At 2,236 metres, Passo Giau is one of the great viewpoints of the Dolomites. The pass connects Cortina d'Ampezzo with the Colle Santa Lucia, and a simple walk from the summit ridge (no technical difficulty) gives a 360-degree panorama that takes in the Marmolada, the Pelmo, the Civetta, the Tofane above Cortina, and the Cinque Torri to the north. On a clear day the whole arc of the central and western Dolomites is visible.
The pass is open to traffic from late June to October, when the snow has melted. In winter it is skiable from Cortina but not passable by car. The rifugio at the summit serves food and drink; the meadow below the ridge is a starting point for hikes toward the Mondeval archaeological site, where a 7,000-year-old Mesolithic hunter was discovered in 1987, buried with his dog and hunting equipment — now in the Natural History Museum in Pieve di Cadore.