Dolomites in Winter: Ultimate Guide and Top Spots
The Dolomites in winter are exquisite. This wondrous piece of the Italian Alps, covered in snow, becomes a true winter wonderland, with beautiful views, spectacular ski slopes, and so many other incredible things to do and see.
We’ve visited the Dolomites in the winter season and around it many times so we’ve learned a lot – and we’re eager to share our tips, tricks, and practical things you must know when going.
This post might contain affiliate links, which means that if you purchase anything via them, we might earn a small commission – at no extra cost to you. Check our disclaimer policy for more information.
Best time to enjoy the Dolomites in winter
The winter season in the Dolomites generally lasts from the beginning of December until the end of March. While the actual snow conditions vary from year to year, beginning of December to end of March is when the official skiing season lasts and the snow slopes (whether natural or artificial) is guaranteed on most of the slopes.
So, here are the general weather conditions, best things to do, and what you should be aware of for each winter month in the Dolomites.
Dolomites in November
November is absolutely low season in the Dolomites. The winter season hasn’t started yet, and the ski lifts and cable cars are not running. There’s very little accommodation available, as most of it closes in November – preparing for the winter season, renovating, or taking a well-deserved time off after a busy summer.
There might or might not be natural snow in November.
That being said, we actually once visited in late November… and while the overall options are rather limited, you’re likely to enjoy the (relatively few) available ones without the crowds.
We went on a short road trip during our visit, and we got to enjoy both very snowy conditions and some autumn sceneries. The mountain passes offered really breathtaking views.
Dolomites in December
December marks the beginning of the winter season in the Dolomites.
The slopes and ski lifts typically open in the first week of December – very rarely it happens at the end of November.
It is still a relatively quiet time, so you might be able to enjoy the slopes without the usual February crowds, as well as benefit from more favorable accommodation prices.
Various interesting offers are available, such as Dolomiti Superpremiere that offers up to 3 days of accommodation and skipass for free (depending on the overall length of stay), from the beginning of the season until December 21st.
December is also a magical time of charming Christmas markets, selling handmade crafts and mouth-watering local delicacies. You’ll find them in many villages across the Dolomites, such Cortina d’Ampezzo, Ortisei or Dobbiaco, as well as in bigger towns and cities such as Bolzano or Bressanone.
Dolomites in January
After the festive season of Christmas and New Year is over, the beginning of January sees a drop in accommodation prices, before they start rising again towards the end of the month.
It’s a great time to visit – the mountains have turned into a true winter wonderland, it’s not yet overly busy and the weather is (usually) more stable than in December.
December is also typically the coldest month of the year. All the winter activities are available, from skiing (downhill and cross-country) to sledding, to snowshoe trekking.
Dolomites in February
The winter season is in full swing in February and it is typically the busiest month, as it usually corresponds to the time of spring school breaks in both Italy and many other European countries.
The accommodation prices, obviously, reflect this and are on their highest.
The snow is always guaranteed on the slopes, while elsewhere it depends – many February days see the daytime temperatures go above 0 (above 32 Fahrenheit).
When we visited the Dolomites in February, there was relatively little natural snow, except for the day we were leaving, when about 40 cm of fresh snow came down and everything looked like in a winter fairy-tale again (except for the roads, yay).
Dolomites in March
The beginning of March is still a rather busy time on the slopes, while the crowds progressively diminish as the month progresses.
The second half of the month might bring some spring promos, such as an extra day of accommodation and skipass for free.
While the snow is guaranteed on the main slopes throughout the whole March, some smaller slopes and skilifts might close down towards the end of the month if there’s not enough natural snow.
The days are getting longer and the usual daytime temperatures rise above 0 (32 Fahrenheit) – sometimes well above zero in the afternoon. That might mean moving to the slopes at higher elevations, especially in the afternoon.
Dolomites in April
Occasionally the skiing season spills into the first week of April, after which very calm times arrive.
The skiing resorts close down, as do most of the hotels, in preparation for the summer ahead.
The snow is melting and it’s a very quiet time in the Dolomites with a minimum of visitors.
Just as we visited in November, we visited in April as well, and if you don’t mind the limited options, it is an interesting time to enjoy the magnificent sceneries and fresh air in more solitude.
Getting to the Dolomites
In winter, getting to the Dolomites might be a bit harder than the other seasons.
That’s because most of the hotels in the Dolomites have a minimum stay requirement. Generally, it’s weekend to weekend, for example, Saturday to Friday nights.
What this means is that on weekends, there’s a lot of traffic going in and out of northern Italy. When we visited in February, the journey from Munich to Carezza took like 2 hours longer than planned. There were traffic jams everywhere.
There were closed roads on our journey back home, too, but that was due to the incredible amount of snow that fell in 24 hours.
Getting around
If you don’t have a car to drive in the Dolomites, you can use the public transport to get around. There are buses, trains, and transfers running. And of course, the Sudtirol/South Tyrol card allows you to use most of the public transport for free.
Many of the hotels in the area offer ski buses in winter that transfer you to different slopes for free. And in Alpe di Siusi, where there are huge restrictions with driving cars, most of the hotels have parkings where you can leave your car, and they take you to the hotel afterwards.
Driving in the winter
Driving in the winter in the Dolomites is generally not that hard. The roads are cleaned very well even if it’s snowing. We drove during one of the worst snowstorms in a year, and even then, the roads were good.
Of course, you need to be careful – just like anywhere else when driving in winter.
And a thing to know is that some of the roads, for example, the road to Rifugio Auronzo closes in the winter when there’s snow.
If there’s snow on the mountain passes, those might close for a bit as well – just to clean them off.
What should be in your car in winter
In winter, in addition to the “usual” emergency things that you need in Italy, you must have snow chains in your car.
The usual things are:
- Reflective vests
- Emergency triangle
- First aid kit
- And of course, it’s always a good idea to have a little broom for the snow and a scratcher for the ice. Lately, I’ve been really enjoying having a de-icer spray – it melts the ice on the windows almost instantly.
Winter activities
The Dolomites are perfect for winter sports enthusiasts and just those who love different outdoor activities.
The mountain range is in the Northeastern Italy so it offers the perfect conditions with both natural snow and “fake” one when needed.
There are many things to do, of course, but these are the most popular ones.
Cross-country skiing
There are two ski routes in the Dolomiti Superski area – the Sellaronda and First World War ski route. And then there’s the Dolomiti Nordicski – the largest cross-country skiing carousel in Europe, with more than 1000km of trails.
That gives you quite a few ways to enjoy the UNESCO World Heritage Site area! There are trails in all of the most beautiful places in the Dolomites – enjoy the peaks of Tre Cime, the alpine meadows of Alpe di Siusi, and so much more, from your skis.
Alpine skiing and snowboarding
The Dolomiti Superski region is the largest ski area of the world, consisting of 12 ski resorts and 1246km of slopes. If that doesn’t sound like the perfect winter vacation, what will??
Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Queen of the Dolomites, which held the Winter Olympics in 1956 and will co-host the 2026 ones is one of the places to go, but of course, there are more.
We spent a week enjoying the slopes by Carezza and are looking into Alta Badia for the next year.
Tobogganing
Sliding down a 2km trail with views of the Sella massif? Why not!
That’s what we got to enjoy in the Carezza ski resort.
And it’s not the only place to do it – there are tobogganing runs all over the Dolomites. Seiser Alm, Tre Cime, Val Gardena, Kronplatz – you name it!
Snow shoeing
Snowshoeing in the Dolomites is one of the best ways to access places that would otherwise be inaccessible in winter. You get to enjoy perfect tranquility, unique views, and get good exercise to boot!
Snow shoes – or ciaspole, as they are known in Ladin dialect – allow you to walk on snow. And there are many places in the Dolomites where you can go on the hikes by yourself. For example, you can go around Lake Braies!
If you’d like to enjoy something more special, though, be sure to go on a guided tour with a local guide. The mountains are beautiful, and snowshoeing itself is not hard, but there is always the risk of avalanches, especially in higher altitudes.
There’s no need to risk things.
Some easier snowshoe hikes can almost certainly be done from your hotel. Or places like Lago di Braies are available, too.
Winter hiking
Although it sounds quite weird to my ears, you can actually hike in the Dolomites in winter! Not just do snowshoe hikes, but, like, hiking-hiking.
There are many groomed winter hiking trails all over the area. You can go to Seiser Alm and do, for example, Spitzbühl Loop Hike or the Winter Hiking Trail No. 9 in Saltria, which is a popular and easy day trip for families. Prato Piazza is another place to go to, and there are also winter hikes in the Drei Zinnen area, Kronplatz, Alta Badia, Val Gardena… everywhere.
We did a winter hike around lake Carezza, and it was rather funny. Yes, funny – there were icy hills that we were sliding down… and up on.
Paragliding
Yes, this unique thing can be done in the winter, too! Just make sure to dress properly.
Enjoy the snowy peaks from the top(ish)!
Most of the companies that do tandem paragliding also offer winter flights. So check out where you’d like to go – is it Seceda? Alpe di Siusi? Kronplatz?
Best places to visit
If you’d just like to enjoy the winter views in the Dolomites without doing too much physical activity, I’ve got you!
The best thing you can do is drive your car to all the interesting places!
Mountain passes
Would you like to see the best snowy mountain peaks? Go to a mountain pass!
When we did our short trip to the Dolomites at the end of November, the views from the different mountain passes were really remarkable.
And so were they during our ski trip in February.
My favourite mountain passes to go to are Passo Giau, Passo Gardena, Passo Pordoi… actually, all of them – go to whichever are the closest to you.
Up the cable car stations
Another way is to just take a cable car or a ski lift up to the stations. You can combine panoramic views with a tasty lunch, too.
And many of the best views can be enjoyed with little to no hiking, for example, Cinque Torri, Seceda, or even Alpe di Siusi.
Enjoy the towns
The towns in the Dolomites are charming both in the summer and in the winter.
In winter, if you go starting from early December, you can even enjoy Christmas decorations and markets!
Some of the favourites are, of course, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Ortisei, and Selva di Val Gardena.
And of course, the Christmas markets are in many interesting places. I already mentioned some earlier in the article, but here are the biggest ones: San Candido, Brunico, Bressanone, Chiusa, Castelrotto, and Merano. There is even one by lake Braies!
If you’re travelling to the Dolomites in December, make sure not to miss the biggest Christmas market in Italy which is in Bolzano!
Where to stay
If you’re planning to visit the Dolomites in winter, you’re probably planning on doing some winter activities. So the best places to stay are somewhere in the Dolomiti superski area, closer to the ski slopes.
We really loved our ski-in ski-out hotel in the Carezza area – hotel Alpenrose. It’s part of the Dolomiti superski area, and is located just next to a slope. To get up on the slopes, you can choose between a cable car, ski lifts, and a “magic carpet”, which is great for beginners. Even if you don’t feel like skiing, there’s a toboggan trail that you can enjoy – so the hotel is great for the whole family.
Otherwise, there are many great places to stay in the South Tyrol – here you’ll find the best ski-in ski-out hotels.
If you’d just like to enjoy some magnificent views and do a bit of sightseeing, consider staying in one of the villages in Val Gardena, or check out Cortina d’Ampezzo. Both are incredibly well located and offer a host of activities.
Travel tips: what you should be aware of
Planning a trip to the Dolomites is always an interesting experience – how does it take so long to go from one spot to the other?!
But here are certain things to remember when planning a winter trip.
Many of the hotels have a minimum stay requirement
In winter, it’s not unusual to see that a hotel only accepts check-ins on a weekend, and that you must stay at least a week. Keep this in mind when checking out hotels.
And that also means that there is heavy-heavy traffic on the roads on those days.
It gets cold so pack properly
Even if the temperatures aren’t that low, the air might get humid which then basically freezes you to the bone. Make sure to pack thermal underwear, gloves, scarf, and a hat with you.
If you’re going on the slopes, I recommend a helmet with tinted glasses – if the sun shines, it’s really helpful to have it!
Some roads might get closed in case of a snowfall
If there’s such a snowfall that driving on certain roads might become dangerous, the police will block the road. And they’ll be checking snowchains on other roads, so be sure to have those!
Check out alternative routes in advance or at least alternative activities if it’s completely impossible to go anywhere. Having a hotel with a wellness and spa area is amazing on those days!
All-inclusive or half-board is a good idea
In Italy in general, restaurants usually open for lunch and dinner, with many hours in-between those being closed. But we were surprised to see that many of the restaurants near our hotel actually weren’t open for lunch, even though the ski season was still in full spring!
So if your hotel offers a full-board or a half-board option, I recommend you use it. These hotels then generally serve traditional dishes either in a buffet form or you can choose from a set menu.
Take out a good travel insurance
I have Revolut Premium with a travel insurance included, and it actually reimbursed our extra night in the Dolomites on our visit in February, dinner and fuel included, when we couldn’t get out of the country to go home. Most of the insurances don’t cover exceptional circumstances (for example, weather) so check that the one you’re considering actually does!
Conclusion
Our Dolomites winter trip is one of my favourite family vacations that we’ve been on. All of the winter activities, the beautiful views, tasty food – it made for a nice time, for sure.
So if you’re thinking of a winter holiday in the Dolomites, I definitely recommend it! Do you have any questions? I’m happy to answer them!
FAQ: Winter in the Dolomites
Is Dolomites worth visiting in winter?
Yes, the Dolomites are definitely worth visiting in winter. The views that you can enjoy are just incredible! Plus, if you’re into skiing and other winter activities, the Dolomites are definitely the place to be.
What is the coldest month in the Dolomites?
On average, the coldest month in the Dolomites is January. Although you can expect freezing temperatures during all the winter months, especially in the higher altitudes.
What is the best time to visit Dolomites Italy?
The best time to visit the Dolomites depends on what you’d like to do. Summer is the best for hiking and biking, and winter – for winter activities, such as skiing and snowboarding. If you’d like to enjoy the views, the shoulder seasons work, too.
Do Dolomites have snow in December?
Yes, the Dolomites almost always have snow in December.
Do I need snow chains in Dolomites?
Yes, it’s mandatory to have snow chains in your car in the winter in the Dolomites. And if there’s snow on the roads, you need to have them on the wheels.
Can you hike Seceda in winter?
Yes, you can! Seceda is accessible any time of the year. In winter, a snowshoe hike in Seceda is a great idea.
Can you hike Tre Cime in winter?
It is possible to hike Tre Cime Loop in winter, but the part of the hike from Rifugio Lavaredo should be only done by experienced hikers with proper winter gear.
Found this article helpful? Save it and share it!
