The numbers here are deceptively modest. Thirty kilometres doesn't sound like much until you factor in that most of that distance is either climbing or descending on a road that winds above 2,400 metres. The classic approach starts from Misurina, a small lake village with a handful of guesthouses and a petrol station that doubles as a decent café.
From there the road rises steadily through a toll gate — yes, you pay to ride it, a few euros — then grows increasingly brutal as it switchbacks toward Rifugio Auronzo. The final kilometres average around ten percent with sections pushing steeper, and the altitude bites. Your lungs will notice.
The surface on the paved lower section is reasonable, patched but rideable on 28mm tyres or wider. Above the toll gate the road degrades in places to compacted gravel and loose stone, so a gravel bike or hardtail makes more sense than a carbon road machine. Traffic is managed but present: minibuses and camper vans share the upper road, so descend with your hands covering the brakes.
The reward at the top is legitimately staggering — the three spires of the Tre Cime rise almost vertically from the plateau and change character entirely depending on the light.
Most riders do this as a day effort rather than an overnight, cycling up from Misurina and back down the same way. If you want to extend things, Rifugio Auronzo has basic dormitory beds and a terrace where you can eat polenta and stare directly at the peaks. Bike hire is available in Cortina d'Ampezzo, roughly 25 kilometres away, which also has the nearest train connections.
Go between late June and mid-September — the road is typically snow-blocked until June and conditions deteriorate fast after early autumn.