Why is Passo Giau famous?
It is the most scenic drive-up point in the Dolomites: 2,236 m, directly under the Ra Gusela wall, with Tofane, Marmolada, Civetta and Croda da Lago on the horizon. Sunrise and sunset from the pass need no hiking at all.
Passo Giau
The most scenic road pass in the Dolomites: Ra Gusela's wall at 2,236 m, sunrise from the tarmac, and the Nuvolau and Croda da Lago huts above it.
Updated: 2026-07-22
Make this spot part of a real route. Save it to your favorites or open the planner with this point already set as your start.
Effort
None to moderate
Time needed
Drive-up; hikes 1-3 h
Getting there
Road pass between Cortina and Selva di Cadore
Best light
Sunrise and sunset, famous for both
Passo Giau is the view you get without walking: the road tops out at 2,236 m directly beneath the blunt prow of Ra Gusela, with Tofane, Marmolada and half the range stacked around the horizon. Photographers treat the pass itself as a tripod position; cyclists treat it as a trophy climb.
It is also a fine trailhead. Nuvolau's summit hut is 1.5 hours above the pass, and the meadows toward Croda da Lago and Lago Federa hide the area's best quiet corners.
The pass as a viewpoint
You can park at the top and be photographing in two minutes: Ra Gusela fills the north view, and short meadow strolls in any direction open the panorama. Sunrise here is a drive-up luxury rare in the Dolomites, and in larch season the Selva di Cadore side turns gold.
The road is open roughly May to November and is popular with motorbikes and road cyclists by mid-morning in summer; early is calmer.
Walks and nights above the pass
The classic short hike climbs north to Rifugio Nuvolau (about 1.5 h) for the summit-hut sunset; Averau sits just below it. Eastward, a 2-2.5 hour path rounds Croda da Lago to Lago Federa and Rifugio Croda da Lago, the larch-lake composition that fills October feeds. Both huts make Passo Giau a natural pivot on an Alta Via 1 style route through our planner.
- Nuvolau from the pass: ~1.5 h up, sleepable summit hut
- Lago Federa / Croda da Lago: 2-2.5 h, best in late October larch gold
- Road pass open roughly May-November
Where it is
Tap a marker to see how to get there, then open it in the planner with your start already set.
Sleep next to the view
Staffed huts closest to this spot. Sleeping up here is how you get the sunrise and the empty trail.
FAQ
What can you hike from Passo Giau?
Rifugio Nuvolau on its 2,575 m summit is about 1.5 hours up (sleep there for the sunset). Lago Federa under Croda da Lago is 2 to 2.5 hours east and explodes into larch gold in late October. Both connect into multi-day hut routes.
When is Passo Giau open?
The road is normally open from late spring to November, snow depending. Summer mornings are quiet; by mid-morning the motorbikes and cyclists arrive. In winter it serves ski touring and is often closed after storms.
More famous views
Heading for Passo Giau? These guides cover the practical side of walking and sleeping in the Dolomites.