The Best Mountain Biking Trails in Dolomites

This ride is a great introduction to riding in the Sella region and features enough interesting terrain to make a good warmup, but not enough to trouble any biker, even a beginner....

Many people believe that the Dolomites is home to only 2 official languages - German and Italian - but there is actually a third language spoken in the region; Ladin. This (frankly strange-sounding) language doesn't bear much resemblance to either German or Italian and hearing it in the villages of the Dolomites is a bit of a shock to the system! This ride takes you right through the heart of the Ladin Dolomites, and the name of this trail "Tru De Lersc" means "Larch (lersc) Trail (tru)"....

This is a brilliant ride which doesn't demand too much of you but gives you some solitude, and takes you beneath and alongside some staggering scenery. Typical Dolomitic limestone towers loom above you for the entire route, and you'll also visit the famous Cascata Pisciadú - a stunning waterfall which is not nearly as busy as more easily-accessed tourist attractions....

A classic ride through some the heart of Ladin country, this is a must do for any intermediate rider who wants to know what the Dolomites is all about. The ride starts and finishes in Badia - a lovely little village which is worth a bit of your time before or after your adventure....

If you want to see some epic scenery and take a bike tour of some rarely-visited little villages, this is the ride for you! From Arabba go to the cable car parking area and then to the right of a river on a track which climbs though the forest and then descends steeply to Renaz....

This isn't so much of a bike trail as a way of getting away from the crowds and into the wilder parts of the Sella Ronda. The riding is pretty straightforward and simply involves rolling down wide tracks - the only technicality being the need to negotiate the occasional bit of loose gravel....

This is a superb half day ride which encapsulates much of what riding in this area is all about - epic scenery and fast, flowing trails. There are several ways of doing the ascent, depending on how energetic you're feeling, but we've described and drawn the toughest way here....

There's no getting around the fact that this is a huge ride, and all but the strongest of mountain athletes will choose to either break it into 2 days or just do one section of it....

This is a great journey, with a wide variety of detours and options. Start by riding away from the Gran Paradiso chairlift and following an easy, busy track which leads to the Passo Sella....

On the tougher (anti-clockwise) version of the Sella Ronda, this is one the best sections of riding. The views aren't bad either! The ride begins from the top of the Pecol-Col Rossi gondola and the first section is an easy roll along a shared use trail to the Rifugio Baita Fredarola....

This long, wild and adventurous part of the Sella Ronda begins at the top of the Vauz-Pordoï (Fodom) gondola, right on the Passo Pordoï. It's possible to drive, hike or bike up to Passo Pordoï but the gondola is certainly the most enjoyable option! Regardless of how you got there, the Passo Pordoï is a beautiful place which is worth exploring briefly....

After a long and tough section from Passo Pordoï to the Plans- Frara gondola, not many riders can (or should!) resist a drink on the terrace of the Rifugio Jimmi, the start point for this trail....

Starting above the Passo Gardena and finishing down in the village of Corvara, this is a fabulous long descent taking in everything from wooden ramps to smooth trails and fast singletrack....

Starting with an uphill section on a shared use trail, this is one of the longer uninterrupted sections of the Sella Ronda clockwise route. That initial climb is, frankly, a bit of a slog and the crowds on the trail mean that you can't ride it quickly for fear of causing a collision....

In an incredibly strong field, this might be the most scenic part of the entire Sella Ronda trail. At the top of the Araba DMC2 gondola you're greeted with a huge vista across the highest peak in the Dolomites - the majestic Marmolada....

After a lot of bumpy and technical trails on the clockwise Sella Ronda, this is a real change of pace and style. The route begins with a slightly awkward descent to the Passo Sella, and then a re-ascent along a wide track to the top of the Gran Paradiso chairlift....

Although this ride takes you high above many deep mountain valleys, you never actually drop into them and throughout the journey there's a wonderful feeling of hanging high above the "real" world....

This is an utterly amazing trip through some of the best scenery and trickiest riding the Dolomites have to offer. Start out in Arabba and head up to Varda on the road....

A logical and satisfying loop, this ride encompasses much of what makes the Dolomites special - amazing riding, huge scenery and a wonderful mountain huts. Start from the Passo Capolongo and take the white gravel track uphill towards Cherz and the Rifugio of the same name....

The second hardest section of riding on the Sella Ronda (after the Infinity Trail) and possibly the most enjoyable bit of the entire trip, this is a fabulous descent. The route starts at the top of the Campolongo - Bec de Roces chairlift and from there it's a fun and technical trip down to Arabba....