The Dolomite passes: driving the loop by car, motorbike and bike

The four-pass loop: the Sellaronda by road

The classic route is the loop around the Sella group, the Sellaronda by road. Four passes in a row, Pordoi, Sella, Gardena and Campolongo, for around fifty kilometres you can close in half a day, but which change the view at every hairpin.

You can drive it either way, starting from Arabba, from Val Gardena, from Alta Badia or from Val di Fassa: the beauty of it is that the Sella group stays at the centre the whole time, a huge castle of rock you circle around. At the passes you'll find huts to stop and eat with a view.

If you have time, extend toward the nearby passes, the Falzarego and the Giau, and turn the loop into a full day on some of the finest roads in Europe. A tip from someone who drives them often: set off early, because in high season the passes clog up after mid-morning.

• The loop: Pordoi, Sella, Gardena, Campolongo around the Sella
• Length: around fifty km, half a day
• Start anywhere: Arabba, Val Gardena, Alta Badia or Val di Fassa
• To add: Falzarego and Giau for the full day

The finest passes, one by one

Passo Pordoi, at 2,239 metres, is the highest of the paved passes on the Sella group and a legend of the Giro d'Italia. From here the cable car climbs to the Sass Pordoi, the panoramic terrace facing the Marmolada and dozens of groups. Just below starts the Viel del Pan trail, the balcony with the Queen in front of you the whole way.

Passo Sella gives you the close-up view of the Sassolungo and the City of Stones. Passo Gardena closes the loop toward Alta Badia, at the foot of the Sella towers. And then there's Passo Giau, for many the most scenic of them all, with its hairpins and the amphitheatre of peaks that opens at the top.

Don't forget the Falzarego, above Cortina, where the cable car climbs to the Lagazuoi among tunnels and trenches of the Great War, with the Cinque Torri not far off. Each pass has its own character: there's the stern one, the gentle one, the one that takes your breath away at the last bend.

By motorbike: two-wheel heaven

For motorcyclists the Dolomite passes are a kind of pilgrimage. Hairpins in series, tarmac in good shape and views that keep changing: in summer you cross bikes that came from half of Europe, with Germany and Austria in the front row.

The road, though, deserves respect. These are mountain crossings with steep gradients, blind bends and mixed traffic of cars, cyclists and coaches. On the way down use engine braking so you don't overheat the brakes, keep a clean line through the hairpins, and watch out for cyclists, who are everywhere. Speed is pointless: up here you go slowly to look around.

Keep an eye on checks and noise too: in recent years complaints about overly loud bikes on the passes have led to more controls. Enjoy the ride without overdoing it, that's the right way to live them.

On a road bike: the climbs of the champions

If you love road cycling, here you'll find the climbs that make the history of the sport. Pordoi, Sella, Gardena and Giau are names cyclists tell each other, and every hairpin is a small victory.

The highlight is the days made for cyclists, when some passes are closed to cars and left to bikes alone, like the Sellaronda Bike Day. And there's the Maratona dles Dolomites, the Alta Badia gran fondo that every year draws thousands of enthusiasts.

If you want the detail on cycle paths, e-bikes and climbs, take a look at the guide on cycling in the Dolomites.

Access limits and booking: check before you set off

There's one thing worth knowing. For a few years now the busiest passes of the Sella group, Pordoi, Sella, Gardena and Campolongo, can have regulated access on certain summer days and time slots, to manage traffic and cut pollution. In some cases you need an online booking to drive or ride up.

The rules change every year and don't apply to every pass in the same way, so the smart move is to check before you set off what's planned for the current season and for the pass you're interested in. Finding the pass closed or having to book at the last minute is an avoidable hassle.

To sort out transport, timing and organisation, the site's travel guide is useful.

Where to stop: breaks, views and pass huts

The great thing about the passes is that they invite you to stop. On almost every crossing there's a hut or a chalet where you can catch your breath and eat something with a view that's worth the trip. The Sass Pordoi and the Lagazuoi are reached by cable car straight from the passes, and in a few minutes you're above 2,700 metres.

The best breaks are often the short ones: the Viel del Pan trail from the Pordoi, the walk among the trenches at the Lagazuoi from the Falzarego, the terrace at the top of the Giau. Walks of a few minutes or a few hours that turn a drive into a memory.

If you're planning the loop, alternate driving and stops: a pass, a short walk, a coffee at a hut. That's how the Dolomite passes give their best.

When to go (and when to avoid it)

The high-altitude passes are usually open from late spring to mid-autumn, roughly June to October. In winter several crossings close for snow, while others stay open because they serve the ski areas. At the start and end of the season, always check the state of the roads.

In high summer the passes are wonderful but busy, especially in the middle of the day and at weekends. The best hours are early morning and late afternoon, when the light is soft and the road is clearer. September, as with the rest of the Dolomites, combines pleasant weather and fewer people.

To choose the period based on what you're after, there's the guide on when to go to the Dolomites.