Seceda Hike via Col Raiser: Is It Worth It?

A spectacular six-mile loop with iconic Seceda views, quieter lower trails, rifugios and plenty of crowds.

The short answer: Absolutely worth it. Seceda was one of the most beautiful places we saw in the Dolomites, and starting at Col Raiser turned the famous viewpoint into a full hiking day with beautiful scenery almost the entire way.

Why we started at Col Raiser

Instead of taking the lift directly from Ortisei to Seceda, we drove about 10 minutes to Col Raiser and started there. On our trip the Col Raiser round trip was substantially cheaper, and it gave us more hiking rather than simply arriving at the famous view. Lift prices and hours change, so check current details before you go.

We arrived around 8:45 a.m. and the parking area was filling quickly. If you are driving, we would not arrive much later.

The route we actually hiked

We followed the roughly 6-mile loop from Col Raiser → Secëda → Forcella Pana → Rifugio Firenze. It is steep in places, but the scenery starts almost immediately and stays beautiful throughout.

You can make Seceda much easier

If mobility or time is an issue, you do not need to do our full route. The lifts can get you close to the headline scenery. You will still see the iconic Seceda views. But if you enjoy hiking, we thought the trail itself added a lot—the quieter lower sections around Col Raiser were some of our favorite parts.

Skip the €5 viewpoint

Save your €5: On our visit there was a paid viewpoint just before Seceda. We did not think it was worth it. The free views farther up were better.

The crowds are real

Do not come here expecting solitude. The famous Seceda area was extremely busy. Going early or later is your best bet. The good news is that the second half of our loop became much quieter, with cows, open trails and a completely different feel.

The rifugios make the day better

One of our favorite parts of hiking in the Dolomites was being able to stop at rifugios for a drink or food instead of carrying everything for the day. It makes a long hike feel much more relaxed.

Our verdict

Do Seceda even if you hate crowds. The views are that good. If you can handle a steep six-mile hike, we would choose the Col Raiser loop over simply riding up and down because the scenery away from the main viewpoint was worth the extra effort.