Skiing in July in The Dolomites

Can you ski in the Dolomites in July?

No. There is no lift served skiing anywhere in the Dolomites in July. Unlike a handful of high Western Alpine resorts, the Dolomites have no summer ski glacier, and even the Marmolada glacier, the highest point in the range, does not run summer skiing. By July the winter snow has long melted off the pistes, the ski lifts that operate are carrying hikers and mountain bikers rather than skiers, and the entire region has switched fully to its summer season. Anyone whose heart is set on July turns needs to look outside the Dolomites altogether.

This is worth stating plainly because the Dolomites are such a famous ski region that travelers reasonably assume they ski year round. They do not. The skiing here is excellent and reliable from December to early April, secured by strong snowmaking, but it stops there. If you have summer dates and you want to ski, the honest answer is that the Dolomites are the wrong destination in July, and the right plan is either a high glacier elsewhere in the Alps or a trip to the Southern Hemisphere winter.

If, on the other hand, you are open to a summer mountain holiday rather than a ski trip, July is arguably the finest month to be in the Dolomites. The same dramatic peaks that make the winter so photogenic become a world class hiking, climbing and cycling playground, and the lift network that serves skiers in winter makes the high trails easy to reach.

Where can you actually ski in July instead?

For real July skiing you have two honest options. The first is summer glacier skiing on the high Western Alpine glaciers, where permanent ice above 3,000 meters keeps a morning skiable surface through the warm months. These glaciers run limited terrain, best skied early before the snow softens, and suit racers, clubs and keen skiers rather than holidaymakers wanting a full resort. Our guide to summer skiing in Europe covers which glaciers run and when.

The second, and the better bet for a proper ski week in July, is to follow the winter to the Southern Hemisphere. July is mid winter in New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Argentina, with full resorts, real snow and a complete ski experience while the Alps bake. If your priority is a week of varied skiing rather than a few glacier runs, a Southern Hemisphere trip delivers what the Dolomites cannot offer in July. See our Southern Hemisphere skiing guide for the timing and the destinations.

What is there to do in the Dolomites in July?

July is peak summer in the Dolomites and one of the great alpine months for anything that is not skiing. The hiking is world class, from gentle high meadow walks reached by the same gondolas that serve skiers in winter to multi day hut to hut traverses beneath the famous rock towers. The via ferrata routes, the protected climbing paths the range is known for, are in prime condition, the mountain huts are open and serving, and the long daylight makes for unhurried days at altitude.

Road cyclists come for the legendary Dolomite passes, mountain bikers for the lift served trails, and families for the cable cars, lakes and easy walks. The weather is generally warm and settled with the classic risk of an afternoon thunderstorm, so an early start pays off here in summer just as it does for spring skiing. If you can let go of the idea of skiing, July rewards a Dolomites visit richly; if you cannot, plan to ski elsewhere and save the Dolomites for the winter.

When should you come back to ski the Dolomites?

Come back from December to early April, which is the full Dolomite ski season. December opens reliably on snowmaking and is quiet and good value before the Christmas peak. January brings deep, cold midwinter snow. February is the most dependable month, with the best conditions and the famous blue sky days, though it carries peak half term prices and crowds. March keeps the excellent grooming and sun while shedding the half term premium, and the season winds down around early April.

If you want the single best month for snow certainty, choose February. If you want the best balance of good snow, sun and value, choose late January or March. Whatever you choose, plan it for winter: the Dolomites are a December to April destination for skiing, and July belongs to the hikers.

July in The Dolomites: the case for and against

Common questions