Cortina d’Ampezzo with kids travel guide: all you need to know why you’ll love it

All you need to know to plan a family stay in Cortina d’Ampezzo with kids: why go, best family friendly things to do, best family hotels, hikes and more.

Cortina d’Ampezzo, or just Cortina, is one of the famous and beloved destinations in the Italian Alps and one of the best places in the Dolomites for families with kids.

A famous winter sports destination and summer hiking paradise, Cortina has been a visitors’ favorite for decades and this popularity made it one of the best served, best equipped and easiest places to visit in the mountains with children: the services her are just fabulous! As fabulous as the views!

If you are looking for an upscale mountain town with stunning views and all the comforts, Cortina is the place!

I know Cortina well.

My family has been vacationing on the Dolomites for years (over 40!! We come each summer!), and my grandmother, in particular, had elected Cortina as her summer retreat place; so, when I say I know it, you can trust me!

On this page, I give all my top tips for visiting Cortina with kids in summer (we don’t ski, so this is the season I know best).

I hope you find it useful!

Why visit Cortina d’Ampezzo with kids

I recommend Cortina with kids in the summer for several reasons:

Mild Weather: Summer in Cortina is a delight, with temperatures usually hovering between 15°C to 25°C (59°F to 77°F).

It’s an excellent escape from hotter, busier cities or beaches of the rest of Italy. When we get here from the heat of Rome in July, it’s paradise!

Stunning Scenery: The Dolomites are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and are so beautiful you’;l hardly believe they are real, they are so perfectly beautiful! 

Outdoor Activities: In the summer, Cortina is wonderful to stay outdoors and be active. 

There are easy hikes for kids, scenic cable car rides, you can go cycling, playing in outdoor playgrounds, seeing animals, enjoy lakes and going n serious hikes should you be so inclined: Cortina has outdoor pursuits for all skill levels.

Child-friendly Amenities: Cortina is well equipped for families, with a range of playgrounds, family-friendly restaurants, and family-friendly hotels and even has an ice skating rink, which means you have something to do on a rainy day (rain is always possible in the mountains, even in summer) 

Safety and Cleanliness: Cortina is an upscale mountain resort and is super clean, safe and well-maintained

Why not visit Cortina with kids

Cortina is an expensive destination and is, therefore best suited to visitors with a generous budget.

Cortina is very much a town, not a small rural village, so I recommend it to visitors who enjoy a town setting (think walkable city center, cafes, etc. For large spaces with animals and meadows you need to get our of the center)

The best thigns to do in Cortina d’Ampezzo with kids

Go hiking

Cortina is summer is very much a hiking destination and hiking here with the kids is a real delight!

The town is in close proximity to many easy trails and you can easily pick and choose one each day: no advance planning needed.

Great family hikes (different lengths) in the Cortina area are Lago di Ex ferrovia, Malga Ra Stua, Pian de Ra Spines, Lago Pianozes (Lake), Rifugio Tondi, Rifugio Dibona, Doca d’Aosta, Scoiattoli, Nuvolau and more.

The hikes are lovely opportunities for kids to be in nature, meet squirrels and, in many of the lower altutitide huts, get up close to cows and goats.

By car you can also easily reach the area of the Three Peaks of Lavaredo and Cadini di Misurina, which are stunning.

Go high up with cable car rides

Cortina is well equipped with cable cars which allow to get very high up with no effort.

You can find opening season / hours here >> https://skipasscortina.com/EN/page21-summer-lifts

Play at Cortina’s playgrounds

Cortina offers many places for kids to play: some are simple playgrounds in the town and some are well equipped, larger areas that make the most of the beautiful natural landscape Cortina is immersed in.

Lovely ones are:

M’Over Family park with lovely inflatables, trampolines, bike area, playground toys, tons of space Address: Località Verocai 109 – 32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo (BL) Web: https://moversport.it/family-park/

Dolomiti Playground Paradise in the Ice Rink Complex, Address Via A. Bonacossa, 1 – 32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo (BL)

Playpark Socrepes, Web: https://www.impianticortina.it/home-estate/

Play Minigolf / Crazy Golf

Local crazy gold course: Minigolf Helvetia, Address Via del Castello, 53 – 32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo

Go Cycling

It is possible to rent biked and e-bikes in Cortina (there are a few shops) and explore the area this way.

Some trails are for expert mountain bikers but others are easy for kids too as they follow the cycling greenway which is suitable also to standard bikes and kids bikes.

Explore lakes

Cortina is close to many beautiful lakes that are perfect for easy walks, watching fish, lunch with a view of easy hikes.

Lago Ghedina, Misurina, Dobbiaco and even Lake Braies are all within easy reach from Cortina (by car)

Go Ice skating

Cortina has an ice rink and this has always been, to me, THE thing that makes this town stand out from all other: i LOVE ice skating and there was no bigger joy for me when on an a rainy day we could spend the day here!

The ice rink is right in the town and excellent; the official site is here >>> https://www.serviziampezzo.it/strutture/stadio-olimpico-del-ghiaccio/

Enjoy the town, its shops and cafes

Cortina is a very pretty town and there is plenty to enjoy even just in the city center.

We like sitting in the nice cafes (hot chocolate, apfel strudel, Lienzer torte for the kids, Corina -born hugo cocktail for the adults!), see the shops, both the fancy clothes ones and those with local wooden crafts, and just wander along the pretty streets of the town, with their fairytale looking houses.

Family hotels for a comfy stay in Cortina d’Ampezzo with kids

In Cortina, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to family hotels. Some you may love are:

Faloria Mountain Spa Resort – fabulous luxury hotel with large family rooms, pool and spa area, restaurants on site, upscale feel and welcome, stunning views

Hotel Mirage – lively, family friendly hotel with pretty balconies in traditional Tyrolean style, family room, nice outdoors space, playground for kids, pool and restaurants

Barisetti Sport hotel – lovely 3 star hotel (in this area, the standard is high!) with family rooms, apartments, lovely grounds with kids’ playground and table tennis etc

Hotel Regina – pretty 3 star hotel with traditional decor, family rooms and restaurant on site in a super convenient town center location

Good to know: in this area, hotel restaurants are excellent! This is is the only part of Italy where I recommend to get accommodation with half board (breakfast and dinner).

Getting to Cortina and around

I recommend getting a car to stay in Cortina.

While the town itself doesn’t require a car and you can reach it by the bus called Cortina Express, I find having your own car here is the best way to get to the starting point of pretty hikes, cable car rides, lakes and other towns.

We found renting for Venice or Verona to be the best option.

Where to buy baby food and essentials in Cortina

Cortina is a fully functioting town and you’ll have no issues finding supermarkets (Conad City Via Barone Franchetti, 1, 32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo https://maps.app.goo.gl/qDHSkrydwoXVqpUs5 ) and pharmacies with baby food, diapers and essentials as well as independent shops.

I hope you enjoyed this essential guide to Cortina d’Ampezzo with kids and it helped you plan your trip! Safe Travels!

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