Cortina d'Ampezzo or Val Gardena for Christmas?
- Cortina d'Ampezzo is the safer bet for snow: at least 30cm on Christmas morning in 20 of 24 years, against 8 of 12 for Val Gardena.
- On Christmas atmosphere we rate them the same (5 out of 5).
- Val Gardena is stronger on families (5 out of 5 against 4), in our editorial view.
- On beginners we rate them the same (4 out of 5).
Cortina d'Ampezzo and Val Gardena side by side
| Cortina d'Ampezzo | Val Gardena | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Italy | Italy |
| Village altitude | 1,224m | 1,563m |
| Top of the ski area | 2,930m | Not recorded |
| Christmases with 30cm+ of snow | 20 of 24 (Ra Valles (Tofane), 2615 m) | 8 of 12 (Seiser Alm/Alpe di Siusi - Zallinger, 2055 m) |
| Snow lying in the village | No village record | No village record |
| Christmas Snow Score | 63/100 | 62/100 |
| Christmas atmosphere (our rating) | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Families (our rating) | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| Beginners (our rating) | 4/5 | 4/5 |
| Chalets we list | 3 | 7 |
| Typical Christmas week, 19 Dec – 26 Dec 2026 | Too few priced | £3,957 (5 chalets priced) |
Snow figures are Christmas-morning measurements by national and regional weather services, shown on the Christmas Snow Report. Ratings are our editorial view. Prices are Booking.com’s cheapest total for the week for each chalet’s full capacity, among chalets still available when we checked.
What Christmas is like in each
Christmas in Cortina d'Ampezzo
Superb, and quite unlike the rest of the Alps. Cortina at Christmas is the evening passeggiata along the Corso Italia, furs, pastry shops, and the Dolomites turning pink behind it all. The skiing is almost secondary.
More about Christmas in Cortina d'Ampezzo · Chalets in Cortina d'Ampezzo
Christmas in Val Gardena
Excellent and distinctive. The Ladin villages have a Christmas tradition that is neither Italian nor Austrian but something of its own, with markets, carved nativity scenes and a genuine sense of place. Ortisei in particular is a delight in late December.
More about Christmas in Val Gardena · Chalets in Val Gardena
Questions about Cortina d'Ampezzo and Val Gardena at Christmas
Which has more snow at Christmas, Cortina d'Ampezzo or Val Gardena?
Cortina d'Ampezzo is the safer bet for snow: at least 30cm on Christmas morning in 20 of 24 years, against 8 of 12 for Val Gardena. Measured on Christmas morning at the nearest weather station to each resort since 1996; how often there has been snow, not a forecast.
Which is better for christmas atmosphere at Christmas, Cortina d'Ampezzo or Val Gardena?
On Christmas atmosphere we rate them the same (5 out of 5).
Which is better for families at Christmas, Cortina d'Ampezzo or Val Gardena?
Val Gardena is stronger on families (5 out of 5 against 4), in our editorial view.
Which is better for beginners at Christmas, Cortina d'Ampezzo or Val Gardena?
On beginners we rate them the same (4 out of 5).