Italy is home to some of the best ski resorts in Europe, offering thrilling skiing and a top-notch culinary culture. If you are looking for the best ski resorts in Italy for this season, look no further! We have compiled a list of the best ski resorts in Italy for 2025/26!
1. Cortina d’Ampezzo
From the resort amenities to the location, Cortina d’Ampezzo embodies the essence of a high-end ski resort. It even boasts a regal nickname, “The Queen of the Dolomites”. Situated at an altitude of 1,224 m above sea level, in the heart of the eastern Dolomites, Cortina is surrounded by towering peaks, making it one of the most scenic ski destinations in Italy!
Cortina boasts approximately 120 km of groomed slopes suitable for skiers of all abilities. There are 45 km of easy (blue or nursery slopes), 59 km of intermediate (red) slopes, and 16 km of challenging (black) slopes, all offering breathtaking views of the Dolomites.
The most unique slope in Cortina is Forcella Rossa, a 2 km black run with a maximum 72% incline. It features three challenging sections and an elevation change of 646 metres, making it a thrilling experience for expert skiers. On the other hand, Druscié B (red run) is a slope suited for intermediate skiers. It’s located at the base of Tofane and is known for its enjoyable descent through wooded areas.
The closest major airport to Cortina is Venice Marco Polo (VCE), roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes away. Treviso Airport (TSF) also has a transfer time of around 2 hours. If you’re coming from Austria, Innsbruck Airport offers a scenic 2h30m to 3h drive through breathtaking mountain landscapes. Trains run to Calalzo di Cadore, where you can take a bus directly to the resort and enjoy the stunning views. Alternatively, you can drive to the resort and use the available parking facilities. If you want more details about Cortina d’Ampezzo, check out our ultimate guide to Cortina!
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2. Alta Badia
Alta Badia is the perfect ski resort if you like delicious Italian food and love skiing! With 130 km of well-groomed slopes, six scenic alpine villages and an annual culinary event called “A Taste for Skiing”, it is hard to pass on this top Italian ski resort!
Food aside, another reason this is one of the best ski resorts in Italy is that it caters to all different skill levels. If you’re a beginner skier, you’ll be pleased to know that Alta Badia has plenty of easy runs, with approximately 70 km of blue slopes on which you can develop your skills. And if you’re skiing with family, you’ll feel right at home in Colfosco, which offers a welcoming and serene atmosphere, complete with gentle forest pistes.
Intermediate skiers can enjoy skiing in Sellaronda. This famous ski circuit allows you to ski around the Sella Massif with a total distance of approximately 40 km. Around 26 km are dedicated to ski slopes, while the ski lifts cover the rest. Whether skied clockwise or anti-clockwise, the route offers a thrilling experience as you cross four mountain passes and visit four Ladin valleys. The entire circuit, which includes lift rides and rest stops, typically takes about 6 hours to complete. To ensure you finish before the lifts close, we recommend starting before 10 a.m.
Alta Badia is easily reachable via the A22 Brenner Motorway, offering a scenic journey through the Alps. The nearest airports, including Innsbruck Airport (133km), Venice Marco Polo Airport (190km) and Treviso Airport (184km), provide regular shuttle services to the resort. If you’re a fan of train travel, Brunico is the closest station, followed by a short bus journey. For more details about Alta Badia, take a look at our ultimate guide to Alta Badia!
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3. Sauze d’Oulx
Sauze d’Oulx is not just a winter wonderland but a popular tourist destination year-round. Whether you’re a ski enthusiast or simply seeking a charming ski town to explore, Sauze d’Oulx has something for everyone.
Sauze d’Oulx sits at 1,509 metres above sea level and is part of the Via Lattea ski area in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, offering over 400 km of ski runs across multiple resorts, including Sestriere, Claviere and Montgenèvre in France. The Sauze d’Oulx ski area features approximately 100 km of ski slopes across 62 pistes, catering to various skill levels.
Sauze d’Oulx is well known for its lively après-ski scene during winter and it has earned a reputation as one of the best ski resorts in Italy for those seeking evening entertainment after a day on the slopes. The resort offers a variety of après-ski spots to suit your preferences, whether you prefer a quiet, cosy evening or like to party until dawn.
The quickest way to get to Sauze d`Oulx from the UK is to fly into Turin Airport, a 1h30m transfer from the resort. Other nearby airports include Cuneo Levaldigi Airport (2h transfer) and Milan Malpensa Airport (2h30m transfer). If you’re travelling by train, the nearest station is Oulx, just a 10-minute drive from the resort. If you’d like more details about this ski resort, check out our ultimate guide to Sauze d’Oulx!
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4. Courmayeur
Courmayeur is a popular Italian ski resort, located at 1,224 m, which offers an exciting range of pistes varying from 1,205 m to 2,755 m in altitude. The resort features gentle slopes ideal for beginner skiers, with Plan Chécrouit and Maison Vieille being the most recognised beginner-friendly areas.
Intermediate skiers can also enjoy a diverse selection of pistes. Our highlights include two fantastic long runs, from Col Checrouit to Zerotta and Cresta Youla to Dolonne, which offer extensive, scenic descents. More confident intermediate skiers should make their way to Val Veny, where they can attempt the exhilarating red runs like Pra Neyron. There are a few black runs on the Val Veny side for expert skiers, where you’ll also encounter some moguls. However, expert skiers typically come to Courmayeur primarily for the legendary off-piste terrain. With access to the Mont Blanc massif, Courmayeur also offers some of the finest heli-skiing and freeriding opportunities in the Alps.
You have many options for reaching Courmayeur from the UK. The quickest route is via Turin Airport, which takes one hour and thirty minutes. Alternatively, consider Geneva Airport (2hr30) or Milan Malpensa Airport (2hr40). With these multiple airport choices, you have the flexibility to plan your ideal ski getaway to Courmayeur. Interested in learning more about what this top Italian ski resort has to offer? Check out our ultimate guide to Courmayeur!
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5. Cervinia
Of course, we can’t compile a list of the best ski resorts in Italy without mentioning Cervinia. Cervinia ranks among the best ski resorts in Italy and the world for those seeking scenic landscapes and a wide variety of skiable terrain suitable for all skill levels.
Situated beneath the Matterhorn, known locally as “Monte Cervino,” Cervinia boasts some of the highest slopes in Europe. The base altitude is 2,050m and the highest ski lift ascends to 3,480m, making it one of Italy’s most snow-sure ski resorts. If you include access to the Zermatt ski resort, the maximum skiing altitude can reach up to 3,899m. This high altitude offers skiers dependable snow coverage and an extended ski season from late October through May.
With 360 km of skiable terrain across the Cervinia-Zermatt ski area, Cervinia is a great destination for skiers of all abilities. It offers dedicated beginner areas like the Plan Maison and Cretaz slopes, which feature gentle terrain and stunning panoramic views. Most pistes surrounding the resort are blue and red, so it is best suited to beginner and intermediate skiers.
However, if you fancy skiing in two countries in one day, you can buy an extended lift pass and hop over the border into Switzerland. Advanced skiers can enjoy some of the more challenging black runs around Zermatt and its incredible off-piste skiing. If you are looking for a thrill, Cervinia is home to one of Europe’s longest-pisted ski runs!
The easiest way to get to Cervinia is by airport transfer. The closest airport to Cervinia is Turin, which requires a 2-hour transfer time, followed by Milan Malpensa (2hr30) and Geneva (3 hours). There are no direct train connections to the resort itself. If you’re travelling by train, the nearest railway station is Châtillon/Saint-Vincent (1 hour). If you’d like more details about this ski resort, check out our ultimate guide to Cervinia!
Add these top ski resorts in Italy to your list! For more ski holiday inspiration, check out our blog on the best ski resorts in Europe!
