Italy, Europe
Alta Badia
Alta Badia: 130km slopes across six Ladin villages. Gran Risa World Cup slope, Sellaronda circuit access. UNESCO Dolomites, 53 lifts.
Season 2025-2026
Opens
4 Dec 2025
Closes
6 Apr 2026
Days open
123
Annual snow
4m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Alta Badia delivers 130 kilometres of meticulously groomed slopes across a spectacular section of the Dolomites, where dramatic limestone peaks tower above six authentic Ladin villages. With elevations spanning 1,324 to 2,778 metres, the resort combines reliable snow conditions with exceptional intermediate terrain featuring long, flowing descents across sun-drenched plateaus. The area forms a crucial section of the famous Sellaronda circuit whilst serving as a regular World Cup venue, hosting the challenging Gran Risa giant slalom course each December.
Approximately 90% of the local population still speaks Ladin as their first language, creating an authentic cultural atmosphere rarely found in such highly developed ski destinations. The UNESCO-protected Dolomite landscape provides a breathtaking backdrop to world-class ski infrastructure serving all ability levels.
1454m
Vertical
114
Runs
130 km
Piste
4m
Annual snow
Watch
See Alta Badia in motion
The Terrain
114 runs across 130 km of piste
Alta Badia spreads 114 runs across 130 km of piste of terrain. It leans beginner at 57%, with 65 beginner runs to find your feet and 8 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
114
runs
114 runs across 4 grades
Beginner65 runs · 57%
Intermediate41 runs · 36%
Advanced8 runs · 7%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Alta Badia
The winter season in Alta Badia typically operates from early December through mid-April, with optimal conditions prevailing from late December through March. The resort receives approximately 3.5 metres of natural snowfall annually, complemented by an extensive snowmaking system covering nearly 100% of marked runs.
The predominantly high-altitude terrain above 1,800 metres ensures cold temperatures throughout winter, maintaining excellent snow quality even when lower resorts struggle. Most slopes benefit from quality sunshine exposure whilst the north-facing Gran Risa preserves icy race conditions throughout the season. December brings the annual World Cup races attracting thousands of spectators, whilst March offers classic spring skiing with extended daylight hours and consistently reliable coverage on upper elevation sectors.
Season 2025-2026
4 Dec 2025
Opens
6 Apr 2026
Closes
123
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Alta Badia, and where to stay
Situated in South Tyrol's Val Badia, Alta Badia spans approximately 16 kilometres across six villages—Corvara, Colfosco, La Villa, San Cassiano, Badia, and La Val—each retaining distinctive Ladin heritage through architecture, cuisine, and daily life. The valley sits 75 kilometres east of Bolzano and 200 kilometres north of Venice, occupying a sheltered position that protects against harsh weather systems whilst maintaining exceptional snow preservation.
International access is convenient via airports in Innsbruck (135 kilometres, 2 hours), Venice (175 kilometres, 2.5 hours), and Verona (250 kilometres, 3 hours), with efficient shuttle services and generous parking facilities for self-drive visitors. The area's position within the Dolomiti Superski network provides seamless connections to neighbouring valleys, whilst bus services link all villages efficiently throughout winter.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Alta Badia, powered by Stay22.
Good to know
Frequently asked
When is Alta Badia's ski season?
Alta Badia's season typically runs from December 4 to April 6, roughly 123 days, weather and conditions permitting.
How much skiable terrain does Alta Badia have?
Alta Badia has about 130 km of piste across 114 runs.
How many lifts does Alta Badia have?
Alta Badia operates 61 lifts in total.
How much snow does Alta Badia get?
Alta Badia averages around 138 inches (11.5 feet) of snowfall per season.
Where can I buy Alta Badia lift tickets?
Lift tickets for Alta Badia can be purchased directly from the resort online, or in person at the ticket office. See the full pricing breakdown on the lift tickets page.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law
Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.
22 July 2026
South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena
South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.
22 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Hoshino Tomamu - Corporate Japan's Mountain Playground Revisited
Hoshino Tomamu is the ski resort equivalent of a conference hotel that happens to have excellent powder. Built for corporate retreats and package tourists, it offers genuine Hokkaido snow on surprisingly limited terrain - 29 runs spread across 585 vertical metres.
21 July 2026
La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts
La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.
21 July 2026
The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain
The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
21 July 2026
Ski Portillo Cut Off After Storm Dumps More Than 4.5 Metres of Snow
Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.
21 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Lotte Arai - Japan's Corporate Ski Anomaly With 22 Metres of Annual Snowfall
Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
19 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Banff Sunshine Village - Nine Metres of Snow and a Season That Runs Until May
Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.
18 July 2026