Planning a trip to the Dolomites with kids? Here’s exactly how we spent two days exploring the Dolomites with our three young kids, including where we stayed, family-friendly hikes, an alpine coaster, apple orchards, farm animals, and some seriously beautiful mountain views.

The Dolomites had been high on my list for a while, but traveling here with three little kids meant I wasn't looking for an itinerary packed with long, difficult hikes. I wanted the big mountain scenery without making everyone miserable getting to it.

We spent two days in the Fiumes and Plose area of South Tyrol, and it ended up being such a fun combination of easy family adventures, beautiful scenery, and experiences that felt distinctly local.

If you're planning a family trip to the Dolomites, here's exactly what we did.

Our 2-Day Dolomites Itinerary With Kids

Day 1: Farm Stay, Apple Orchards & Family-Friendly Trails

We started our Dolomites adventure by staying at Plattnerhof in Fiumes, right in the heart of the Apple Region.

And this wasn't just a place to sleep. It was definitely part of the experience.

Where We Stayed: Plattnerhof in Fiumes

One of the biggest things I look for when traveling with our three kids is enough space for everyone to actually sleep and exist comfortably.

Plattnerhof has family suites with two bedrooms, and a living space which was perfect for our family of five. We had a balcony as well, which truly felt like an extension of the space.

But their favorite part?

Breakfast and the farm animals.

We arranged for our breakfast to be delivered to the room each morning just to make mornings a little easier, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The owner, Barbara, would bring a wooden crate filled with fresh coffee, hot chocolate, scrambled eggs, croissants, and homemade apple strudel to our room.

After breakfast, the kids could help feed the goats and chickens and collect fresh eggs from the coop. It was one of those simple travel experiences that ended up being one of their favorite memories.

As a mom traveling with three small kids, these little details completely felt like luxuries. Not only was everyone fed first thing without chaos and/or a mess, but the kids were excited about starting the day.

f you're looking for a family-friendly place to stay in the Dolomites, this was exactly the type of accommodation that works well for us: a great location, plenty of space in the room, animals for the kids to interact with, a heated pool, a restaurant on-site, and a lovely family running the property. It felt much more personal than a traditional hotel and we all enjoyed the stay.

Exploring the Apple Region

After breakfast, we headed out to explore the area surrounding Fiumes.

This part of the Dolomites felt a little different from the towering peaks and dramatic alpine landscapes I had pictured when I imagined the region.

Instead, we were surrounded by apple orchards, farms, little villages, and mountains in the distance.

We spent part of the day exploring the Apple Trail, a scenic route that winds through the apple orchards and countryside of South Tyrol. The full loop is about 7.7 km, but you can easily park or start along the route and walk a small stretch, which is what we did. It was less about completing a hike and more about getting out to see the landscape, and letting the kids explore at their own pace.

Apple Playground

Of course, we had to make a stop at the apple-themed playground.

Traveling with kids has taught me that a playground with an epic backdrop can keep the whole family happy. The kids get somewhere to run, climb, and play, while we get to actually enjoy the scenery around us.

It was the perfect little stop along our day exploring the Apple Region—and a much easier sell than asking three kids to appreciate another beautiful view.

Raier Moos Trail

We also explored the Raier Moos trail, another beautiful area to experience the landscape around Fiumes.

It was peaceful, green, and surrounded by that combination of alpine countryside and mountain scenery that makes South Tyrol so special.

This was exactly the type of hiking I wanted for our family—more about experiencing the landscape than trying to rack up miles or reach a summit.

There was a little stretch of lake and we even stumbled upon a surprise playground. You can guess the kid’s favorite part.

After a full day outside, we ended the day with one of our favorite family travel traditions:

Pizza.

Because no matter where we are in Europe, pizza with three tired kids is usually a safe bet.

We drove over to Goldener Apfel and picked up 3 pizzas and a salad and took it back to enjoy at our accommodations. Everything was delicious and I highly recommend saving!

Day 2: Plose Mountain With Kids

For our second day, we headed up Plose Mountain, and this was our big mountain adventure.

We took the cable car up and spent the day exploring everything the mountain had to offer.

Sidenote- another plus of Plattnerhof accommodations was that we received guest passes when we checked in. It covered museum entrances, local transportation, and even the cable cars to Plose! So the cable car was completely free!

If you're looking for things to do in the Dolomites with kids, Plose is a great area to put on your list because you can combine mountain scenery with activities that actually keep little kids interested.

Plose Alpine Coaster

Our first big hit was the alpine coaster.

The kids absolutely loved it, and it was a fun way to add a little excitement to the mountain day before setting off on the trail.

This is one of the reasons I love family-friendly mountain destinations in Europe. You don't have to convince your kids that hiking is fun—you can build a day around a bunch of different experiences.

WoodyWalk on Plose Mountain

From there, we headed onto the WoodyWalk, a family-friendly mountain trail with wooden structures and interactive elements along the route.

And somehow, we ended up walking about 3.5 miles uphill.

With three little kids.

I say "somehow" because if you had told me beforehand that we'd be happily walking 3.5 miles through the mountains with our kids, I probably would have laughed. To be honest, both Ben and I had no idea how long the walk was when we started.

But the trail gave them plenty to look at and interact with along the way, so it never felt like we were simply asking them to walk for miles.

And the views?

Incredible.

This was the big Dolomites scenery I had come for—wide-open mountain views, alpine landscapes, and those dramatic peaks in every direction.

Lunch in the Mountains

After about 3.5 miles, at finally reached Rossalm, the mountain hut at the end of the WoodyWalk, for a well-earned meal. With the kids tired from the hike and those incredible mountain views all around us, it was the perfect place for lunch.

There's something about eating lunch after a morning outside that just tastes better, especially when you're sitting in the mountains looking out at the scenery.

And by this point, the kids were tired enough that we had successfully reached that magical part of the day where everyone is hungry and relatively quiet.

The food was delicious- of course, we had to order the Kaiserschmarrn. This traditional South Tyrolean dish is basically a fluffy pancake that's torn into pieces and caramelized, then served with powdered sugar, applesauce, and berries. It’s the kind of mountain food that feels like a dessert but is hearty enough to count as lunch—and the kids were very into it.

After lunch, the kids had a second wind and immediately made a beeline for the playground.

There was a great playground right at the restaurant, with the most incredible Dolomites backdrop so it was an obvious next move.

A Relaxed Evening Back at the Farm

We made it back to the cable car just in time for the last ride down the mountain, and after a full day at Plose, we were ready for a low-key evening.

We ordered dinner from the hotel restaurant, let the kids run around on the play set, and finally got to sit back with a glass of wine and enjoy the evening.

Honestly, after a big day of hiking with three little kids, this was exactly how we wanted to end it.

The Best Things to Do in the Dolomites With Kids

If you're planning a Dolomites family vacation, these are the experiences from our two days that I'd put on your list:

Stay at a family-friendly farm or mountain property
Visit the Apple Region around Fiumes
Explore the Apple Trail
Stop at the apple-themed playground
Walk the Raier Moos trail
Take the cable car up Plose Mountain
Ride the Plose alpine coaster
Hike the WoodyWalk
Have lunch at a mountain restaurant
Leave plenty of time for the kids to simply explore

One of my biggest takeaways from traveling through the Dolomites with young kids is that you don't need to plan every minute.

Some of our favorite moments were the things that weren't necessarily the "main attraction"—feeding farm animals in the morning, collecting eggs, stopping at a playground, eating pizza after a long day outside, or letting the kids investigate something along a trail.

Is Two Days Enough in the Dolomites With Kids?

Two days obviously isn't enough to see the entire Dolomites, but it was enough for us to get a really good taste of this particular area.

I actually loved that our two days had such different experiences.

Day one was slower: farm animals, apple orchards, easy trails and villages.

Day two was more adventurous: cable cars, an alpine coaster, mountain hiking and panoramic views.

For families traveling with young kids, I think that combination works really well.

You get the incredible scenery you're hoping for when visiting the Dolomites, but you also have plenty of things built into the day that make the trip enjoyable for children.

Our Tips for Visiting the Dolomites With Young Kids

Choose your base carefully. Having a family-friendly accommodation with space, outdoor areas and activities for the kids can make a huge difference.

Use cable cars to your advantage. You don't have to hike from the valley to experience the mountains. Taking a cable car lets you get your family up into the alpine scenery without using all of your energy just getting there.

Look for interactive trails. A 3.5-mile walk sounds very different to a child when there are wooden structures, playgrounds and things to discover along the way.

Don't underestimate playgrounds. They're not a waste of sightseeing time. They're often what makes the kids happy enough to keep going.

Build in food stops. A mountain restaurant or pizza dinner can be just as important to your itinerary as the actual hike.

Final Thoughts: Two Days in the Dolomites With Kids

Our two days in the Dolomites were the perfect reminder that traveling with young kids doesn't mean you have to skip the places you've always dreamed of visiting.

You just have to experience them a little differently.

Instead of chasing the biggest hikes or trying to see absolutely everything, we focused on places where the kids could participate too—and that ended up making the trip more fun for all of us.

From collecting chicken eggs at our farm stay in the morning to riding an alpine coaster and walking through the mountains at Plose, these were two very full days, but they never felt like we were forcing the kids through an adult itinerary.

And honestly, that's my favorite kind of family travel.

2 Days in the Dolomites With Kids: A Family-Friendly Itinerary