Luxury Ski Season 2026–27: Opening Dates, Peak Weeks and When to Go
The dates the resorts have announced for 2026–27, why opening week is not the week to plan around, and the four windows that sell out first.
- Whistler opens first (target 20 November 2026), then Aspen Mountain and Snowmass on Thanksgiving Day, 26 November, Jackson Hole on 27 November and Niseko on 28 November.
- In the Alps, St. Moritz's Corviglia opens on 28 November, Courchevel on 4 December and Verbier on 5 December; Cortina d'Ampezzo had not published its dates at the time of writing.
- An opening date means the first lifts, not the whole mountain: January–February has the most reliable snow, March the best snow-and-sun balance.
- Four windows sell out first: Thanksgiving, Hanukkah (4–12 December 2026), Christmas–New Year and February.
- A catered luxury chalet starts from around US$2,000 per night; the finest book up to a year ahead.
When each resort opens for 2026–27
Opening dates are set by the resorts and always depend on snow. These are the dates each has announced for the 2026–27 season, earliest first.
- Whistler Blackcomb, Canada — target opening Friday 20 November 2026.
- Aspen Mountain and Snowmass, Colorado — Thursday 26 November 2026, Thanksgiving Day; Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk follow on 12 December.
- Jackson Hole, Wyoming — Friday 27 November 2026.
- Niseko United, Japan — Saturday 28 November 2026.
- Courchevel, France — Friday 4 December 2026, with the full Les 3 Vallées linked area from 5 December.
- Verbier, Switzerland — Saturday 5 December 2026.
- St. Moritz, Switzerland — Corviglia from Saturday 28 November 2026 to 4 April 2027; Corvatsch from 21 November.
- Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy — 2026–27 dates not yet published by the lift company at the time of writing; the Dolomiti Superski season pass is valid from 28 November 2026 to 2 May 2027.
Opening week is not the week to plan around
An opening date marks the first lifts, not the whole mountain: terrain opens as snow allows, and early-December skiing is a bet on cover. The most reliable snow in the Rockies and the Alps falls in January and February, and March brings the best balance of deep snow, sunshine and longer days — the pattern our Aspen and Rockies guide and Switzerland ski guide set out resort by resort. In Japan, Niseko's own lift calendar treats 24 December to 28 February as peak season.
The four windows that sell out first
Thanksgiving — Thursday 26 November 2026, which is also the day Aspen Mountain and Snowmass open; Jackson Hole follows on the Friday. How families arrange that week, on the snow or on a beach, is in Thanksgiving, Privately.
Hanukkah — from sundown on Friday 4 December to Saturday 12 December 2026, the same days Courchevel and Verbier open. In the Alps that makes snow cover the open question; in the Rockies, Whistler and Niseko the season is already a week or more old.
Christmas to New Year — the most contested fortnight of the winter everywhere, and the first to close; what goes first is set out in Where to Spend New Year.
February — Presidents' Week in the Rockies (Presidents' Day is Monday 15 February 2027) and half-term in the Alps; in Japan, Lunar New Year falls on Saturday 6 February 2027.
Where to ski in luxury this season
In North America, Aspen leads for glamour and its four mountains; Jackson Hole, in Wyoming, for serious terrain and Western character; and Whistler Blackcomb, in British Columbia, for two linked mountains above one village. In the Alps, Courchevel sits in Les 3 Vallées, the linked area it shares with its neighbours; St. Moritz stands for glamour and Engadine light; Verbier for serious terrain; and Cortina d'Ampezzo for the Dolomites, the winter after it co-hosted the 2026 Olympic Winter Games with Milan. In Japan, Niseko is where the powder trip begins. We match the resort to your skiing and your style.
South of the equator the calendar turns over: in Chile the season runs from June to October, with July and August the best months, a few hours from Santiago. The resorts, heli-skiing and what 2027 has announced are in Luxury Skiing in Chile.
Resort by resort: Niseko for Japan's powder, Courchevel or St. Moritz in the Alps, Cortina and the Dolomites after the Olympics, Whistler or Aspen for a family, and the best resorts for a partner who doesn't ski.
The chalet, booked first
The heart of a luxury ski trip is a catered chalet — private chef, staff and ski-in/ski-out access — paired with private guiding and instructors and seamless transfers. The finest chalets are few and book up to a year ahead, and for the festive weeks they close before the flights do. As a luxury advisory we quote a from-price, not a final one: indicatively, a catered luxury chalet starts from around US$2,000 per night, rising sharply for the finest chalets in peak weeks. To begin, start a private consultation.
When the season ends
Spring skiing runs later than most travellers expect: Aspen Mountain is scheduled to close on 18 April 2027 and Snowmass on 11 April; Courchevel runs to 18 April, Verbier to 25 April, and Niseko's Grand Hirafu and Annupuri to 5 May. For a winter that combines snow and sun in one trip, see Where to Travel in Winter.
Questions, answered.
It depends on the resort and on snow. Whistler Blackcomb targets 20 November 2026; Aspen Mountain and Snowmass open on 26 November, Thanksgiving Day; Jackson Hole on 27 November; Niseko on 28 November; Courchevel on 4 December, with the full Les 3 Vallées from 5 December; and Verbier on 5 December. St. Moritz's Corviglia opens on 28 November and runs to 4 April 2027; Cortina d'Ampezzo had not published its 2026–27 dates at the time of writing.
January and February for the most reliable snow in the Alps and the Rockies, and March for the best balance of snow, sunshine and longer days. Opening weeks in late November and early December are a bet on cover, because terrain opens as snow allows. In Japan, Niseko's lift calendar treats 24 December to 28 February as peak season.
Four: Thanksgiving (26 November 2026), Hanukkah (sundown on 4 December to 12 December 2026), Christmas to New Year, and February — Presidents' Week in the Rockies and half-term in the Alps, with Lunar New Year on 6 February 2027 adding a peak in Japan. The finest chalets for those weeks go first, often a year ahead.
Yes, in North America. Aspen Mountain and Snowmass are scheduled to open on Thanksgiving Day itself, 26 November 2026, Jackson Hole opens the next day, and Whistler Blackcomb is targeting 20 November. It is early-season skiing, with terrain opening as snow allows, so we choose the chalet as carefully as the mountain. The Alps do not open until December.
Up to a year ahead for the finest chalets, and earliest of all for the festive weeks and February, which close first. Outside those weeks there is more room, but the best chalets are few in every week of the season. Book the chalet before the flights, because it is the scarcer of the two.
As an indicative guide, a catered luxury chalet starts from around US$2,000 per night in the Rockies and in Switzerland, rising sharply for the finest chalets in peak weeks, with private chef, guiding and helicopter transfers. We give a clear from-price and never quote a final total until the trip is designed around you.
Later than most travellers expect. Aspen Mountain is scheduled to close on 18 April 2027 and Snowmass on 11 April; Courchevel runs to 18 April, Verbier to 25 April, and Niseko's Grand Hirafu and Annupuri to 5 May. March and early April bring the best balance of snow and sunshine.
Switzerland
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