Sestriere is a ski resort in Italy with 120 km of pistes and 30 lifts. Skiing reaches up to 2,823 m above sea level and the village sits at 2,035 m. Accommodation with lift pass included can be booked directly, you arrange your own travel there.
Cheapest places to stay in Sestriere
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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Sestriere is Italy's highest ski resort and one of the hubs of the Via Lattea. The village sits at a lofty 2,035 metres, and was founded in the 1930s by Fiat founder Giovanni Agnelli as an exclusive winter destination for the Italian upper class. Today, Sestriere is a modern ski centre with an impressive history as host of the alpine Olympic events in 2006.
The Via Lattea, or Milky Way, is one of Europe's largest ski systems, with 400 kilometres of pistes stretching from Italy to Montgenevre in France. From Sestriere, you can ski on to the neighbouring resorts of Sauze d'Oulx, San Sicario and Cesana, and across the border into France. It's an enormous ski area offering almost endless possibilities for those who want to explore new pistes every day.
The high altitude ensures excellent snow conditions and a long season. Sestriere has a continental climate with cold winters and plenty of snow. The pistes range from wide beginner slopes to the demanding Olympic runs used during the 2006 Winter Olympics, where the giant slalom and slalom events, among others, were decided.
The village has distinctive architecture, with two round 1930s tower buildings that have become iconic landmarks. The après-ski scene is lively, with bars and restaurants, and its proximity to Turin (just 90 km away) means the resort attracts plenty of Italian visitors at weekends. Sestriere is easily reached by car, making it a fine choice for a self-drive ski holiday: simply head through the Eurotunnel and Calais, then continue south through France into Piedmont, Italy.
Ready to book a ski holiday in Sestriere? Find accommodation with lift pass included in the price. You arrange your own travel there.
The lift pass included covers the ski area at Sestriere. 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 Sestriere ›Did you know this about Sestriere?
Sestriere was founded in the 1930s by Fiat founder Giovanni Agnelli and, at 2,035 metres, it is Italy's highest ski resort. The resort's iconic round tower blocks, built in the same decade, were landmarks long before it hosted Olympic alpine events in 2006.
5 tips about Sestriere
- Beginners at Anfiteatro The wide, gentle pistes at Anfiteatro and Borgata are perfect for anyone who has just started skiing.
- Make the most of Via Lattea With the lift pass for the whole system you have access to 400 km of pistes and can ski on to Sauze d'Oulx, San Sicario, Cesana and across the border to Montgenevre in France.
- Try the Olympic runs Experienced skiers should tackle the race pistes used at the 2006 Winter Olympics, the very same runs where the slalom and giant slalom were decided.
- Altitude means dependable snow Thanks to its position between 2,035 and 2,823 metres, conditions stay stable right through the season, making Sestriere a safe bet for snow-sure skiing.
- Avoid the Italian weekends With Turin just 90 km away, the slopes often fill up with day visitors at weekends, so it is worth planning your stay midweek for quieter pistes.
Pistes and lifts in Sestriere
Sestriere has 120 km of local pistes, which expand to an impressive 400 km with the Via Lattea pass. The area is served by 30 lifts in the Sestriere sector and over 70 across the whole Via Lattea system. The pistes range from 2,035 metres at the village up to 2,823 metres on the summit of Sises.
The Olympic pistes from 2006 are still in use and open to the public, giving experienced skiers the chance to try the same descents as the world's best alpine racers. For beginners, there are spacious practice areas at Anfiteatro and Borgata, where wide, gentle slopes make it easy to learn.
Piste map for Sestriere
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 Sestriere
Sestriere is considered snow-sure thanks to its high altitude, with the village at 2,035 metres and the ski area reaching all the way up to 2,823 metres at the Sises summit. The continental climate, with its cold winters, helps to keep conditions stable and the season long.
The altitude means the pistes here hold on to their snow cover through the winter better than many lower-lying resorts, which is especially valuable if you want to ski the demanding Olympic runs or explore all 400 km of the Via Lattea system.
Best time to travel to Sestriere
The best time for skiing in Sestriere is from December to April. Thanks to its high altitude of over 2,000 metres, snow conditions remain good throughout the season. January and February bring cold, dry snow and the best piste conditions. March offers sunny skiing and the chance to explore the whole Via Lattea system during longer days.
Will there be lift queues in Sestriere?
Sestriere is part of Via Lattea, and the lift system there carries 101,716 people an hour across 69 lifts. 22 of the 69 lifts belong to the faster class. The fastest lifts carry up to 2,600 people an hour, for example Nuovo Cit Roc. 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 Sestriere 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 Sestriere 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.
Opening and closing dates are typical values derived from altitude, not confirmed dates for this season. Check the resort's own website before booking.
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 16 October 2026 at 20:24.
The lift pass included. The stay comes with the Via Lattea lift pass, which covers 400 km of piste. The pass is worth around €294.
How to get to Sestriere
You arrange your own travel: we sell the stay, not the transport. Here are the three ways people get to Sestriere, so you can pick the one that suits you.
By air. The nearest airport is Turin (TRN). Pure flying time from London is around 1,5 hours, and from there it is 1.5 hours on to Sestriere. 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 1,016 km to Sestriere, around 10.5 hours of pure driving time through France. Remember that studded tyres are banned in France and Germany.
Last-minute deals in Sestriere
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.
Sestriere is suitable for
⭐ Excellent choice
⭐ Excellent choice
⭐ Excellent choice
⭐ 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 Sestriere ›Frequently asked questions about Sestriere
The Via Lattea (Milky Way) is one of Europe's largest interconnected ski systems, with 400 km of pistes and over 70 lifts. It stretches from Sestriere to Sauze d'Oulx, San Sicario, Cesana and on to Montgenevre in France. It's all accessible with a single lift pass.
Yes, the pistes used during the 2006 Winter Olympics are open to the public. Both the giant slalom and slalom runs are marked and groomed throughout the season. It's a real thrill to ski the same slopes as the Olympic champions.
Sestriere is one of Italy's most snow-sure resorts, thanks to the village's high altitude of 2,035 metres. This elevation brings cold temperatures and plenty of natural snowfall. There's also extensive snowmaking to ensure good conditions even during milder spells.
Yes, there are spacious practice areas at Anfiteatro and Borgata with wide, gentle slopes that make it easy to get started. At the same time, experienced skiers will find plenty of challenging runs, including the Olympic pistes from 2006.
