Sestriere Things to Do
What is there to do in Sestriere besides skiing?
More than the town's looks suggest — and two things you'd struggle to do anywhere else. Let's be straight first: Sestriere was built in the 1930s to put people on skis, so it doesn't have the cobbled-lane charm of an old Alpine village to wander round. What it does have is a proper set of snow activities, a genuinely useful sports centre and pool for the day your legs give up, and two options almost no other ski resort can offer — heli-skiing, which is legal here and banned across the border in France, and a major city within easy reach for a day away from the mountain altogether.
The rest is a solid list: husky sledding on a dedicated track, snowmobiles and tubing at the Winter Park, an outdoor ice rink, snowshoe routes straight out of the villages, and a cinema and a wine cellar for the evenings. Mixed groups do well here, because the town is small and flat enough that a non-skier isn't stranded.
We keep this page free of prices and opening times, because both move every season. For what's actually running in the week you're there, the Sestriere tourist office keeps the current list. Sorting where to stay first? See where to stay in Sestriere.
See what's on the snow
Snow days without skis on your feet
You don't need to be on a lift pass to have a proper day on the mountain. These are the ones worth booking, and most of them work for mixed ages.
- Husky sledding — the pick of the lotSestriere has a dedicated dog-sledding track, and the good bit is that you don't just sit in the sled: after a briefing you drive your own team of Siberian huskies, with an instructor showing you how to talk to the dogs and how to help them on the climbs. Younger children ride as passengers with the instructor, so the whole family goes out together. Run by The Husky Experience, who have been doing this professionally here since the mid-nineties. Book ahead — the sleds go quickly in holiday weeks.
- Snowshoeing — the cheapest good day outThe easiest way to get into the quiet parts of the mountain, and it costs almost nothing if you hire the shoes. The route locals point people at is the balconata path from Borgata, out the back of the resort: gently downhill, big open views across the valley, and no real fitness barrier. Guided outings run too if you'd rather have someone read the snow for you. Routes and current conditions are on the tourist office site.
- The Winter Park — snowmobiles and tubingOver by the Olympic village, this is the catch-all for people who want a go at something without committing to a whole day: snowmobile runs, snow tubing down a dedicated lane, and huskies on site. Good for teenagers, good for a spare afternoon, and good for anyone who's decided they're done with skiing by Thursday.
- The ice rink at Piazzale KandaharAn outdoor rink in the middle of town, which on a clear evening under the mountains is a lovely, cheap couple of hours. It isn't only skating either — the rink hosts curling and broomball sessions, which are far more fun than they sound and work well for a group who fancy a laugh rather than a workout.
The bigger adventures
If you want the day you'll still be talking about next winter, it's one of these. Two are worth planning the trip around.
- Heli-skiing — and why you can only do it on this sideThis is the genuine one-off. Heli-skiing is banned in France, so for a lot of British skiers a week in Sestriere is the closest they'll get to it without a long-haul flight. You're flown up to terrain no lift reaches and ski down with a mountain guide, and it is not a beginner's outing — you need to be a confident off-piste skier and fit enough to enjoy it. It's arranged locally through guides rather than bought on a lift pass, weather and snow permitting, and it costs what you'd expect. Ask at the tourist office or through your accommodation for who's flying this season.
- Pragelato — ice driving and biathlon, ten minutes awayDown the other side of the col, Pragelato was one of the 2006 Olympic venues and still has the facilities to show for it. It's where to go for ice driving on a closed circuit, a biathlon session with rifle and cross-country skis, and snowmobile excursions. A short transfer from Sestriere and a completely different day from anything on the pistes.
- Dinner up the mountainSeveral of the mountain refuges open in the evening and run you up by snowcat or snowmobile after the lifts have shut — dinner in a warm room at altitude, then back down in the dark. It's the single best night out in the resort and it needs booking. We cover which ones do it on the Sestriere restaurants guide.
Bad weather, or legs that have had enough
Sestriere is better equipped indoors than a resort this size has any right to be, and nearly all of it is walkable from the middle of town.
- The pool — and the view from itThe town's swimming pool has both an indoor and an outdoor section, and the outdoor part looks straight out at the pistes and down the valley. Swimming outside in the snow with the mountain in front of you is a strange and very good way to spend a rest afternoon, and it's one of the better-value things in resort.
- Sestriere Sport CenterThe proper bad-weather answer: a gym, squash and tennis, five-a-side and other court sports, indoor golf and a climbing wall, with a small wellness area attached. It's genuinely useful rather than a token indoor option, and it's the place to send teenagers who are bouncing off the walls of the apartment.
- Wine tasting in the Grand Hotel cellarUnder the Grand Hotel, La Vineria del Colle runs tastings through the season from a cellar with a serious list — strong on Piedmont, which is one of the great wine regions and right on the doorstep. A civilised couple of hours, and a better rest-day idea than another coffee. Book through the hotel.
- Cinema, spas and a quiet eveningThere's a cinema in the centre of town with children's screenings as well as evening films, and several hotels sell spa and massage access to non-residents, which is the right call after four days of Olympic reds. Ask at your accommodation — most will book it for you.
Two days out worth leaving the resort for
Most ski resorts are a long way from anywhere. Sestriere isn't, and it's the resort's most underrated feature.
- Turin — a proper city, down the motorwayVery few Alpine resorts have a city like this within reach, and almost nobody uses it. Turin is elegant, arcaded and largely undiscovered by British visitors: it holds one of the world's great Egyptian collections, the Mole Antonelliana with the national cinema museum inside it, grand nineteenth-century cafés that invented the local chocolate-and-coffee habit, and some of the best aperitivo in Italy. If the forecast is bad for a day, or someone in the group has quietly had enough of snow, this is the answer. It's a straightforward run down the motorway, and it's easiest with a hire car — the train works from Oulx if you'd rather not drive.
- The Monty Express luge, MontgènevreIf you're skiing the far end of the circuit, this is worth building the day around. The Monty Express is a rail-mounted toboggan at Montgènevre and the longest run of its kind in France: you ride up on the Chalvet gondola, get into your own sled, and drop 1,400 metres of track through the forest and two tunnels, controlling your own brakes the whole way. It runs in winter as well as summer and the track is lit for night descents, which is the version to do if you can. Children can ride alone above a minimum height and smaller ones go down with an adult — check the current limit when you book at Montgènevre. Worth remembering it's a long way west: check your pass covers Montgènevre and keep an eye on the last lift home, or plan to come back by road.
Back on the snow tomorrow? Sort the kit today
Sestriere hire is something we sell ourselves, not an affiliate link. We work directly with Maison Clataud in town, so booking through us gets you 15% off the shop's own counter price on skis, boards and boots — fitted properly, and ready when you arrive.
See Sestriere ski hire →
Sort the rest of your Sestriere trip
The activities are the fun part. Here's everything else worth booking before you go.
Ski hire in Sestriere
Booked directly with Maison Clataud in town — 15% off the shop's counter price, collected in resort.
Where to stay in Sestriere
Compare hotels, apartments and chalets, and pick a base close to the pool, the rink and the bus stop.
Airport transfers to Sestriere
Turin is close enough that you can land in the morning and be on the hill the same afternoon.
Lessons in Sestriere
Group or private tuition with local instructors, chosen on reviews and price rather than whoever's nearest.
Things to do in Sestriere: common questions
What is there to do in Sestriere besides skiing?
Husky sledding on a dedicated track, snowshoe routes from the villages, snowmobiles and tubing at the Winter Park, an outdoor ice rink that also runs curling and broomball, a swimming pool with an outdoor section looking at the pistes, and a sports centre with a gym, courts and a climbing wall. In the evenings there's a cinema and wine tasting in the Grand Hotel cellar. Two bigger options stand out: heli-skiing, and a day trip to Turin.
Can you go heli-skiing in Sestriere?
Yes, and it's one of the resort's real selling points, because heli-skiing is banned in France. You're flown to terrain no lift reaches and ski down with a mountain guide. It's for confident off-piste skiers rather than beginners, it depends entirely on weather and snow, and it's arranged locally through guides rather than bought with a lift pass. Ask at the tourist office or through your accommodation for who's operating in the season you're visiting.
Can non-skiers enjoy a holiday in Sestriere?
Yes, more easily than in a lot of resorts. The town is small and flat, so nobody is stranded waiting for a bus, and the pool, sports centre, ice rink, snowshoe routes, husky sledding and cinema need no ski legs at all. A day out in Turin gives a non-skier a proper alternative if the group is skiing.
What can you do in Sestriere on a bad-weather day?
The Sestriere Sport Center is the main answer, with a gym, squash and tennis, court sports, indoor golf and a climbing wall. The swimming pool has an indoor section, there's a cinema in the centre of town, several hotels sell spa access to non-residents, and the Grand Hotel cellar runs wine tastings. If the whole week looks bad, a day in Turin is the better move.
Is Turin worth a day trip from Sestriere?
Very much so, and hardly anyone does it. Turin is an elegant arcaded city with one of the world's great Egyptian collections, the Mole Antonelliana and its cinema museum, historic cafés and excellent food and aperitivo. It's a straightforward run down the motorway and easiest by car, though the train from Oulx works too. Few ski resorts have a city of that quality within reach.
Is there a toboggan run near Sestriere?
The best one on the circuit is at Montgènevre, at the French end: the Monty Express, a rail-mounted luge and the longest of its kind in France. You ride up on the Chalvet gondola and drop 1,400 metres of track through forest and two tunnels, controlling your own brakes. It runs in winter as well as summer and is lit for night descents. Children can ride alone above a minimum height, with smaller ones going down with an adult, so check the current limit when you book.
What activities can families do in Sestriere?
Husky sledding is the standout, and it's set up so younger children ride with the instructor while older ones drive their own team. Beyond that there's snow tubing and snowmobiles at the Winter Park, skating and broomball at the ice rink, the swimming pool, and the sports centre for a wet afternoon. The Monty Express luge at Montgènevre is a good family day if you're heading that way.
Done something good in Sestriere? Tell us
Activities and operators change from one season to the next. If there's something worth doing that isn't on this list, tell us and we'll go and check it out. We read and check every tip before anything goes live.
Get your ski hire booked
We sell Sestriere hire ourselves, direct with Maison Clataud — 15% off the shop's own counter price, ready to collect in resort.
See Sestriere ski hire →