Ski Areas in Italy

Best ski areas in Italy

With an impressive 15 resorts across 3 ski areas, a ski holiday to Italy has so much to offer avid skiers. Full of rich history - the ski resorts provide Italian culture, cuisine and often Roman ruins. 

Italy provides a great range of ski slopes, whether you are new to the sport or have been skiing and snowboarding for years - there is something for everyone. 

Not to mention the delicious traditional food, with wood-fired pizza and authentic pasta dishes - you won’t go hungry in Italy after a busy day on the slopes.

Best Italian ski areas

• Ski area - Aosta Valley 822km
• Resorts - Champoluc, Gressoney and Cervinia 
• Length of blue runs - 230km
• Length of red runs - 510km
• Length of black runs - 82km
• Snowparks - 10

Inghams top tip - Visit Pila Snowpark, the original snowpark of Aosta valley, great for adventurous snowboarders

The area:

If you enjoy the relaxation side of a ski holiday just as much as the mountains, then Italy is an ideal destination for you. Known for their great spa facilities (thanks to the influence of the Romans), the popular thermal springs in the mountains of Aosta valley are worth a visit.

Each resort is teeming with spas, so there are plenty to choose from including many accommodation options that have on-site spa and wellness facilities.

Aosta Valley showcases some of the best historical features across Italian resorts. With archaeological sites to be discovered, you will spot the Roman bridges and city walls dotted around the valley. There are also some impressive castles and churches within the resorts - a great view whilst enjoying dinner or an afternoon of après.

The food and drink culture in Aosta valley is much like the rest of Italy - in abundance and all with a welcoming, family vibe. There are a few local dishes here, but one of the skiers favourite is cheese fondue. A warming pot of melted cheese, where you dip fresh breads and meats.

The skiing:

Skiers and snowboarders will find every type of run across the Aosta valley, it's the perfect ski area for all levels, including those that enjoy off-piste or cross-country.

For beginners to intermediate, we suggest visiting Cervinia, full of wide, cruising runs and a great snow record.
Gressoney is worth visiting if you are at an intermediate to advanced level as the ski runs here are diverse and you can build up your skills.
There are 10 snowparks across this ski area, so plenty of options if you are an avid snowboarder.

A week here can easily be filled, including the options to inter-country ski / snowboard over into Switzerland.

Highlighted resort of Aosta Valley:

Cervinia is a fun destination, offering a mix of hotels or apartments for your stay, such as the popular VRetreats Cervino Hotel. There are lots of extra winter sports and activities on offer here. There are great bars and restaurants that look out to some amazing mountain views, definitely worth dining in or stopping for a drink.

Milky Way - best for beginners

• Ski area - Milky Way 400km
• Resorts - Sauze d’Oulx & Sestriere
• Length of blue runs - 53km
• Length of red runs - 111km
• Length of black runs - 40km
• Snowparks - 4

Inghams top tip - Montgenèvre (France) is also part of the Mily Way ski area and you lift pass covers this - so go and explore! 

The area:

Known for long hours of sunshine, resorts across the Milky Way are hugely popular with families. There are also many activities that are considerate of children in this ski area, from fun parks and ski-schools to cinemas and swimming pools.

The Italian food here will not disappoint, often with a touch of French influence - you can find all the traditional dishes but some with added flair. A favourite of the locals is stone-grilled meat.

You will find the resorts here rather charming, cobbled streets line the town centres that showcase a mixture of restaurants, cafes and souvenir shops.

The skiing:

The Milky way ski area is vast, crossing over into France and offering a total of 5 peaks.

You may well know, the Winter Olympics was held in this area in 2006, so there are some challenging runs to face if you are an advanced skier or snowboarder. Due to hosting the Olympics, speedy lifts were added to the area, so less queuing time - more skiing time.

The level of ski runs here are really well mixed, and the ski schools offer good quality, english-speaking tuition. Depending on your style, Sauze d’Oulx has many tree-lined, nature-infused runs or Sestriere, which is a modern and lively resort and purpose built to help skiers reach those all important mountain slopes.

Snowboarders highly rate the Milky Way ski area due to its good mixture of snow and terrain parks.

Highlighted resort of the Milky Way:

Sauze d’Oulx is a bustling resort, with varying types of hotels to suit all including the Hotel La Torre. A vibrant nightlife can be found here, with plenty of après fun and good quality restaurants. The resort also embraces the culture of unwinding after a full day's skiing, so you will find spas in nearly all hotels.

Dolomites - best for intermediate to advanced skiers

• Ski area - Dolomites 1220km
• Resorts - Arabba, Cortina, Corvara and Colfosco, Kronplatz, Selva, Ortisei, San Cassiano & Val di Fassa
• Length of blue runs - 366km
• Length of red runs - 732km
• Length of black runs - 122km
• Snowparks - 20

Inghams top tip - Visit resorts Selva, Arabba or Cervinia for steep skiing and testing your skills.

The area:

Known for offering almost every winter sport possible on top of fantastic ski slopes, a week in the Dolomites ski area will keep you busy. With everything from curling, ice-skating to sleigh rides, the Dolomites provide an ultimate winter escape.

Prior to World War I, many of the high-altitude towns in the Dolomites were actually part of Austria, so you will find a lot of Austrian/German speaking locals here who also bring their cuisine to the area. So you can enjoy a mix of tasty dishes, especially hearty soups and stews.

The resorts in this ski area are full of mediaeval style buildings, surrounded by dramatic, mountainous back-drops. It’s a great place to stay and ski if you enjoy the scenery as much as the slopes.

The skiing:

Intermediate to advanced skiers tend to brag about the Dolomites as the place to be each season. Though there are plenty of ski runs at all levels, intermediate to advanced skiers and snowboarders can thrive here. It is such a large and accessible area to explore, with easy and plentiful lift connections.

Dolomiti Superski is one of the largest ski areas in Europe. Some of the top resorts include Cortina, which is well known for hosting sporting events and is due to host the 2026 Winter Olympics. Val di Fassa is known for romantic night-time skiing and Arabba, where you can ski the 12-kilometre “Bellunese” slope - the longest and most stunning in the area.

Highlighted resort of the Dolomites:

Corvara and Colfosco is the biggest individual ski resort out of the 15 listed here. The resort itself offers traditional and smaller hotels such as Sporthotel Panorama, perfect for peace and quiet after a busy day on the slopes. The towns are quaint, with boutique shops and intimate cafes and restaurants. The focus here is all about your time on the slopes.