Arabba, Italy is nestled in the center of the Dolomites – surrounded by incredible mountains with opportunities for hiking and biking, and is well positioned to see everything in the Dolomites. This small mountain town is the perfect base for your next Dolomite adventure and the number of wonderful Arabba summer activities make this a great summer destination.
During the summer of 2022 we looked extensively on where to base ourselves for our time in the Italian Alps and eventually decided to spent about 1 week in Arabba Italy. While most of the information online about Arabba Italy focuses on winter skiing, in the post below you can find everything to help you plan a summer trip, including the best summer activities in Arabba, where to stay in Arabba, where to eat in Arabba, and suggestions for day trips from Arabba.
Quick Overview of Arabba, Italy
Arabba is located in the Veneto region of Italy and is best known as a ski town with 29 ski lifts and some incredible winter terrain. The town is centrally located in the Dolomites and is small with many lodging options in small to medium sized hotels and some great places to eat.
The pretty village of Arabba is just 15 minutes south of Corvara and is connected via several mountain roads to most of the other major regions in the Dolomites. Located at 1600 meters, Arabba is unassuming and while you can find plenty to do and places to rent equipment, this is best for you if you are looking for a quieter adventure town.
Top Arabba Summer Activities
Arabba in the summer is gorgeous and surrounded by incredible mountains. Below is a list of some of the best activities right near town or just outside.
Start with a visit to the Official Tourist Office located right in town. This is a great place to get some maps and some advice on the best things to do in the region. We found the information incredibly helpful and were able to
Go Hiking Around Arabba. One of the very best things to do in Arabba in the summer is to go hiking. The mountains around the town offer excellent hiking opportunities and a few of the ski lifts in the town operate during the summer making it easier to access the higher trails. The hikes below can all be hiked directly from town or are just a short drive to the trailhead.
Lago Boe – just a 7 minute drive from Arabba to Passo Campolongo, take the chairlift up to Bec de Roces. From here there is a lovely hike that goes up through a series of jagged rock formations before and traverses over to Lago Boe. Stop here for a picnic and continue downhill back to the base. It’s possible to hike here directly from Arabba but it is a much longer hike.
Viel dal Plan – this is an incredible Panoramic hike that is family friendly with wide open views of the mountains including Marmolada. The trail is about 6.5 km in length and ascends just about 500 feet in elevation.
Bo Biking in the mountains around Arraba. There are option for both road and mountain biking in Arabba. There are several lifts in town where you can take your bike up the lift and bike down. The Sella Ronda Bike path passes through Arabba and connects the 4 passes and the 4 valleys of the Dolomites at the foot of the Sella Group.
Visit Passo Campolongo. Located just a short drive from Arabba, this is a mountain pass that is worth visiting – you can hike or bike here.
Visit Nearby Museums. The Dolomites region has a long history. Check out the nearby Museum of History, Uses, Customs and Traditions of the Ladin People or stop at the Military Memorial of the Pordoi Pass.
Marvel at Andraz Castle. This lovely and simple castle is located near Falzarego Pass and dates back to 1027. This was the place where the exact moment of the winter solstice was calculated!
Map of Arabba Italy
We recommend that you start your time in Arabba with a visit to the tourism office to get a local hiking map. You can also find hiking maps of Arabba online or use one of the maps below.
How to Get to Arabba
Arabba can be reached by car or bus. We drove a rental car to the town and around the Dolomites and while the roads are notoriously narrow and curvy through the mountains if you take your time they are reasonable to navigate. You can check the bus schedule throughout the Dolomites on the Dolomiti website.
Below are some of the common driving times to get to Arabba:
- Cortina d’Ampezzo to Arabba: 2.5 hours
- Venice to Arabba: 1 hour
- Bolzano to Arabba: 1.5 hours
Where to Stay in Arabba Italy
There are many places to stay right in Arabba and a few additional option just outside town. Most of the places to stay in Arabba are ski lodge style and are within walking distance to town. We found many options available through booking.com.
We booked through an apartment rental service just a 5 minutes walk above town. The apartment (click here to see the listing) was a great bargain with basic furniture and comfortable beds and a balcony. You can see the inside in the photo below.
Another place we looked at staying is this apartment that sleeps 6 with a hot tub. The view from here is beautiful.
One last option to consider is this apartment right at the base of the lifts. The apartment sleeps 5.
Where to Eat in Arabba
Arabba has many restaurants. Several places to eat are within or part of the local hotels, and there are a few stand alone restaurants. We spent almost a week in Arabba and tried almost every place in town – while the food was good, it was consistent – mostly pizza and pasta. Below are some of our favorites:
- Restaurant Bay Peter Pizzeria – we ate here twice. You can find typical pizza and pasta in a fun atmosphere.
- Birreria Music Pub La Stube – We had a great meal here and sat at one of the outside tables
- Bar Ristorante Pizzeria Al Table’ – We ate here our last night and especially liked the pizza
You can also find a market in town where you can get food an Arabba summer picnic in the mountains.
Exploring the Dolomites: Arabba Summer Day Trips
One of the reasons we chose to stay in Arabba was the access to the other regions of the Dolomites. Arabba provides relatively easy access to many other places in the Dolomites and most of the popular hikes and activities are with 1.5 hours of Arabba.
Below are a few fun day trips to take from Arabba:
Go Biking in Selva di val Gardena – about an hour from Arabba, Selva di val Gardena is a mountain bike haven. This is a great day trip with a beautiful drive and great views just to the northwest of Arabba.
Hike and/or do a Via Ferrata in Tre Cime – This classic and amazing hike is one of the best hikes in the Dolomites. It is about a 1.5 hour drive to get to the hike.
Visit the Stunning Lago Di Braies Hike – in the Northern section of the Dolomites, Lago di Braies is a gorgeous and popular lake with a nice hike, and you can rent boats by the hour for a row. Check ahead as you need to reserve a parking space in advance.
Do an Overnight Mountain hut trip – this was one of our favorite experiences in Italy. There are many rifugios or mountain huts, and you can spend the night high up in the mountains. We visited Croda da Lago right after our visit to Arabba
Have you enjoyed an Arabba summer vacation? Drop a comment or question below!