Hakuba Ski Resort is one of Japan’s most renowned places to ski or snowboard. With a total of 10 resorts and one easy pass to reach them all, exploring Hakuba Ski Resort is easy and worth it for the views and terrain to explore.

Whether you’re spending multiple days or just one day in Hakuba Ski Resort, there’s no shortage of trails to explore and terrain to cover throughout the various resorts around Hakuba.

Whether you’re an absolute beginner or a seasoned pro at skiing/snowboarding, you’ll find something along the thousands of kilometers or snowy runs covering the 10 resorts of Hakuba.

So read on for everything you need to know about hitting the slopes at Hakuba Ski Resort!

 

What is Hakuba Ski Resort?

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Hakuba Ski Resort is actually multiple ski hills along the Hakuba valley – 10 of them to be exact. The size of hills, length, and difficulty of terrain, number, and types of lifts available vary between one ski resort to the next.

Hakuba Ski Resort is a paradise for those chasing thrills along the snowy trails of Hakuba. If you’re into snowboarding or skiing in Hakuba, there is a huge range of tracks available.

 

Where is Hakuba Ski Resort?

Hakuba Ski Resort is located in between Nagano, Matsumoto and Toyama cities in Japan.

Hakuba is a little under 4 hours drive northwest from Tokyo, Japan’s capital city. If you don’t have your own wheels, Hakuba is accessible from a number of different locations around Japan, which vary on distance and time.

Shinkansen high-speed train to Nagano is the fastest way to get from Tokyo to Hakuba. A one-way ticket costs 11,000 Yen ($103 USD). From here, it’s under an hour to get to Hakuba. Coupled with the JR Line, catching a train to Hakuba is very easy and quick. This route also required a shuttle bus from Shinkansen Station in Nagano to Hakuba Valley. It takes around 2 hours and 40 minutes from Tokyo and 4 hours and 45 minutes from Osaka to get to Hakuba Valley.

If you would rather not change from train to bus, a shuttle bus operates to Hakuba Valley from

• Tokyo and Narita Airport
• Osaka and Kyoto
• Matsumoto
• Nagano

 

What to do at Hakuba Ski Resort?

 

As the name implies, skiing at Hakuba is the most common activity (that includes snowboarding as well).

With so many resorts on offer, picking exactly what you want, from types and difficulty of the terrain to length of runs and lifts available is easily done. You can also jump from resort to resort throughout Hakuba Valley.

The best part of skiing at Hakuba Valley is that all these resorts are tied under the same ticket price. So, you can buy a 1 to 7-day ticket, depending on how often you want to ski in Hakuba, and have access to all of the resorts. Pretty cool hey?

Here is a short rundown of the 10 different ski resorts in Hakuba:

Please note: The ski resorts in Hakuba Valley are listed here from north to south along the Hakuba Valley.

 

Hakuba Cortina Ski Resort

7 lifts – 16 courses at 13,300 meters in total – 1400 to 870 meters in elevation

Famed with the highest average snow fall, Hakuba Cortina Ski Resort also has some amazing tree runs, making it very popular. This is the largest hotel in the area and different restaurants offer a range of lunch options.

 

Hakuba Norikura Onsen Snow Resort

9 lifts – 9 courses totaling 8,800meters in length – 1300 to 700 meters in elevation

Beautiful views of Hakuba Norikura Onsen Snow Resort are best enjoyed by intermediate to advanced riders, but there are a few wide beginner trails help those not as experienced find their feet. A maintained mogul course is perfect for skiers looking for the bumpy terrain.

 

Tsugaike Kogen Snow Resort

1 gondola and 19 lifts – 14 courses totaling 20,400 meters – 1700 to 800 meters in elevation

Japan’s Northern Alps dominate the snowy skyli400along the 1.2km wide trails, making it friendly for beginners and families to find plenty of open space. Take the gondola almost 4km of stunning views non-stop to the summit of the runs.

 

Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field

2 gondolas and 12 lifts – 26 courses totaling 17,700meters – 1289 to 750 meters in elevation

Hakuba Iwatake Snow Field is home to gentle and easy-going slopes, while offering more technical for those more advanced. This area is known for its cross-country skiing trails and snow park – both of which are maintained year-round.

 

Hakuba Happo-one Snow Resort

1 gondola and 22 lifts – 13 courses totaling 23,000 meters long – 1830 to 750 meters in elevation

Boasting some of the steepest piste of Hakuba Valley, Happo One Snow Resort is well known for the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympic Games, where many of the events were held. Once again, the slopes are well divided throughout all skill levels.

 

Hakuba 47 Winter Sports Park

1 gondola and 5 lifts – 8 courses totaling 13,5700 meters in length – 1610 to 820 meters in elevation

As the name suggests, Hakuba 47 is a winter sports Park- a half-pipe and a kicker for those looking to show off some tricks. You can reach the nearby Goryu Snow Resort from the top of the gondola as well.

 

Hakuba Goryu Snow Resort

1 gondola and 12 lifts – 15 courses totaling 12,600 meters – 1680 to 750meters in elevation

Hakuba Goryu Snow Resort is home to the largest area for night skiing and with a large number of easier trails, it is perfect for beginners. Goryu is divided into three alpine skiing tracks and wonderful views of the surrounding Northern Alps of Japan.

 

Hakuba Sanosaka Snow Resort

5 lifts – 15 courses totalling 5,140meters long  – 1,200 to 740meters in elevation

Hakuba Sanosaka Snow Resort is a favorite of both families and beginners. The vast majority (around 80%) is tailored to beginners and intermediate riders. There’s also a fairly beginner mogul course to test your skills.

 

Kashimayari Snow Resort

8 lifts – 16 courses totalling 14,200 meters in length – 1,550 to 830metersnin elevation

With one of its 16 runs, Kashimayari Snow Resort has a 5,000m run and an outdoor onsen to soak exhausted muscles after a long day riding. A huge majority is for intermediate riders at this resort.

 

Jiigatake Snow Resort

4 lifts – 7 courses totaling 4,800 meters in length – 1,200 to 940 meters in elevation

This is one of the most beginner resorts in Hakuba Valley – along with a safe area for children to play and ride sleds. You’ll also find a number of fun tree routes at the beginning of your runs.

 

How to get around Hakuba Ski Valley

As mentioned above, there are 10 different ski hills in Hakuba. These 10 separate hills are connected by shuttle buses – 3 of them to be exact. They run roughly from 7:30am to 6pm, but specific ties depend on where you want to ski in Hakuba Valley.

These three shuttle buses around Hakuba Valley are known as HV-1, HV-2, and HV-3.

• HV-1 is a free shuttle bus operates from Hakuba Happo Bus Station to Jiigatake Snow Resort. This is the only free shuttle bus of the 3.
• HV-2 travels the opposite way down Hakuba Valley from Hakuba Happo Bus Station to Hakuba Cortina Ski Resort. This shuttle bus costs 500 Yen for adults, 250 Yen for children and kids under 5 ride free.
• HV-3 is a similar price schedule and provides a link between HV-1 and HV-2 Hakuba Shuttle Buses, going from Goryu Escal Plaza to Tsugaike Kogen Snow Resort.

 

How much does it cost to visit Hakuba Ski Resort?

The easiest way to ski in Hakuba is by buying the Hakuba Valley Pass.

This pass ranges from one day to a week-long pass, and you can choose any number of days in between. This makes skiing and snowboarding in Hakuba Valley super easy to organize.

While the one day pass is 6,100 Yen for adults, and 3,500 Yen for children and is only valid for that day, the longer passed to Hakuba Valley get more cost-effective and flexible than multiple-day passes.

• 2-day pass – 11,00 Yen adult and 6,100 for kids. It’s valid for 3 days after purchase.
• 3-day pass – 16,300 Yen adult and 9,200 for kids. This pass is valid 5 days after purchase.
• 5-day pass – 27,100 Yen adult and 15,200 for kids. Valid for 9 days after purchase.
• 7-day pass – 27,900 Yen adult and 21,200 for kids. Valid for 11 days after purchase.

Please note: These are the Hakuba Valley Ticket Prices for the 2019-2020 season. Adults are classed as 13 years and older, kids under 5 years of age are free. This pass includes free shuttle bus use, but not night shuttle buses or night skiing. No deposit is required for the Hakuba Valley Ski Pass.

 

Cheap accommodation – Where to stay in Hakuba

Hakuba Valley is a popular destination for skiing and snowboarding in Japan, which leads to increased prices in a place to spend the night.

You can check out a range of the best places to stay in Hakuba, or there are a couple recommendations below, based on price and ratings. A bed in a hostel in Hakuba can be as low as $40 USD and a double bed ranges from $70-100+ USD.

• Anise Garden – With breakfast, a free shuttle, free parking and currently a 9.3/10 rating, along with mountain views, prices sit around $85 USD.
• Little Alaska Guest House – One of the more budget accommodations in Hakuba Valley, as low as $50 USD for a twin room, the cost and the 8.7/10 rating sees this guest house book out quicker than most.

As Hakuba Valley is so popular, booking ahead of time is advised, there are only so many places to stay in Hakuba Valley, and bagging a cheap bed might not be possible if you book too late.

 

So, why visit Hakuba Ski Resort?

 

Skiing Hakuba Valley is one of the best places in Japan to experience insane amounts of snowfall, each and every year. There is a huge variety of terrain and difficulties to choose from, all while treated to majestic peaks along the North Alps of Japan.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a beginner looking to try out skiing in Japan – Hakuba Valley Ski Resort is a great place to visit!

Hope you enjoyed this post about skiing in Hakuba Valley – you can download this to PDF for offline viewing – just click the red button below!

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Thanks for reading!

Happy and safe travels

Ben – Horizon Unknown