Booking choice: The Seceda, Val di Funes and Lago di Carezza day from Verona. Book this Compare options below
Seceda became famous through photographs: a sloping green ridge that ends in a sharp cliff, with a row of rock needles behind it. In 2025 and 2026 the local response was clear: timed tickets on the cable car, and a turnstile run by farmers at the most photographed spot.
This guide gives a factual picture of what that means for a visitor in 2026, without exaggeration in either direction. It covers why the view is special, the three gates, the turnstile story, crowds, and who should skip it. If you are deciding between Seceda and another viewpoint near Ortisei, read Seceda or Alpe di Siusi as well.
Quick answer
Seceda is worth it if you want the classic Dolomites view and can book a cable car time slot in advance. In 2026 there are three gates: the timed cable car, a private turnstile at the famous photo spot run by local farmers, and free routes on foot. The turnstile fee covers only that spot, and you do not pay twice. Early slots, weekdays and autumn are quieter.
Is Seceda worth visiting?
Yes, for most visitors. The ridge view of the Odle peaks is one of the best known in the Dolomites, and the top station puts it about 10 minutes away on foot.
Few famous mountain views need so little effort. The cable car from Ortisei climbs to about 2,500 m, and the ridgeline viewpoint is a short walk from the top. Easy marked walks continue from there, and there is a restaurant with a sun terrace at the top station. For visitors with limited time in Val Gardena, it is an efficient way to see the high Dolomites.
The honest caveat is that the experience has changed. In 2026 you need to book a cable car time slot online, the tickets are non-refundable, and the best-known photo spot charges a fee on private land. On a busy summer day, the ridge path is shared with many other visitors. If you plan around those points, the visit is easier and more enjoyable.
Why is Seceda so famous?
Because of the view of the Odle group: a row of sharp rock needles, with Sass Rigais and Furchetta at 3,025 m, seen across a tilted green ridge at 2,519 m.
Seceda is a 2,519 m summit above Ortisei in Val Gardena. It faces the Odle group, known in German as the Geisler group. 'Odles' means needles in Ladin, the local language, and the name fits the shape of the peaks. The two highest, Sass Rigais and Furchetta, both reach 3,025 m.
The area lies in the Puez-Odle Nature Park, between Val Gardena, Val Badia and Val di Funes, and is part of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 2009. The combination of soft meadows and hard rock on one horizon is what makes the view so recognisable.
What are the three gates at Seceda in 2026?
The timed cable car, the farmers' private turnstile at the photo spot, and free routes on foot. Only the cable car is a ticket you book in advance.
Many visitors arrive expecting one ticket. In 2026 it helps to think of three separate things, each with its own rules.
| Gate | Who runs it | What it covers | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ortisei - Furnes - Seceda cable car | Seceda AG | The lift ride in the chosen 30-minute slot | Online at seceda.it; non-refundable and non-changeable |
| Turnstile at the photo spot | Local farmers' company Seceda Pana | Access to the private photo location only | Pay on site, cash or card |
| Routes on foot | No one | The rest of the mountain | No booking; the walk from Ortisei is a full day |
A day trip from Verona with the Seceda cable car ticket up and down already included, plus Val di Funes and Lago di Carezza.
Book thisWhat is the Seceda turnstile and why is it there?
A pay point on private land at the famous photo spot, set up by local farmers because visitors were trampling and picnicking on hay meadows. It was reinstalled on 12 June 2026.
In early July 2025, a farmer who owns land crossed by the path to the photo spot installed a turnstile and charged a fee per person. The president of the local alpine club, AVS, explained the reason to the press: visitors were trampling the hay meadows and picnicking on them. For farmers, the grass is a crop that feeds their animals in winter.
On 12 June 2026 the turnstile was reinstalled by 'Seceda Pana', a company of local farmers. Payment is by cash or card. The site now has signs about farm work and heart-shaped wooden photo frames, and the farmers describe it as an 'open-air museum'. This guide does not print the fee amount; check it on site.
Do you have to pay the turnstile twice?
No. From 14 July 2026 a second pay point stands on a second route to the same photo spot, but you do not pay twice, and the rest of the mountain stays free.
The second pay point covers visitors who approach the photo spot from another direction. Both points lead to the same private location, and the fee covers only that location, not the ridge, the trails or the huts. If you do not want to pay, you can still walk the marked paths, visit the ridgeline viewpoint from the top station and take the walks to Pieralongia or the Fermeda hut.
- Keep proof of payment if you plan to cross both points.
- Stay on the paths on both sides of the turnstile; the meadows remain hay fields.
- Respect the fences. They are there to protect the grass.
How busy is Seceda and how can you avoid the crowds?
Summer days are busy, especially in July and August. Book an early time slot, choose a weekday, or visit in September or October for a calmer ridge.
The time-slot system spreads visitors through the day, but popular slots still fill up. The first windows after the 8:30 opening give you the ridge before most day visitors arrive, and soft morning light on the Odle peaks. Weekdays tend to be quieter than weekends. Autumn is another good option: the lift runs until 2 November 2026, and in October the larch trees turn gold.
Public transport also helps. Parking in Ortisei is limited, and from 5 July 2026 a bus runs every 8 minutes between Selva and Ortisei. The guide to the best time to visit Seceda compares the seasons in more detail.
From Verona with transport and the Seceda cable car included: a 12-hour day in a group of up to 6, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Book thisWho should skip Seceda?
Visitors who want quiet, and visitors without a booked time slot in peak summer. Both may have a better day at another viewpoint or on a guided walk.
Seceda is not a secret place. If your idea of a mountain day is solitude, the ridge in high summer may disappoint you. Visitors who arrive in July or August without a booked slot may also find the online windows full and the valley station sold out. In that case, a different plan is often better than waiting.
- For a quiet walk: the private hike to St. Jacob's Church starts in Ortisei, uses no lift and takes 4 hours.
- For a different big view: Alpe di Siusi has its own cable car from Ortisei; read Seceda or Alpe di Siusi.
- For a full hike: the route up from Ortisei avoids the lift, but it is a full day with over 1,000 m of climbing; see Seceda without the cable car.
Can you visit Seceda as a day trip from Verona?
Yes, with a guided tour. A 12-hour small-group trip from Verona includes transport and the Seceda cable car ticket up and down, plus Val di Funes and Lago di Carezza.
The Seceda, Val di Funes and Lago di Carezza day trip starts at Piazza Bra in Verona, and the listing also lists departures from Vicenza, Padua, Venice and Mestre, with hotel pickup on request. Groups are limited to 6 people. The listing states that transport, the Seceda cable car ticket up and down, water and snacks are included, and that meals are not. The day also includes views of Santa Maddalena in Val di Funes and a stop at Lago di Carezza.
The listing states that the tour is not suitable for people with back problems, mobility impairments or wheelchair users, and that free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before. For visitors based in northern Italian cities without a car, it removes the hardest part of a Seceda day: the lift booking and the long drive.
Three Dolomites highlights from Verona in one day, with the Seceda lift ticket included and a group of up to 6.
Book thisFrequently asked questions
Do you have to pay to visit Seceda?
Walking on the mountain is free. The cable car is a paid ticket booked online, and a private turnstile at the famous photo spot charges a fee. The rest of the mountain is free.
Who runs the Seceda turnstile?
Local farmers. In 2026 it was reinstalled on 12 June by the farmers' company Seceda Pana, to protect hay meadows that visitors were trampling.
Is Seceda crowded?
In July and August it is busy. Early time slots, weekdays and September or October are calmer.
Can I see the Seceda view without paying the turnstile?
Yes. The ridgeline viewpoint near the top station and the marked walks are outside the private photo location. The turnstile fee covers only that spot.
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Choose your tour
Booked on GetYourGuide; each listing states its own cancellation terms.
Seceda, Val di Funes & Lago di Carezza from Verona
- Return transport from Verona; pickup also offered in Vicenza, Padua, Venice and Mestre
- Seceda cable car ticket up and down, as the listing states
- Val di Funes with views of Santa Maddalena, and a walk at Lago di Carezza
Private Seceda Ridge Hike with Cable Car & Lunch
- Certified private hiking guide; Italian, German or English
- Cable car tickets up and down, as the listing states
- Lunch at the Malga Pieralongia hut
Private Hike to St. Jacob's Church above Ortisei
A quieter half day above Ortisei: forest and panoramic paths towards Col de Flam to St. Jacob's, the oldest church in Val Gardena, with no cable car to book
