How to get to Lago di Sorapis?

Categories: Italy

Day hike to Lago Di Sorapis in Dolomites

Lago Di Sorapis is a very beautiful mountain lake with turquoise water reflecting rocky snowy peaks. This lake, in my opinion, is much more interesting than the popular Lago Di Braies. The view is much better there, there are fewer tourists, but, most importantly, to enjoy all of it you have to earn it by walking 2 hours along the trail.

Difficulty: medium. The trail is mostly flat, but there will be a couple of intense uphill climbs and sections over a precipice;
Height: 1926m;
Distance: Circular route – 13.5 km;
Duration: 4.5 hours including time photo stops.

But don’t be scared! The path to the lake is no less picturesque: you will walk enjoying constantly changing mountain views.

Tip: start the day no later than 9 am, as there are not many places in the parking lot near the trail.

If you want to continue your journey through the Dolomites, be sure to read my article about this location: Ultimate half-day hiking guide to Geisler Alm in Dolomites

And all the places that I visited in South Tyrol can be found HERE.

When is the best time to visit Lago Di Sorapis?

The trail is open from the end of May to the end of September (subject to change due to the weather). The peak time to visit is July. At this time, it is more likely to catch good weather with a clear sky, but there will be significantly more tourists.

We were there at the end of May, and specifically rented a hotel for 2 nights, adjusted for bad weather. And so it happened. One day it was raining and the sky was covered with clouds, but on the second day we woke up, found the bright sun and were able to make a hike.

Important: take different clothes with you on a hike. I changed my clothes from T-shirt to sweater+jacket several times on the way there.

By car: Enter the name of the Hotel Passo Tre Croci in the navigator (it’s a 15 minutes drive from the city of Cortina d’Ampezzo). You can park your car right on the side of the road. Or in the hotel parking lot, but it is better to check with the reception.

By Bus: The N30 bus leaves from Cortina. It stops right in front of the hotel.

Tip: We stayed overnight at the Passo Tre Croci. It is inexpensive (less than 100 euros per night), there are delicious breakfasts and dinners. But the most important thing is that you can walk to the beginning of the trail.

Hiking route to Lago Di Sorapis

The trail to the lake starts 300 meters from the Passo tre Croci (if you stand on the road facing the hotel, the trail will be on the left).

You need trail number 215 (Rifugio Al Sorapis).

Follow the path and after 2-2.5 hours the Rifugio Al Sorapis hut will appear. The trail is very picturesque, perhaps, this is one of the most beautiful hikes that I have passed. This is the case when you are not just going to a beautiful place, but enjoying a beautiful walk along the way to a beautiful place.

The hut is located right on top of the mountain by the lake. If it is open, then you can just have lunch there before descending back.

Before reaching the hut, you will see a new sign directly to the Lago di Sorapis lake (hut to the left, lake to the right). Walk a couple of minutes to the lake.

Tip: if you decide to go around the lake, then you have to know that you will not be able to make a full circle, since there is no passage in one section of the route.

But walking to the other side of the lake is definitely worth it to see the view from different angles.

Back to the car, follow the same path. Or follow the path number 216 + 213. It is a little longer and more difficult, but this way you get a circular route.

In close proximity to Lago di Sorapis there is another very beautiful hike – Tre Cime di Lavaredo. I highly recommend going there as well. How to get there and a description of the trail, check in the link:

Tre Cime di Lavaredo – the most beautiful hike in Dolomites.