Sella Ronda

Updated October 2026 · Sources: Dolomiti Superski, Val Gardena, Alta Badia, ApT Val di Fassa, Arabba Fodom

Find a place to stay along the Sellaronda

The Sella Ronda (also written Sellaronda) is not a resort: it is the ski circuit around the Sella massif, in the heart of the Dolomites. In one day you cross four mountain passes – Gardena, Sella, Pordoi and Campolongo – and ski through four areas: Val Gardena, Alta Badia, Arabba and Val di Fassa. The loop is 44 km long, with 23 km on pistes and about 21 km on lifts (Dolomiti Superski and Val Gardena figures; some sources say 40 km). You can ski it clockwise, following the orange signs, or anticlockwise, following the green ones.

The Sella massif straddles three Italian provinces: Bolzano (Val Gardena and Alta Badia, in German-speaking South Tyrol), Trento (Val di Fassa) and Belluno (Arabba, in the Veneto). The main bases are Selva di Val Gardena (1,563 m), Corvara and Colfosco (Corvara is at 1,568 m), Arabba (1,602 m) and Canazei (1,460 m). The highest pass on the loop is the Pordoi (2,239 m), the lowest the Campolongo (1,875 m). The closest airport is Bolzano, about 40 km from Val Gardena; Innsbruck is about 120 km away and Venice about 160 km from Arabba.

In winter you need a Dolomiti Superski pass and a full day: about six hours including breaks. The 2026/27 season opens on 4 December 2026 and ends on 4 April 2027 in Val Gardena, Alta Badia and Val di Fassa. In summer the same loop works by mountain bike with the lifts, by e-bike, or by road bike over the passes, which close to cars two days a year for the Sellaronda Bike Day.

There is no official start: you join the loop from wherever you are staying and come back there in the afternoon. Signposting is clear and continuous – just follow your colour at every junction. The runs are intermediate, but there are lots of them back to back, and by the afternoon the snow is often chopped up.

Clockwise: the orange loop

From Selva, clockwise, you take the Dantercepies gondola towards the Gardena Pass and ski down to Colfosco and Corvara in Alta Badia. From there you go up to the Campolongo Pass and down to Arabba, then up towards the Pordoi Pass, down the Val di Fassa side, back up by lift to the Sella Pass and home to Val Gardena via Plan de Gralba and Selva. According to Alta Badia’s tourist board, clockwise is slightly quicker, and it is the usual choice for a first go.

Anticlockwise: the green loop

From Selva, the green loop starts in the Plan de Gralba–Ciampinoi area towards the Sella Pass, drops into Val di Fassa, climbs to the Pordoi and descends to Arabba. Then it crosses the Campolongo, runs down to Corvara and heads back up towards the Gardena Pass, with a last run down to Selva. It usually takes about half an hour longer, but the descents are different: if you do the circuit twice in a week, switch colours.

How long it takes and what level you need

Allow about six hours in total: around two hours on lifts plus queues, about an hour and a half of actual skiing, the rest for breaks. You need to be a confident intermediate: controlled turns on a red run and the legs for a full day. If you only ski blues, try the runs near your base first, or ski part of the loop and turn back.

The times that matter

One rule: set off before 10am and reach the last pass on the loop by 3.30pm. After that, the lifts back to your valley may already be closed, leaving you on the wrong side of the Sella and paying for a taxi home. In heavy snow or strong wind some lifts may not run, so check the lift status in the morning before you go.

Ski pass

The Sella Ronda crosses four ski areas, so you need the Dolomiti Superski pass; the local valley passes don’t cover the whole loop. For 2026/27 an adult day pass costs €89 in high season and €80 in low season; six days in high season cost €453. Buy online at least two days ahead and you get 5% off. There is also a Family rate at €43 a day, sold online. The pass covers about 1,200 km of runs in twelve areas, so you can mix the loop with other days.

Want more? The Great War ski tour

If you have already done the Sella Ronda, the Giro della Grande Guerra (Great War tour) starts from Arabba or Alta Badia: more than 80 km of runs and lifts, demanding, for long days with good conditions only.

From Val Gardena: Selva

Selva di Val Gardena (Wolkenstein in German) is the easiest base, with two access points: Dantercepies for clockwise and Ciampinoi–Plan de Gralba for anticlockwise. From Santa Cristina and Ortisei you reach the loop on the Val Gardena runs, but the day gets longer.

From Alta Badia: Corvara and Colfosco

Corvara sits right on the loop, between the Gardena and Campolongo passes; Colfosco is on the run down from the Gardena. It combines well with Alta Badia‘s 130 km of runs and a detour to the Gran Risa at La Villa.

From Arabba

Arabba is the only Veneto village on the loop, between the Campolongo and the Pordoi. Small and all about skiing, it has some of the steepest black runs in the area and the link to the Marmolada.

From Val di Fassa: Canazei and Campitello

From Canazei a gondola goes up towards the Belvedere; from Campitello, the Col Rodella cable car. Together they form the Belvedere–Col Rodella area, 31 km of runs and 23 lifts, linked to the loop between the Sella and Pordoi passes. It is the natural way in if you arrive through Trentino and Val di Fassa.

The loop is also the easiest way to see the best-known Dolomite peaks up close. These are the stops worth making, on skis in winter or on foot in summer.

Gardena Pass (2,121 m)

It links Selva and Val Badia, beneath the walls of the Sella and the Cir peaks. From Selva the Dantercepies gondola climbs to 2,300 m, above the pass; the 2.8 km Dantercepies run takes you back to the village at the end of the day. In summer, trails and via ferratas start here. More in our Gardena Pass guide.

Sella Pass and the Città dei Sassi

The Sella Pass, at about 2,240 m, separates Val Gardena from Val di Fassa and has the most direct view of the Sassolungo (Langkofel). Below it lies the Città dei Sassi, the “city of stones”, a field of huge boulders that fell from the mountain. In summer the Naturonda trail runs through it: about 7 km, easy, almost all downhill towards Val Gardena, with boards on wildlife, plants and geology. Parking at the pass is paid; in summer bus 471 runs up from Selva.

Pordoi Pass and Sass Pordoi

The Pordoi (2,239 m) is the highest pass on the loop, between Canazei and Arabba. A cable car rises in a single span to the Sass Pordoi at 2,950 m, the “terrace of the Dolomites”, with views of the Marmolada, the Sassolungo and the inside of the Sella group. In winter it gives access to off-piste for experts, only with a mountain guide. More in our Pordoi Pass guide.

Piz Boè (3,152 m)

The highest summit of the Sella group. From the Sass Pordoi it takes about an hour and a half, with a few short cable-protected sections: you need a sure foot and some experience. From the Alta Badia side, you go up from Corvara with the Boè and Vallon lifts. Not a winter outing.

Campolongo Pass (1,875 m)

The lowest and gentlest pass, between Corvara (about 6 km) and Arabba. On skis it is a link on easy runs; in summer it is the quietest pass to ride.

Porta Vescovo and the Marmolada view

From Arabba the Funifor rises to Porta Vescovo at 2,478 m, facing the Marmolada, the highest mountain in the Dolomites. In summer the Viel del Pan starts here, an almost level path towards the Pordoi Pass: about three hours, with views over Lake Fedaia.

Lake Boè

Above Corvara, at 2,275 m, the Lech de Boè is a small high-altitude lake 10–30 minutes’ walk from the Boè gondola. Under snow in winter, an easy stop in summer, even with children.

Detours for strong skiers: Saslong and Gran Risa

Off the loop but close by are two World Cup runs. The Saslong descends from Ciampinoi to Santa Cristina in Val Gardena, with races on 18 and 19 December 2026. The Gran Risa is at La Villa in Alta Badia, with races on 20 and 21 December 2026. Both are black: add them only if you have the time and the legs.

Sellaronda MTB Tour

In summer you can ride the loop by mountain bike using the lifts, with the same colours. Clockwise (orange) it is 62.4 km with about 370 m of climbing under your own steam and 8 lifts; anticlockwise (green) 58.6 km, about 1,050 m of climbing and 6 lifts. Allow 5 to 9 hours. It is rated medium to difficult, with descents mostly on singletrack. It works on an e-MTB too, with charging points along the way. In 2026 the lifts ran from 13 June to 27 September; you need the Dolomiti SuperSummer Card, which cost €67 a day in 2026, bike transport included.

By road bike

On the road, the four-pass loop is about 53 km with about 1,700 m of climbing. The longest climbs are the Pordoi from Canazei (about 12 km) and the Gardena from Selva (about 11 km). Summer traffic, motorbikes included, is heavy: start early.

Sellaronda Bike Day 2027

Two days a year the roads over the four passes close to motor vehicles from 9am to 4pm. In 2027 the Sellaronda Bike Day falls on Saturday 5 June and Saturday 11 September. No registration and no race; thousands of cyclists take part, so start early.

Maratona dles Dolomites

The Dolomites’ best-known sportive holds its 40th edition on Sunday 4 July 2027: start in La Villa, finish in Corvara, with a 55 km Sella Ronda route. Places are allocated by ballot from 14 October to 10 November 2026. The pass roads are closed to cars that day.

On Friday 19 March 2027 the loop is done on touring skis, at night, by headtorch: the Sellaronda Skimarathon, a race for teams of two over about 42 km with no lifts. Around 1,000 athletes take part; if you are not racing, watch the line of lights from the villages.

Choose your base for the rest of your holiday: you can start the loop anywhere, as long as you stay on it or near a lift that links to it.

• Selva di Val Gardena: the most practical, with two access points and plenty of accommodation, from hotels to apartments. Ideal if you want to ski the loop more than once and explore the rest of Val Gardena.
• Corvara and Colfosco: central on the loop and in Alta Badia, with wide, easy runs around the villages. A good choice for families and food lovers.
• Arabba: small, quiet, all about skiing. For steep runs and the Marmolada, if you don’t need nightlife.
• Canazei and Campitello: the larger Val di Fassa villages, with shops, services and Canazei’s aquatic centre for bad-weather days.
• On the passes: a few places to stay right on the passes, ski-in/ski-out but isolated in the evening.
• Without a car: stay in central Selva or Corvara, close to the lifts, with transfers from the airport.

Book early for Christmas, New Year and February, the busiest weeks in all four valleys.

By car

It depends on your valley. For Val Gardena and Selva, leave the A22 Brenner motorway at Chiusa/Val Gardena and drive up through Ortisei and Santa Cristina. For Alta Badia, exit at Bressanone, follow Val Pusteria to San Lorenzo and then Val Badia to Corvara. For Val di Fassa, exit at Bolzano Nord (Val d’Ega and Costalunga Pass) or Egna-Ora (Val di Fiemme). For Arabba from the Venice side, take the A27 to Belluno, then Agordo and Caprile. Winter tyres or chains are needed in winter, and passes can close temporarily after heavy snow.

By train

No train reaches the Sella Ronda. For Val Gardena, get off at Ponte Gardena (18 km) or Chiusa (23 km) and take bus 350. For Corvara the nearest station is Brunico, about 37 km away, then bus 460 (about an hour). For Val di Fassa, use Bolzano or Ora; for Arabba, Brunico (50 km) or Belluno (70 km).

By bus

In summer buses link the passes: line 471 from Selva to the Sella Pass, 472 from the Pordoi/Sella junction to Arabba and Corvara, 473 from the Gardena Pass to Corvara, plus lines from Val di Fassa to the Sella and Pordoi. In 2026 they ran from June to September or until 11 October, depending on the line; bikes are not allowed on the pass buses. In winter you get around the loop on skis.

By plane

From Val Gardena: Bolzano 40 km, Innsbruck 120 km, Verona 190 km, Treviso 230 km, Venice and Bergamo 270 km, Munich 300 km. For Arabba, Venice (160 km) or Treviso (150 km) are best. In winter there are shuttles and private transfers from the airports; check what runs this season.

Parking

If you are staying in a valley, leave the car at your accommodation and use the lifts. Car parks at the valley stations and on the passes fill up early; at the Sella Pass and Plan de Gralba they are paid. For 2027 a seasonal limited-traffic zone is being studied on the Gardena Pass, but no official decision has been made yet.

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