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Courmayeur - Skiing and Mountain Tourism in the Aosta Valley

Located at the foot of the Mont Blanc massif, between Val Vény and Val Ferret, Courmayeur is one of the oldest and most famous moutain resorts in Valle d'Aosta, highly regarded both for skiing in the winter and for relaxation or hiking during the other seasons. A few years ago, New York Times included Courmayeur among the 52 places in the world that must be visited, considering the balance between tourism and the protection of the natural environment.

How to Get to Courmayeur?

Located about 35 km away from the city of Aosta, Courmayeur is the last town you will encounter before crossing into France through the Mont Blanc Tunnel, which connects it to Chamonix.

If you haven't rented a car (the most convenient way to reach Valle d'Aosta), you can use the Arriva bus lines. Their main station is in Piazzale Monte Bianco, where there is also a ticket office and a tourist information desk. For more details, see our article How to Get to Aosta Valley.

During the ski season, there is a bus (Winter Bus) that provides free transport in the ski area of La Thuile - Pré Saint Didier - Courmayeur - Skyway Monte Bianco cable car.

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Skiing in Courmayeur

The Ski Area

The Courmayeur ski area spans two mountain faces (Chécrouit and Val Vény), with altitudes ranging from 1,224 m to 2,755 m. It features 33 slopes of varying difficulty (11 blue, 17 red, and 5 black), totaling over 100km of runs.

For advanced skiers looking for off-piste adventures, you can ski from an altitude of 3,480 m, just above Punta Helbronner.

Snow is guaranteed on 80% of the slopes thanks to an extensive network of artificial snowmaking facilities.

At an altitude of approximately 2,000 m, between the Aretù and Chécrouit slopes, there is a dedicated snowpark for freestyle skiing and snowboarding.

At Plan Chécrouit, near the arrival stations of the Courmayeur cable car and the Dolonne gondola, there is a Mini Club for children under 10 years old. It is called Bianca Neve Point Experience and is managed by the Monte Bianco Ski School and by the Lo Tatà Association.

In the hamlet of Dolonne, there is a Fun Park equipped with conveyor belts for children and beginner skiers.

Courmayeur is home to two ski and snowboard schools. Equipment can be rented either in town or at the base of the slopes.

Cross-country skiing enthusiasts can enjoy over 20km of trails located in Val Ferret.

Ski Lifts

The Courmayeur lift system consists of 6 cable cars, 2 gondolas, 8 chairlifts, 3 drag lifts, and 1 conveyor belt.

Access to the ski area is available via:

• Cable car from Courmayeur (1,224 m) to Plan Chécrouit (1,704 m); from there, you can connect to various chairlifts, gondolas, or drag lifts.
• Gondola from the hamlet of Dolonne (1,205 m) to Plan Chécrouit (1,704 m); from there, you can access the chairlifts, gondolas, or drag lifts.
• Cable car from the hamlet of Entrèves (1,306 m) to Pré de Pascal (1,912 m); from there, you can connect to the chairlifts.

Access to the upper slopes is provided by the cable car running from Col Chécrouit (2,256 m) to Youla (2,624 m) and Arp (2,755 m). From the Arp top station, several unmarked off-piste routes begin.

In addition to these, there are the two stages of the Skyway Monte Bianco cable car (Pavillon at 2,173m and Punta Helbronner at 3,466m). From these points, advanced skiers can access legendary off-piste runs: either toward Italy via the Toula Glacier or toward France across the Mer de Glace glacier down to Chamonix (the Vallee Blanche).

You can download the ski trail map from the official Courmayeur-MontBlanc website.

Courmayeur Ski Lift Operating Hours

The Courmayeur ski season runs from November 29, 2025, to April 6, 2026.

The operating schedule for the lifts is as follows:

• Monday-Friday: 8.45 AM - 5.00 PM
• Saturday-Sunday (and during the peak periods December 6-8, 2025; December 20, 2025; January 6, 2026; and February 14-March 8, 2026): 8.25 AM - 5.00 PM

The Courmayeur Cable Car operates daily until midnight (12:00 AM).

Courmayeur Skipass Prices

The ski area is managed by Mont Blanc Funivie.

All ski passes are loaded onto a physical keycard (costing €2). Keycards can be purchased online and collected from automated kiosks or ticket offices in Courmayeur, Dolonne, and Val Vény.

According to the latest legal regulations, helmets are mandatory for everyone - regardless of age - practicing skiing, snowboarding, or sledding.

Third-party liability insurance is mandatory for all skiers. In addition to liability, the insurance covers on-piste medical assistance (up to €200) and first-aid expenses. The insurance is linked to each individual skipass and is only activated if the on-piste medical service is requested at the site of the accident. The price of the insurance is €3.5 per adult per day, and €1.5 per child under 8 per day.

Low season is:

• November 29 - December 19, 2025
• January 7 - January 23, 2026
• March 9 - April 6, 2026

High season is:

• December 20, 2025 - January 6, 2026
• January 24 - March 8, 2026

Children under 8 (born after October 31, 2017) receive a free skipass if a supervising adult (18+) purchases the same type of pass simultaneously. Otherwise, standard rates apply.

Child under 8 = born after October 31, 2017

Child under 16 = born after October 31, 2009

Person under 24 = born after October 31, 2001

Senior = born before May 31, 1961

Discounts are only valid upon presentation of a valid ID.

Courmayeur skipasses can be purchased online.

Ski pass prices for the 2025-2026 season are:

Round trip: Dolonne gondola/ Courmayeur cable car + Maison Vieille chairlift (included skilift Tzaly and Chiecco) or Val Vény cable car (included Prato conveyer belt)

Full round trip: Dolonne gondola/ Courmayeur cable car + Chécrouit gondola + Youla and Arp cable cars, or Dolonne gondola/ Courmayeur cable car + Maison Vieille chairlift (included skilift Tzaly and Chiecco; note: the Maison Vieille chairlift can be used with the round trip ticket) 

Telepass = Telepass-supported tickets

Telepass = Telepass-supported tickets

Access to Skyway Monte Bianco is only permitted during the validity period of your skipass. Reservations are mandatory.

Days at Skyway Monte Bianco (reservation mandatory) or other Aosta Valley ski resorts must be used within the validity period of your skipass; these are not additional days

Exploring Courmayeur

Located at an altitude of 1224 m, Courmayeur (mentioned as Curia majori in 13th-century documents) is one of those resorts that seamlessly blends modern infrastructure with the charm of ancient mountain settlements. The town's relatively recent history is deeply tied to the mountains and mountaineering, a connection that is evident in its monuments and the names of its streets and squares.

In Courmayeur, you will find both the bustle of streets lined with restaurants, bars, and designer boutiques, as well as narrow alleys, stone houses, and the tranquility of small mountain villages.

In addition to the central part, Courmayeur also includes 9 hamlets (frazioni) scattered throughout the surrounding area: Dolonne, Entrèves, La Palud, Villair Dessous, Villair Dessus, Larzey, La Villette, Entrelevie, and La Saxe.

A tour through Courmayeur won't take more than 30 minutes to an hour, perhaps a bit longer if you wish to wander through one of the hamlets.

The walk we suggest begins at Piazzale Monte Bianco, where the main bus station is located. From there, head upward along Vicolo della Chiesa. After climbing a few steps, you will arrive in Piazza Abbé Henry. Don't stop here just yet, as the tour will eventually lead you back to this spot. Instead, head to the right and enter Via Roma.

Measuring about one kilometer, Via Roma is the main pedestrian street in Courmayeur. It is the right place for those who want to go shopping, buy local products, or stop at a terrace or a restaurant.

Continuing along Via Roma after the intersection with Via Marconi, you will find yourself in Piazzetta Jardin dell'Ange. The modern structure, which you will certainly notice, is a space for events.

On the other side of the street stands a two-story building with arches. Until a few decades ago, this was the site of Hotel Ange, one of Courmayeur's historic hotels and among the first to offer hot water and electricity in its 100 rooms. With its beautiful frescoed salons, the hotel was a prime example of elegance and hospitality during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Its history began in 1711 and came to an end in the 1980s when the last owner, lacking heirs, sold it to a company that converted it into apartments and retail space.

A bit further along, in Piazza Petigax, you will find the Waldensian Evangelical Church, the oldest of its kind in the Aosta Valley. The Waldensian community has been present in Courmayeur since around the mid-19th century. Religious services take place only during the summer on Sundays; during the rest of the year, the church is used to host various exhibitions. Today, active Waldensian communities remain only in Courmayeur and the city of Aosta.

To the left of the church rises the Malluquin Tower, which takes its name from the family that owned it in the 13th century. From time to time, the tower hosts various exhibitions.

In the same square, you will find another of Courmayeur's historic hotels: Hotel Royal e Golf, built in 1854. Among the hotel's illustrious guests was Queen Margherita of Savoy (who is buried in the Pantheon in Rome); the hotel added "Royal" to its name in her honor. The building was later reconstructed in 1953.

Opposite the hotel, on the other side of the street, you can admire a public laundry that dates back to 1880.

Now head up Via Donzelli and, at the end of the street, turn left onto the peaceful Via Marconi. In just a few minutes, you will find yourself back on Via Roma.

Perhaps you're already in the mood for a break. If so, we recommend a place with a historic atmosphere: Caffè della Posta, located just to your left. The café was established in 1911 near Courmayeur's post office (hence the name). It has long served as a meeting spot for locals, as well as a stopover for famous figures like actor Errol Flynn, various princes, counts, marquesses, and even King Farouk of Egypt.

Take a seat in one of the café's rooms, admire the beautiful 17th-century coffered ceiling, and order a coffee, a snack, or - why not - a génépy. It was here that we discovered it can also be served warm to "warm your soul" on cold days. If you're not sure what génépy is, check out our article on What to Eat in the Aosta Valley.

If you're ready to set off again, head back to the left and you will arrive once more in Piazza Abbé Henry, the starting point of your tour through Courmayeur's historic center. This is the town's main square, dedicated to Abbé Joseph-Marie Henry - a priest, mountaineer, botanist, meteorologist, historian, and writer. Among his many achievements, he created the Chanousia botanical garden on Colle del Piccolo San Bernardo and the botanical park at Plan Gorret in Courmayeur.

The square offers a beautiful view of the hamlet of Dolonne, located on the other side of the Dora Baltea river, as well as the Plan Chécrouit ski area.

The main monument in the square is the Church of San Pantaleone (Saint Pantaleon). He is the patron saint of Courmayeur, and a traditional festival is held in his honor every year on July 27th. While the church dates back to the 18th century, its bell tower is much older, originating from the 11th–12th centuries.

To the left of the church entrance, you will find the Mountaineers' Monument, dedicated to Mario Puchoz, Giuseppe Petigax, and Emile Rey - who was nicknamed "The Prince of Guides".

Opposite the church stands the beautiful building of the Duca degli Abruzzi Alpine Museum. Inaugurated in 1929 at the request of the Italian explorer Luigi Amedeo di Savoia (Duke of the Abruzzi), the museum showcases the evolution of mountaineering, the work of alpine guides, and various expeditions both within and outside of Europe. It also serves as the headquarters for the Courmayeur Alpine Guides Society, the first of its kind in Italy, founded in 1850.

Also in Piazza Abbé Henry, you will find the monument dedicated to the alpine guide Felix Ollier, who died in 1900 during the expedition to conquer the North Pole. The expedition was organized by the same explorer, Luigi Amedeo di Savoia, and the crew included four mountain guides from Courmayeur. Felix Ollier was the only one among them who never returned. The plaque at the base of the monument reads: "To Felice Ollier / alpine guide / disappeared in the ice of the Arctic Ocean / in the sled expedition to the North Pole / March 1900 / Luigi di Savoia".

On the building to the right of the monument (Casa Guédoz) you will see a sundial. It was created in 1920 at the request of Captain Enrico Alberto d'Albertis, a native of Genoa, who wanted to bring "Etna time" to the foot of the Mont Blanc massif. The sundial is also dedicated to the alpine guide Felix Ollier.

At the top, several verses commemorate the 1899 expedition: "A sad guardian, I mark the hours / near the Holy Cross that remembers / a Valdostan guide of great worth. / Polar ice, tropical heat, / you have faced them all, proud alpine men, / even the barbaric furies of war."

At the bottom, a motto is written in French: Quelle heure est-il? C'est l'heure de bien faire ("What time is it? It is time to do good"). The sundial, which was destroyed in the late 1970s, was restored in 2017.

You can conclude your tour here or, if you are still in the mood for a walk, you can continue for about 45 more minutes by taking a detour in the opposite direction of the center, through the hamlets of Larzey and La Saxe.

To do this, continue along the street to the left of the Alpine Museum and, crossing Piazza Brocherel (Jules Brocherel was an ethnographer, journalist, photographer, botanist, climatologist, and a promoter of tourism in the Aosta Valley), enter Viale Monte Bianco. On your right, you will see the bust of the poet Giosuè Carducci, who first visited Courmayeur in 1887 and dedicated a poem to it.

Immediately after this is the Courmayeur Town Hall. It was built in 1930 as a primary school, funded by a donation from Countess Noemi Marone Cinzano (from the family that created Cinzano vermouth in Turin in 1757). Next to the Town Hall lies Parco della Rimembranza ("Remembrance Park"), established in memory of the heroes who fell during the two World Wars.

Continue straight on Viale Monte Bianco and, at the intersection, proceed onto Via dei Bagni. You are now in the hamlet of Larzey. On your left, you will see a small church built in 1661, dedicated to San Germano (Saint Germain), the patron saint of children.

Continue on your way and, after crossing the Val Sapin river, turn right onto Via Col Ferret toward the hamlet of La Saxe.

The road climbs gently along narrow streets barely wide enough for a car, winding through old wood and stone houses built in the traditional alpine architectural style. If you look closely, you will see niches high up on the walls featuring busts of kings or even wooden skis used as decorations.

Once you reach Strada Grand Ru, turn back to the right in the direction of Courmayeur. Cross the Val Sapin river once more and continue to the end of the street, then turn right onto Strada del Villair, which will lead you back into the town center at Piazza Abbé Henry.

Where to Stay in Courmayeur?

As a historic resort, Courmayeur boasts an infrastructure to match, making it quite easy to find accommodation. Decide which part of town to stay in based on your budget, as well as the activities you plan to do (skiing, hiking, or simply relaxing). Often, hotels located further from the ski area offer a free shuttle bus to the slopes. For apartment rentals, you can also check the Vrbo website.

Hotels in the Center

Choose accommodation in Courmayeur's historic center if you want bars, restaurants, and shops right at your fingertips, if you enjoy evening strolls, and if you like the typical hustle and bustle of central streets.

The most luxurious hotel in this area is the historic one mentioned above: Grand Hotel Royal e Golf, located right in the center on Via Roma.

Good 4-star hotels options include Hotel Berthod, Maison Saint Jean, and Hotel Lo Scoiattolo.

At the 3-star level, you can find Hotel Croux, Hotel Courmayeur, Hotel Crampon, and Hotel Bouton d'Or, while a fairly well-rated 2-star option is Hotel Cristallo.

If you prefer apartments, some of the most popular options in the center are Maison Luboz, Maison Glarey Courmayeur 0023, Appartamento Claire, Appartamenti dei Giardini, L.A. Suite Courmayeur, and L'Atelier du Temps Downtown are among the most appreciated in the center.

Hotels near the Ski Slopes

If you are a passionate skier and want to be in the heart of the action, you can stay at Hotel Super G, located... directly on the ski area at Plan Chécrouit, where the Courmayeur cable car and the Dolonne gondola arrive.

Not far from the historic center - about a 10-minute walk - is the Courmayeur cable car, which has several accommodation units nearby, offering the advantage of proximity to both the slopes and the center. Among them are the 3-star Hotel Triolet, the Au Coeur des Neiges & SPA complex, and apartments such as Maison Simone, Petite Maison, Lo Chalet, and Chalet Blanc Coeur Sapin.

Staying in the hamlet of Dolonne means being very close to the Dolonne gondola and the Fun Park, but about a 20-minute walk from the center of Courmayeur. Some of the highest-rated options include Hotel Stella del Nord, Hotel Dolonne, Hotel Lo Campagnar, Hotel Ottoz Meublé (all 3-star), and apartments like La Maison de Elisa, Majon Samuel, and Casa Dolonne.

If you choose to stay in the hamlet of Entrèves, you will be close to the Val Vény and Skyway Monte Bianco cable cars, but you will need to use a bus or car to reach Courmayeur. The most appreciated are Auberge de la Maison (5-star), Hotel Shatush, Hotel Pilier d'Angle & Wellness, Hotel Aigle, and Locanda La Brenva - Estella Hotel Collection (all 3-star), as well as the Maison Altea guesthouse.

A special hotel (especially if you are traveling with children) is the 3-star La Grange - Animal Chic Hotel, where animals large and small greet you at the farm or even inside the hotel.

Hotels Further from the Center and the Ski Slopes

Plenty of accommodation options can be found in the hamlets of La Villette, Larzey, La Saxe, or Villair. These are well worth considering as they often offer better rates, spa centers, superior views, a more picturesque natural setting, or higher quality services.

Notable options include the 5-star Grand Hotel Courmayeur Mont Blanc, the 4-star Gran Baita Hotel & Wellness and Hotel Chalet Svizzero, the 3-star Maison La Saxe, Chalet Plan Gorret, and Hotel dei Camosci, as well as Le Rêve and Maison I Love Mont Blanc.