The Skiers' Guide to Niseko

Skiing here in Dec-Feb is unreal. While you may catch large groups of people once youre on the mountain you feel such heaven and peace in all the powder. Beautiful area with lots of local food to try. Expensive and hard to get to but worth the visit

Stayed at Grand Hirafu which is the largest resort, and skied the other 3 areas too (Niseko Village, Annupuri, Hanazono). Snow and skiing was excellent with snowfall on 2 days whilst I was there. The downside to 'snowfall' days is that Grand Hirafu resort (and slopes) become very busy with visitors to the resort s this has the main car parks, and lift queues accumulate, which on the other days were not present. The 4 areas are linked at the top of the mountain so I skied the other areas which were empty when Hirafu has busy days.

Fantastic riding in the powder, lots of great off piste options and delicious Japanese food to fuel all the snowy adventures - what more could you want!

Jap-pow - So much powder you dont know what to do with it. Super friendly resort - need to book ahead for restaurants.

Have a coin purse handy for all the Yen.Niseko Hirafu for luxury accommodations.The chair lift is covered, heated and decorated with LV

Best place Ive ever been. The powder is genuinely insane and I would do anything to go back but its far.

Nesiko allows access for great powder akiing in both open areas and tree runs. The experience of skking throuh bamboo filled runs in the early season or extradionaryly deep fluffy powder later in the season is truly breath taking. The variet of terrain allows enjoyment for all abilities however it does lack the steep of piste challenges you would find in the ALPS or the Rockies. In addition to the skiing you will get to experience the japenese culture as you can get Ramen or sushi and other japenese cullinary delights on the mountain.

Great resort with 5 mountains. Should go to all 5! We stayed at the Hilton at niseko mountain, which was ski in ski out. It snowed a lot when we were there so the top of the mountain was closed most days. The shuttle system between the mountains can be inconsistent. Was stuck at Annapurna for a couple of hours due to road blockage. Loved Hanazono mountain with their heated seats, bubble chair and gorgeous new gondolas. Amazing and inexpensive food options on and off mountain. Come with an appetite!Use the onsen But make sure you know you have to be naked.The gates have the best off piste terrain. Gate 5 had the best terrain. Take lots of pics when the sun is out. It is magical like no other ski resort I've seen.

Nice powdery Snow. They have covered heated lifts. Runs are definitely on the shorter side compared to Whistler or Vail.

Niseko is a small resort compared to those that can be found in the alps or North America and the mountains in Japan are much lower down and less expensive, however what sets Japanese resorts apart from Europe is the quality of the snow and of course it's famous powder. The views from the mountain were beautiful but there could have been more food options and it was possible to ski the entire resort in a couple of days.

I spent a season here. Epic off piste areas and tree runs with so many options. If you get a blue bird it is the most beautiful resort with Yotei opposite!

Fantastic food, drink and onsens make the apres ski pretty epic as well with some nice bars.

Awesome ski resort. Plenty of accommodation options, getting one with an onsen is a bonus! Great ski hills with plenty of fresh powder and suitable for range of abilities.

Best resort ive been to. While I was there in January, there was more than 30cm of snow making every run amazing. Theres a tone to explore on the mountain. Only downside is that youll have a hard time finding good food options st a reasonable price on the mountain and in the village.

For a true of piste powder experience there is no greater place on the planet that guarantees great conditions!

Find a guide such as myself and ask to ski the north face (an hour of untracked waist deep powder awaits)

If your looking for accommodation I advise avoiding niseko village at all costs dont fall into there unfriendly trap! Choose to stay in Hirafu or Annupuri for the best experience providing independent businesses and Japanese expirences.

You will not be disappointed!

Niseko has some of the best off-piste tree runs Ive ever experienced. The snow was fantastic - so much powder. We went in December and it snowed nearly everyday but we did get a view of nearby Mt Yotei (a volcano) which is a spectacular view. The resort is not big but there is plenty of skiing available
Food options on the mountain are limited and we often had to scramble to get a table. Even in the town (Grand Hirafu) there were queues for places to eat so its good to book in advance.
One of the best parts of Niseko is the onsens (hot springs) which are a very relaxing way to finish off a day of skiing.

After spending a whole season riding in niseko, I can confidently say it is one of the most fun places to ride. With consistent fresh, dry powder its a paradise for boarders. The tree runs are second to none.
Whilst it doesnt have the same kind of apres you get in the alps there are still many fun bars which play music late into the night and have very cheap drinks.

Im not the best on skis, but Ive experienced snow on 4 continents and the snow at Niseko is the fluffiest, driest snow Ive ever seen.

Learning to ski was an absolute joy and honestly spoiled me with the volume and consistent downfall of powder.

Accommodations are pricey, as are food. But the vibes are high and the abundance of English-speakers is very helpful (and surprising) for this corner of Japan.

The mountain itself is extremely fun with plenty of runs available for all levels. The instructors are top notch.

Would absolutely recommend Niseko for a special trip to anyone not based in Japn.

Fantastic resort, lots of fresh snow and easy to get around with the free bus that comes with the lift pass

Niseko is an amazing place and a go to for many families. However it has become more and more commercialised over the years.

The food is great for an acceptable price, the powder also makes it stand out from its European competitors.

Niseko is filled with quite a few different ski resorts some smaller than the others. However, as the first place I ever snowboarded I couldnt get enough of it. The resort I was located and Annupuri next to us were great. There is a reason why Japan is considered to have the best powder in the world. It did not disappoint.