Booking choice: The private guided Alpe di Siusi hike. Book this Compare options below
Ortisei sits between two of the best-known viewpoints in the Dolomites, and each has its own lift. The Seceda cable car runs in two sections from Via Val d'Anna to a ridge at about 2,500 m. The Mont Seuc cable car to Alpe di Siusi leaves from another station in Ortisei and climbs to a plateau of meadows, huts and gentle trails.
Visitors with one free day often ask which to choose, or whether both can fit in. This guide sets out the differences, the 2026 lift dates, and three guided alternatives. For the booking rules on the Seceda side, read the guide to Seceda cable car tickets first.
Quick answer
Choose Seceda for the dramatic ridge and the Odle needles; choose Alpe di Siusi for wide, gentle walking on a high plateau below Sassolungo. Each has its own cable car from Ortisei. Doing both in one day is possible, but tight in 2026, because Seceda ascents are sold in fixed, non-changeable 30-minute slots.
Seceda or Alpe di Siusi: which is better?
Neither is better; they suit different days. Seceda is a short, dramatic ridge visit; Alpe di Siusi is a broad plateau for longer, gentle walks.
Seceda rewards visitors who want one strong image: the green ridge breaking into cliffs, with the Odle needles behind. The walking from the top station is short and mostly easy, and the main view is about 10 minutes away. Alpe di Siusi is about space. It is a wide high plateau of meadows and huts below Sassolungo, where walks can be as long or short as you like and the gradients are gentle.
Practical points also matter in 2026. Seceda ascents are booked online in fixed 30-minute time slots, and tickets cannot be refunded or changed. A private turnstile run by farmers charges at the famous photo spot on the Seceda ridge. The table below sums up the main differences.
| Seceda | Alpe di Siusi | |
|---|---|---|
| Lift from Ortisei | Ortisei - Furnes - Seceda cable car, Via Val d'Anna 2 | Mont Seuc cable car, separate station |
| Landscape | High ridge facing the Odle needles | Wide plateau below Sassolungo |
| Height | Top station about 2,500 m; summit 2,519 m | Not stated in the sources used here |
| Summer 2026 lift dates | 22 May - 2 November | Marinzen gondola 1 May - 1 November; check Mont Seuc locally |
| Booking in 2026 | Online 30-minute slots, non-refundable | Not stated in the sources used here |
| Typical walk | 10 minutes to 3 h 15 min | Gentle plateau trails such as the Hans & Paula Steger trail |
What makes Seceda different?
The view of the Odle group: sharp needles with Sass Rigais and Furchetta at 3,025 m, seen from a tilted grassy ridge at 2,519 m.
Seceda is about drama in a small space. The ridgeline viewpoint sits about 10 minutes from the top station, and easy marked walks continue to Pieralongia, the Odles hut and the Fermeda hut, at 1 to 1.5 hours each according to seceda.it. The area lies in the Puez-Odle Nature Park, part of the Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It suits visitors with half a day, photographers who want the classic image, and walkers who prefer a short, rewarding route. The ridgeline hike guide lists the routes in detail.
What makes Alpe di Siusi different?
Space. Alpe di Siusi is a wide high plateau of meadows and huts below Sassolungo, with gentle walking in many directions.
Where Seceda gives one strong view, Alpe di Siusi offers a broad landscape to walk through. Huts and farms are scattered across the plateau, and trails such as the Hans & Paula Steger trail cross it at an easy gradient. It suits families, walkers who prefer flatter ground and visitors who want a full day outside without a big climb.
From Ortisei the plateau is reached by the Mont Seuc cable car. The Marinzen gondola, another lift to the plateau, runs from 1 May to 1 November 2026. Check Mont Seuc dates and times locally, because the sources used for this guide do not state them.
A private certified guide on the Hans & Paula Steger trail with lunch, starting at the Mont Seuc cable car in Ortisei.
Book thisCan you see Seceda from Alpe di Siusi?
The sources used for this guide do not confirm which parts of Seceda are visible from the plateau. The two are separate areas, each reached by its own lift from Ortisei.
This guide only states what its sources confirm, and none of them describes the view of Seceda from Alpe di Siusi. If seeing the Seceda ridge is the main goal of your day, ride the Seceda cable car itself: the famous view is about 10 minutes from the top station.
If you want both landscapes, it is better to plan two separate visits, or one tightly planned day as described below, than to hope for a view of one from the other.
Can you do Seceda and Alpe di Siusi in one day?
It is possible, but tight in 2026. Seceda ascents are sold in fixed, non-changeable 30-minute slots, so plan the day around your Seceda window.
Both lifts start in Ortisei, which makes a combined day possible on paper. In practice, the Seceda time slot fixes one part of your schedule, and the 17:30 Seceda closing time fixes another. A realistic plan uses an early Seceda slot after the 8:30 opening, a short walk to the viewpoint, a descent by late morning, and Alpe di Siusi in the afternoon.
- Keep Seceda short: the viewpoint walk and back, not the longer circuits.
- Allow travel time in Ortisei: the two lifts leave from different stations, and parking is limited.
- Check the Alpe di Siusi lift times locally before you commit.
- Accept the trade-off: two lifts in one day means less time walking at either place.
What guided tours go to Alpe di Siusi from Ortisei?
Two: a 5-hour private guided hike that starts at the Mont Seuc cable car, and a 5.5-hour guided e-bike group tour that starts by the Seceda valley station.
The private guided Alpe di Siusi hike lasts 5 hours with a certified guide and lunch. The listing states that it meets at the Ortisei - Alpe di Siusi (Mont Seuc) cable car and follows the Hans & Paula Steger trail past huts and farms. The listing lists cable car tickets under both what is included and what is not, so confirm with the operator before you book. It is offered in Italian, German and English and is not suited to low fitness.
The Alpe di Siusi guided e-bike tour lasts 5.5 hours and meets at the MTB School Ortisei at Val d'Anna 2, by the Seceda valley station. The listing states that the e-bike, helmet, guide, lunch at a hut and insurance are included, and that no cable car is used; the bikes ride up. Basic mountain bike experience is required.
| Private hike | E-bike group tour | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 5 hours | 5.5 hours |
| Meeting point | Mont Seuc cable car, Ortisei | Val d'Anna 2, by the Seceda valley station |
| Cable car | Listing contradicts itself; confirm with the operator | No, the bikes ride up |
| Lunch | Included | Included, at a hut |
| Group | Private | Group |
| Free cancellation | Up to 24 hours before | Up to 24 hours before |
The e-bike does the climbing to Alpe di Siusi: 5.5 hours with helmet, guide, insurance and lunch at a hut, from the Seceda valley station.
Book thisIs there a third option from Ortisei?
Yes. A 6-hour panoramic bus tour from Ortisei goes to Lago di Braies, with about 2 hours at the lake, for visitors who want a lake day instead of a lift day.
The Lago di Braies tour from Ortisei starts at the Setil car park beside the Alpe di Siusi cable car. The listing states that it uses a panoramic bus with a local guide and an audio tour in 8 languages, includes a tasting of speck and apple juice, and gives about 2 hours at Lago di Braies, which lies at 1,496 m. The tour ends in downtown Ortisei.
It is a good choice on a day when no Seceda slot fits your plans, or when you want a break from walking. The listing states that it is not suitable for wheelchair users or people with back problems, and that free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before.
Which should I choose for my trip?
Choose Seceda for a half-day with the classic view, Alpe di Siusi for a full, gentle walking day, and both only if you can book an early Seceda slot.
- Half a day and one big view: Seceda, with an early time slot. See how to book.
- A full day with children or easy walking: Alpe di Siusi, on foot or with the private guided hike.
- No car and no lift booking: the e-bike tour from the Seceda valley station or the Lago di Braies bus tour.
- Quiet over famous: read whether Seceda is worth it before you decide.
Private, 5 hours, lunch included: a certified guide on the Alpe di Siusi plateau with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Book thisFrequently asked questions
Are Seceda and Alpe di Siusi the same cable car?
No. Seceda has its own two-section lift from Via Val d'Anna 2 in Ortisei. Alpe di Siusi is reached by the separate Mont Seuc cable car from Ortisei.
Can I visit Seceda and Alpe di Siusi on the same day?
Yes, but it is tight in 2026. Book an early Seceda slot, keep the visit short, and go to Alpe di Siusi in the afternoon.
Which is better for families, Seceda or Alpe di Siusi?
Alpe di Siusi offers wider, gentler walking. Seceda has short easy walks too, and children under 8 ride the Seceda lift free with an adult.
Does the Alpe di Siusi guided hike include the cable car?
The listing lists cable car tickets as both included and excluded. Confirm with the operator before booking.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Booked on GetYourGuide; each listing states its own cancellation terms.
Private Guided Alpe di Siusi Hike from Ortisei
Ortisei's other lift goes up to the wide Alpe di Siusi plateau under Sassolungo: the Hans & Paula Steger trail, huts and farms, lunch included; confirm lift tickets, the listing names them as both included and excluded
Alpe di Siusi Guided E-Bike Group Tour
It starts a few steps from the Seceda valley station but rides the other way: up to the Alpe di Siusi plateau on gravel roads and panoramic paths, lunch at a mountain hut, and back down to Ortisei. E-bike, helmet, guide and insurance are part of it; no cable car is used.
Lago di Braies Tour from Ortisei
A panoramic bus from Ortisei to Lago di Braies, about two hours by the lake, a speck and apple juice tasting and a drop-off back in town
