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Hakuba Iwatake Ski Holidays

At a glance

  • Hakuba ski resort
  • 11 nearby ski areas
  • Ski, city & culture break

Great for

  • Ski safaris
  • Activities

Ski Holidays in Hakuba Iwatake

The Iwatake Snow Field’s one of Hakuba’s eleven ski resorts, which together form the biggest bus-linked ski area in Japan. With Tokyo only a 2.5 hour train ride away, you can split your stay between the mountains and capital for an amazing ski and city break.

Hakuba Iwatake Stats

Top Altitude
1289m
Bottom Altitude
750m
Resort Altitude
750m
Total Piste
26 runs, 17km
Longest Run
3.3km
Slope Orientation
Vertical Drop
Skiable Vertical
Night Skiing
No
Glacier Skiing
No

You’ll find Iwatake in mainland Japan, a 2.5 hour train ride from Tokyo. It’s named after the local mountain, from which the surrounding views over the Northern Japanese Alps are some of the best in the region.

The ski slopes of the Iwatake Snow Field total around 17km, and most who visit tend to split their time between these and the ten other ski areas in the Hakuba valley. Including Happo One, Tsugaike Kogen and Hakuba 47, altogether the Hakuba resorts have more skiable terrain (over 200 runs) than anywhere else in Japan.

The Nagano area rose to stardom when it hosted the 1998 Olympics – there’s a ski jumping stadium 5km away from Iwatake and the alpine downhill events were hosted in nearby Happo One. A shuttle bus links the lot, making exploring the area a breeze.

In and around Iwatake, lodgings include hotels and small, family-run inns called Minshuku. You’ll find them scattered around the hamlets of Kirikubo, Shinden, Donguri-mura, Ochikura and Moriue-Shiojima. Some prefer to opt for a more central Hakuba location to explore from.

With some of the best snow in Japan, the beautiful Karamatsu forest and Olympic facilities to try your hand at, a week in the Hakuba Valley could easily be completely and utterly winter-sport focussed. But don’t miss out on the Japanese traditions you can experience over here – from tea ceremonies to bathing in Onsens and visiting temples, this is an incredible part of the world and the culture and history is fascinating.

(Images: JNTO)

Winter Sports Ratings

Beginners

Intermediate

Advanced

Snowboarding

Hakuba Iwatake Transfer Times

Haneda Airport 4 hours
Tokyo Narita International Airport 4.5 hours

The nearest airport to Hakuba Iwatake is ? at ? km or about ? by car

What's the ski area like in Hakuba Iwatake?

Beginners and improvers are well looked after on the wide, wonderfully groomed local slopes, with space to practice on South Galande, and the option to link up to the Sun Valley Course for a longer run down to the base. The View C run up top is another favourite, where you can make big, steady turns between the trees.

The Kornestuga course is the main run for intermediates, while experts have the sometimes ungroomed White Ribbon run and Two Top trail. Off piste rules keep changing over here, so check with a local guide or instructor – if permitted, there are some great runs between the trees. For freestylers, there’s a snow park with rails, tables and kickers in all manner of sizes. There are 2 cross country trails, one totalling 5km and the other 3km, both leading through forest and open fields with stunning scenery.

But don’t stop there – once you’ve got your ski legs back, it’s well worth taking the shuttle to visit nearby resorts. Happo One has longer trails in each difficulty level, from the winding Panorama green to the steep Olympic downhills. There’s some good intermediate and expert terrain in 47 as well as a good riding scene for snowboarders Beginners will find more variety of greens in Tsugaike Kogen.

Which other ski resorts are near to Hakuba Iwatake?

The nearest ski resorts to Hakuba Iwatake include Hakuba 47.

Ski Area Facts

LocationNagano, Japan
Established1928
Downhill26 runs, 17km
Lift Pass4400 yen (adult 1 day)

Beginner Slopes

4 runs30%

Intermediate Skiing

8 runs50%

Advance & Expert Terrain

3 runs20%

Snowboarding Trails

26 runs, 17km100%

Hakuba Iwatake Restaurants

Hakuba Iwatake Après Ski

Hakuba Iwatake Activites for Non-skiers

Clothing Food & Souvenir Shops

Best Time to Visit Hakuba Iwatake

The Hakuba area often gets more snow than anywhere else in Japan, with the annual cover usually topping 10m. While Iwatake doesn’t have the best record of all the valley’s resorts, it’s well connected to them if you need to head out and find better conditions.

In January 2017, Hakuba hosted the first international freeride competition in Asia, and this kind of event is well worth looking out for if you like an extra buzz to your holiday. If you’re visiting in February, look out for the Yukikoi Festival which celebrates all things snowy, or the Happo-One fire festival where ski jumpers fly though flames and there’s a big firework display.

What's Hakuba Iwatake like at Christmas?

Visit the illuminations at Goryu and swap your roast dinner for delicious noodles over Christmas in Hakuba Iwatake.

What's Hakuba Iwatake like in the New Year?

Big countdowns usually happen in Hakuba Goryu, Happo One and Cortina if you’re spending the New Year in Hakuba Iwatake, which is traditionally followed by the New Year’s Day happiness festival in Hakuba 47 and the amazing Goraiko sunrise tour here in Iwatake.

What's Hakuba Iwatake like in Half-Term?

On previous years, Half Term in Hakuba Iwatake has included children’s days, treasure hunts and valentine’s events.

What's Hakuba Iwatake like at Easter?

You can do a lot worse than Hakuba’s most scenic mountain on clear spring days, which - if the resort is still open - makes Easter in Hakuba Iwatake spectacular. If the lower slopes are struggling for snow, there are always the ten surrounding resorts to explore.

Hakuba Iwatake Snow Conditions

Snow Report, History & Forecast

View our detailed Hakuba Iwatake snow report to see skiing confitions now. Our Hakuba Iwatake snow history shows you what snow depths have been in recent years month-by-month. If you're visiting soon, use the Hakuba Iwatake snow forecast to see predicted snowfall over the coming days.

  • Current snow depth at top
    N/A
  • Alternate Text
  • Current snow depth at base
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Whisk the brood to Japan for a change of scenery and combine a cracking ski holiday with a fascinating cultural experience. Spend time exploring the local ski areas – we love the gentle greens in Iwatake and Tsugiake, while Happo One has more testing terrain and 47 is awesome for snowboarders. Put aside days for trips to old Japanese castles and temples, tea ceremonies and pampering onsens. The Jigokudani Monkey Park always goes down swimmingly with children, who’ll love watching the monkeys enjoy their bathtime!

Later on, gather round katsu curries and sushi in the evenings, or try local beers from the Hakuba Brewing Co. One of our favourite ways to spend an evening here is in an Izakaya – a traditional Japanese pub where they serve delicious noodles in a traditional setting.

There’s no denying Hakuba is one of Japan’s best ski regions, which definitely makes a group trip here one for the bucket list.

Explore a different ski area each day together, or split up depending on whether you prefer pottering on the local slopes, racing around the pistes or shredding in the snowparks. If you’re bringing non skiers, there’s oodles to do from snowshoeing through forests to soaking in onsen.

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Ski Extras

How much is a ski pass in Hakuba Iwatake

Maximum and minimum adult Hakuba Iwatake lift pass prices ranged from ? to ? for 6 days access to the Hakuba Iwatake ski lift system at the start of the 2025 winter season. Our lift passes are part of a packaged Hakuba Iwatake holiday with accommodation, so prices vary depending on chalet or hotel suppliers. Confirm price for the lift ticket before booking your holiday.

Lift Tickets Child Adult Senior
1 Day Price N / A N / A N / A
6 Day Price N / A N / A N / A
Age Range N / A N / A N / A

Getting to Hakuba Iwatake

Most of our ski holidays to Hakuba Iwatake packaged with flights include airport transfers. We can also arrange private transfers to Hakuba Iwatake from nearby airports

How long does it take to fly to Hakuba Iwatake from the UK?

This table shows approximate transfer times to Hakuba Iwatake from the nearest airports, smaller airports can be more prone to delays.

Airport Distance Transfer Time
? ? km ?

How long is the transfer from nearest Japan train station to Hakuba Iwatake?

The transfer time from alpine train stations are generally shorter than from airports, Call us for details of Hakuba Iwatake transfers.

Station Distance Transfer Time
? ? km ?

Hakuba Iwatake Maps

Hakuba Iwatake piste map
Click to Enlarge

Hakuba Iwatake Ski Holiday Resources

Need help choose your Hakuba Iwatake ski holiday? Call us on 020 7770 6888 or click Enquire - we love to help!

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Similar Ski Resorts to Hakuba Iwatake in Japan


Every Sno holiday packaged with flights is ATOL protected by the Civil Aviation Authority. All our suppliers are ATOL bonded, so your money is safe. In addition to this, payments for your holiday are held in trust, by NatWest bank and the Travel Trust, who insure every booking against supplier failure.

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