Road trip ideas › By motorcycle
The Dolomites by motorcycle: 10 passes in three days
No other range in Europe packs so many good passes so close together. From Bolzano or Cortina a rider can cross ten of them in three days and never repeat a road.
Plan this trip1 Sella Pass
Photo by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Sella Pass (2218 m) is a high mountain pass between the provinces of Trentino and South Tyrol in Italy. It connects the Val Gherdëina in South Tyrol and Canazei in the Fascia Valley in Trentino. Wikipedia
The first of the Sella Ronda four and the most dramatic, with the Sassolungo on one side and the Sella massif on the other. Closed to traffic some summer mornings; check before you go.
Written about in 17 languagesStart a trip here
2 Pordoi Pass
Photo by No machine-readable author provided. Egil assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons. Pordoi is a pass in the Dolomites in the Alps, located between the Sella group in the north and the Marmolada group in the south. Wikipedia
The highest road pass of the Sella Ronda, with a chain of hairpins on both sides and a cable car to the top of the Sella. Lunch at the pass is a tradition.
Written about in 24 languagesStart a trip here
3 Gardena Pass
Photo by This Photo was taken by Wolfgang Moroder. Feel free to use my photos, but please, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Gardena Pass is a high mountain pass in the Dolomites of the South Tyrol in northeast Italy. At an elevation of 2,136 m (7,008 ft) above sea level, the pass connects Sëlva in the Val Gardena on the west side with Corvara in the Val Badia. Wikipedia
Wide, fast and flowing where the others are tight: the pass between Val Gardena and Corvara. The Sella Ronda's easy quarter.
Written about in 14 languagesStart a trip here
4 Campolongo Pass
Photo by Maratona dles Dolomites Committee Photographer, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Campolongo Pass (1875 m) is a high mountain pass in the Dolomites in South Tyrol in Italy. It connects Corvara in the Val Badia and Arabba. Wikipedia
The lowest of the four and the one that closes the loop back to Arabba. Short, with good views of the Marmolada.
Written about in 12 languagesStart a trip here
5 Giau Pass
Photo by Frisia Orientalis, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Giau Pass (el. 2236 m.) is a high mountain pass in the Dolomites in the province of Belluno in Italy. Wikipedia
The one riders talk about. A narrow road up from Selva di Cadore to a bare meadow under the Ra Gusela, then down to Cortina in a series of tight bends.
Written about in 13 languagesStart a trip here
6 Falzarego Pass
Photo by kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Falzarego Pass (el. 2,105 m) is a high mountain pass in the province of Belluno in Italy. Wikipedia
The main road from Cortina west, with the Cinque Torri above and the First World War tunnels of the Lagazuoi at the top. Wide and busy; the views make up for it.
Written about in 13 languagesStart a trip here
7 Valparola Pass
Photo by Julian Nyča, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Valparola Pass is a high mountain pass in the Dolomites in the province of Belluno in Italy. Wikipedia
Falzarego's quiet neighbour, a few minutes on, with the Austrian fort of Tre Sassi and a steep drop into the Badia valley.
Written about in 11 languagesStart a trip here
8 Fedaia Pass
Photo by Idéfix at Dutch Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Fedaia Pass is a mountain pass traversed by a paved road in the Dolomiti Range in Northern Italy. It lies at the northern base of the Marmolada, the highest peak in the region and the Dolomiti. Wikipedia
The road under the north face of the Marmolada, with the lake at the top. The Caprile side is the steep one; the hairpins through Malga Ciapela are the point.
Written about in 11 languagesStart a trip here
9 Rolle Pass
Photo by nl:user:Idéfix, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The Rolle Pass (1989 m) is a mountain pass in Trentino in Italy which can be reached by motor vehicles. It connects the Fiemme and Primiero valleys, and the communities of Predazzo, San Martino di Castrozza and Fiera di Primiero. Wikipedia
South of the main cluster, with the Pale di San Martino lined up like a wall above the pass. Quieter than the Sella passes and a good way out of the Dolomites toward Trento.
Written about in 14 languagesStart a trip here
10 San Pellegrino Pass
Photo by Gabriele Delhey, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The San Pellegrino Pass (1918 m) is a high mountain pass in the Italian Dolomites. It connects the municipalities of Moena and Falcade. Wikipedia
The link between Moena and Falcade: open meadows, long bends, and far fewer riders than the loop above it.
Written about in 13 languagesStart a trip here
Riding or driving it
Three days is right: the Sella Ronda four on day one, Giau, Falzarego and Valparola on day two, Fedaia, San Pellegrino and Rolle on the way out. Plan short days in the planner, 150 km is plenty here, and start early; the passes fill with cars and cyclists by ten.
Open the plan in Roadlegs How the planner handles this vehicle.
About the facts and photos
The descriptions in italics are the opening sentences of the Wikipedia article for each place, used under CC BY-SA 4.0, fetched on 6 October 2026. Photos are from Wikimedia Commons under the licence named beside each one. "Written about in N languages" counts the Wikipedia editions that have an article, from Wikidata; it is a measure of how well known a place is, not a rating. Everything else is the author's own opinion. Roads close with the seasons: check before you go.
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