The resort
Niseko
Season
About 28 Nov 2026 – early May 2027 (varies by area)
Getting there
- New Chitose Airport: about 2–2.5 h by bus or car
Travel times are approximate.
The four resorts
The four resorts
Four resorts on one mountain, Mt Niseko Annupuri (1,308 m), linked by one lift pass.
Grand Hirafu
| Season | 28 Nov 2026 – 5 May 2027 |
|---|---|
| Courses | 22 |
| Lifts | 10 |
| Longest run | 5.3 km |
| Night skiing | 16:00–19:00 |
| Good for | Biggest area, powder, the most hotels and restaurants at the base. Vertical 940 m. |
Hanazono
| Season | 28 Nov 2026 – 11 Apr 2027 |
|---|---|
| Courses | 12 |
| Lifts | 4 |
| Longest run | 2.7 km |
| Night skiing | 16:00–20:00 |
| Good for | Powder bowls and tree runs, large ski-school area, family-friendly. |
Niseko Village
| Season | 28 Nov 2026 – 4 Apr 2027 |
|---|---|
| Courses | 29 |
| Lifts | 8 |
| Longest run | 1.88 km |
| Night skiing | 16:30–19:00 |
| Good for | Forest runs and off-piste, quieter base with ski-in hotels. New 8-seat gondola (phase 1) this season. |
Annupuri
| Season | 28 Nov 2026 – 5 May 2027 |
|---|---|
| Courses | 13 |
| Lifts | 6 |
| Longest run | — |
| Night skiing | 16:30–19:30 |
| Good for | Views of Mt Yotei, wide groomed runs for all levels, onsen at the base, lower prices. |
Night skiing at all four resorts runs 12 Dec 2026 – 22 Mar 2027. Day lifts 8:30–16:30.
Lift tickets 2026–27
Lift tickets 2026–27
| Period | 1 day | 3 days | 5 days | 7 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak · 24 Dec – 28 Feb | ¥13,500 | ¥39,500 | ¥65,500 | ¥91,500 |
| Regular · 12–23 Dec, 1–22 Mar | ¥12,600 | ¥36,800 | ¥61,000 | ¥85,200 |
| Early · 28 Nov – 11 Dec / Spring · 23 Mar – 4 Apr | ¥8,800 | ¥25,800 | ¥42,700 | ¥59,600 |
All Mountain Pass, adult, covers all 4 resorts and the NISEKO UNITED shuttle bus. Peak child (4–12) ¥8,100 a day; ages 13–15 and 65+ ¥11,500; age 3 and under free (get it at a counter).
Day tickets are valid through night skiing on the last day. Multi-day tickets are for consecutive days.
Buying online saves about 5%, credit card only, no refunds. Keycard ¥500.
Cheaper options: Hanazono + Hirafu ticket (about 60% of the terrain), peak 1 day ¥12,500 at the counter; Annupuri only, peak 1 day ¥7,800, night ¥3,700.
Snow and when to go
Snow and when to go
| 2025–26 season | 13.5 m of snow over 80 snow days; January alone brought 6.2 m. |
|---|---|
| Recent seasons | 11.9 m (2023–24), 14.0 m (2022–23), 14.5 m (2021–22). Record 17.2 m (2012–13). |
| Best powder | December to February. January is usually the deepest. |
| Sunnier and quieter | March: more blue-sky days, warmer, fewer people, early/spring prices from 23 Mar. |
| Temperatures (Kutchan town) | January average high −2 °C, low −9.6 °C. On the mountain it is colder. |
Rental: brands and sizes
Brands and sizes by resort
What the main rental shops at each resort list for the 2026–27 season. Sizes in cm. Brands depend on stock and tier, so your quote confirms the exact model.
| Ski brands | Salomon, Atomic, Völkl, K2, Rossignol, Line, Head, Black Crows, Faction, Armada, Ogasaka, Blastrack |
|---|---|
| Snowboard brands | Burton (incl. Step On), CAPiTA, Lib Tech, Jones, Nitro, K2, Ride, Salomon, Never Summer, Moss Snowstick |
| Ski length | Not published |
| Board length | Not published |
| Ski boots | 15.5–33.5 |
| Board boots | US kids 2 – US 16 |
| Wear | XS–5XL |
| Kids | 90 cm+ wear; ages 3+ |
| Full set + wear / day | ¥16,500–19,400 |
* Rusutsu's full set also includes helmet, gloves and goggles. Large sizes: boots up to 34 cm (Hakuba, Kiroro) and wear up to 7L (Hakuba). Prices are shop list prices for one adult day; Furano is the 2025-26 rate.
Checked October 2026
Where to stay
Where to stay
- Hirafu: most restaurants and bars, walk to the lifts
- Niseko Village and Annupuri: quieter, ski-in hotels
- Hanazono: newest area, upscale
- Kutchan town: lower prices, bus to the slopes
Search hotels on
Just Ski does not sell accommodation. These links open the booking sites.
Getting there
Getting there
| From New Chitose Airport | Time | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Direct bus (book a day ahead) | 2.5–3.5 h | ¥6,000 |
| Train + local bus (via Otaru / Kutchan) | 3–4 h | ¥6,200 |
| Rental car | 2 h | ¥8,000+ / day |
| Private transfer | 2 h | ¥25,000+ |
Bus companies: Chuo Bus ski bus, Hokkaido Resort Liner, Niseko Direct Shuttle. 2026–27 timetables are not out yet; last season's fare was ¥6,000 one way.
Between resorts: the NISEKO UNITED Shuttle is free with an All Mountain day pass. Hirafu Village Shuttle is free. Taxi Hirafu to Kutchan about ¥2,000.
Driving in snow: winter tyres are standard on rentals; roads can close in blizzards.
Beyond skiing
Beyond skiing
| Onsen | Goshiki Onsen ¥800 · Kira no Yu by JR Niseko Station ¥600 · Ikoino Yuyado Iroha (Annupuri) ¥1,000 · Hirafutei ¥1,200 · Niseko Grand Hotel ¥900 |
|---|---|
| Activities | Hanazono Zipflight (about 1,700 m), tube park (age 3+), snowmobile tours, snowshoe tours, snow rafting, cat skiing at Weiss |
| Food | Izakaya, ramen and fine dining in Hirafu; supermarkets and local restaurants in Kutchan. Book dinner weeks ahead over Christmas, New Year and Lunar New Year (6 Feb 2027). |
| Local specialties | Kutchan potatoes, Rankoshi rice, Takahashi Farm milk and cream puffs, Hokkaido crab, uni and ikura |
| Day trip | Otaru: canal, Sakaimachi Street, Music Box Museum and glass shops |
Ski schools and lessons
Ski schools and lessons
Paid lessons in Niseko can only be given by the resorts' own schools or by NISEKO UNITED accredited schools. No new schools are being accredited for 2026–27, so freelance instructors cannot teach here legally.
Resort schools: Niseko Tokyu Grand HIRAFU (GOSNOW, HIRAFU SNOW; Japanese and English) · NISS Niseko International Snowsports School at Hanazono (lessons in your preferred language) · Niseko Village Snow School (multilingual) · Niseko Annupuri Ski & Snowboard School (Japanese only).
Lessons in English are easy to find; some schools offer Mandarin. Tell us your language in the request and we match a school that has it.
Kids and families
Kids and families
- Age 3 and under ride the lifts free.
- Niseko Village Kids Club: ages 1.5–9, 1 Dec – 28 Feb, English and Mandarin staff, max 20 kids a day.
- Niseko Kids Club Hanazono: daycare from 12 months, 8 Dec – 31 Mar, full day ¥28,000 (peak ¥31,000); babysitting from ¥6,600 an hour.
- NISS kids lessons at Hanazono: ages 3–6 (ski) and 7–14 (ski or snowboard). Tube park from age 3.
Niseko Rules and safety
Niseko Rules and safety
Go into the backcountry only through the gates.
Never duck under boundary ropes.
Helmet and avalanche beacon are required in the backcountry.
No backcountry riding while the gates are closed.
Never enter closed areas.
Elementary-school children may enter the backcountry only with an adult.
Rescue costs at least ¥100,000 and breaking the rules can cost you your lift pass. Check the daily Niseko Avalanche Information before going off-piste.
Practical info
Practical info
| Emergency | 119 ambulance / fire · 110 police · Japan Visitor Hotline 050-3816-2787 (24 h; English, Chinese, Korean) |
|---|---|
| Clinics | Niseko International Clinic, Hirafu: 050-1722-5202 (Japanese, English) · Kutchan Kosei General Hospital: 0136-22-1141 |
| Cash | Many small shops do not take cards. ATMs at Seicomart, Lawson and 7-Eleven. |
| Busy dates | Christmas to New Year and Lunar New Year (6 Feb 2027). Peak lift prices run 24 Dec – 28 Feb. |
| Info centres | Hirafu Welcome Center, Kutchan i-Center, Niseko Station, 9:00–17:00 |
Sources
Sources
- NISEKO UNITED – lift tickets 2026-27
- NISEKO UNITED – resort maps
- Grand Hirafu – maps
- Hanazono – courses
- Annupuri – slopes
- Niseko Rules
- Niseko Avalanche Information
- Getting to Niseko
- Snowfall 2025-26
- Accredited schools
- Niseko Tourism – onsen
- Niseko Village Kids Club
- JNTO Visitor Hotline
Checked 31 Oct 2026. Times and prices can change; check the official pages before you go.