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Quick Guide to Tre Cime Parking Reservations for Photographers

Home » Blog » Quick Guide to Tre Cime Parking Reservations for Photographers
Two people in hiking clothes walk near the Tre Cime, Dolomites viewpoint with the setting sun behind them

In 2025, the South Tyrolean local government implemented a parking reservation system for Tre Cime National Park in the Dolomites. The park has become so popular in the last few years, traffic through the valley hit a tipping point by 2024. During the summer months, people sit in their cars and campers for hours, waiting to ascend the toll road to the Auronzo parking area.

To address the traffic and help manage the flow of crowds, there is now a parking reservation system similar to what’s in place for Prags Valley and Lago di Braies. Let’s break down what this means for hikers and photographers from June 2025 onward.

***To view live weather conditions in the park, see the live feed from the Rifugio Locatelli webcam here***

HOW DO WE BOOK TRE CIME PARKING RESERVATIONS?

To book Tre Cime Parking Reservations, go to the Auronzo.info website. Here, you can read the FAQs and other terms for parking. Follow the link to the parking booking system, and create an account. From there, you can access available times.

It will look like this:

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AT A GLANCE:

✅ Tre Cime parking reservations are valid for 12 consecutive hours from the booking time

✅ The available booking window is 30 days in advance

✅ Yes, you can show up AFTER the booking time, but you can only stay to the end of your 12 hour booked window

✅ If you’re arriving by rental, you can add your license plate to the reservation by 23:59 the night before

✅ Yes, you can cancel and get a refund if your reservation is at least 5 days away

✅ Yes, campers, RVs and sleeping in cars is allowed (outdoor camping behavior is NOT allowed)

✅ Overnight stays which last more than 12 hours need two consecutive reservations

✅ Yes, you can be dropped off / picked up by taxi; taxis have a 30 minute window where they can enter and leave the park

❌ No, you cannot change your reservation time; instead, cancel your current one and rebook

❌ No, if your Tre Cime parking reservation begins within 5 days, you cannot cancel

❌ No, you cannot wild camp, tent camp or create a campsite in the park (i.e. setting up tents, tables, chairs etc.)

❌ No, you cannot leave and re-enter the park during your reservation

If you have further problems or questions regarding your reservation, contact the following:

Mail: iat@comune.auronzo.bl.it
Phone: +39 0435 400 078

OTHER WAYS TO ACCESS THE PARK IF NO SPACES ARE AVAILABLE

During the summer months, there are regular bus routes leading all the way to the parking area. You can also enter by taxi, by ebike, or by foot. There are multiple hiking routes from Lago d’Antorno and Misurina, and with an ebike, the steep climb up the road becomes a breeze. In the worst case, you can call your group a taxi. The later is the most expensive, but worth it if the situation warrants it.

A taxi transfer is an especially great option for those wanting to enter the park for wedding or elopement photos under the Tre Cime or at Cadini di Misurina, and no reservations are available.

WHEN TO BOOK TO PHOTOGRAPH SUNRISE AND SUNSET:

Due to the nature of the 12 hour reservation limit, it may not be possible to photograph both sunrise and sunset. You will have to prioritize one over the other, or book back to back parking reservations. If in doubt and you want to remain flexible, book midnight to midnight and simply pay the double fee to guarantee you have the best conditions possible. This is especially crucial for elopements in the park where it’s worth losing €40 vs. having to leave early as the weather is clearing up.

ARE FILM OR PHOTOGRAPHER PERMITS REQUIRED IN THE PARK?

Generally, no. If you are a hobbyist, landscape, wedding or elopement photographer, you do not need a special permit to photograph within Tre Cime National Park.

HOWEVER: please be considerate of the environment, and understand it is a very busy public area. Please do not set up arches, chairs, pop confetti or leave champagne bottles and corks in the park. Limit your impact as much as possible! Our professional images and the places we share them have driven mass tourism to Tre Cime, and these parking restrictions are the result. What we create, how we create it and the manner it gets shared have a real world influence. Please don’t geotag and take all your trash with you, including toilet paper and cigarette butts.

If we creators don’t treat the park respectfully, expect a lot more restrictions in the years to come.

HOW LONG SHOULD WE BE IN THE PARK FOR CERTAIN HIKES?

This of course varies on how fast you are, but I recommend using the full 12 hours if possible, or as long as the weather allows. That said, here are general time frames at an average pace for the most popular hikes:

  • Cadini di Misurina viewpoint from the Auronzo parking area: ~40 minutes each way. Keep in mind, this is the most popular hike in the Dolomites, and all year round, all day long, there is a line for photos at the viewpoint. It is often 30-60 minutes long.
  • The full Tre Cime loop from the Auronzo parking area: 3-4 hours.
  • Auronzo parking area to Rifugio Locatelli, via Forcella Lavaredo: 3 hours one way
  • Auronzo parking area to Rifugio Auronzo: 30 minutes
  • Auronzo parking are to Laghi Piani: 3 hours one way
  • Tre Cime Loop plus the Cadini di Misurina viewpoint: 5-6 hours

LOOKING FOR A LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER TO CAPTURE YOUR PROPOSAL OR ELOPEMENT WITHIN TRE CIME NATIONAL PARK?

I’m Mariah, an adventure photographer based in the Italian Dolomites. I photograph adventurous mountain weddings for those who love the outdoors.

Since adopting the Dolomites as my second home, I’ve become passionate about protecting it from the negative impacts of overtourism. The overwhelming impact social media popularity has had on this corner of the Alps is changing it quickly. Year to year, locals are struggling to keep up with new rules, infrastructure and changes to daily life.

If you’re planning an elopement or wedding in the Dolomites, make sure to choose vendors and locations which help spread the impact of your visit.

To learn more about great elopement locations far from the tourists hot spots, schedule a call.

WANNA KNOW MORE?

VIEW PRICING AND SCHEDULE A CALL

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