Pana Raida Adventure Trail-the best family hike in the Dolomites

This past July, we spent a week in the Dolomites, exploring the towns of Ortisei (Urtijëi), Santa Cristina, and Selva di Val Gardena. On our last full day, we discovered what may be the perfect area for families with children to have a memorable adventure.

Our 4-year-old is a reluctant hiker, but on this day, she hiked over 1.5 miles without being carried. If you’re looking for a kid-friendly hike, then read on.

What is the Pana Raida Adventure Trail?

The Pana Raida trail is a 2.6 km (1.6 miles), loop trail with 10 stops along the way to engage children in play.

The recommended time to complete it is 1.5 hours. However, you could spend more time, and bring packed snacks or lunch and allow your children more free time to explore.

Here is a link to to the “map” that is given out to children.

(Please note that the map is NOT to scale; if you want to track distance, I would use a more official program, like All Trails or another GPS-based program.)

Here is our experience taking the gondola up to the Monte Pana Plateau and then hiking around the Pana Raida Adventure Trail.

How to get to Santa Cristina and the Monte Pana Plateau

Santa Cristina is accessible by car and bus. To take the bus, use the Sudtirol bus website or APP and buy a pass (if you will be traveling frequently) or buy a single ticket, which costs about $1.50.

If you stop by the TI (tourist information) in Santa Cristina, you can find a map and specific details on the hike, as well as a map for your child with details about the stops along the Pana Raida trail.

The Monte Pana Plateau, where the best hiking for families begins, can be reached by car, by foot, or by chair lift. We opted for the chair lift, which was a bit pricy (around $50 for the three of us roundtrip), but gave us the ability to save our legs for the hike later on in the day. For more information about lifts in the Val Gardena, check out this website.

The Google Map below includes the location for: the Santa Cristina TI, the base station for the chair lift, and two points on the Pana Raida trail.

Where to begin the Pana Raida Adventure Trail

At the top of the chair lift, or at the valley station of the Monte Sëura chairlift, not far from hotel, you will see a pile of mushrooms nearby. This photo op is the starting point for the trail. Once you locate that, you’re on your way.

Stop #1: Notice the sign in to the right of our daughter- this will help you follow the correct trail.

Another helpful sign! And a reminder that this is a FUN trail.

Is the Pana Raida Adventure Trail Stroller Friendly?

Yes! Mountain buggies, all-terrain strollers, whatever you want to call them- they can survive on this trail. If you are traveling around Italy (or around Europe) and are only in the Val Gardena and Dolomites for a short while, there are local companies, like Intersport, that you rent strollers and hiking carriers from. We opted to bring a soft-structured carrier instead

What to expect on the Pana Raida Trail

The first part of the trail is wide open; you might not think you are on the right path, but rest assured that you are. Keep following the illustrated map and look for signs.

After the water feature area (which will likely be the highlight for many kiddos) you will end up in the shade for a bit, so if you have a kiddo who likes to get completely soaked, you might want to bring a change of clothes.

Exploring stop #3: Natural World Heritage Cinema

Stop #4: Water playground and picnic area

Stop #6: Tree swing! Just when you’ve dried off from the water, you get some much-needed shade.

Stop #7: Tree houses- other than the water feature, this was the busiest spot.

By the time we passed stop #8, there was no one else on the trail. Unfortunately, we took a wrong turn/ short cut at the tunnel, and ended up missing the last two stops. If you want to complete the entire trail, including the final water feature, then make sure to do a better job than I did tracking the trail.

We turned right before this tunnel, but should have continued.

Once you finish the trail, you can plan to enjoy lunch at one of the small eateries. We opted for classic, American-style kid food—pizza, chicken fingers, and fries.