The Lagazuoi Tunnels, created during World War I, are among the most extensive in the Dolomites. Thanks to a European Union grant, it’s one of the safest, most well-preserved, and most educational hikes you can do around here.
Total one-way distance
3.4 kilometres / 2.1 miles
Elevation gain
620 meters / 2030 ft feet
Time required
2-3 hours one way (total 4-6 hours)
Overview of the Lagazuoi Tunnels hike
The area around Monte Lagazuoi was a fierce battleground between Italian and Austrian-Hungarian troops before and during World War I.
The story behind the tunnels’ engineering is incredibly shocking and intriguing. A group of soldiers just guesstimated which direction to go, mined the tunnels until they saw sunlight, judged their location, and repeated the process.
Tunnel collapses were common, and dust inhalation due to inadequate ventilation was a major problem. Still, the strategic advantage of Passo Falzarego was so significant that the sacrifice of many lives didn’t matter. Today, the tunnels serve as a museum site that reminds visitors of the war’s atrocities.
The map & elevation profile of the hike
Important info about the Lagazuoi Tunnels hike
The tunnels are dark, cold, and sometimes very narrow. It would help if you took a decent head torch with extra batteries, a helmet, and a good pair of climbing gloves.
The tunnel route can be steep at times, and using the handrail makes the ascent easier. However, you will need gloves to protect your hands from abrasions. Because it is cold and wet inside the tunnels, please bring extra layers.
When to go: June – October
Trail difficulty: Hard
Trail numbers: 402
Type of hike: Circuit
Map required: Tabacco 03 (Dolomiti Ampezzane)
Highest point: 2716 m / 8911 ft
Parking: Passo Falzarego
Trailhead: 46.520522, 12.008907
Nearest towns: Cortina d’Ampezzo, San Cassiano in Alta Badia
Getting to the trailhead
The trail starts directly on the Falzarego mountain pass, which lies 15 kilometres (ca. 9 mi) west of Cortina d’Ampezzo or 15 kilometres southeast of the town of San Cassiano in Alta Badia.
By bus
From San Cassiano, take bus no. 465. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes. Please check the bus schedule on the Südtirol Mobil website.
From Cortina d’Ampezzo, take bus no. 30 to Passo Falzarego. Check the Moovit app to view the timetable.
By car
It takes approximately 20 minutes to reach the pass from either town. The drive involves many hairpin turns on sometimes narrow roads. A large parking area is right beneath the Cable Car going up to Monte Lagazuoi, where you can park for a small fee.
TIP: If you need to hire a car, try Discover Cars, the best rental car search engine on the Internet.
Lagazuoi tunnels hike: trail description
The route starts on path no. 402. A wide gravel path begins at the far end of the parking lot. The first 20 minutes of ascent are on scree switchbacks. The initial views are lovely, and I’d advise you to breathe them in because soon you’ll be underground.
When the path reaches a fork, the route to the tunnels turns left. Don’t worry; it’s well-signposted. Once you reach the tunnel entry, put on your helmet and your head torch.
The tunnels are very well signposted to prevent hikers from getting lost. Several routes and vantage points are available, and informative placards highlight the most striking features, such as former sleeping quarters, lookouts, and the mistakes soldiers made while mining their way through.
The tunnels inside the mountain are sometimes at a 45-degree angle, and the old wooden relics can still be admired alongside new safety grids and supports. The tunnels are now well ventilated and are regularly inspected for safety.
You can tackle the route in roughly 90 minutes, but if you’re a keen history buff and want to read every single sign, then it could easily take over 2 hours. Once you emerge from the tunnels, the rest of the route up to Rifugio Lagazuoi is up a few switchbacks along former WW1 trenches.
Another 15 minutes up from the refuge will lead you to the summit of Piccolo Lagazuoi, the highest point of the loop. Here, you can enjoy views of classic Dolomiti sheer rock faces and peaks in all directions.
Possible descent routes
I do not recommend going back down the same way you came. Going down the tunnels is significantly more complicated than going up. To descend to Passo Falzarego, you can either pay for the gondola or take one of these two routes.
Option 1: Via ferrata Kaiserjäger
One descent route from the summit of Monte Lagazuoi is the Sentiero dei Kaiserjäger. Some stretches along this route can make those with vertigo quite uncomfortable. Sections of cable are readily available for those with via ferrata equipment or for those who want to hold onto something professionally secured.
After the scenic suspension bridge along the Sentiero dei Kaiserjäger, the most challenging part of the route is a few-meter downclimb followed by a ladder. After this, it’s plain sailing, continually switchbacking until you reach the car park at the bottom of the cable car station. This route takes ca. 90 minutes.
Again, if you aren’t the most surefooted or new to hiking, I recommend packing via ferrata equipment. It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Option 2: Through Travenanzes saddle
The easier, but longer route back to Passo Falzarego is via path 401 to Forcella Travenanzes, then path 402 along a ski slope to the pass. If you follow this path, you should be back at the bus within 2 hours.
Overnight stay & dining possibilities
The Lagazuoi hut is only 5 minutes away from the top gondola station. This is an excellent alpine hut with a luxury dining experience. Its views are remarkable, and I couldn’t stress an overnight stay more.
Rifugio Lagazuoi is one of the most photogenic huts in the Dolomites. The hut lies along the Alta Via 1 traverse, but you can also visit it as a day guest or book an overnight stay. This way, you will experience not only the tunnels, but also sunset and sunrise at Rifugio Lagazuoi and the nearby summit of Piccolo Lagazuoi.
TIP: If you plan to stay overnight, send your bag up with the cable car for a few euros, hike up through the tunnels, and then pick it up at the top of the cable car station. This way, you can hike with only the essentials, making for a more enjoyable trip.
Where to stay in Cortina d’Ampezzo
As mentioned earlier, the two nearest towns to the Lagazuoi tunnels trailhead are Cortina d’Ampezzo and San Cassiano. If you are struggling to create an itinerary, check out my 2-5 day itinerary for Cortina d’Ampezzo, which includes some of my favourite outdoor adventures in the area. Below are a couple of hotel recommendations for your stay.
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If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below!
Hi Marta,
This was a fantastic read, thank you for all the information. Your photos are beautiful and I’m just curious as to what time you recommend starting the hike, is getting there at sunrise a good idea or starting the hike before sunrise etc. would love to know your thoughts!
Nanayaa
Hi Nanayaa. Thanks for stopping by. I stayed in Rifugio Lagazuoi and simply woke up at the top to get the sunrise photos, but you can hike up there for sunrise. It takes around 1.5-2 hours depending on your speed. Sunset is also a pretty good time for photographing from up there.
Great Info! Thank you! A few more questions….
– Are there lockers or luggage storage at Passo Falzarego? We will be arriving by bus to do a day hike up to the WW1 museum and the summit of Piccolo Lagazuoi but do not want to carry our large luggage duffles to the top.
-Is there a place to rent via ferrata equipment at Passo Falzarego so that we can come down the route you suggested on the Via ferrata Kaiserjäger?
Thank you,
Laurie
Hi Laurie. I am not aware of any lockers at the Falzarego Pass. There is a possibility of sending your bags up the gondola, so maybe if you ask at the gondola station they would store your luggage.
No, there is no VF equipment rental. Only in Cortina. You can however get back down via Travenanzas saddle. No equipment needed for that.
Thank you for all this helpful information! My friends and I are headed to the Dolomites the first week of June and finding that Refugio Lagazuoi and many others do not open until the next week. Do you know if highways to the car park and/or trail head itself would also be closed during this time? Is there a way to see the tunnels without a via ferrata portion?
Many thanks!
Hi Set. Passo Falzarego is open in June. The roads are generally open year round so no worries about that, however there may still be snow in area, particularly up Mount Lagazuoi and its northern side. I don’t understand your last question, but if you read the post you will see I included different descent options.
Hi!
Really love all of your guides, helps us a lot! We are currently in the Dolomites and just did two of your hikes.
Unfortunately, an old IT band injury is playing up so going down is difficult for me right now. Could we ascent through the tunnels and go down with a cable card you think?
Thanks!
Hi Lian. I am probably late with my reply because I am currently roaming the Dolomites too 🙂 I imagine you already did the hike and came back down with a cable car. Yes it is definitely possible to do. I hope your back is better.
I noticed that you did not recommend going down the tunnels. Why is that? The Cicerone Alta Via 1 book includes the variant to go down the tunnels. Thank you!
Hi Vanessa. I recommend going up the tunnels because it is easier than going down. They are narrow and you often have to bend down. If you already went once through the tunnels I don’t see a reason repeating the journey again. You can instead choose to see beautiful mountain views around Passo Falzarego and pick a different route to return to the car/bus. I hope that helps!
Thank you very much for your reply, Marta! Ciao!
Hi Marta,
We will be visiting Lagazuoi by the end of January. Do you know if it is possible to enter the tunnels during the winter period?
Hi Max, to be honest I don’t know. If i were to guess I would have said they are not open, but I wouldn’t bet my life on it. The first part of the hike is a ski slope so you would be hiking where people are skiing. The gondola will be open though if the view from Lagazuoi are what you are after.
Hi Marta —
I’d love to try the tunnels but I’m wondering how narrow they are. In general I do not like enclosed spaces so this would take every ounce of guts I have to attempt this. Earlier this year I experienced the glow worm caves in New Zealand but that was with a guide and I made it through without a heart attack. Are the tunnels narrow enough to stand upright? Are there any points where one would have to get on his/her hands and knees or on one’s belly to get through? And can you please comment on the safety of these tunnels? Thanks so much for your fabulously informative website!!
Hi Lori, the tunnels are quite big. You never have to crawl through them. They were created to accommodate the soldiers for extended periods of time. While you can’t always stand upright in them, most of them time you actually do. The tunnels are quite busy too, so you will never be alone in them. As for the safety. It is a big tourist attraction so they are checked on a regular bases, but 100% safety is never guaranteed anywhere. I hope that helps!
Hello
Is the route up to the car park suitable for a motorhome please? If so, is overnighting in the car park allowed?
Thanks very much
Jon
Hi Jon. Yes you can reach the Falzarego Pass with a Motorhome. It is a windy road, but it is two lane. I drove my campervan all over the Dolomites. Overnighting at that carpark in a campervan is generally not allowed, but some people do stay there overnight. You can also book a night at the Lagazuoi hut which you can reach with the cable car.
Are guides recommended for this hike?
Hi Luke. If you have zero hiking experience then you can hire a guide in Cortina, however this is a very well walked and busy trail with plenty other people along the way. If you have lots of hiking experience then hiring a guide might be a waste. It is something you have to decide as you know your abilities best.
If I want to hike Lagazuoi…. I see you gave 2 options to go down. Will these 2 options bring me to the same parking lot i left my car to start Lagazuoi hike?
Hi Nathalie. Yes they both will take you back down to Passo Falzarego.