Skiing Cortina d'Ampezzo: the runs, lifts and weeks worth booking

At the end of a day on the Tofane, the Stries run leaves the gondola's middle station and follows the woods beside the old bobsled run. It lets you out by the Ice Stadium without another lift. Above it, the snow in Ra Valles is natural and groomed every night, at 2,700 m among the rock walls. Cortina d'Ampezzo has hosted Olympic racing twice, in 1956 and in 2026. Its race runs are open to anyone with the legs for them. The rest of the valley is long reds, forest blues and a gondola over to Lagazuoi for the run into Alta Badia.

Cortina d'Ampezzo's 120 km of slopes sit in two ski areas on opposite sides of the town, according to the Consorzio Esercenti Impianti a Fune Cortina, the consortium of the valley's lift companies. On one side, the Tofane area climbs from the gentle fields of Socrepes and Pocol to Col Druscié and Ra Valles, where natural snow is groomed every night at 2,700 m. From there the Cortina Skyline gondola carries skiers on to 5 Torri and Lagazuoi. On the other side, the Faloria cable car rises from Cortina to the Faloria and Cristallo slopes, mostly reds and blacks. Snowmaking covers 95% of the slopes, and the highest skiable point reaches 2,828 m. The consortium's own pass covers Cortina, San Vito di Cadore, Auronzo and Misurina, while a Dolomiti Superski pass adds the whole circuit of 12 ski areas and 1,200 km of slopes. Beginners and families do best on the Tofane side; strong intermediates and experts split their days between both.

Two companies run the Tofane lifts. ISTA, the operator at Socrepes, Pocol and Tofana, grooms 40 km of slopes there, home to the race runs. Tofana Freccia nel Cielo, the gondola and cable car company, starts in the town centre and serves 47 km and 13 slopes from Col Druscié up to Ra Valles. Across the valley, the Faloria Cristallo lift company lists its runs with length and gradient, a useful habit if you like to know what is coming. Bormio's Stelvio held the men's races of the 2026 Winter Olympics: read our guide to skiing Bormio.

Beginners should start at Socrepes, which has ski rental and branches of the Cortina Ski School and the Azzurra Ski School, according to ISTA, the Tofane lift company. The Campo Scuola Baby nursery slope is 413 m long with a 35 m drop. The Olimpia chairlift at Pocol opens a spread of moderate slopes for a second or third day. The Tofanina, from the Piè Tofana chairlift at 2,100 m, is a 3,418 m easy run through the forest where instructors take children and beginners.

Intermediates get the most mileage. Druscié B, below Col Druscié, runs through the woods with no particular difficulty and suits a mixed group. On Faloria, Faloria Normale runs 3,155 m at a 15% gradient, Rio Gere 2,556 m at 21% and Son Forca 1,751 m at 16%: long, steady gradients for skiers building up to the steeper reds.

Experts have 13 black runs, the steepest grade, across the Cortina area; Kristian Ghedina, the speed racer with 13 World Cup wins, skis them in the consortium's film series. Forcella Rossa, below Ra Valles, is 2 km long with a 72 per cent incline and 700 m of descent between Dolomite rock walls. Col Druscié A is so steep and technical it is approved for international training; Toni Sailer won the 1956 Olympic slalom there. On Faloria, Canalone Franchetti and Stratondi both run at 34%, and on the Tofane, the Canalone drops 618 m in 2,040 m.

Ski the Olympia delle Tofane if you are happy on steep reds and blacks: it draws recreational skiers as well as racers, and few slopes in Italy are better known. The Olympia takes its name from the 1956 Winter Olympics, when the Austrian Toni Sailer won the men's race on it. Every January since 1993 the women's World Cup has raced here, and it was a key slope of the 2021 World Championships. Cortina then hosted all the women's alpine skiing events of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. For the men's classic, the Streif, read our guide to skiing Kitzbühel.

The full Stratofana Olimpica is 2,402 m long with 760 m of drop. Its first pitch, the Pomedes Schuss, is where World Cup racers reach 120 km/h. Take it slower: its steep sections can surprise less experienced skiers. Fondazione Cortina, the foundation that organises the race, brings the World Cup back to the Olympia from 15 to 17 January 2027. Ski fans should book that week early; skiers who want the runs to themselves should pick another.

The best time to ski Cortina d'Ampezzo is December to April. January is the liveliest month, with the World Cup on the Olympia and the crowds that come with it. Late March and early April bring fewer visitors and good skiing, the pick for a group of friends who want relaxed days and long lunches. Snowmaking covers 95% of the slopes, useful cover for a December week.

The table shows theKlub's month by month climate for Cortina d'Ampezzo, taken at the town centre: average daily highs and lows, and the days with 1 mm or more of rain or snow (Open-Meteo, 2016 to 2025). It describes the town, not the snow on the mountain, so check the lift companies' snow reports before you go.

In the town, January averages a high of 1.7°C and a low of -7.3°C, while March sits at 5.9°C and -3.2°C. Pack for cold mornings either way, and once you have a window, plan the week from our Cortina d'Ampezzo ski page.

Ride the Cortina Skyline gondola from Son dei Prade on the Tofane to Bai de Dones below 5 Torri and a new mountain opens up, according to the lift consortium. From there, the Super8 Ski Tour loops 16 km in a figure of eight around Mt Averau and Mt Lagazuoi on gentle runs with Tofana, Pelmo, Civetta and Marmolada all around. The Col Gallina run is one way in. It suits a mixed group who want views more than vertical.

The 7.5 km Armentarola run drops from Mt Lagazuoi to Alta Badia past frozen waterfalls, and a horse-drawn tow pulls skiers along its last flat stretch. The consortium puts the round trip between Cortina and La Villa in Alta Badia at about four hours, so start when the lifts open. Strong skiers can take on the Great War Ski Tour, a ring of groomed runs over Passo Giau and Passo Falzarego, through Arabba and Alleghe. Allow 7 to 8 hours with lunch. Alta Badia and Arabba sit outside the consortium's pass, so these days need a Dolomiti Superski pass.

Fly to Venice Marco Polo Airport and take a direct bus: it reaches Cortina in about 2.5 hours. Innsbruck is about 2.5 hours away by car. In town you do not need a car. The Tofana Freccia nel Cielo gondola leaves from the centre, and the Faloria cable car rises from Cortina to the Faloria slopes.

Dolomiti Bus, the regional bus company, runs Skibus Cortina between the centre, Socrepes, Pocol, Faloria and Freccia nel Cielo. In 2025/26 the Cortina ski bus was free for anyone with a valid ski pass, paid for by the Municipality of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Buses ran every 15 minutes between the centre, Faloria and Freccia nel Cielo. Check this winter's terms when you arrive. At the end of the day, the Stries run brings you back into town on skis.

Cortina rewards a plan: Tofane days for the race runs and the beginners' fields, a Faloria day for the steep blacks, and one long day over the Skyline to Lagazuoi. Compare stays on theKlub's page for skiing in Cortina d'Ampezzo, and find the other mountains we know in ski holidays with theKlub. Before you book, check that your insurance covers third-party liability on Italian slopes, then pick your week.