This is how you want to do the Dolomites: wake up at the foot of the passes, have breakfast with a view of limestone, bike out of the supervised bike-room, straight up the Gardena or Campolongo. These are our favourite bases and hotels in the part of the Dolomites that falls under Südtirol/Alto-Adige/South Tyrol - with tips for both road cycling and gravel.
Why choose a BikeHotel?
A hotel with several stars is of course very nice, but a dedicated cycling hotel, that makes our heart beat faster. We therefore like to look at hotels that are selected for cycling services: secure storage, workbench/tools, guides/route advice and often wellness for recovery. That saves hassle and provides you with extra cycling fun! Therefore, we also look at hotels that qualify for our Cycling Destination Approved certificate. We list at least the hotels in this part of the Dolomites. Here you can book with confidence!
Where to stay? The best bases
If you are considering going to the Dolomites, there are many different basecamps to choose from. A good base contributes to extra cycling fun and that's what we're all about. Here are a few options.
Val Gardena (Selva / S. Cristina / Ortisei)
- Road bike: direct access to the Sella Ronda and classics like Passo Gardena and Passo Sella; perfect for altimeters in compact loops.
- Gravel: alpine meadows, forest roads and old military trails above the valley; hotels and guides know the legal options and seasonal closures. suedtirol.info
Alta Badia (San Cassiano / La Villa / La Val)
- Road bike: tackle the Sella Ronda from the east; many combinations with Valparola/Falzarego possible. The official route variant counts approx. 50.7 km and 1,674 altimeters (with classic start in Alta Badia).
- Gravel: around Fanes-Senes-Braies you will find beautiful farm tracks and alpine roads; check local rules and weather. suedtirol.info
Kronplatz & Pustertal Valley (Olang / Gais)
- Road bike: Furcia/Passo delle Erbe as a challenging day's cycling, or longer via Val Badia to the high passes.
- Gravel: numerous valley routes and mountain trails; Val Pusteria/Pustertal valley offers long, low-traffic stretches for gentle rolling or as a recovery ride.
Val d'Ega (Nova Levante / Nova Ponente)
- Road bike: Passo Costalunga (Karerpass) and laps under the Rosengarten massif; less crowded than the Sella. See below some photos of the Rosengarten. Very beautiful and perhaps unknown to many cycling enthusiasts.
- Gravel: forest roads and panoramic alpine roads with lots of altimeters.
These are the hotels where you can sleep with confidence (Road bike & gravel)
Val Gardena
- Linder Cycling Hotel (Selva) - modern B&B formula, video-monitored bike room, guides and Sky Spa. Ideal for early starts and late recoveries. Book at this cycling hotel here
- Piccolo Hotel (Selva) - cycling community at home, in the middle of the village and close to the famous climbs. Book now Your stay at Piccolo Hotel.
- Kedul Lodge (S. Cristina) - small-scale and entirely focused on cyclists; smart choice if you like personalised route advice. Book your cycling holiday here
Alta Badia
- Hotel Tofana (San Cassiano) - design hotel with strong sports focus; top spot for a nice day over the Sella Ronda and for a trip over the Passo Valparola/Passo Falzarego. Book here
- Mountain Nature Hotel Störes (San Cassiano) - Established name in Alta Badia with bike-friendly services and wellness. you can book that stay here
- Hotel Pider (La Val) - known for detailed tour advice (road & gravel) and a host who is a guide himself. What more could you want? Leaving here for your cycling adventure, of course. See if there is still a room available is via this link
- Hotel Melodia del Bosco - the gold standard when it comes to cycling hotels in this region. Klaus runs things here and you always have a pasta meal, always room for your bike and he also knows the right routes. What can go wrong? Nothing so, go!
Kronplatz & Pustertal Valley
- Keil Alpine Hotel (Olang) - solid cycling focus; logical for a climb over the Furcia or that darn Fedaia pass or a block of training days. Do you want to sleep here? More info and booking via this link
- Hotel Innerhofer (Gais) - exemplary BikeHotel with flair, routes at the door and a relaxed atmosphere after cycling.
Val d'Ega
- Erica Aktiv & Vitalhotel (Nova Ponente) - wellness + practical bike services; good access to Rosengarten/Latemar. Go quickly to the hotel site for your cycling adventure in the Val d'Ega.
- Steineggerhof (Collepietra) - pioneer in the region, focusing on sustainability and therefore especially for cyclists. The hotel has staff with great knowledge of all the routes and how seasonal conditions affect your ride or route. So a great place to start exploring the region. More info? You can find it here, as well as the option to book.
Must-ride: Sella Ronda
When you think of the Dolomites, especially around Alta Badia, you think of the Sella Ronda. In winter you can ski here, but in summer this is THE cycling paradise. If there's a gateway to cycling heaven, it's on the Sella Ronda. Trust me, bro. It's the four famous passes, with world-famous vistas. If you start in Alta Badia, count on ~50 km and ~1,700 hm. Easy entry via Campolongo, push on to Pordoi and Sella, roll out via Gardena back. Pro-tip: leave before 08:00 for rest on the climb. Want to know how? Then read our article Classic Rides. Or if you go in winter, check the experience of Ella.
Gravel ideas
- Val Gardena & Alta Badia: combine alpine roads, gravel paths and short singletracks. There are so many variations. But beware: graveling in the Alps is a different skill from the Achterhoek. You will have to walk more often and pay close attention when creating routes (e.g. in Komoot) to whether you can cycle there. Plus: at altitude, the weather can change quickly, so ALWAYS bring enough clothing, even if the sun is beaming down in the valley.
- Bonus: do you fancy a multi-day adventure? One of the most beautiful routes is the DOGA (short for Dolomiti-Garda). This is a varied road cycling route that starts in the mountains and ends at Lake Garda; ideal as a finish after a week of climbing. Dogagardatrentino.it
Handy booking checklist
We also describe it in our 'Cycling Destination Approved' checklist, but the points below can be taken into account when you go to book a hotel for your cycling holiday. They probably won't all be there, but if you're going to cycle a cyclo, for example, or if you've seen it's going to be bad weather in the afternoon, you'll want to be able to have an early breakfast, get advice on routes (and possible shelters), but also that your cycling clothes will be washed in the evening and clean at your door the next day. At bikepacking adventure this is totally ideal!
- Enclosed, guarded bike-room + workbench/compressor.
- Washing & drying service for kit.
- Early sports breakfasts and flexible dinner (useful on long trips).
- Route advice/guides and current GPX (road & gravel). Hotels also often have their own routes and guides. Always check for info.
- Wellness with sauna/swimming pool for recovery. It's a luxury, but when it's there, you don't want anything else.
