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Hiking in the Dolomites in September, and the other months

Hiking in the Dolomites in September means cooler air, fewer rainy days than in high summer and most lifts still running. Here is how it compares with June to October, using station data and lift dates.

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Editorial team, hikingdolomitesitaly.comUpdated October 25, 20266 min read18 sources

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Quick answer

01September: High 14.6°C, low 4.8°C, 9 rainy days in Selva.¹
02July: Warmest, 20.2°C, but 13 rainy days.¹
03June: 14 rainy days; some lifts open only mid-month.¹ ²
04Huts: Selvata closes 20 September; high huts late September.³ ⁴
05Lifts: Seceda runs until 2 November in 2026.⁵

Why September stands out

The official weather station in Selva di Val Gardena, in the valley below Seceda, gives a clear picture of the summer. In September the average daily high is 14.6°C and the low 4.8°C, with 9 days of at least 1 mm of rain.¹ Compare July, the warmest month, at 20.2°C but with 13 rainy days, and June with 14.¹ September is cooler and noticeably drier.

That combination is what walkers want. Cool mornings make long climbs easier, the air is often clearer, and you still have 12.6 hours of daylight at mid-month, enough for a full day on the trails.¹ The figures come from a valley station, so the crests are colder than this; pack a warm layer even in a mild week.

Most of the infrastructure is still open. The Seceda cable cars run until 2 November in 2026, the Alpe di Siusi gondola from Ortisei until 2 November and the Resciesa funicular until 11 October.⁵ ⁶ A few things close during the month, though, and that is the one catch of hiking in September, covered below.

Season calendar

How the hiking season unfolds

22 May

Seceda lifts open

The cable cars from Ortisei start the season.⁵
1 June

Rifugio Selvata opens

The last of the lower Brenta huts above Molveno to open.³
20 June

Fermeda chairlift opens

The last lift on Seceda to start.⁷
8 September

Molveno lift, later start

The first section runs 08:30 to 17:45.⁸
20 September

Selvata and Fermeda close

The end of the short summer season.³ ⁷
2 November

Seceda lifts close

The summer lift season ends.⁵

What closes during September

Some lifts and huts work to a shorter summer season, and September is when it ends. In Val Gardena the Fermeda chairlift on Seceda runs until 20 September in 2026, and the Gardena Card, the valley's multi-day lift pass, is valid until 11 October.⁷ ⁹ The Dantercëpies gondolas towards the Puez plateau close on 4 October.²

In the Brenta above Molveno, Rifugio Selvata is open from 1 June to 20 September, and the Tosa and Pedrotti huts by the Bocca di Brenta from mid-June to late September.³ ⁴ Croz dell'Altissimo stays open later, with weekends in October, and La Montanara until the first Sunday in October.¹⁰ ¹¹

The Molveno cable car shortens its day after the main summer: from 8 September the first section runs 08:30 to 17:45, against 08:00 to 18:45 in July and August.⁸ ¹² Always call a hut before you set out late in the season, as Visit Trentino advises; dates on paper and dates on the mountain do not always match.³

Month by month

Daylight and rainy days in Selva di Val Gardena

Hours without sunDays with precipitationSeason

Bars: dark hours at mid-month, our own calculation, and the count of days bringing 1 mm or more of precipitation at Selva di Val Gardena, South Tyrol weather service, 1991 to 2020.¹

Month by month

Temperatures, rain and lift season in Val Gardena

Month	Daylight (h)	Darkness (h)	High / low	Wet days	Seceda cable cars
Jan	9	15	0 / -8 °C	5	Lifts closed
Feb	10.3	13.7	2 / -8 °C	5	Lifts closed
Mar	11.8	12.2	5 / -5 °C	6	Lifts closed
Apr	13.5	10.5	9 / -1 °C	9	Lifts closed
May	15	9	14 / 3 °C	13	Lifts from 22 May
Jun	15.8	8.2	18 / 6 °C	14	Lifts running
Jul	15.5	8.5	20 / 8 °C	13	Lifts running
Aug	14.3	9.7	19 / 8 °C	12	Lifts running
Sep	12.6	11.4	15 / 5 °C	9	Lifts running
Oct	11	13	10 / 1 °C	9	Lifts running
Nov	9.5	14.5	4 / -3 °C	8	Lifts until 2 November
Dec	8.6	15.4	0 / -6 °C	6	Lifts closed

Highs and lows are the mean daily maximum and minimum, wet days count 1 mm or more; South Tyrol weather service station Selva di Val Gardena, 1991 to 2020, averaged by us; day length at mid-month is our calculation.¹ Season according to Seceda cableways.⁵

Compare the months

June, September or October

Wettest

June

Green and long days

High: 18°C
Rainy days: 14 days
Daylight: 15.8 hours

Compare

Our pick

September

Cool and clear

High: 14.6°C
Rainy days: 9 days
Daylight: 12.6 hours

Compare

Fewest open huts

October

Quiet and golden

High: 9.5°C
Rainy days: 9 days
Daylight: 11 hours

Compare

Decision helper

Which month is yours?

Choose the line that fits your trip

I travel with children I want long, cool hiking days I want the Brenta high huts I want quiet and autumn color I can only come in early June

July or August

Everything is open and it is warmest, 20.2°C in July.¹

Early September

9 rainy days and a high of 14.6°C in Selva.¹

Mid-June to mid-September

Tosa and Pedrotti open from mid-June to late September.⁴

Early October

Seceda lifts still run; some huts open weekends only.⁵ ¹⁰

Low and middle walks

June has 14 rainy days and some lifts open late.¹ ²

Hiking in the Dolomites in June

Hiking in the Dolomites in June is lovely and green, but the season is still starting. The Selva station averages 14 rainy days in June, the most of the summer, with a daily high of 18°C and a low of 6.4°C.¹ Days are at their longest, 15.8 hours of daylight at mid-month, which helps when you have to wait out a shower.¹

Lifts open in stages. In Val Gardena the Ciampinoi gondola starts on 6 June and the Dantercëpies gondolas on 12 June, while the Fermeda chairlift waits until 20 June.¹³ ² ⁷ In the Brenta, Selvata opens on 1 June and the high huts only in mid-June.³ ⁴

Higher up, old snow can still lie on north-facing slopes and in gullies early in the month. Ask locally before any high pass, carry a warm layer and accept that a route may still be closed. For the first half of June, low and middle walks, like the Alpe di Siusi or the lower Brenta huts, are the safer plan.

Checklist

For an autumn hiking trip

Check

Hut and lift closing dates
The local forecast each morning
Last lift down

Pack

A warm layer and gloves
Water and lunch in case huts are shut
A headlamp for shorter evenings

Video

Silent hiking in the Dolomites in autumn

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July and August: warm, busy and stormy

High summer is the warmest time. July averages a high of 20.2°C and August 19.4°C at the Selva station, and every lift and hut is open.¹ That makes these the easiest months for families and for long traverses that depend on huts and lifts at both ends.

They are wet months too: 131.8 mm in July and 140.7 mm in August, the wettest month by volume, falling on 13 and 12 days.¹ Plan as if a storm can build in the afternoon: start early, aim to be off exposed crests by early afternoon, and read the local forecast every morning, as Trentino's mountain rescue advises.¹⁴

Crowds are the other cost. The Seceda cable car runs on fixed 30-minute slots booked online, and the lift company itself recommends buying ahead.¹⁵ ¹⁶ If you can only travel in August, take the first slots and walk away from the top stations; the crowds thin quickly once you are on the trail.

Hiking in the Dolomites in October

October is quieter and colder. In Selva the average daily maximum falls to 9.5°C and the minimum to 1.2°C, with 9 rainy days and 11 hours of daylight at mid-month.¹ On clear days the larches turn gold and the low sun is warm on the rock, a very different mood from the green of June.

Many facilities run on reduced schedules. The Resciesa funicular and the Sassolungo lifts close on 11 October in 2026, while the Seceda cable cars and the Alpe di Siusi gondola carry on until 2 November.⁶ ¹³ ⁵ In the Brenta, Croz dell'Altissimo opens at weekends only.¹⁰

Outside the main season, huts may be closed, so carry water and food for the whole day.¹⁷ Expect frost in the shade in the morning and shorter afternoons. Pick walks that start and end at a lift or a bus stop, and keep the long high traverses for an earlier month.

A September week, planned around the closing dates

If you come in the first half of September, put the walks that depend on short-season huts and lifts first. In the Brenta that means the refuge trail from Molveno while Selvata is still open, before 20 September; the guided day from Molveno to the refuges takes 6.5 hours, from $35.³ On Seceda, ride the Fermeda chairlift on the Pieralongia loop before it stops on 20 September.⁷

Keep the walks with longer seasons for the second half of your stay. The Seceda cable cars, the Alpe di Siusi gondola and the Col Raiser gondola all run into November or late October in 2026, so the crest walk, the Alpe di Siusi crossing and the Sëurasas walk stay available.⁵ ⁶ ⁷ The Resciesa funicular and the Sassolungo lifts close on 11 October.⁶ ¹³

Leave a spare day in the plan for weather. With 9 rainy days in an average September, the odds of one wet day in a week are real, and a flexible plan lets you move the big walk to the clear day.¹ Free cancellation on guided days helps with that; the Molveno tour can be cancelled up to 24 hours before.

The best time to visit the Dolomites for hiking, by walker

Val Gardena tourism names summer as the best season for hiking on Seceda.¹⁸ The lift and hut calendars narrow it down: from 20 June to 20 September every lift and hut named in this guide is open, and that is the core of the Dolomites hiking season.⁷ ³ ⁴ Within that window the right month depends on who you are.

For families and first-timers, July and August are easiest: everything is open and it is warmest. For keen walkers who want long days with cooler air, the first half of September is hard to beat, with 9 rainy days against 13 in July.¹ For photographers and people who prefer quiet, late September and early October trade a few closed huts for empty trails.

In winter Seceda is a ski area and its summer trails lie under snow. Snow changes everything in the mountains, so this guide covers the summer months; for walking in snow, go with a local guide and check avalanche conditions.

Your Brenta day