One day in Niseko

Day by day

1. Day 1: Grand Hirafu ski area and Hanazono

   Grand Hirafu ski area, Hanazono, Niseko Village and Annupuri slopes and Backcountry gates, then Night skiing at Grand Hirafu in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Grand Hirafu ski area

      Ride the upper lifts early on a powder morning before the wind picks up; upper lifts often close in strong winds while the lower mountain keeps running. Allow Full day.

   2. Late morning

      Hanazono

      Head to Hanazono's tree zones on windy days, when they are more sheltered than the open upper bowls. Allow Half a day to a full day.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Soup curry

      Soup-curry restaurants in Hirafu and Kutchan; the dish was born in Sapporo.

   4. Afternoon

      Niseko Village and Annupuri slopes

      Use the All-Mountain Pass to follow the weather: when the wind blows from the north-west, the Annupuri and Village sides can hold better snow. Allow Full day.

   5. Late afternoon

      Backcountry gates

      Go with a certified local guide, carry a transceiver, probe and shovel, and check the daily avalanche bulletin before using a gate. Allow Half a day.

   6. Evening

      Night skiing at Grand Hirafu

      Come out after dinner on a snowing evening, when the floodlit trees and fresh powder are at their most atmospheric and the lifts are quiet.

Before you go

• Grand Hirafu ski area: Book ski school lessons and rental equipment well ahead for the Christmas–New Year and Lunar New Year peaks.

If it rains

• Swap in Goshiki Onsen (Annupuri): Check road access in winter, when snowfall can close the upper road; in summer combine it with the Panorama Line drive.
• Swap in Yukichichibu onsen (Niseko town): Bring your own small towel and follow the usual onsen etiquette: wash thoroughly at the seated showers before entering the baths.
• Swap in Arishima Takeo Memorial Museum (Niseko town): Combine it with Niseko View Plaza and a coffee in Niseko town for a quiet half-day off the slopes.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 19–27 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 9 hours in December to 15.3 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Bus. In the ski season, shuttle buses run between Grand Hirafu, Hanazono, Niseko Village and Annupuri, and a separate village shuttle loops around Hirafu; local buses connect Kutchan station with the resorts.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Niseko
• 3 days in Niseko
• 5 days in Niseko

Questions travellers ask