Italy
Stelvio Pass usually opens late may and shuts early november. Those dates move with the snow every single year, so a late spring can hold the opening back by two or three weeks and an early autumn storm can close it without warning.
The pass road runs Bormio to Prato allo Stelvio in Lombardy and South Tyrol, Italy, 30.4 miles that take about 1 hr 32 min if you drive it properly rather than chase it. We score it 9.8 out of 10 for driving and 9.9 out of 10 for scenery.
Forty eight hairpins on the north side. Closed to traffic for one Sunday each late summer for the cycling day.
Summit
2757 m
Typically opens
Late May
Typically closes
Early November
Country
Italy
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Opening dates reflect the long term pattern of the pass, not a single season. Always check on the day. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 8 April 2026
The drive
Eighty four hairpins stacked above the treeline make this Europe's most theatrical mountain pass.
Hotels
Tracing the road between your start and finish
0%About 20 seconds left
Nearby
1.2 mi away
Switzerland's link into the Stelvio is a quieter alternative with the same drama.
13 mi away
A narrow, unguarded ribbon past Lago Nero that feels wilder than its famous neighbour.
21.1 mi away
Cycling's cruellest climb doubles as a brutally steep, tightly hairpinned driving test.
22.4 mi away
Glaciers hang over the road as it threads past turquoise Lago Bianco to the Poschiavo valley.
28 mi away
Twenty nine hairpins to a glacier at 2750 metres, one of the great dead end drives.
Common questions
Stelvio Pass typically opens late may and closes early november. Treat that as a planning window rather than a promise, because the snow decides the date.
The summit sits at 2757 metres in Italy.
About 1 hr 32 min for the 30.4 miles between Bormio and Prato allo Stelvio, without stops. Allow twice that if you want photographs and a coffee at the top.
We rate it 9.8 out of 10 for driving and 9.9 out of 10 for scenery, which puts it among the roads worth building a trip around.