Location Guides · 7 min read
Published · Updated
In brief
A Cinque Torri session is booked through our elopement package, starting from €3,800, which already includes chairlift tickets and route planning — there's no separate location fee. Because Cinque Torri sits only about 25 minutes from Cortina d'Ampezzo and involves a short chairlift rather than a long approach, it's also one of the easiest locations in our portfolio to book as a half-day add-on to a Cortina-based wedding rather than a full standalone day.
How pricing works at Cinque Torri
Cinque Torri is covered under the same Dolomites elopement package as our other locations, from €3,800. Because the chairlift and the circular trail among the towers make for a genuinely short approach, many couples book this as a shorter 2.5-to-5-hour session rather than a full 4-to-8-hour day — the price starts the same either way, and timeline is what typically differentiates a standalone Cinque Torri elopement from a half-day add-on.
The starting price includes a lead photographer, chairlift tickets, route planning around the WWI-era trail network, and 400+ retouched images delivered in a 72-hour preview gallery.
As with our other locations, independent photographers price sessions very differently across the region, and what's actually included varies just as much as the number itself. We publish our starting price and inclusions directly so a Cinque Torri quote from elsewhere can be compared on equal terms.
Getting to the towers: chairlift and trail
Access is by chairlift from Baita Bai de Dones, about 25 minutes from Cortina, which lifts couples to just below the towers at 2,255m in a few minutes. From there, an easy circular trail winds between all five formations and past the remnants of WWI fortifications built directly into the rock — a genuinely easy walk, not a hike.
The chairlift typically operates only in summer and early autumn; outside that window the towers are reached on foot instead, which adds meaningfully to the approach time and is why we default to booking this location within the lift's operating season.
The fortifications along the trail are part of a preserved open-air First World War museum woven directly into the walking route, so couples who want a story-rich backdrop rather than a pure landscape often build a few extra minutes into the session to walk through the trench lines themselves before or after the portraits.
Why sunrise works so well here
Because Cinque Torri sits slightly off the main Cortina sightseeing circuit, it draws noticeably fewer visitors than Tre Cime or the town's central viewpoints — particularly at sunrise, when the towers catch the first light with almost nobody else around. This is one of the quietest locations in our entire portfolio during the golden hour, despite being one of the closest to a major town.
The towers themselves also offer natural framing that few other locations in our portfolio have: couples can be positioned between, beside or looking up through the formations, giving a genuinely different compositional language from an open ridge, a lake or a mountain pass.
Booking Cinque Torri as an add-on versus a standalone elopement
Because it's shorter and closer to Cortina than most of our other locations, Cinque Torri works particularly well as a second-location add-on the same day as a Cortina ceremony or reception — a sunrise session here, followed by preparations in town, is a common itinerary for couples hosting a Cortina d'Ampezzo luxury wedding.
For couples who prefer a single dedicated elopement day, Cinque Torri also stands on its own, paired with the WWI history walk and, if timing allows, a second nearby stop the same morning. Either structure uses the same €3,800 starting price; what changes is how the hours are allocated across the day.
Because the round trip from Cortina, including the chairlift and the walk among the towers, comfortably fits inside three hours, some couples build in a second half-day location the same trip — pairing a Cinque Torri sunrise with an evening session back in town, for instance — without the long transfer times that a more remote location would require.
Cinque Torri for proposals and smaller celebrations
Because Cinque Torri consistently sees fewer visitors than the busier Cortina-area viewpoints, it's also one of our most-booked locations for a surprise proposal — the quiet trail among the towers gives a photographer plenty of natural cover to stay unseen until the moment itself, without the crowds that make discretion harder at more famous viewpoints nearby.
That same quality also makes it a strong choice for a vow renewal or anniversary session for couples who want an unhurried, intimate return to the mountains rather than a location built around wedding-day logistics — the short chairlift and easy trail keep the day simple, leaving more time for the conversation and the photographs themselves.
Cinque Torri compared to Tre Cime and other Cortina-area locations
Cinque Torri is shorter, easier and less crowded than Tre Cime di Lavaredo — a chairlift plus an easy trail versus a toll road and a longer hike — but trades some of Tre Cime's monumental scale for a more intimate, sculptural set of rock towers. Couples who want a genuine adventure-day feel tend toward Tre Cime; couples who want maximum visual impact for minimum time and effort tend toward Cinque Torri.
All of the Cortina-area locations we shoot — Cinque Torri, Tre Cime and Cortina itself — share the same €3,800 elopement starting price, so the decision is about terrain, time available and crowd tolerance rather than budget.
Wardrobe and footwear for the towers
The WWI-era trenches and fortifications underfoot are uneven in places, so trail shoes for the approach are worth packing even though the walk itself is genuinely easy — our mountain elopement dress guide covers footwear transitions for exactly this kind of short, easy-but-uneven terrain.
Sunrise sessions here also mean cooler morning temperatures even in summer, so a layer for the chairlift ride and the first twenty minutes on site is worth having on hand, even if it comes off entirely once the sun clears the ridge.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an extra fee to shoot at Cinque Torri specifically?
No — it's covered under our standard elopement package from €3,800, which already includes chairlift tickets and route planning.
How does Cinque Torri compare to Tre Cime di Lavaredo?
Cinque Torri is shorter, easier and less crowded — a chairlift plus an easy trail versus Tre Cime's toll road and longer hike — but trades some of Tre Cime's monumental scale for a more intimate, sculptural set of rock towers.
Is Cinque Torri suitable as a half-day add-on to a Cortina wedding?
Yes — at roughly 25 minutes from Cortina with a short chairlift and easy trail, it's one of the simplest additional locations to fit into an existing Cortina-based itinerary.
Do we need hiking experience?
No — the chairlift removes most of the elevation gain, and the circular trail among the towers is an easy, well-marked walk.
Is the chairlift open year-round?
No — it typically runs only in summer and early autumn. Outside that window the towers are reached on foot instead, which adds meaningfully to the approach time, so we default to booking within the lift's operating season.