Hey, what’s up?

Welcome back to our Italy trip blog!

Kudos to those who’ve made it this far—you deserve a medal, or at the very least, a gelato. 🍦

This time, we headed off to explore Tre Cime Natural Park—an iconic spot in the Dolomites that looks like a scene from Game of Thrones, minus the dragons and emotional trauma.

About two-thirds of the park is made up of nothing but rocks and rubble, yet somehow, nature still finds a way to flourish. From tiny alpine flowers peeking through cracks to bold little animals living their best life among the stones—it’s basically a masterclass in resilience.

From our Airbnb, the drive took us just under two hours, but we made a quick detour to Lago di Misurina, also known as Lake Misurina. Here’s a photo of Danial admiring the photo he just took of the lake—very meta, I know. We arrived quite early, so there weren’t many tourists around yet. A peaceful moment, just us and the stillness of the lake… and a few very photogenic ducks.

There are a handful of hotels dotted around the lake and—very important detail—a mini store with toilets! Vital stop for anyone with a travel-sized bladder.

It was a bit cloudy when we got there, but at one point, the sky cleared completely. And of course, that’s when I didn’t take a photo. One of those moments where you’re so caught up in the view, it just feels right to put the camera down and simply take it all in.

Pro tip: If the weather is sunny, you might catch the perfect reflection of the mountains in the lake—postcard vibes guaranteed.

Also, I’m convinced this lake was made to be photographed by a drone. Ground shots are great, but a drone POV? Chef’s kiss. (As Ariana Grande might say: “POV, I wanna drone you like that.”) (Yea I use ChatGPT to make this joke, caught redhanded there)

From Misurina, we continued our journey to Tre Cime—just a few minutes’ drive away. Quick tip if you’re planning to go:

• Book parking in advance. It fills up fast and if you don’t, well… enjoy your bonus uphill hike from the bottom.
• Parking cost: around £40 per car (pricey, but that’s the Dolomites for you).
• Alternatively, you can take a bus or shuttle, or perhaps a taxi. I’m not entirely sure how much those cost or how frequent they are—feel free to check the official website because I was too busy admiring the view (and avoiding being the designated researcher).

At the top of Tre Cime, there’s a restaurant and even a hotel, for those who are rich enough to afford that level of luxury (read: not us). Imagine waking up to a view of the Dolomites every morning—yes please, if someone else is paying.

We did two main hikes here:

1. To Cadini di Misurina
2. Circling the Tre Cime peaks

So buckle up—more scenic suffering ahead.

Here’s the view from that hotel in case anyone wants to mortgage their house for a night’s stay.

Hike #1: Cadini di Misurina

This was our first mission. As you can see from the photo, the clouds weren’t really playing nice, but hey, at least that meant less sweating and sunburn, so we’re not complaining (too much).

The hike itself is relatively easy—except for the part where you’re literally walking on cliff edges, contemplating your life choices. It took us around an hour, although it could be done faster if you’re not stopping every 15 steps for a group photo, solo photo, dramatic silhouette shot, and one of those “candid but clearly posed” moments.

There are actually two paths to get to Cadini:

• One is a safe, wide trail where your chance of falling is practically zero.
• The other is the “spicy” route, where if you slip, you may fall straight into a ravine and hopefully ascend to heaven with dignity. Some of us bravely chose the scenic cliffside path. Others (no shame!) took the safer one. In the end, we all made it there in one piece—which is what matters most, right?

When we finally reached the end, we were expecting that classic Cadini postcard view—majestic jagged peaks, moody skies, the kind of landscape that makes you consider quitting your job to become a mountain poet.

But no. The clouds said: “Not today.”

The peaks were completely hidden, like a shy celebrity avoiding paparazzi. But you know what? It’s not always about the final shot. Sometimes the real magic is in the journey, the laughs, the near-death stumbles, and Danial’s dramatic reactions every time he slips on a rock.

Stay tuned for our next mission: Circling Tre Cime itself—spoiler alert, it includes more hiking, more views, and more of us pretending we’re fit.

After we turned back from Cadini, we rested for about an hour near the hotel—fuelled up, hydrated, and mentally prepared for Round Two of the hike. But before that, here’s a picture I had to share: the road we drove to get up here. Behold the zigzags! No wonder the ride felt like a roller coaster. (Read: Adam’s reckless driving, just kidding! Or am I?)

Hike #2: Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Once lunch was over and our tummies were no longer singing sad songs, we began the circular hike around this massive rock formation—also known as Tre Cime di Lavaredo. Our ever-optimistic tour guide described it as “just a walk in the park,” which led me to make the very bold decision of wearing sandals. Rookie mistake. Turns out, this “walk” had steep inclines, snow patches, and enough uneven terrain to make me question my life choices. Lesson of the day: never trust anyone who calls a Dolomite hike a “stroll”.

As we started our trek, the clouds finally began to part, revealing the majestic, jaw-dropping rock formations in all their glory. How did these giants get here? Who stacked them so nicely? Only God and geology know. There was even snow along the way—snow—which made me extra grateful for my sandals (note the sarcasm).

At one point, we crossed a small wooden bridge—cue Adam, who decided this was the perfect time and place for his Top Italy Model audition. The pose? On point. The outfit? Hmm… we might need to revisit that. Still, I support his modelling dreams. You do you, Adam.

Further along, we stumbled upon a mini lake that perfectly reflected the towering rocks, like nature’s own mirror. Beautiful, right? Until we spotted these strange lizard-like creatures swimming inside. I have no idea how they survive in such harsh, high-altitude conditions. But like I said earlier, Mother Nature is weird. Beautiful—but weird.

And just like that, our adventure came to an end. My rating? A solid 10/10. Tre Cime isn’t your average national park—this place looks like it was handcrafted by a fantasy movie director.

As per tradition, we all knocked out in the car on the way home. Tired legs, full camera roll, and happy hearts.

Thanks for sticking with me till the end—and guess what? There’s still more to come (about 1/4 left!). See you in the next post!

Ciao for now!