The Italian Dolomites -- the Dolomiti, in Italian -- are so beautiful that they've been named a UNESCO World Heritage site. Their pinnacles, spires and towers comprise more than 18 peaks, stretching more than 10,000 feet into the sky. And beneath this spectacle lies the astonishing Dolomiti Superki, a massive interconnected series of world class ski resorts, like Cortina d'Ampezzo, Val Gardena and Alta Badia.

SKI BUMS journeyed here in 2010, and aside from those stunning vistas, there's something else we can't get out of our heads: the food. This area is home to some of the very best Italian cuisine. The gay-friendly Italian hospitality extends throughout mountains, as charming villages warmly invite you to discover each chalet -- or rifugio -- serving up delicious regional dishes that you'll remember for years.

We invite you to join us for a week at one of the classiest hotels in the Italian Alps, and a weekend visit to the famous Venice Winter Carnival. Space on this trip is very limited, and it will sell out.

Sign up now for our trip to the Dolomites >
Saturday, January 30 to Sunday, February 7, 2022
5 -- Monday through Friday
San Cassiano in Badia | Optional weekend in Venice
Recommended for all skill levels
$2999 per person (pre-season sale)
We reserve the right to cancel, reschedule, or make changes in the trip itinerary as a result of weather or safety considerations or as otherwise deemed necessary or advisable. If your trip is cancelled or rescheduled due to weather, snow, or mountain conditions, or circumstances beyond our control, you will receive a full credit for a future trip. All trip credits may be applied to any trip in the SKI BUMS future. There is no expiration date.

SKI BUMS is not responsible for the cost of any additional expenses that you may incur as a result of trip rescheduling or cancellation (airline ticketing fees, etc.).

To use a credit for a future deposit or payment, please contact us directly.
Through July 1, you may cancel your spot at any time and receive a full refund. After July 1, the following cancellation fees apply:

For cancellations received from July 2 - August 31, $500 fee. For cancellations received from September 1 - September 30, $1500 fee. After October 1st, 2015: no refund.

In order to obtain our bulk group discounts, we must agree to a very strict cancellation policy. It's the nature of group travel. Think of your SKI BUMS booking as you would an airline reservation; even we find someone to take your place, the cancellation fees still apply.

If you buy travel insurance, you can still receive a refund for a cancelled SKI BUMS trip.

To cancel your SKI BUMS trip, click here >
Buy travel insurance. We cannot stress this enough.

A travel insurer can provide a refund even when SKI BUMS cannot. In the circumstance that you need to cancel your trip because of work or health reasons, you should purchase travel insurance within 30 days of your initial trip deposit.

Even if you purchase travel insurance after this date, some coverage is much better than no coverage at all. Our cancellation policy is strict, and after cancellation fees kick in, a travel insurer may be your only chance for a full refund.

There are many travel insurers, and policies are very affordable. We especially recommend travelinsured.com, and suggest you add the sports package to cover skiing & snowboarding activity.
$3199 USD per person, for double occupancy (or $2999 if you pay in full at signup)

-- additional options --

$275 USD supplement, per night, for a double-occupancy stay at Ca'Pisani Venice

$550 USD supplement, per night, for a single occupancy stay at Ca'Pisani Venice

$1600 USD supplement for single occupancy stay at the Rosa Alpina
$1000 deposit due at sign up | Sign up for the trip >

-- or pay in full at signup and save $200

$1000 due July 1 | Balance due September 1 | To pay your balance online, click here >

These are the dates for those who sign up today. Pricing and payment dates may change for those who sign up at a later date, if space remains. Late payments are subject to a 5% late-payment fee. It is up to you to submit your payments on time. You may always pay early.
You may pay with any major credit card, cash or check.

We use PayPal to process online credit card payments. PayPal is the internet's most trusted online payment portal, and you do not need to be a PayPal member to submit a payment.

If you would ever like to use PayPal to send a manual payment (from a smartphone, for example), our account address is: payments (at) ski-bums.org.

PayPal mobile apps: iPhone / iPad / iPod Touch |  Android

Your trip includes a five day all-access pass for the Dolomiti Superski.

Note: If you or your travel partner do not ski or snowboard -- or you've already got a lift pass for the Dolomiti Superski -- we can remove the lift tickets from our package; contact us to make arrangements.
About a month before we travel, all participants will submit a Travel Portfolio, where we'll collect your flight information, dietary restrictions, roommate requests, emergency contact info, skill level, and other pertinent details. We'll email everyone and post the link here when it's time to submit it.
SKI BUMS designs our season for all levels of skiers and snowboarders, but we make specific recommendations for each trip. On ALL SKI BUMS trips, we begin by dividing into skill level groups so you can identify those who enjoy the same terrain that you do.

See how our groups work >

We recommend this trip for all levels of skiers and riders.

The slopes of the Dolomiti Superski are well-suited for everyone. If you've taken our recent trips to Chamonix or St. Anton, you'll notice that there are more intermediate runs here, stretching through jaw-dropping, spectacular terrain. Exciting steeps invite adventure-seekers to venture off-piste, and because the Italians rarely leave the groomers, you'll find stashes of fresh powder untracked for days.

SKI BUMS hosts trips to the Alps every season. Historically, a small handful of participants are beginner skiers and riders. About a third are intermediates, and about half are advanced / expert skiers and riders. If you have any questions about whether you'll enjoy the terrain here, please contact us before signing up.
For a more relaxed, well-rested itinerary, you may want to arrive in Italy early. Additionally, you may want to enjoy additional nights in Venice for the Winter Carnival (see below). If this is your first and only trip to Venice, we strongly encourage you to spend at least two or three full days here; the history, architecture and art of Venice is truly something to behold. Learn more >

As for additional nights and accommodations, SKI BUMS trip leaders are happy to offer advice, but we cannot book additional nights for you, and we will not be on hand to offer travel assistance beyond the official dates of our itinerary.

For more discussion about trip extensions -- and to see if others would like to join you -- join the discussion on our Facebook group >
Air transportation is not included. Read these recommendations closely before buying airfare. We recommend air travel to Venice (or as an alternative, Innsbruck. Learn more > ).

Aeroporto di Venezia Marco Polo (VCE) is the primary international travel hub for Venice. Additionally, the budget airline Ryanair offers flights to nearby Treviso (TSF). To coordinate an easy ground transfer, we recommend flying into Marco Polo.


PLANNING YOUR AIR TRAVEL

HEAD'S UP: You'll want to be smart and cautious about buying your airfare, so you can take advantage of the best ground transfer options and optimize your arrival and departure days. Historically, the best time to purchase airfare for this travel period is in September or October, after the airlines have added additional scheduled flights for January and February.


KEY DETAILS & SUGGESTIONS TO HELP YOU PLAN YOUR FLIGHTS

Saturday January 30
Many will depart on overnight flights from North America. Others will depart from Europe on Sunday.

Sunday, January 31

+ 12:00 PM: Aim to land in Venice by this time
+ After landing: Ground Transfer to the hotel (see info below)
+ 3:00 PM: Our rooms will be ready for check-in. If you arrive earlier, the hotel can store luggage
+ Afternoon: Get settled and pick up equipment rentals
+ 7:00 PM: The trip officially begins at our Meet & Greet in the hotel, where you'll meet the trip leaders and your fellow participants. You won't want to miss this.

- - - - - - - - -

Saturday, February 6

+ Morning: check-out of our hotel
+ After check-out: see Ground Transfer info below
+ Afternoon & evening: enjoy the sights & sounds of the Venice Winter Carnival

IMPORTANT NOTE: we do not suggest booking a return flight for Saturday February 6th. Early departure times from Venice will usually require an expensive private taxi in the middle of the night in order to leave the mountains and make it to the airport on time. If it's snowing, you'll need to leave even earlier. For a more enjoyable itinerary, we suggest flying home on Sunday February 7th.

Sunday, February 7 or Monday February 8

+ At whatever time you choose: fly home

- - - - - - - - -

Connect with the other BUMS on Facebook if you'd like to coordinate travel with others.
Transfers from the airports to our hotel are not included. We recommend booking a shared bus transfer. If you're familiar with driving in Italy -- and you're comfortable renting a car -- you may find that it's preferable to have one during our stay, but it's by no means necessary.

CORTINA EXPRESS | Allow three hours to travel from Venice to San Cassiano in Badia. On Saturdays and Sundays, the largest ground transfer company in the area, Cortina Express, offers round-trip service between our village of San Cassiano and Marco Polo airport in Venice. (As of spring 2015, their rates and schedule for 2016 are not yet available on their website, but their fares are very reasonable.) Plan to make your ground transfer reservation about one month before the trip.

RENTAL CARS | If you'd like extra freedom (and fewer taxis) while you're staying in the Dolomites, it's not a bad idea to rent a car or SUV. Get pricing here. Be prepared for snowy roads; you'll definitely need a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Be sure to consider the cost of parking; it's 16€ per day to park at our hotel. Get driving directions to our hotel from the airport >


The Italian Alps stretch across the entire northern border of the nation, but there's one part of the Alps that wins the greatest praise: the area known as the Dolomites. Here, giant craggy peaks of limestone leap into the sky, forming a stark skyline that cradles one of the most beautiful ski areas in the world. Deep rich forests of pine trees reveal tiny charming villages, where rifugi serve time-honored recipes of Italian culinary masterpieces. The food is just as spectacular as the views.

Across twelve massive resort areas, more than 450 lifts and cable cars carry skiers and snowboarders to over 1,200 kilometers of pistes. This mega-resort is the Dolomiti Superski. With one combined pass, you'll have access to the world-famous slopes of Alta Badia, Arabba, Val Gardena, and beyond, including Cortina d'Ampezzo, home of the 1956 Winter Olympic games and two infamous on-mountain sequences in James Bond flicks.

Cortina's history has given it some big name-recognition -- and its streets remain a fashionable spot for Italians to see and be seen -- but most visitors agree that the skiing & snowboarding is more exciting in nearby Alta Badia and surrounding resorts, especially the huge round circuit known as the Sella Ronda. Those who complete this massive path in just one day will pass through four huge mountain passes, three different language regions, and cover more than 24 miles in all.

Learn why the Sella Ronda is such a cool experience > | See the Sella Ronda routes >


SKI BUMS anticipates what you'll need to know, and when you'll need to know it. We email valuable pre-trip information to all our participants, in numbered Info Packs. You'll need to receive them and read them closely, so it's crucial that you've provided an email address to us that you check regularly. Gmail users: you need to take extra steps to see our emails.

Click here to view instructions >

The vast majority of our important trip info is located right here on this page. Bookmark it!
Who's coming on the trip? Find out by joining our special SKI BUMS Dolomites Facebook Group. Whether you're simply curious about signing up or you're already on board, everyone's welcome to join this Facebook group. Feel free to invite friends, too -- it's a cool way to begin learning names of the skiers and boarders who you'll meet when we're in Italy! if you decide not to join us, we'll remove you from the group before the trip begins.

In advance of the trip, the BUMS use this group to share travel plans and coordinate meet ups for ground transfers. During and after the trip, they share pics and messages with one another. You'll see posts like "who's on the 1 PM flight into Venice?" and "who's up for fresh tracks tomorrow?"

Request to join the Dolomites Facebook group >
Of course, weather is impossible to predict, but SKI BUMS plans our trips with an eye on weather history. Snowfall in the Dolomites is most reliable from mid-December through early March. The first week of February is an ideal time to enjoy quality conditions, and there's a good chance of fresh powder snow storms. That said, the Dolomites are famous for their abundant sunshine. Temperatures tend to be moderate at this time of year. View last winter's snowfall history >
Our rooms are guaranteed after 3 PM on Sunday the 31st. When you arrive, you'll simply check in at the hotel as your normally would. Please have your passport handy for identification.
Our trip officially begins with a meet & greet, followed by dinner. In our hotel bar, you'll meet the SKI BUMS trip leaders and the other participants -- and then we'll sit down for a relaxing meal to welcome you to Italy!
This trip has a minimum of 20 participants. If we fail to meet our minimum number of registered participants by 60 days before the trip, the trip may be cancelled. In that event, those who have signed up for the trip will receive a full refund.
+ Six night stay at the beautiful and charming Rosa Alpina hotel in San Cassiano, Alta Badia
+ Five multi-course dinners, including two at the Michelin 2-star restaurant St. Hubertus
+ Five day lift pass for the Dolomiti Superski
+ Six breakfasts
+ Complimentary shuttle service between our hotel and the ski lifts of Alta Badia
+ Welcome reception
+ A daily itinerary of guided activities, terrain recommendations and and hosted events
+ Up-to-the-minute trip updates, delivered to your mobile phone
+ Trip organization, guidance and assistance from two SKI BUMS professional trip leaders
+ Air transportation
+ Ground transportation
+ Accommodations for Saturday, February 7th (optional supplement)
+ Ski and snowboard equipment rental
+ Lunches, one dinner, alcoholic drinks
+ Travel insurance (very highly recommended)
+ Saturday, January 30: Fly to Venice (if departing from North America)

+ Sun Jan 31: Transfer to Rosa Alpina, check-in. Welcome reception & dinner at 7 PM.

+ Mon Feb 1 - Fri Feb 5: Ski & ride the Dolomiti Superski

+ Sat Feb 6: Transfer to Venice, enjoy an evening at the Venice Winter Carnival

+ Sun Feb 7: Return home (or extend for additional days in Venice)
Our trip leaders design an itinerary that highlights the best spots in the Dolomites, with up-to-the-minute reports that you'll receive on your mobile device (see below). View a sample itinerary >

The on-mountain adventure begins bright and early on Monday. We divide into skill level groups that help you identify the other skiers and snowboarders who enjoy the same terrain that you do, and then we divide and conquer the mountain! Learn about our skill level groups. >

Because the terrain here is expansive, the trip leaders generally name a broad area where the group will spend each day, particularly for the first three days, when we'll explore the areas of Alta Badia, Val Gardena and Cortina d'Ampezzo. That'll allow us to travel together and gather as a group for lunch, enjoying some of the rich culinary marvels of the rifugi that dot the hillsides. Later in the week, you'll have more freedom and flexibility to choose your own adventure!

In general, you'll spend most of the day in a smallish group of four or five skiers or boarders -- but that's up to you. The BUMS are a social crowd, so it's always easy to find others to join in the fun.

You and your group will set your own pace, and it's common to mix it up with a few different groups throughout the week. As the week progresses, you can explore more terrain or spend a day at the spa. This is your vacation, so you're always free to break away and do your own thing.

We meet as a group for lunches and après-ski. And for five of our evenings, we'll dine together in our fantastic hotel restaurants. One night will be a 'free night' for you to spend however you wish.

Prepare to bond; by the week's end, it'll be hard to believe that we've only spent a week together!
You must have a cell phone that will work while we are in Italy. It will need to be able to receive domestic SMS text messages, even when you are not on Wifi.

Trip leaders send up-to-the-minute text message alerts with itinerary information, transportation pickup times, lunch locations, weather advisories, and more. Additionally, the other trip participants text one another to coordinate their plans on the mountain. We advise against renting a SIM card for use while in Italy; this usually creates more problems than it solves. We recommend that you budget for an international plan that includes voice, data and SMS messaging.

View our communications guide for important information >
On the mountain: you should arrive in-country with all your skiing & snowboarding apparel. SKI BUMS requires our trip participants to wear helmets while skiing & riding. See our helpful guide, How to Dress for the Mountain, for suggestions. San Cassiano and the neighboring villages have ample gear & apparel shops, but prices will be a bit elevated, so pack wisely.

Off the mountain: all our events are casual dress. That said, Italians are nothing if not fashionable, and locals may dress up a bit when dining at St. Hubertus, our hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant. (Jeans are fine; you may might want to pack a collared shirt or a nice sweater.) The same thing goes for sightseeing in Venice. As you can pretty easily see, the BUMS are a casual, laid-back crowd; we aren't flashy. Be yourself, and be comfortable -- just as you would on any skiing / snowboarding trip.

A few vital packing tips:

+ Pack your skiing and snowboarding apparel in your carry on bag. Delayed luggage can arrive three days late; you won't want to have to buy all new stuff to make it onto the mountain.
+ Be sure to pack winter wear shoes with a good tread; expect snowy, icy streets.
+ Don't forget sunscreen for the high-altitude UV exposure, and a swimsuit for the hotel's pool!

Read our helpful tips on how to pack your gear for a skiing / snowboarding trip >
SKI BUMS detailed trip itineraries are designed to be viewed on any smart phone. Additionally, our trip leaders send up-to-the-minute alerts that you'll receive on your phone via SMS text messaging. It allows us to keep you in the loop and make smart adjustments based on the weather.

For this reason, you MUST have a cell phone that will work while we're in Italy.

IMPORTANT INFO: View our communications guide >
We limit the number of participants for all SKI BUMS trips. This trip will sell out.

Signing up is simple. You'll simply provide your information, then proceed to payment. You may sign up individually or as a couple.

After we've received your signup & payment, you'll receive an confirmation via email that you're registered for the trip.

GMAIL users: please be sure to check your Promotions Tab for our emails, and learn how to adjust Gmail's filters >
We can't lie -- one of the absolute favorite things about our 2010 trip to the Dolomites was the food, and if you do any research on the area, you'll notice that the cuisine draws many travelers to journey here. Yes, it really is that good. There are dozens of regional specialties of the Dolomites that represent the very best Italian cooking, and the whole area brims with the energy of Italy's famous hospitality. Plan to eat very well during our culinary adventures.

Read an excellent New York Times article on the cuisine of the Dolomites >

Our trip includes daily breakfasts and five multi-course gourmet dinners at our hotel. Three of those dinners are at the hotel's delicious grill, and two of them are in their award-winning St. Hubertus, which proudly boasts two Michelin stars. (All our group dinner menus include options for vegetarians and those with food allergies or other dietary restrictions.) The cost of these meals is included with the price; you'll simply pay for your drinks.

We'll have one free evening to venture out and choose among the area's other fantastic eateries.

For our lunches, we'll have suggested restaurants at on-mountain rifugi where we'll connect as a group -- the costs for these lunches is up to you. A typical lunch in a good rifugio costs about 30€ for three courses. Pizzas and pastas and salads are often priced in the teens.
We are happy to arrange roommates for you. Typically, half of our participants ask us to match them up with a roommate. We'll ask a few easy questions and accommodate your preferences.

If you prefer your own room, you may select a single occupancy. We collect the single occupancy supplement when you sign up (View "Pricing & Payment" below). Please note: there are only a small number of single occupancy slots available. Single occupancies tend to sell out very quickly.
We're feeling very lucky -- we've booked one of the finest hotels in the Italian Alps, the five-star Relaix & Chateaux hotel Rosa Alpina. This classy mountain retreat lies in the charming village of San Cassiano in Badia, just outside the slopes of Alta Badia. Here's what The Wall Street Journal had to say after a recent visit:

"The Hotel Rosa Alpina in San Cassiano is the only five-star lodging in the area, and lives up to expectations in terms of service and amenities. The rooms are particularly good; big and contemporary but decidedly cozy, with real fires and hip design touches, including open-plan tubs. The Rosa Alpina's other big draw is its two-star Michelin Restaurant St. Hubertus."

This gay-friendly property is decidedly cool, while maintaining a fantastic classy charm. Amenities include a full-service on-site spa and pool (with complimentary access), and many rooms feature cozy fireplaces. You may select single or double occupancy, and -- as in all classic European hotels -- the rooms can easily be prepared with one bed or two.

Travel +Leisure loves the Rosa Alpina > | The Wall Street Journal loves the Rosa Alpina >

Check out a rave review (and video) from the UK's Review Magazine >
The village of San Cassiano is charming and walkable; you'll find gear shops, cool cafes, and everything you need within easy walking distance of our hotel. The Rosa Alpina offers a complimentary shuttle service to bring us each day to the base of the lifts in Alta Badia.

The Dolomiti Superski area has a huge network of public buses which serve the area. Most skiers and riders rely on them to get from one village to another. Unlike our recent trips to St. Anton and Chamonix, it's very easy to ski and ride between the major ski areas here.

Additionally, there are ample private taxi vans which accommodate skiers and riders.

As with our other recent trips to the Alps, we'll be relying on a combination of free (and cheap) buses, supplementing with occasional taxi rides when we feel like it. If you're in the mood to rent a car, it's a great way to win friends and influence people!
The Dolomiti Superski trail map is massive. Individual resorts provide more detailed versions when you visit. View the full Dolomiti Superski > | View a detailed version of a few resort areas >
We highly recommend hiring private guides for a day or two, especially if you'd like to take the famous Sella Ronda tour. We'll provide pricing and more info to all participants about a month before the trip.

If you'd like to take skiing or snowboarding lessons, we recommend waiting until we arrive in Italy to visit ski schools and book your instructors, so you can book instructors at the specific resorts that the group will be visiting each day. See the daily plan below.

About half of our participants will rent skis or snowboards. We do NOT recommend reserving equipment in advance; despite the chance to save some Euros, it often locks you into a particular rental shop that may not have the specific gear you'd prefer to use. Instead, we'll encourage you to arrive at our hotel with enough time to shop around and pick up gear that suits you. The Front Desk will be happy to assist with directions and recommendations.
If you're new to the group or haven't joined us in a long time, click here to see how things work >
Want to see the SKI BUMS around the world who love the mountains as much as you do? When you post on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, use the hashtag #skibums!
Tell your friends about our adventure in the Dolomites!



Quite possibly the world's most famous costume party, the Venice Winter Carnival has been happening since the Middle Ages. It's over-the-top, it's ornate, and it's the inspiration for massive parties and costume balls, especially during the final weekend of our trip.

How can one describe the Carnivale? Imagine the fun-loving energy of Halloween, but decked out in Venetian masks, powdered wigs, flowing robes... and gondolas. Floating on canals. It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we're excited to invite you to take part in this incredible spectacle. Because the Carnival is immensely popular; the best hotels book up months in advance.

Read a guide to Venice Winter Carnival > | Read a GAY guide to Venice's Winter Carnival >


OPTIONAL ADD ON: CA'PISANI HOTEL IN VENICE

Accommodations for Saturday, February 7th are up to you. SKI BUMS has reserved 15 rooms at one of Venice's most stylish properties, the 4-star Ca'Pisani Design Hotel. They're available to our participants on a first-come, first-served basis. Our rate includes single or double occupancy accommodations in standard rooms, with breakfast included. We are happy to provide roommates for those who request them. See the hotel >

Read about Ca'Pisani in Conde Nast Traveler > | Read the TripAdvisor reviews >

We still have rooms available. To add a one or two night stay, you may select it at signup, or contact us before August 1st to add it to your package, pending availability. See pricing, below.



We've got lots of inside advice for those who are taking their first SKI BUMS trip. Click here >