FAQs

That really depends on the group you are travelling with, your arrival time and whether your main consideration is expense or expediency. We will advise you on the best way to get here depending on your circumstances, once a reservation is made.

There is no good reason to buy lift passes in advance and little reason to buy the longer duration multi-day, multi-resort Valley Passes, apart from perhaps the small convenience of having something in your pocket, ready to go every day. All lift passes are readily available every day and buying 1 or 2 day passes at each resort when you decide to ski there can be quite a bit cheaper than using a Hakuba Valley Pass. Also, scheduling rest days based on weather or snow conditions, fatigue or even injury, is easier when buying passes as you go. That said, the Hakuba Valley passes all have built-in rest days, so sometimes the ideal combination could be to, for example, buy a 4 day Hakuba Valley Pass, then use the 3 rest days allowed within a 7 day period to buy single day passes at the cheaper resorts when you choose to ski at those resorts and/or take a day off when required. We are happy to advise you on this sort of thing upon your arrival

Your accommodation is by the far the biggest priority, as quality self-contained options are often in short-supply. Once your accommodation and flights are finalized, everything including airport transfers, equipment rental, day tours, lift tickets, child-minding, restaurant bookings and ski lessons can wait until a later date, even until your arrival in most cases. We will assist you with all these requirements before and during your visit.

It really depends who you are. The coldest, snowiest months are January and February, but for inexperienced skiers (or younger children), December and March often provide fantastic snow, weather, minimal congestion and more comfortable daytime temperatures. For those looking to hike higher and access some backcountry, late March / April is often the best time.

Hakuba is most definitely an ‘outdoor’ town, but there are several popular destinations (and day tours) close by, including Zenkoji Temple, Jigokudani Snow Monkeys, Matsumoto Castle and Kurobe Dam/Gorge to explore (summer months only). A few alternative outdoor activities include cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, snow-shoe tours, hot springs, trekking, cycling, rafting and canyoning.

In addition to Hakuba’s vast selection of excellent (and usually inexpensive) restaurants, there are quite a few bars and night spots, especially during the winter months. However, as these places are spread over quite a wide area, there is no need to consider this when choosing your accommodation. You will most likely visit a number of areas during your stay, all of which are easily accessed by the night shuttles, taxi, or courtesy shuttles provided by many accommodation operators.

Yes, in almost all cases. However, a handful of the smaller, local restaurants still only accept cash, so it is advisable to always try to have some cash on hand. Provided you have an ATM card allowing international withdrawals, there are several ATMs you can withdraw cash from, 24 hours a day.

Yes. We provide a daily supermarket shuttle for all our guests, along with daily restaurant shuttles and certain other complimentary services for guests. We also recommend, arrange and book restaurants, tours, equipment rental, ski lessons, child-minding, airport transfers and almost anything else our guests require.

In most cases, no. While we can arrange a car for you, experience driving on narrow, icy roads, often in heavy snow is highly recommended and 4WD plus snow tires are essential. You will have little trouble ‘getting around’ Hakuba without a car during the winter season. However, if you do think you may need a car, don’t forget to apply for and bring an international driver’s licence with a Japanese translation page in it. You won’t be able to rent a car without it.