Resort
Hakuba Valley
This phenomenal snowbound valley in the spectacular Japanese Alps offers some of the steepest, expansive and panoramic terrain in Japan.
Hakuba is the catch-all name for an endless skier's wonderland spanning Japan's highest mountains. Ski adventurers, we defy you to get bored! The Hakuba Valley lift pass provides access to not just one but ten individual ski mountains and although there’s liberal snowfall, the mountains of Hakuba also enjoy a good number of clear, sunny days: win, win.
Hakuba is foreigner-friendly and the accommodation options are as varied as the skiing – whether staying in vibrant Happo Village, hiding away amongst the trees in pretty Wadano, living it up in Echoland or hunkering down elsewhere in a mountain cabin. Each of the areas have their own personality and are well connected by shuttle.
The general trend in Hakuba is for an early evening onsen (a traditional hot spring bath) before dinner and drinks, so bars tend to open later than you may be accustomed to; we say make the most of onsen time – your muscles will thank you. At dinner time, you’ll find everything from international staples – Italian, Indian, American – to relaxed izakayas serving tapas-style Japanese. The bars are lively, and dancing until the wee hours is the preserve of Echoland’s bars and clubs.
Resort Card
Beginners:
Intermediate:
Advanced:
Snowboarders:
Après Ski:
Families:
Our Opinion
"This valley is the epicentre for Japan’s ski culture and the big, big mountains deliver more on and off piste than anywhere else. The best skiing in Japan? Quite probably. Certainly the most extensive, and with some of the most challenging terrain. Off the mountains? Well, too many Australians can make the main village a little boisterous during the early season (December through to the end of January), but they are easily avoided by staying up in the pretty Wadano Woods area."
Nick Coates Founder
Skiing & snowboarding in the Hakuba Valley
The Hakuba valley, when considered in its entirety, encompasses a mind-boggling catchment area; 10 ski mountains, over 200 pistes, numerous terrain parks, and access to backcountry which can go on for days and days. Throw in the plentiful and pristine powder snow, and this is paradise found.
Staying on the pistes, most mountains are a haven for cruising, immaculately groomed and often with an amazing fall line. These are the steepest mountains in Japan, which admittedly is not saying much, but you will find some of the most challenging piste and backcountry skiing in the country in the Hakuba Valley.
The Hakuba Valley has some of the best, if not the best, side- and backcountry skiing in Japan. These are big alpine peaks (over 3,000 metres) and terrain similar to what you would find in Alaska or European Alps...but without the need for a helicopter! The snow in January and February is best for powder and deep snow, lots of storms and snowfall. However, even in early to mid March, the Hakuba Valley serves up the goods.
There is no mechanised (cat skiing) operations in Hakuba, so all backcountry is using skins and skis / splitboards/ snowshoes. However, there are many off-piste areas to access right off the resorts with little to no hiking involved (though more skiers hit up these spots due to easy access). Touring can access steeps, open bowls, gladed tree runs and alpine zones., again with little to no hiking. (of course, snow and weather conditions permitting)
Safety is vital – we always suggest you seek the good stuff with one of our qualified, professional and knowledgeable guides. And it is paramount to have proper avalanche safety equipment before venturing into the backcountry - this includes a beacon, probe, and shovel in your backcountry pack, as well as the knowledge of how to use it properly.
Big old mountains mean challenging steeps; try Hakuba 47 – which connects conveniently with Goryu (home of the moguls) – and the runs from the top of Adam Gondola on Happo One. While there, we recommend getting up high for the powder fields of Reisen Grat, and following in the footsteps of Olympians at Kurobishi Olympic Downhill. Smaller Cortina, further out, is worth the schlep for deep powder, jagged terrain, and good tree and backcountry skiing serviced by efficient lifts. There are several terrain parks dotted about the valley.
Long, uninterrupted skiing days are the norm, with most of the mountains geared up for intermediates. Heavenly sweepers part the forest of popular Happo One, where you’ll also have fun racing down the Olympic Women’s Downhill course, or taking a stab at the powder off-piste. Iwatake is known for well-groomed, scenic runs; and Tsugaike has appealing, gentle backcountry skiing.
The sheer scale of Hakuba makes it great for beginners – there’s no need to ever get bored of treading the same old tracks. We’d head to Minetaka and the Sakka area of Happo One first, before exploring the top of Goryu Mountain in the during following days. You can test yourself a little more in Iwatake, and escape the crowds in Norikura.
Where to stay in the Hakuba Valley?
Choosing where to hole up in the Hakuba valley can seem like a challenge, because there are actually too much choice and, consequently, quality can be a real issue. We've inspected hundreds of hotels, ryokans, pensions, chalets and apartments and not always come away impressed. Following is a hand-picked selection of a few (not all) of our trusted favourites in the Hakuba Valley.
The main hub is Happo Village – a good choice if you wish to have the bulk of restaurants and the bars within striking distance. Staying in nearby Lower Wadano means you can bed down amongst the trees but won’t sacrifice convenience; while Upper Wadano is the place for ski-in, ski-out access. Echoland has plenty of options also, though staying here does feel a bit betwixt and between.
Hotels & Ryokans
Double Black Hotel
The friendliest place to stay in Hakuba is a timber lodge within the Wadano forest.
Shirouma-So Ryokan
An authentic, friendly inn delivering the Japanese experience in the heart of the village.
Phoenix Hotel
East meets West in our favourite hotel in Hakuba. Stylish & comfortable.
Tokyu Hotel
The largest and most exclusive hotel in Hakuba, in a great location in Wadano.
Luna Hotel
A cosy and affordable little hotel that is almost ski-in, ski-out.
Hakuba Springs Hotel
Hiding in plain sight in the heart of the village, an excellent hotel with spacious rooms.
Hifumi Ryokan
A luxury ryokan, offering traditional Japanese hospitality. But availability can often be an issue....
Mominoki Hotel
Centrally located, with plenty of facilities including one of the best onsens in Hakuba.
De Laile Hotel
A super-convenient budget option, nestled amongst the trees of Wadano.
La Neige Higashikan
The grand old dame hotel of Hakuba - classical elegance and impeccable service.
Apartments, Chalets & Houses
AGS Chalet
A stand-alone two-bedroom chalet, with trendy furnishings plus a 4WD vehicle for your exclusive use.
Mountainside Apartments
A small complex of luxury, ultra-chic apartments with stunning views and ski-in, ski-out access.
Phoenix One Chalet
A four-bedroom ultra-luxury chalet, with all the toys.
Villa Hakuba
Splendid hotel rooms and 2, 3 and 4-bedroom apartments right next to the Sakka lifts.
Mountain Chalet
The sexiest place to stay in Hakuba, as featured in interiors magazines across Asia.
Phoenix Cocoon
A stunning self-contained chalet, state-of-the-art and all rather exquisite. If it's available, we ...
Hakuba Grand Apartments
Nestled in the Wadano trees behind the main road are these brand new, modern apartments.
Phoenix Chalets
Fully-equipped apartments offering total comfort next to the Phoenix Hotel.
Mountain Apartments
The homeliest apartments (two, three and four-bedroom) in Hakuba are also the most lavish.
Ski Guiding & other activities
The backcountry opportunities are without compare; wonderful back-bowls, deep open powder fields and pretty gladed runs lower down. However, you may need to venture further afield to find fresh tracks during busy periods (i.e. early in the season) and the guides we use know how to get you to the deep pow'.
Whilst there is enough on the mountains in the Hakuba Valley to keep you going forever, a visit to the region in the heart of Nagano Prefecture needn’t be all ski. The surrounding area is alive with Japanese magic, and we can suggest self-guided day trips or alternatively book you on a few small group tours.
On the mountain
Powder Guiding (private)
Hire an experienced, qualified, locally-knowledgeable private ski or snowboard guide.
Powder Guiding (small group)
Join some like-minded souls and head out with a guide to seek powder, wherever it may be!
Learn to ski powder (lessons)
Skiing in the powder snow requires a different technique - once learned, paradise awaits.
Off the mountain
Crow Castle & Matsumoto City
Head to Japan's oldest still standing castle and explore in this picture-perfect city.
Snow Monkeys & Temple
Full day off the slopes to see the famous snow monkeys, a major local temple and more...
Holidays featuring the Hakuba Valley
These suggested itineraries will give you a starting point for what your ski holiday to the Hakuba Valley could potentially entail. Sometimes we combine ski resorts and we often cherish the opportunity to explore and experience Japan beyond the ski slopes.
We hope these itineraries will inspire, excite and inform you as we begin the planning process. But note: they’re not set departures or tours, as every holiday we plan is completely tailor-made for you - consider these itineraries as inspiration only.
Japan Alps Explorer
Bullet-trains, snow monkeys, atmospheric villages, shrines, neon cities and...snow.
Honshu Powder Extravaganza
The deepest, untracked powder snow on the most challenging and diverse terrain? We got this.
The Best of Japan
Japan two most famous ski destinations, followed by time in the capital. Perfection.
Ski Concierge
Hakuba Valley can get complicated, with 10 mountains in a single valley the logistics can be challenging. This is where our local know-how will prove invaluable. We've skied all the mountains, we've explored the region and we've had a cheeky beer in most of the villages, therefore we know the lay of the land.
Different Snow can include transfers from the nearest airports and back to Tokyo (or Kyoto), we know the best equipment hire shops, work closely with the most reputable two ski schools, and buy the all-valley ski passes cheaper than what you would be able to access locally. And in Hakuba, it is wise to have everything booked in advance – it is a popular resort and availability often is a problem.
The Hakuba Valley All Mountain Ski Lift Pass covers most of the resorts – Happo One, Hakuba 47, Goryu, Sanosaka, Iwatake, Tsugaike, Norikura, Cortina, Minekata, Jigatake and Kashimayari. Due to the size of the valley and number of different resorts included, there are a number of conditions attached to their use:
- One resort per day – it is not possible to exchange a ticket to another ski resort on the same day, so you can only ski one resort unless you use two coupons.
- Night skiing is not included.
- A 1,000 Yen deposit is required at the ticket window of most ski resorts, as you exchange your lift pass coupon for the IC Chip for the day. This is refunded at the end of each day.
We can organise ski lessons – either group or private – in several of the resorts. However, most will want to focus on Happo One, for this is where your accommodations most likely will be and the mountain itself offers the most terrain – easy slopes to learn the basics, steeper slopes to practice carving, moguls, deep powder just off-piste and a well-maintained snow-park. Therefore, we'll focus on the best ski school working in Happo.
Native English-speaking instructors are the norm and they offer both group and private lessons (max eight persons). The school is the ideal ski-in ski-out set-up with an office, meeting area, public toilets, rest area, day-care room and cafe.
There is one rental company better than all the rest in Hakuba and we are fortunate enough to enjoy excellent rates. It is invariably better to pre-book, thus guaranteeing availability of the best kit and reducing the palaver once you are there. They'll even pick you up from your accommodation when you arrive (we'll give you the number to call) and allow you to then simply leave it at your accommodation when you leave. And service is all English speaking. They also offer unlimited equipment changeover, swapping out piste-skis for fatter powder-specilaist kit when the conditions warrant.
If you want to try 'the other side', you can swap your ski gear in for snowboarding (or vice versa) during your rental period.
Getting from either Tokyo Haneda or Tokyo Narita airport is a bit of trek - it takes about five hours, either by road or by rail. Most conveniently after a long-haul flight we tend to use shared taxi transfers (max 7 people per taxi), though we can organise private vehicle road transfers also.
The shinkansen (bullet-train) connects Tokyo with Nagano City, and we can pre-book tickets on what are ordinarily very busy trains. From Nagano Station to the Hakuba Valley, it's either coach or private pre-booked transfers.
Don't worry - we've got all the options covered, and have done this countless times ourselves. This is our meat and potatoes.