TheSwitchbackClub · Dolomites 2026

The Sella Ronda
Experience

Five legendary passes · Three days · One epic loop

Day 1 · 15 May
Day 2 · 16 May
Day 3 · 17 May
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3
Days
5
Mountain Passes
~900km
Total Distance
2,239m
Highest Point
Soundtrack

Set the Mood

Road Trip Playlist
Your alpine soundtrack · paste your Spotify playlist below
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Full Route · Ljubljana to the Passes

Three Days on the Map

Itinerary · May 15–17, 2026

Day by Day

1
Thursday · 15 May 2026
Ljubljana → Val Gardena
Via Kranjska Gora · Misurina · Falzarego · Gardena
🚗 ~310 km
⏱ ~5.5 h drive
🏨 Sleep: Hotel Luna, Ortisei
🍳 09:00 · Breakfast · Bistro Magnet, Ljubljana
Meet the group · Open in Maps →
10:30 · Depart Ljubljana
A2 northwest toward Kranjska Gora
11:30 · Kranjska Gora — 15 min stop
Stretch · fuel if needed · cross into Italy at 11:45
📷 14:35 · Lago di Misurina
15 min · alpine lake with Tre Cime backdrop · depart 14:50
🍽 15:15 · Lunch · Il Vizietto Di Cortina
Open all day · Open in Maps →
17:30 · Depart Cortina
Head west via Passo Falzarego
⛰ 18:00 · Passo Falzarego — 2,105 m
Short stop · WWI cable car to Lagazuoi above · Open in Maps →
⛰ 19:00 · Passo Gardena — 2,136 m
Descend into Val Gardena / Ortisei · Open in Maps →
🏨 20:00 · Hotel Luna, Ortisei
Check in · Open in Maps →
🍕 20:30 · Dinner · Restaurant Turonda
Pizza · bistrot · drinks · Ortisei · Open in Maps →
✦ Route
Ljubljana → A2 → Kranjska Gora → Tarvisio → Auronzo → Lago di Misurina → Cortina → Falzarego → Passo Gardena → Ortisei. Tolls: Slovenia vignette + Italy A-road.
Open Day 1 Route in Google Maps
2
Friday · 16 May 2026
The Five Passes Loop
Sella · Fedaia · Falzarego · Valparola · Gardena
🚗 ~120 km
⏱ ~5 h total
🏨 Sleep: Hotel Luna, Ortisei
🍳 08:30 · Breakfast at hotel
Leisurely start · fuel up before the passes
10:00 · Depart Val Gardena
Head toward Passo Sella
🏔️ 10:15 · Passo Sella — 2,218 m
30 min · Sassolungo towers overhead · enjoy the view · Open in Maps →
10:45 · Depart toward Canazei & Lago di Fedaia
📷 11:30 · Lago di Fedaia — Marmolada
30 min · walk at the foot of Italy's highest glacier · Rifugio Fedaia · Open in Maps →
12:00 · Depart toward Passo Falzarego
~50 min drive
⛰ 12:50 · Passo Falzarego & Passo Valparola
Crossing both passes · toward Corvara · Open in Maps →
🍽 13:30–15:50 · Lunch in Corvara
Relax · eat well · then head back toward Passo Gardena
15:50 · Depart back to Selva / Ortisei
🏨 16:05 · Hotel Luna, Ortisei
Check in · freshen up
🧖 16:15–19:15 · Afternoon SPA
Wellness · sauna · chad maxing regeneration
🥩 20:00 · Dinner · Tambra Steak House, Selva
Top-quality meat · pizza · great atmosphere · Open in Maps →
✦ Strategy
The chill day. A morning loop through five passes, a long lunch in Corvara, then afternoon SPA recovery before a steak dinner. No rush.
Open Day 2 Route in Google Maps
3
Saturday · 17 May 2026
Val Gardena → Tre Cime → Ljubljana
Tre Cime · Predil Pass · Soča Valley
🚗 ~290 km
⏱ ~5.5 h total
🏠 Home: Ljubljana
08:30 · Depart Val Gardena
Early start · pack up the night before
09:15 · Cortina area — turn off toward Tre Cime
🏔 09:30 · Tre Cime di Lavaredo
~2h total · toll road · 30 min walk to viewpoint · ⚠️ pre-book parking: auronzo.info → · Open in Maps →
11:30 · Depart Tre Cime
Head northwest back toward Slovenia
📷 12:15 · Predil Pass — 1,156 m
Old border post viewpoint · gateway into Slovenia · Open in Maps →
13:00 · Bovec — Stretch Stop
Emerald Soča River views · legs out · Open in Maps →
🍽 14:30 · Late Lunch — Kobarid (optional)
Gostilna Pri Konfinu · Kotlar · Bistro Lipa · Open in Maps →
16:00 · Depart Kobarid
Route 102 east toward Ljubljana
🏁 18:00 · Arrive Ljubljana
Trip complete
⚠️ Must Pre-Book
Tre Cime toll road opens late May — book parking in advance at auronzo.info. Toll ~€30/car at the gate.
Open Day 3 Route in Google Maps
The Passes

Every Turn, Every Summit

🏞️
1
🏞️

Passo Gardena

Grödner Joch
Elevation: 2,136 m  ·  Day 2

Smooth curves with panoramic views of the Sella Group. Part of the Sellaronda loop — one of the most classic passes in the Dolomites.

ConnectsVal Gardena ↔ Alta Badia
VibeOpen, flowing, accessible
✦ Highlight
Views of the Sella Group from the top are unbeatable in both directions.
🏔️
2
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Passo Sella

Sellajoch
Elevation: 2,218 m  ·  Day 2

Dramatic views of the Sella Towers and the jagged Sassolungo. Quintessential Dolomite scenery — the kind of pass that makes you pull over every 500 metres.

ConnectsVal di Fassa ↔ Val Gardena
VibeDramatic, rocky, imposing
✦ Tip
Stop at one of the rifugi at the top — espresso with a Sassolungo backdrop hits differently.
🪝
3
🪝

Passo Pordoi

Passo Pordoi
Elevation: 2,239 m  ·  Highest · Day 2

Thirty-three hairpin turns. The highest paved pass on the route — the kind of road that earns its reputation every single switchback.

ConnectsCanazei ↔ Arabba
VibeEpic, technical, high-altitude
✦ Highlight
Cable car to Sass Pordoi (2,950 m) — 360° panorama of the whole range.
🚗
4
🚗

Passo Giau

Passo Giau
Elevation: 2,236 m  ·  Day 1 (afternoon)

Often called the most beautiful pass in the Dolomites. Wide open meadows, jagged peaks, minimal traffic — and at golden hour, absolutely cinematic.

ConnectsCortina ↔ Selva di Cadore
VibeSerene, photogenic, vast
✦ Tip
Done as an afternoon side trip from Cortina on Day 1. Drive up, stay for sunset, drive back — it's worth every km.
⛷️
5
⛷️

Passo Falzarego

Passo Falzarego
Elevation: 2,105 m  ·  Days 2 & 3

The gateway between Cortina and Alta Badia. More relaxed curves than the others, but rich in WWI history — tunnels, bunkers and trenches are visible in the hillside.

ConnectsCortina ↔ Alta Badia / Arabba
VibeHistorical, sweeping, relaxed
✦ Highlight
Cable car to Lagazuoi — WWI tunnel system carved through the rock by soldiers in 1917.