Skiing in August in Italy
August is not a real ski month in Italy, because every winter resort is closed and green, and the only lift served snow on offer is the high glacier at the Stelvio Pass, a niche summer slope best suited to racers, ski teams and the genuinely curious rather than holiday skiers.
Reviewed for the 2026 season by the Ski Resorts for Kings editorial team
Can you actually ski in Italy in August?
You can, but only in one place, and only on a glacier. Every normal Italian winter resort is shut in August, its pistes are green meadows and its lifts are running for hikers and mountain bikers rather than skiers. The single exception is the Stelvio Pass glacier in the high Alps near the Lombardy and South Tyrol border, which spins its lifts through the warm months and is the only true full summer ski area in Italy. So the honest answer is yes, August skiing exists, but it is a single high glacier rather than a ski holiday in the usual sense.
The Stelvio glacier typically runs from around late May to early November, which puts August squarely in its season, with skiing on roughly twenty kilometers of slopes from about 2,750 meters up to around 3,450 meters. The terrain is geared toward training and high mountain laps rather than a varied resort day, and it is where national ski teams and racers spend their summer camps. For a recreational skier it is a memorable half day on snow surrounded by green valleys, not a week of skiing.
Cervinia, up near the Matterhorn, has at times offered summer glacier skiing on the Plateau Rosa shared with Zermatt, but that has been on and off in recent years because of glacier movement, crevasse activity and warm temperatures affecting maintenance. Treat any Cervinia summer skiing as a bonus to check rather than a plan to rely on, and make the Stelvio your default if August snow under your skis is the goal.
What is the Stelvio glacier like to ski in August?
Expect an early start and a short ski day. Summer glacier skiing means firm, grippy snow in the cool of the morning that turns soft and heavy as the sun climbs, so the lifts open early and the worthwhile skiing is usually done by lunchtime. The runs are wide, high and treeless, with serious altitude views over the Stelvio National Park, and the vibe is training ground rather than resort, with race gates and ski teams a normal sight.
It suits a narrow group: racers and ski teams on summer camps, instructors keeping their legs in, freestyle skiers using the summer park, and curious travelers who want to say they skied in August. It does not suit families after a varied ski holiday, beginners who need gentle progression terrain and ski school, or anyone expecting apres ski and a buzzing village, because August at altitude is about the snow and little else.
If you want a mountain holiday in Italy in August, what should you do instead?
Treat August as Italy's great summer mountain season rather than a ski trip. The same valleys and villages that fill with skiers in winter are at their green best in August, with cable cars running for walkers, long days of hiking and Via Ferrata, lake swimming, road cycling over the famous passes and mountain biking on lift served trails. The Dolomites and the high Alpine valleys are spectacular and warm, and the resort towns are lively with summer visitors.
If your heart is set on actual skiing in the European summer, the better known option is a high glacier, and the Stelvio is Italy's. If you are flexible on country, summer glacier skiing is also found across the border in the Alps, but within Italy the Stelvio is the one reliable answer. For a winter ski holiday proper, look to the season that runs roughly late November to April and plan for that instead.
When should you go skiing in Italy instead of August?
For a real ski holiday, aim for the winter season that runs from roughly late November to early April at most Italian resorts, with the highest, glacier linked areas open longer. December to February brings the coldest, deepest, most reliable snow, February is the family half term peak, and March offers long sunny spring days and better value at altitude. Any of those beats August for everything except the novelty of summer glacier laps.
If your only free time is high summer and you genuinely want snow under your skis, the Stelvio glacier in August is the answer, with the caveat that it is a single high slope and a half day experience. For everyone else, August is the month to hike, cycle and swim in the Italian mountains and save the skis for winter.
August in Italy: the case for and against
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Where to ski in Italy in August
For August we would point you first at these, each with our full review:
- Bormio. The closest classic resort town to the Stelvio Pass glacier, a practical summer base for reaching the only August snow in Italy.
- Solda. A high South Tyrol village under the Ortler near the Stelvio, well placed for the summer glacier and serious mountain scenery.
- Cervinia. Has at times run summer glacier skiing on the Plateau Rosa shared with Zermatt, but check current status as it has been on and off.
Sources we checked
Common questions
Can you ski in Italy in August?
Only on one glacier. Every winter resort in Italy is closed in August, and the only lift served snow is the Stelvio Pass glacier, which runs through the summer from roughly late May to early November. It is a high training slope rather than a ski holiday.
Where is the only summer skiing in Italy?
The Stelvio Pass, near the Lombardy and South Tyrol border. It is the only true full summer ski area in Italy, with skiing on around twenty kilometers of glacier slopes from about 2,750 to 3,450 meters, open through August.
Is the Stelvio glacier worth it for a holiday skier in August?
As a novelty, yes, but manage expectations. It is a single high glacier with a short morning of good snow before it softens, geared to racers and ski teams. There is no resort variety, ski school progression or apres ski, so it suits the curious more than families.
When should I go skiing in Italy instead?
Aim for the winter season, roughly late November to early April. December to February has the coldest, deepest snow, February is the family half term peak, and March brings sunny spring days and better value at high resorts.
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