Italy

Cortina d'Ampezzo

The Queen of the Dolomites treats the passeggiata — the evening stroll in good clothes — as a competitive sport.

Best forSkiers & snowboarders · Walkers & hikers · Luxury seekers
In February3°C · 8 rainy days
Ideal stayA week in winter, 3–4 nights in summer
Approx. flying time~12h 10m from Los Angeles

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy Open in Google Maps Powered by Geoapify · © OpenStreetMap contributors · © OpenMapTiles

CurrencyEUREuro
LanguageItalian
Local time12:361h ahead of the UK
PlugsType C / F / LBring an adapter
Drive on theRightOpposite to the UK
Dialling code+39

Why go

Set in a broad sunlit basin ringed by pale limestone towers, this is the grandest of the Dolomite resorts and it knows it. The peaks turn rose and orange at either end of the day, the town has a bell tower, a proper high street and a habit of dressing for the evening, and the skiing is spread across separate sunny sectors reached by cable car. Even non-skiers find plenty to do.

It works in both seasons: winter for skiing, skating and the passeggiata, summer for via ferrata, hiking and the mountain refuges. A week suits a ski trip, three or four nights a summer break. It is not cheap and the pistes are mostly gentle to intermediate, so committed steep skiers may prefer elsewhere. The Great War front ran through these mountains, and its tunnels and museums are part of any visit.

Ideal stay: A week in winter, 3–4 nights in summer
The vibe: Rose-lit peaks, well-dressed, alpine grandeur

From our guides

Around it: rose-coloured peaks, sixty kilometres of winter trails, ice skating in the Olympic stadium and Italian food that laughs at usual ski-resort standards. Take the cable car towards Tofana simply to gawp. Aperol o'clock arrives early and often, as it should.

Featured in Ten cosy winter resorts for people who don't really ski

Things to do

Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Three near-vertical rock towers with a circular walk of around ten kilometres around their base. The most recognised landscape in the Dolomites, and busy for it.
Lago di Braies

A green lake beneath a cliff wall, with a lakeside path and wooden rowing boats. Access is controlled in summer, so arrive early or take the shuttle.
Cinque Torri

Five rock towers used by climbers, surrounded by restored First World War trenches and tunnels that form an open-air museum you can walk through freely.
Lagazuoi

A cable car from the Falzarego pass reaches a summit refuge at 2,750 metres, with wartime tunnels bored through the mountain and a long ski run home.
Faloria and Tofana

The two main lift systems climb straight from the edge of town, one for sunny cruising, the other for steeper terrain and the Olympic downhill course.
Corso Italia

The pedestrian high street fills every evening for the passeggiata, a slow, well-dressed circuit punctuated by aperitivo. Participation is essentially compulsory.

Getting there

Fly to
Bolzano (BZO)

Nearest airport to Cortina d'Ampezzo, about 63km away as the crow flies.
Then
To Cortina d'Ampezzo

About two hours by car from Bolzano (BZO), east over the Dolomite passes. Coaches also run up from Venice in a similar time.
On the ground
Getting around

The centre is walkable and ski buses link the lift stations and outlying hamlets through the season.

Public transport: No railway reaches Cortina, but coaches connect it with Venice, Calalzo station and the neighbouring valleys.

Flights

Los Angeles Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy

Flying from

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Roughly 12h 10m in the air from Los Angeles (LAX), estimated from the distance — check for a direct route. Pick a month to see every available flight with live prices.

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Flight times are estimates; prices open on Google Flights.

When to go

Daytime highs run from about -1°C in January to 20°C in July. Driest in January and February; wettest in June, with rain on about 25 days.

The year at a glance — pick a month for detail

February3° · rain 8 daysCold with rain most weeks.

Monthly figures averaged from daily records for 2020–2024 at this location (ERA5 reanalysis).

Where to stay

Grand old alpine hotels, family-run three stars and rented apartments, plus rifugi up on the mountain. Chains are rare and the tone is Italian, not international resort.

Best base overall
Cortina centre

Along and around Corso Italia, where the evening stroll happens and the buses to the lifts start. You pay handsomely for the address, and the slopes are not on your doorstep.
Find stays in Cortina centre
Best value
Pocol

A hamlet on the road up towards Falzarego, with cheaper rooms, big views and a ski bus into town. Nothing much happens here after dinner.
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Best with children
Cadin and Zuel

Below the centre near the Socrepes nursery slopes, so beginners and small skiers do not face a long trek. Quiet at night and short of restaurants.
Find stays in Cadin and Zuel
Quietest
San Vito di Cadore

Ten minutes down the valley under Monte Pelmo, notably calmer and cheaper than Cortina. You are commuting to the lifts, and the bus stops early.
Find stays in San Vito di Cadore

Worth knowing before you book: Christmas, New Year and the Italian February holiday week sell out by autumn, usually with seven-night minimums and half board attached.

Search everything else in Cortina d'Ampezzo by budget. These are indicative budget bands in GBP per night for two people, not live quotes or guarantees of hotel type. Check your dates, guests, taxes and final price on Booking.com.

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Good to know

Getting there: Venice and Treviso are the usual airports, roughly two hours away by road. There is no railway station, so plan on a transfer or a hire car.
Ski pass: The wider Dolomiti Superski pass covers a dozen valleys, but Cortina's own lifts are not all linked by piste. Buses connect the sectors.
Summer access: Popular sites including Lago di Braies and the Tre Cime road restrict cars in high season, with charges and shuttle buses. Check before you drive up.
Via ferrata: The protected climbing routes need a harness, helmet and lanyard set, plus a head for heights. Hire kit locally and go with a guide first time.
Dress code: Not a rule, but the evening stroll is a well-turned-out affair. Bring something you would be happy wearing to dinner in a smart town.