BY EMMANUEL OGBONNA
Olympic spectators in Cortina d’Ampezzo will have a new way to explore one of the Dolomites’ most iconic landscapes, as Uber launches a monthlong snowmobile experience offering guided rides to the base of the Three Peaks of Lavaredo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The initiative begins Saturday and runs through February, coinciding with the height of the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The towering limestone pinnacles, known for their dramatic, jagged silhouettes, rise just 23 kilometers (14.3 miles) from the Olympic venues in Cortina, making them an appealing side trip for visitors seeking to pair world-class sport with alpine scenery. While the peaks draw hikers and climbers during warmer months, winter transforms the area into a quieter landscape of snowfields and forests, popular for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and sledding.
The snowmobile tours are operated by Snowdreamers, a Cortina-based winter activities company founded by Giulia Baffetti, who is also among the Olympic torchbearers for the Games. Snowdreamers partnered with Uber, the official ride-hailing sponsor of the Olympics, to offer free weekend tours to visitors in town during February. The service is branded as “Uber Snowmobile” and can be booked exclusively through the Uber app.
Participants are transported from Cortina in an Uber transfer bus that accommodates up to eight people. The group is then outfitted with helmets and briefed on safety before mounting individual snowmobiles for the journey. Riders travel in a single-file line, following an experienced instructor who sets the pace and guides the group along the designated route.
Demand for the first available reservations was strong, with initial slots filling quickly. Uber spokesperson Caspar Nixon said additional availability is planned to meet interest from Olympic visitors eager to experience the Dolomites beyond the competition venues.
Baffetti described the Three Peaks as a place of rare beauty and said the tours are designed to give visitors access while respecting environmental limits. Snowmobiling is permitted only along a restricted corridor in winter, part of broader efforts to protect the fragile alpine ecosystem.
“We want to give an experience to the tourists, so they can feel the mountains in a different way,” Baffetti said. “This landscape is special in every season, and winter offers a unique sense of scale and silence.”
The guided excursion lasts about an hour and covers roughly 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) each way. Riders can reach speeds of up to 40 kilometers per hour (25 miles per hour) on open stretches, slowing as the route passes skiers and sledders sharing the area. The snowmobiles are equipped with heated handgrips to combat the cold, as well as an emergency stop button that passengers can press if they feel unsafe or the vehicle strays off course.
The trail winds through snow-laden forest, where wildlife such as deer — and occasionally wolves — are known to appear. Near the base of the peaks, the landscape opens to reveal the southernmost Lavaredo pinnacle rising sharply above the valley floor, often piercing through low-lying fog. Even on overcast days, the sheer scale of the rock formations becomes more striking at close range than when viewed from Cortina.
On the return journey, the group makes a short loop around Lake Antorno, its frozen shoreline framed by surrounding peaks. Before navigating the final undulating stretches back, the instructor again reminds riders of the safety controls, underscoring the emphasis on caution as well as adventure.
Among those taking part ahead of the official launch was Saher Deeb, an Israeli tourist visiting Cortina to mark his 29th birthday. It was his first experience on a snowmobile, and he emerged from the ride smiling broadly.
“It was perfect,” he said, summing up a tour that blends Olympic excitement with a close encounter with one of Italy’s most celebrated mountain landscapes.