Alta Badia is the upper Val Badia, with the villages of Corvara, Colfosco, La Villa, San Cassiano, Badia and La Val, at 1,300 to 1,700 metres. Surrounding it stand the Sella, Puez and Fanes groups — all part of the UNESCO World Heritage Dolomites.

From a skier's point of view, location is the decisive factor: Corvara sits directly on the Sella massif, and the Sellaronda starts practically at the door. The circuit crosses four passes through Val Gardena, Arabba and Val di Fassa, and can be skied in a day, in either clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. All areas belong to Dolomiti Superski, so a single ski pass suffices.

The pistes in the valley itself are mostly wide and of medium difficulty, well-groomed and sunny — classic cruising terrain. One exception is the Gran Risa near La Villa, a World Cup slope for decades and a serious challenge for regular skiers. Alta Badia counts a total of around 130 piste kilometres within its own boundaries, expanded via connections to the whole Dolomiti Superski network.