Luxury Skiing in Aspen & the Rockies — Where to Go, When, and What It Starts From

The season runs roughly late November to early April. January and February offer the most reliable snow and Colorado powder; March balances deep snow with sunshine and longer days. Christmas–New Year and Presidents' Week (February) are peak.

Aspen leads for glamour and four mountains; Vail and Beaver Creek for vast terrain and polished resorts; Telluride for dramatic, quieter beauty; and Jackson Hole (Wyoming) for serious terrain and Western character. We match the resort to your skiing and style.

As an indicative guide, a catered luxury chalet starts from around US$2,000 per night, rising sharply for the finest chalets in peak weeks, with private chef, instructors and jet access. We give a clear from-price and never quote a final total until it's designed around you — it depends on the chalet, resort and season.

Nine to twelve months for the finest catered chalets, especially Christmas–New Year and Presidents' Week, which sell out a year out. The earlier we begin, the more we can hold.

Yes — catered chalets with private chef and staff, ski-in/ski-out access, private instructors and guides, the best tables and spa, and seamless transfers including private jet into Aspen or Eagle, all arranged through relationships.

Very — June to September brings hiking, wildflowers, festivals and cool mountain air, an active luxury escape with the same finest properties at gentler rates than winter.

Beaver Creek and Vail are particularly family-friendly, with excellent ski schools and gentle terrain alongside expert runs. We arrange private instructors and childcare and match the resort to your family.

Yes — the leading resorts have terrain for every level, and we arrange private instructors so families and mixed-ability groups can share the mountain and reunite for lunch.

Aspen Mountain and Snowmass are scheduled to open on 26 November 2026, Thanksgiving Day, with Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk following on 12 December; Jackson Hole opens on 27 November. Closing is scheduled for 4 April 2027 at Buttermilk, 11 April at Aspen Highlands and Snowmass, and 18 April at Aspen Mountain, as conditions allow. Jackson Hole had not announced its closing date at the time of writing.

Yes. In 2026 Aspen Mountain and Snowmass are scheduled to open on Thanksgiving Day itself, 26 November, so the long weekend becomes the first ski days of the season. It is early-season skiing, with terrain opening as snow allows, which is why the chalet, the private chef and the day off the slopes matter as much as the runs. Thanksgiving week books early, so hold the chalet first.

Choose Aspen for glamour and Vail or Beaver Creek for sheer scale. Aspen offers four mountains, a legendary town and the finest dining and chalets, so the evenings matter as much as the runs. Vail and Beaver Creek are known for vast terrain and polished resorts. Forest Travel matches the resort to how you ski and the style you want, then builds the chalet, private instructors and transfers around that choice.

Telluride suits travelers who want dramatic, quieter beauty, while Jackson Hole in Wyoming suits those after serious terrain and Western character. For the 2026–27 season, Jackson Hole is scheduled to open on 27 November. Either can be built around a catered chalet or the finest resort suites, with a private chef, private instructors and guides, and seamless transfers.

From June to September, Aspen and the Rockies offer hiking, wildflowers, cool mountain air and festivals, including Aspen's celebrated music and ideas festivals. It makes an active luxury escape in the same finest properties used in winter, at gentler rates than the ski season.

Choose Aspen for glamour and Jackson Hole for terrain. Aspen offers four mountains, a legendary town and the finest dining and chalets, so the evenings matter as much as the runs; Jackson Hole, in Wyoming, suits skiers after serious terrain and Western character. For 2026–27, Aspen Mountain and Snowmass open on Thanksgiving Day, 26 November, and Jackson Hole the next day, 27 November. For either, book the catered chalet nine to twelve months ahead for Christmas and Presidents' Week.

Aspen has four mountains: Aspen Mountain, rising directly above the town, plus Snowmass, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk. For 2026–27, Aspen Mountain and Snowmass are scheduled to open on Thanksgiving Day, 26 November 2026, and Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk on 12 December. A private instructor can move a mixed group between them, and the chalet is chosen for the mountain you will ski most, ski-in/ski-out where possible.