The Dolomites from Cyprus: Flights, Transfers and When to Go

The Dolomites are the mountains you have seen on a hundred screensavers: pale rock towers that glow pink at sunset, green meadows dotted with wooden huts, and some of the best-linked skiing in Europe. From Cyprus they take a little more planning than a city break, because no airport sits in the mountains themselves. With the right flight and a good bus or train, though, you can be in Cortina or Val Gardena on the same day you leave Larnaca.

Flight days, lift dates and bus timetables change by season, so check the operators in our links before you book.

Why go

The Dolomites were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009, as nine separate mountain groups spread across the Veneto, Trentino and South Tyrol. Each valley has its own character, from Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Veneto to the South Tyrolean villages of Val Gardena, where many places have both an Italian and a German name.

In winter, the Dolomiti Superski pass covers twelve ski areas on one ticket. In summer, cable cars lift you straight onto the high meadows and ridges, so you get the big views without being a serious mountaineer.

The direct flight from Cyprus

Choose your airport by the side of the Dolomites you want.

• Venice Marco Polo, for Cortina and the east: Wizz Air flies from Larnaca, about 3h 30m. It flew three times a week in its first winter (2025-26) and twice a week in summer, so check the days. Cyprus Airways adds flights in summer. There are no flights from Paphos. See our Venice page.
• Milan Malpensa, for the west: Wizz Air and Cyprus Airways fly from Larnaca all year, about 3h 40m. See our Milan page.
• Munich, over the Brenner: Discover flies from Larnaca, and Cyprus Airways starts the route on 17 December 2026, about 3h 15m to 3h 50m. Munich is the best option for South Tyrol if you want a direct train.
• From Paphos: Ryanair's Paphos–Bergamo route is seasonal, so check whether it runs on your dates; Bergamo is about 270 km from Val Gardena. Otherwise, fly from Larnaca.

Our winter trips guide compares all the ski gateways with direct flights this winter.

Getting from the airport to the mountains

To Cortina d'Ampezzo

• Cortina Express: coaches leave from right outside the Venice airport terminal (turn left as you walk out towards the car park), and also call at Piazzale Roma and Mestre. The ride takes about 2.5 hours, and a one-way ticket costs €25 (2026), plus €5 for a second bag in the hold. There are about five departures a day. Book as soon as your dates are fixed, especially for Christmas and August.
• Other buses: FlixBus and ATVO also run between Venice and Cortina; the fastest buses take a little over two hours.

To Val Gardena and Alpe di Siusi

• Train to Bolzano: from Munich, five direct EuroCity and Railjet trains a day cross the Brenner Pass in about four hours. From Verona, regional trains take about 1h 30m. From Milan, there is a Frecciarossa in about three hours, or a change at Verona.
• Bus up the valley: SAD line 350 runs from Bolzano and Ponte Gardena station up to Ortisei, Santa Cristina and Selva. Check the timetable on the Val Gardena tourism site.
• By car: Ortisei is about 20 minutes from the Chiusa or Bolzano Nord motorway exits. Shared transfers to Val Gardena are also run by Südtirol Transfer.

What to see and do

Around Cortina

• Tre Cime di Lavaredo: three huge towers, the highest 2,999 m. A toll road climbs about 6–7 km from near Lake Misurina to Rifugio Auronzo, and from there a 9.5–10 km loop takes three to four hours past Rifugio Lavaredo, Forcella Lavaredo and Rifugio Locatelli. The road needs an online booking with your number plate and costs €40 a car (2026); it usually opens from late May to late October. In summer, seasonal buses are the alternative.
• Lago di Braies: the emerald-green lake just over the border in South Tyrol. From 1 July to 15 September 2026, driving to the lakeside car parks between 09:00 and 16:00 needed a booking, and buses 442 and 439 needed an online seat reservation. Rowing boats run in summer.
• Lagazuoi: a cable car from Passo Falzarego (2,105 m) climbs to 2,732 m in under three minutes. The area at the top is an open-air museum of the First World War.

In Val Gardena

• Seceda: a two-stage cable car from Ortisei, changing at Furnes, takes about 15 minutes to around 2,500 m. A ten-minute walk leads to the cross and the famous view of the jagged Odle peaks. A return ticket costs about €40–45 (2026), and the lifts run from late May to mid-October.
• Alpe di Siusi: Europe's largest high-alpine meadow. The cable car from Siusi climbs 800 m in about 15 minutes; in 2026 its summer season ran from 21 May to 1 November. The road up is closed to private cars from 09:00 to 17:00, unless you are staying on the plateau.

Skiing

Dolomiti Superski's 2026-27 season starts on 28 November at Kronplatz, Val di Fiemme-Obereggen and San Martino di Castrozza, and on 4 December in Val Gardena-Alpe di Siusi, Alta Badia, Val di Fassa and Arabba-Marmolada. Most areas close on 4 April 2027, Kronplatz on 11 April and Arabba-Marmolada on 18 April. Cortina's and the 3 Zinnen Dolomites' dates haven't been published yet.

An adult day pass costs about €89 in high season and a six-day pass about €453 (2026-27). Add ski carriage when you book your flight; it usually costs more later.

Best time to go

• Ski season: early December to early April, with the Christmas and New Year weeks the busiest.
• Summer: late May to October, when the cable cars and the Tre Cime road open. Mid-June to the end of September has the best hiking conditions and the most lifts running.
• In between: in November and from mid-April to late May, many lifts stop between seasons; the Alpe di Siusi cable car, for example, closes from November to early December and from April to late May.

Where to stay

• Cortina d'Ampezzo: the main town in the east, with shops, restaurants and the Cortina Express to and from Venice. Best for the Tre Cime and Lagazuoi without a car.
• Val Gardena (Ortisei, Santa Cristina, Selva): three villages strung along one valley, with bus line 350 down to Bolzano. Ortisei has the Seceda lift. Guests at partner accommodation get the free Val Gardena Guest Pass for nearly all public buses in South Tyrol.
• Alta Badia and Val di Fassa: quieter valley villages on the ski circuits, better if you have a car.

A three-day plan

Day 1: arrive. Fly Larnaca–Venice and take the Cortina Express up to Cortina. Walk the main street and have an early dinner.

Day 2: the big views. In summer, take the bus or drive to Rifugio Auronzo and walk the Tre Cime loop, then come back via Lake Misurina. In winter, ski Cortina's slopes.

Day 3: Lagazuoi or Braies. Head to Passo Falzarego and ride up to Lagazuoi, or drive north to Lago di Braies first thing, before the day visitors arrive. Take the afternoon Cortina Express back to Venice for an evening flight, or add a night in Venice.

Staying in Val Gardena instead? Fly into Munich or Milan, take the train to Bolzano and the bus up to Ortisei, spend one day on Seceda and one on the Alpe di Siusi.

Practical tips

• Documents: Cyprus is not in the Schengen area, so there are passport or ID checks on arrival in Italy or Germany. If you hold a non-EU passport, including a British one, you are registered in the Entry/Exit System at your first Schengen border, so allow extra time.
• Money and time: Italy uses the euro and is one hour behind Cyprus all year.
• Insurance: the EHIC covers necessary state healthcare in Italy, but not repatriation. For skiing or hiking, take travel insurance with winter-sports cover.
• Weather: the mountains are much colder than the coast. Even in July, bring a warm layer and a rain jacket for the high cable car stations.
• Book early: buses, toll roads, lake car parks and popular huts all fill up in August and over Christmas.
• Spring ideas: for Easter 2027, our spring trips guide covers the other routes from Cyprus.