Alta Badia is a ski resort in Italy with 130 km of pistes and 53 lifts. Skiing reaches up to 2,778 m above sea level and the village sits at 1,324 m. Accommodation with lift pass included can be booked directly, you arrange your own travel there.
Cheapest places to stay in Alta Badia
Lift pass options
Prices above include the resort's default lift pass. Here is how the price per person changes if you pick another one when booking:
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Alta Badia is the gastronomic capital of the Dolomites and one of Italy's most refined ski regions. The area comprises six charming villages: Corvara, Colfosco, La Villa, San Cassiano, Badia and La Val. Together they form a skiing paradise with 130 kilometres of pistes set in one of the world's most beautiful mountain landscapes, with access to the Sella Ronda and the whole Dolomiti Superski network.
The food culture in Alta Badia is exceptional. The region has more Michelin-starred restaurants per capita than almost anywhere else in the Alps. Every winter, the annual "Sciare con Gusto" (ski with taste) event takes place, where star chefs serve gourmet dishes at mountain huts along the pistes. It's a truly unique combination of skiing and world-class gastronomy.
Alta Badia is part of the Sella Ronda system and provides easy access to the circuit around the Sella massif. Locally, the pistes are mainly aimed at intermediate skiers, with plenty of wide, well-groomed blue runs offering relaxed cruising against a backdrop of the Dolomites. The World Cup run Gran Risa in La Villa, however, is one of the most demanding pistes in the alpine skiing world.
Ladin culture remains strong in Alta Badia. Traditions, language and cuisine here are entirely distinct, different from both Italian and Austrian culture. The villages are well preserved, with traditional architecture, and the hospitality is warm and personal. This is an area where you feel like an honoured guest rather than a tourist.
Ready to book a ski holiday in Alta Badia? Find accommodation with lift pass included in the price. You arrange your own travel there.
The lift pass included covers the ski area at Alta Badia. The offer at the tour operator states which pass is included. Regional passes covering several ski areas are bought locally.
Accommodation with lift pass in Alta Badia ›Did you know this about Alta Badia?
Alta Badia is regarded as one of the most gastronomic ski resorts in the Alps, with more Michelin stars per inhabitant than almost any other mountain region. The area also has a strong Ladin culture with its own language and traditions, distinct from both the Italian and Austrian cultures that surround it.
5 tips about Alta Badia
- Perfect for beginners The wide, blue-graded runs around the villages are ideal for beginners and families who fancy a bit of cruising with the Dolomites as a backdrop.
- Ski the Sella Ronda early Set off on the circuit around the Sella massif from Corvara or Colfosco early in the morning to avoid the lift queues and enjoy quieter pistes.
- Head high for the snow When the weather is unsettled lower down in the valley, skiing up towards Lagazuoi at altitude usually means better, drier snow conditions.
- Travel outside peak season Choosing weeks away from the half-term and Christmas holidays often means both quieter slopes and better value on accommodation with lift pass included.
- Get a taste of Ladinia Don't miss the local food culture at the mountain restaurants, where Ladin flavours and gourmet cooking are served up right on the slopes during events such as Sciare con Gusto.
Pistes and lifts in Alta Badia
Alta Badia offers 130km of local pistes served by 53 lifts, with access to the 1,200km Dolomiti Superski network. Skiing ranges from the villages at around 1,324 metres up to Lagazuoi at 2,778 metres. The pistes are largely blue-graded cruising runs with excellent grooming.
The World Cup run Gran Risa in La Villa is the area's most challenging piste and hosts the annual giant slalom races. The Sella Ronda circuit naturally starts from Corvara or Colfosco. The Lagazuoi descent, which follows an old First World War path, is one of the Dolomites' most spectacular pistes, with outstanding views.
Piste map for Alta Badia
The map downloads as an image file. On your iPhone it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the bottom of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your iPad it lands in the Files app. Tap the icon at the top right of the address bar to open the map straight away.On your phone it lands in the Downloads folder. Tap the download notification that appears to open the map straight away.The file lands in the Downloads folder. You can also look for the icon at the top right of the screen and open the map from there.
Snow reliability in Alta Badia
Alta Badia stretches from villages at around 1,324 metres up to Lagazuoi at 2,778 metres, giving a considerable vertical range and excellent conditions for reliable snow throughout much of the season. The 130 kilometres of pistes, served by 53 lifts, are kept beautifully groomed thanks to this spread of altitude.
The area is considered snow-sure, and the high alpine terrain around Lagazuoi acts as a dependable snow reserve even when it turns milder down at village level.
Best time to travel to Alta Badia
The best time to ski in Alta Badia is from December to March. The Gran Risa World Cup is held in December and creates a festive atmosphere. January brings the best snow conditions and the quietest pistes. February is peak season, featuring the Sciare con Gusto event. March offers sunny skiing and gourmet lunches on the terraces.
Will there be lift queues in Alta Badia?
The lift system in Alta Badia carries 98,813 people an hour across 53 lifts. 31 of the 53 lifts belong to the faster class. The fastest lifts carry up to 3,600 people an hour, for example Sodlisia. Per kilometre of piste there is more lift capacity than at an average resort on this site, and you notice it: queues clear quickly. The queue you actually notice is almost always down in the valley between eight and half past nine. If you are on the lift before eight you avoid it.
When is Alta Badia busiest?
How busy the slopes get is not decided by the English half term but by when the Italians are on holiday. These are the weeks that fill Alta Badia in the 2026/2027 season.
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Italy: Italy has no national ski holiday. Instead it is Carnevale that fills the resorts, when Italians take their settimana bianca.
24 January to 9 February: Carnevale, with carnival Sunday on 7 February and Shrove Tuesday on the 9th - England: The English February half term is 15 to 19 February 2027 for most councils, with a few areas breaking up a week earlier. The Easter holidays run from 26 March to 9 April.
8 to 12 February: half term in a few council areas, for example Hull
15 to 19 February: half term in most of England, including London, the Midlands and the North
26 March to 9 April: Easter holidays for most English schools - Easter holidays: Easter 2027 is early, on 28 March. Austria and Germany take their holidays around the weekend, while the French holidays fall after Easter, in April.
20 to 29 March: the whole of Austria, all states at the same time
22 March to 3 April: most German states, including Bavaria, Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia
3 April to 3 May: the French zones, which fall after Easter 2027 and only affect the highest resorts - Long weekends: Long weekends fill the slopes with day visitors from the nearest cities, even when no schools are on holiday.
26 December to 3 January: Christmas and New Year, the most expensive period of the year
6 January: Epiphany, a public holiday in Austria, Italy and parts of Switzerland
27 to 29 March: the Easter weekend. Easter Monday is a public holiday across the Alps, but Good Friday is a working day in Austria, Italy and France
1 to 2 May: May Day, a public holiday across the Alps
After Shrove Tuesday things calm down quickly. The second half of February and March offer both lower prices and plenty of room on the slopes.
Major events in Alta Badia
- World Cup, giant slalom and night slalom, 20 to 21 December 2026. The Gran Risa is one of the toughest giant slalom courses on the tour, and the slalom is run under floodlights. Expect crowds just before Christmas week.
Opening and closing dates are typical values derived from altitude, not confirmed dates for this season. Check the resort's own website before booking.
Who will you share the slopes with in Alta Badia?
1,412,335 overnight stays in the 2025/26 winter season. From November 2025 to April 2026. Tap a country or a segment of the circle to highlight it.
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1
Italians
32.7%
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2
Germans
25.9%
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3
Poles
4.9%
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4
Dutch
4.8%
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5
British
4.3%
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6
Slovenians
3.0%
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7
Czechs
2.8%
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8
Austrians
2.3%
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9
Croatians
2.1%
- 10 Others 17.2%
Source: ASTAT, the South Tyrol statistics institute. The sum of the municipalities of Corvara, Badia and La Val, i.e. the whole of Alta Badia. Switzerland and Liechtenstein are counted together in this source.
Snow right now. There is no snow cover in the valley or at the top right now. The figures are modelled by Open-Meteo, not measured by the lift company, and were fetched 15 October 2026 at 20:24.
How to get to Alta Badia
You arrange your own travel: we sell the stay, not the transport. Here are the three ways people get to Alta Badia, so you can pick the one that suits you.
By air. The nearest airport is Innsbruck (INN). Pure flying time from London is around 2 hours, and from there it is 2 hours on to Alta Badia. You can cover the last stretch in one of two ways:
- Private transfer. A private driver meets you in the arrivals hall and drives straight to your accommodation with no stops. The price is per car, not per person, ski boxes can be booked in advance, and the driver waits even if the flight is late.
- Hire car at the airport. With SmartCarRental you collect the car in the arrivals hall. That gets you to the neighbouring villages on the same lift pass, lets you shop at valley prices rather than resort prices, and frees you from transfer timetables. Winter tyres are standard at Alpine desks.
By car. Many drive. Taking the Eurotunnel from Folkestone and arriving at Calais, it's roughly 1,197 km to Alta Badia, around 13.6 hours of pure driving time through France. Remember that studded tyres are banned in France and Germany.
Last-minute deals in Alta Badia
Last-minute offers, that is late dates the operator still wants to fill, appear from January onwards. Once the season is under way we will show them here on this page.
Alta Badia is suitable for
⭐ Excellent choice
Suitable to some extent
Limited selection
⭐ Very snow-reliable
Read more about ski holidays
Ready to book? Choose from accommodation in different price ranges. Lift pass is included in the price, and you arrange your own travel there.
Accommodation with lift pass in Alta Badia ›Frequently asked questions about Alta Badia
Sciare con Gusto (ski with taste) is an annual gastronomic event where Michelin-starred chefs and local culinary masters serve gourmet dishes at mountain huts along the pistes. You can literally ski from one star restaurant to the next, a truly unique experience that combines Alta Badia's two strengths: skiing and gastronomy.
Alta Badia comprises six villages: Corvara (the largest and most central), Colfosco, La Villa, San Cassiano, Badia and La Val. They're all linked by the lift system, and each village has its own character, from lively Corvara to peaceful La Val.
Yes, Alta Badia is excellent for families. The wide, blue-graded pistes are perfect for children and intermediate skiers. There are ski schools in every village, along with plenty of family-friendly hotels and guesthouses. The calm, safe atmosphere in the small villages makes this an ideal family destination.
