What other travelers are saying about Hakuba Cortina Ski Resort
Date visited: 12.19,12.21,12.22 2025
Crowd: 🧍🧍
This is by far my favourite place over the 3 ski resorts I visited in Hakuba. The best part of this place is the very wide beginner route which ends at the hotel. It is very powdery given that it is quite some drive up to the mountain. It gets slushy in sunny days when it gets to 6-10 Celsius. As a beginner who just learnt how to turn on a snowboard, I’m dying for a place where I can turn comfortably without worrying about the crowd and this is the place!!! Staying in the hotel will make this experience the best ever in Hakuba.
The only complaint I would have is that the hotel food isn’t the greatest. And the lunch here is insanely expensive. ¥1500 for plain curry rice. But the rental gears are by far the cheapest I can find. They are around ¥2000 yen per day for 3 piece. I also paid¥500 per day for a helmet. They are pretty new and clean!
It is absolutely beautiful! If you stay at the hotel you get 20% off for rental gears!!!!
Hakuba Cortina Ski Resort features 16 diverse ski runs spanning 230 hectares with terrain suitable for all skill levels. The resort offers beginner-friendly gentle slopes, intermediate groomed runs, and challenging off-piste powder skiing areas. With a vertical drop of 912 meters and Japan's famous powder snow, Cortina provides excellent skiing conditions from December through April.
From Tokyo, take the JR Hokuriku Shinkansen to Nagano Station (1.5 hours), then transfer to JR Oito Line to Minami-Otari Station (1 hour), followed by a 5-minute taxi ride to Hakuba Cortina. Alternatively, direct buses run from Tokyo's Shinjuku to Hakuba in about 4.5 hours. From Nagano Airport, rental cars or shuttle buses take approximately 1 hour to reach the resort.
Hakuba Cortina offers various lodging options including the luxury Hotel Green Plaza Hakuba with ski-in/ski-out access, traditional Japanese ryokans, cozy mountain lodges, and budget-friendly hostels. Many accommodations feature hot spring baths (onsen), Japanese and Western dining options, and are within walking distance of the ski lifts and rental shops.
The optimal time to visit Hakuba Cortina Ski Resort is from mid-December through early April, with peak powder conditions typically occurring in January and February. The resort receives an average of 11 meters of snowfall annually, with the best powder skiing conditions from late December through March. Spring skiing in March-April offers warmer weather and longer daylight hours.
Hakuba Cortina Ski Resort offers comprehensive ski and snowboard rental services with high-quality equipment from major brands, including all-mountain skis, powder skis, and beginner gear. Professional ski schools provide English-speaking instructors for private and group lessons for all skill levels. Equipment packages typically include skis/snowboards, boots, poles, and helmets, with convenient rental locations at the base lodge.
Great place to play snowboard. Have mix of green lane, red lane and some black diamond lane. Beautiful scenery. The lift ticket can also be use at next ski resort which is Norikura Onsen Ski Resort
Completely disappointed with this place.
There is nothing for children — no activities at all, and the lobby doesn’t have enough seating.
The food in the restaurants is not tasty. Everything feels old and dirty.
The ski slopes are average at best — 6/10.
Not recommended ⚠️
One of the best ski resorts I have been too!. White powder every day and amenities garlore. Friendly staff most speaking English and to save taking your ski's and equipment, you can hire good quality equipment right there, fitted perfectly. A must have ski trip for all the family!
Steep trees lines. Great on a snow day. Be warned though people come from and pack it out when it dumps snow. But there's a lot of terrain that a lift will be free no matter how busy it is.
