 hm summit cross, 400 hm descent middle station
  • Duration: 1-1.5 h
  • Best season: June to September

Tour 6: PanaRaida Adventure Trail

The PanaRaida Adventure Trail on the Monte Pana high plateau in S. Cristina offers plenty of entertainment: the ten adventure stations will not only make you sweat but will also keep you creatively entertained. At the small photo station at the beginning of the trail, you can take a souvenir photo with the Sassolungo in the background, then continue through a water play area to a mysterious tree trunk labyrinth.

The Adventure Trail can be completed in one to two hours, either clockwise or counterclockwise. The walk is also easy to manage with smaller children and even with a pram.

  • Length: 2.5 km
  • Difference in altitude: 75 m
  • Duration: 1-2 h
  • Special feature: suitable for prams

Activities for children: children’s playgrounds, high ropes course & more

In the playgrounds and adventure parks of Val Gardena, playing around and exploring is the name of the game until the little ones are tired.

Monte Pana Zipline

Not far from the mountain station of the Mont de Seura chairlift, a fast-paced attraction awaits brave parents and their children at an altitude of over 2000 metres – the Monte Pana Zipline. Secured with harnesses and pulleys, after just a few seconds you will be flying downhill at a speed of almost 100 kilometres per hour, soaring above treetops and meadows. Who would want to miss this thrill in front of an awe-inspiring mountain backdrop? More info

Zipline Monte Pana in Val Gardena Zoom
The Monte Pana Zipline takes you down into the valley at high speed.
photo

Children's Playgrounds in Val Gardena

Pranives Children's Playground

This well-maintained playground with lots of equipment for having fun is located opposite the Pranives Sports Stadium. The main attraction: a 10-metre slide for extra-long sliding fun for the kids. More info

Val D'Anna Playground

The Val D'Anna children's playground is ideally located along the picturesque walking path through the Val D'Anna. Stopping here is a must for all parents with children during a family holiday in Val Gardena. While parents admire the magnificent mountains of Val Gardena and the lush green meadows from the benches on the meadow, the little ones can romp around in the playhouse, the climbing equipment and the swings. More info

Luis Trenker Promenade Playground

This playground that features a slide, swing, locomotive and other great attractions is located on the Luis Trenker Promenade in Ortisei. The area also features the Luis Trenker monument, which is dedicated to one of the most famous sons of Val Gardena. More info

Col de Flam Adventure Park

This adventure park is located near the valley station of the Seceda cable car, on the edge of the magnificent Val D'Anna Valley in Ortisei and is open from June to September for adventurers young and old. It offers several courses for children of all ages:

  • An easy course for children between 4 and 12 years old
  • A standard, classic course with nets, bridges, beams and mobile wooden blocks
  • A challenging course for acrobats who are not afraid of heights

Whether young or old, those who prefer to remain on the ground can enjoy the trampolines. Had enough fun on the high ropes course? Then you can visit the adjacent petting zoo to see the rabbits, pygmy goats and llamas, or take a leisurely ride on the back of a pony. For young techies, there's even a genuine helicopter to explore. But one of the biggest highlights of the high ropes course is the Fly Line – an exciting, almost 700-metre-long "low flight" through the forest with guaranteed thrills! More information about the adventure park.

Val Gardena Kids Active – A programme for young explorers

During the summer months, pure excitement is the order of the day for children aged 6 to 12. The all-day entertainment programme "Val Gardena Kids Active" promises plenty of adventure and natural wonders for the little guests. While parents enjoy a little time out with a soothing wellness treatment at the family hotel, the kids can go on a discovery tour through the animal and plant world of Val Gardena.

The trained supervisors are more than happy to field questions; what kind of feed do the cows get on the farm? Why does the air in the forest smell so good? How is the weather in the mountains created? Is learning to climb easy or difficult? This is how a family holiday in the mountains of Val Gardena in the Dolomites becomes an unforgettable experience for both young and old.

Kids with card Zoom
A homemade card with wild herbs to remember Val Gardena Kids Active.
Group of kids at Lech Sant Zoom
In the water of the Lech Sant, there are lots of animals to discover.
Kids with goat Zoom
At Val Gardena Kids Active, interacting with local animals is at the heart of the programme.
photo

Insider Tips for your next holiday in the Dolomites

There is so much to discover in the Dolomites for families with children. Here are some selected insider tips for your next holiday in the Dolomites, including family holidays with children.

Val Gardena - a premier destination for more than just a family holiday

Val Gardena in the Dolomites is not only a paradise for families – hikers and MTB holidaymakers will also find plenty to love about the region.