Alpine Ski World Cup 2026: Val Gardena and Alta Badia

1. The programme: who races, on which day, at what time

Val Gardena has training runs on 15 and 16 December. A slot on 17 December, an « Abfahrt Herren » at 11:45 am on the suedtirol.com listing, is still to be confirmed: the organiser does not say whether it is a training run or a race. The super-G takes place on Friday 18 December and the downhill on Saturday 19 December. The start is listed at 11:45 am, but that time is indicative: the listing says the events may change and refers you to the organiser.

In Alta Badia, the giant slalom is held on Sunday 20 December in two runs, at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm. The night slalom on Monday 21 December runs under lights, with runs at 5:45 pm and 9:00 pm. According to the specialist press, it is the first time the Gran Risa has been floodlit for a World Cup slalom. The opening evening on Saturday 19 December takes place in Alta Badia; its time, exact venue and price have not been published.

The calendar itself remains provisional. PlanetSKI (11 May 2026) presents it as such, and SnowBrains says it still needs approval from the FIS Council. No approved official document has been found for this week. Before you book a train or a hotel night, check the timings on the organisers’ sites a few days before you leave.

Source: suedtirol.com, Ski Weltcup Gröden listing (Saslong) and altabadia.org, event listing (Gran Risa), checked on 17 October 2026.

The circuit continues beyond Alta Badia. Madonna di Campiglio hosts a night slalom on 23 December (provisional calendar; the date moved from 22 to 23 December, according to racer-ready). Bormio then hosts a downhill and a super-G on 28 and 29 December (PlanetSKI, checked on 17 October 2026). Before Val Gardena, the season opens at Sölden on 24 and 25 October 2026: our article on the opening of the Alpine Ski World Cup at Sölden covers that first race.

2. Val Gardena: the Saslong at Santa Cristina Gherdëina

Saslong: a historic run starting at the Ciampinoi

Super-G 18 Dec, downhill 19 Dec Tickets from €28 to €590 Indicative start at 11:45 am 3.446 km, 839 m vertical drop

The Saslong held its first World Cup race in February 1969. The start is at the Ciampinoi, at 2,249 m, and the finish at Ruaccia, at 1,410 m. Over 3.446 km, the run drops 839 m, with a maximum gradient of 56.9%. The course record belongs to Deneriaz, with 1 min 52.99 s, set in 2003 (Wikipedia, checked 17 October 2026). It is one of the oldest races on the circuit.

The best-known section is the « Camel Humps », where the piste jumps and undulates; the category D VIP tickets carry that name. In December 2025, the Thursday 18 downhill was run in fog, with a late start, and a training run had been cancelled for rain and heavy snow (secondary source).

To reach the start, go up from Santa Cristina: the Saslong gondola runs to the Sochers hotel, then the Sochers-Ciampinoi chairlift climbs to the top station. From Wolkenstein (Selva), the Ciampinoi cable car reaches the same point. The Dolomiti Superski pass covers these lifts. The 2026 opening times are not yet published, and the 2025/26 price of €28 return does not apply this year.

Highlights of the day

• A historic race, with a maximum gradient of 56.9%
• A start at the Ciampinoi, reached by the area’s lifts
• Tickets from €28 to €590, including VIP areas and a lounge with food service

Pixidia tip: Plan a backup for the 18th. Visibility and snow decide whether the start goes ahead. The FIS snow check takes place on 5 December 2026, two weeks before the super-G. Follow the avalanche bulletins from the provincial service (provinz.bz.it, lawinen section) and lawinen.report, updated every day at 5 pm.

No race ticket appears among the Viator products we found. For a day without skiing, a private car tour from Bolzano, called The Great Dolomites Road, may fit instead. It is the only Viator activity kept for this week, as no race-specific product was found. The listing shows 2 days open out of 4 in the window checked on 17 October 2026, without saying which ones: confirm your date on the listing before you book. Do not count on this tour for the 18th, the super-G day.

Who it suits: visitors who come for a race and want a day without skiing. When: a day without racing, to be confirmed on the listing. Watch out: race-week traffic on the road between the two resorts.

From Bolzano: Private Day Tour by car: The Great Dolomites Road From €550 for 2 adults, checked on 17 October 2026

Book my day in the Dolomites

3. Alta Badia: the Gran Risa, at La Villa

The Gran Risa has hosted the men’s giant slalom since 1985, the year the race was opened by Ingemar Stenmark. The course is 1,225 m long. Its vertical drop is 448 m according to Wikipedia, but another source gives 488 m. We use 448 m until the organiser confirms the figure (Wikipedia, checked 17 October 2026).

The giant slalom on Sunday 20 December

The giant slalom runs in two runs, at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm. These times are fixed in the programme, but no access time to the venue is published: allow a margin before the first run.

The night slalom on Monday 21 December

The 21 December slalom will be the first World Cup slalom floodlit on the Gran Risa, according to the specialist press (Snow-Online, checked 17 October 2026). The programme includes two runs, at 5:45 pm and 9:00 pm. Temperatures drop quickly once the sun sets at altitude: bring warm clothes for the wait.

The opening evening and the VIP areas

The opening evening takes place in Alta Badia on Saturday 19 December. Its time, exact venue and price had not been published at the time of checking (skiworldcup.it, checked 17 October 2026). The VIP areas (Leitner VIP Lounge, Red Bull Energy Station, Gran Risa Chalet) each have a page on the organiser’s site, with no 2026 prices.

4. Tickets: Saslong, Alta Badia and the categories

For the Saslong, tickets are sold online through Vivaticket (saslong.vivaticket.it/en). The saslong.org site gives the information and conditions, but does not sell tickets. Contact: [email protected] and +39 338 1502143. No source checked confirms on-the-day sales at the ticket office.

Refunds depend on when the race is cancelled. If the race is cancelled at the FIS snow check, planned for 5 December 2026, the ticket is refunded minus the service fee. A later cancellation for force majeure gives no refund (saslong.org, checked 17 October 2026).

Source: saslong.org, 2026 tickets, checked 17 October 2026. Confirm the exact wording on the sales page before you buy.

Discounts follow precise rules. Children under 8 enter free. Ages 8 to 12 enter category A free and get 30% off categories B to E. Wheelchair users enter free, with 50% off for one companion. For a group of 10, the 11th ticket is free. The Club Card gives 50% off category A and 30% off category C.

For Alta Badia, Snow-Online reports that sales opened on skiworldcup.it on 15 October 2026 at 10:00 am. No 2026 price is published. Prices from earlier editions do not apply to this year. For any question, write to [email protected] or call +39 0471 830161. The Alta Badia tourist board can be reached at [email protected] and +39 0471 836 176.

5. Getting there, getting around and parking in the valleys

Arriving by plane, train or car

Bolzano to Chiusa by train, then bus Passo Gardena: virtual test

The valley buses (lines 350, 360, 351, 172 and 170) are only published until 12 December 2026, so not for race week. With a Guest Pass (for hotel guests), the valley bus is included, except the night bus and the Monte Pana and Saltria lines.

The Passo Gardena (SS 243), which links the two valleys, was due to close to private motor traffic from 1 September 2026. That restriction is not being applied: the ÖAMTC describes a « virtual » test, with no barrier and no penalty. Sources disagree on how long it lasts, ending either on 1 November 2026 or on 1 February 2027. No decision has been made for 2027, and a provincial procedure would be needed.

Valgardena.it announces closures of some slopes and special shuttles a few days before and after the races. The online document carries a 2025 file name, and no 2026 timetable is published. Do not plan your access to the Ciampinoi around a shuttle without checking with the tourist office first. No 2026 timetable and no public car park plan has been found. One hotel announces a free shuttle to the Ciampinoi and Monte Pana, from 8:30 to 10:00 am and from 3:15 to 4:45 pm (hotel source, to be checked).

Pixidia tip: In the province of Bolzano, winter equipment is required on snowy roads. On the A22 as far as Affi and in the municipality of Bolzano, the requirement runs from 15 November to 15 April, whatever the weather. Tyres marked 3PMSF with a tread of at least 3.5 mm are the ones the ADAC cites. Elsewhere, the rule depends on the signs on site.

Source for bus times: valgardena.it, checked 17 October 2026.

6. Dolomiti Superski pass and hotel offer

The Dolomiti Superski pass covers the Val Gardena, Alta Badia and Sella Ronda areas, including the Ciampinoi. You can move from one resort to the other on the slopes, provided the links are open. Val Gardena and Alta Badia open on 4 December 2026 and close on 4 April 2027 (secondary data).

Source: Dolomiti Superski press release of 30 September 2026, relayed by a search summary (the official PDF could not be read), checked 17 October 2026. Confirm the price at the ticket office before you buy.

The Val Gardena tourist board offers a « World Cup weekend » package for 15 to 19 December 2026. In participating hotels, B&Bs and guesthouses, four nights are charged at the price of three, and the four-day Dolomiti Superski pass is charged at the price of three. Regular and VIP tickets for both races get 50% and 30% off. The offer is only valid with a voucher issued by the partner accommodation. The page shows no euro amount, so check rates directly with the participating hotels (valgardena.it, checked 17 October 2026).

7. A possible weekend, day by day

The road journey between the two resorts is short, but race-week traffic can slow it. Its length is not in our sources, so check it with a route planner. For a weekend only, choose the races you care about most. For a full week, stay in one valley and move to the other for the races. Here is one possible sequence, to be matched with the confirmed timings the week before.

• Friday 18 December: super-G at the Saslong (indicative start at 11:45 am). Arrive early: snow and visibility can shift the start.
• Saturday 19 December: downhill at the Saslong the same day, then the opening evening in Alta Badia, whose time is not yet published.
• Sunday 20 December: giant slalom at the Gran Risa, in two runs at 10:30 am and 1:30 pm, reached by road.
• Monday 21 December: night slalom from 5:45 pm, with a second run at 9:00 pm, for those staying one more day.

For a family, category A costs €33 or €40 (wording to be confirmed on the sales page). Under-8s enter free, 8 to 12-year-olds too in category A, and the Club Card gives 50% off category A. For a couple who want more comfort, category D (€110 or €150, VIP area near the Camel Humps) and category E (€290 to €590, lounge with food service) are the planned options. The sources checked give no price for training runs. For the tightest budget, category B, at the lowest published price (€28), is the starting point.

Christmas markets can be visited between races. For Bolzano, Merano, Trento and Bressanone, read our guide to the Christmas markets in Italy.

What other guides don’t tell you

One point that other guides leave out, checked on the valgardena.it pages on 17 October 2026.

• The Ortisei Christmas market closure dates do not match. The Ortisei market (Paese di Natale) runs from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. The valgardena.it pages give different closing periods for early December, so check before you come (valgardena.it, checked 17 October 2026).