Rifugio Puez Hike from Selva: Worth the Climb?

Firsthand photo: scenery on the hike from Selva to Rifugio Puez

Quick facts from our hike

Distance: about 8.7 miles round trip
Elevation gain: roughly 3,000 feet
Time: allow about 5–7 hours, including time at the hut
Difficulty: Hard
High point: Rifugio Puez sits at about 2,475 m / 8,120 ft
Best part: Huge mountain scenery and earning a beer at the rifugio

Official Val Gardena route information for the Vallunga–Puez outing describes a roughly 13 km hike with about 895 m of climbing, so the published numbers line up closely with what we recorded. Exact distance can vary depending on where you start and the route you take.

The scenery feels huge from the beginning

What we remember most about Puez is the scale. You start in Vallunga surrounded by enormous rock walls, woods and open valley scenery, and then gradually climb out of the greener lower valley into a much more barren alpine landscape. The official route follows the valley toward the Pra da Ri plateau before climbing above the tree line toward the Puez plateau.

This was one of those hikes where the destination was not the only reason to go. The views kept changing as we gained elevation, and they felt expansive in a way that photos do not fully capture.

Yes, it is steep

This hike earns its hard rating. We logged roughly 3,000 feet of climbing, and once the real ascent begins it feels sustained. There is also plenty of rocky, loose terrain. Going up was tiring; coming back down over the loose stone was where we noticed it even more.

We would bring hiking shoes with good traction, plenty of water and poles if you like using them on steep descents. This is not the Dolomites hike we would choose for an easy day between bigger adventures.

Do you need a perfectly clear day?

Not based on our experience. We hiked with big clouds moving through the mountains, and they were not a detractor at all. The clouds added drama to an already enormous landscape, and we still had spectacular views.

That does not mean we would head up in unsafe weather - the Puez Hut is high in exposed alpine terrain, so thunderstorms, heavy rain or poor mountain conditions are different. But we would not automatically write off this hike just because the forecast shows clouds.

The payoff: Rifugio Puez

Rifugio Puez sits at about 2,475 meters on the high Puez plateau and can only be reached on foot. After the steep climb, arriving at an actual mountain hut feels like a reward in itself.

And for us, the reward was very literal: the beer at the rifugio was fantastic. We also had strudel, sat down, and took in the views before starting the descent. One of our favorite parts of hiking in the Dolomites was that a strenuous mountain day could include a proper hut stop instead of just eating whatever was crushed in the bottom of a backpack.

Puez vs. Seceda: which would we choose?

This is where our verdict gets more nuanced. Puez is the better choice if you want a hard, substantial hiking day and like the satisfaction of reaching a remote rifugio on foot. The scenery is wild, rocky and expansive, and you earn every bit of it.

If you have limited time in Val Gardena and are choosing only one big scenic experience, we would still prioritize Seceda. Its iconic ridgeline gives you an extraordinary payoff with much less effort. But that does not make Puez disappointing - it is simply a different kind of day.

Worth it?

Yes - if you want the hike, not just the viewpoint. Puez is steep, rocky and tiring, but the scenery is spectacular and the mountains feel enormous around you. Even with big clouds, we loved the views. Add a fantastic beer at Rifugio Puez after earning the climb, and this felt like a quintessential Dolomites hiking day.

We would not make it the first hike on a short Dolomites trip, but with an extra full day in Val Gardena, we would absolutely keep it on the list.