Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort, in Karuizawa Town, Kitasaku District, Nagano Prefecture, will begin its 2026-2027 season on Saturday, October 31, 2026, the earliest opening in Nagano Prefecture. The resort is adding more for families and beginners this season, including an expanded Snowman Park (スノーマンパーク) snow play area, a Debut Park (デビューパーク) for beginners that is now free for lift ticket holders, and new food trucks.
Eight of the resort's 14 courses (about 58%) are designed for beginners. Its strengths include a stable slope environment made with artificial snow, a high rate of clear winter days, and access of about a 10-minute walk from the Shinkansen station. The resort has supported many children and young people in their first ski and snowboard experiences, and it recorded about 320,000 visitors in total last season.
Aiming to help grow the winter sports population and contribute to regional development, the resort is working to be a snow resort where beginners and families can enjoy themselves safely.
New This Season
- Expanded Snowman Park in the Ski Center Area: the snow play area is enlarged, with more attractions for children
- Wider D1 Prince Slope (D1 プリンスゲレンデ): the course, which opens on the first day of the season, is about 3 m wider than in previous years, for safer and more comfortable skiing
- Free Debut Park for lift ticket holders: the beginner area is free for anyone holding a lift ticket
- New food trucks: an expanded food truck area adds more slope-side dining (ゲレ食)
Long-Standing Kid- and Beginner-Friendly Services
- Kids Free Program: free lifts for children up to elementary school age and free weekday lifts for 20-year-olds
- Low-speed operation of the lifts often used by children and beginners
- "Slow Zones" that encourage skiing and snowboarding at safe speeds
- Ski schools for guests from Japan and abroad
- Snowman Park, a snow play area, and the sightseeing lift for guests who do not ski or snowboard
- Helmet use is encouraged, and helmets can be borrowed free of charge
Family information: https://www.princehotels.co.jp/ski/karuizawa/winter/family/
Expanded Snowman Park
Snowman Park is a snow play area popular with children. This season it is being expanded in the Ski Center Area, offering the snow escalator, Fuafua (ふあふあ) and tubing, with a more comfortable setup for families.
- Period:
- Ski Center Area (area expanded): October 31, 2026 (Saturday) to March 31, 2027 (Wednesday)
- East Area: December 19, 2026 (Saturday) to March 31, 2027 (Wednesday)
- West Area: late December 2026 to March 22, 2027 (Monday, substitute holiday)
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
- Fee: from ¥2,500 per person for adults and children (sled included)
- Free for children under 3
- Operating periods may change depending on snow conditions.
Free Debut Park for Beginners
Starting this season, the beginner area Debut Park is free for anyone holding a lift ticket. It is equipped with handrails and space bars to help first-timers improve, so they can learn to ski or snowboard safely.
- Period:
- Ski Center Area and East Area: late December 2026 to late March 2027
- West Area: early January 2027 to late March 2027
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM
- Fee: Free (lift ticket holders only)
- Eligible: Beginner skiers and snowboarders who are elementary school students or older
- Sightseeing lift tickets are not eligible.
- There will be no one-point advice from staff this season.
- There are no tickets for Debut Park only.
- Operating periods may change depending on snow conditions.
New Food Trucks in the Ski Center Area
New food trucks are coming to the Ski Center Area, with a varied menu for breaks and meals on the slopes.
Pizza BOBOOB
- Period: October 31, 2026 (Saturday) to March 31, 2027 (Wednesday)
- Hours: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Location: Ski Center Area
- Menu: Pizza made with homemade dough
YAMA KITCHEN
- Period: October 31, 2026 (Saturday) to March 31, 2027 (Wednesday)
- Hours: 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Location: Ski Center Area
- Menu: Light meals such as hot dogs and fries
Ski Schools
Lessons are available for every level, from beginners to advanced skiers. English is supported at all schools.
| School | Features | Operating period |
|---|---|---|
| Karuizawa Ski School (軽井沢スキー学校) | Certified by the All Japan Ski and Snowboard Federation (全日本スキー・スノーボード連盟) | December 1, 2026 (Tuesday) to March 31, 2027 (Wednesday) |
| Ritomo Snow Academy (リトモスノーアカデミー) | Racing lessons available | October 31, 2026 (Saturday) to March 31, 2027 (Wednesday); private lessons only until December 18 (Friday) |
| Oji Snow School (王子スノースクール) | Chinese-language support | October 31, 2026 (Saturday) to March 31, 2027 (Wednesday) |
| Sakurayuki Ski School (櫻雪スキースクール) | Chinese-language support | October 31, 2026 (Saturday) to March 31, 2027 (Wednesday) |
| Lion Snowboard School (ライオンスノーボードスクール) | Snowboard specialist | October 31, 2026 (Saturday) to March 31, 2027 (Wednesday); by reservation only, private lessons only, until December 11 (Friday) |
| Pandaruman Ski School (パンダルマンスキースクール) | For kids | December 1, 2026 (Tuesday) to March 22, 2027 (Monday, substitute holiday); private lessons only until December 18 (Friday) |
School details: https://www.princehotels.co.jp/ski/karuizawa/winter/school/
Free Helmet Rental
Prince Snow Resorts encourages helmet use to reduce the risk of injury in winter sports. Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort will again offer free helmet rental this season, available only to guests using a rental set. Last season, about 49% of the resort's visitors wore helmets, and the number of injured guests was about 20% lower than in the season before last.
Kids Free Program and Free Weekday Lifts for 20-Year-Olds
As part of the Kids Free Program, the resort again offers free lifts for children and free weekday lifts for 20-year-olds this season.
Kids Free Program: Free Lifts for Children
At Prince Snow Resorts, including Karuizawa Prince Hotel Ski Resort, lift fees are free for all children up to elementary school age.
- Period: October 31, 2026 (Saturday) to March 31, 2027 (Wednesday)
- Eligible: Children up to elementary school age
Free Weekday Lifts for 20-Year-Olds
The resort is again offering free weekday lifts for guests who are 20 years old. By letting 20-year-olds rediscover how fun skiing and snowboarding are, it aims to grow the winter sports population in the future.
- Period: Weekdays from December 7, 2026 (Monday) to March 31, 2027 (Wednesday)
- Excluded days: Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and December 21 (Monday) to January 4 (Monday)
- Eligible: Those born between April 2, 2006 and April 1, 2007
- To use the offer, guests need to register in the Seibu Prince Global Rewards app and show an ID that shows their date of birth.
Enjoying Snow Without Skiing or Snowboarding
Besides Snowman Park, a snow play area, the resort runs a sightseeing lift for guests who want to enjoy the snow without skiing or snowboarding.
Sightseeing Lift
The sightseeing lift offers an aerial walk of about 1 km. From the summit, at an elevation of about 1,155 m, riders can enjoy winter views of Karuizawa Town, Mt. Asama and the mountains of Gunma Prefecture.
- Period: December 19, 2026 (Saturday) to March 31, 2027 (Wednesday)
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM (last boarding for the descent)
- Location: C East High-Speed Lift (Cイースト高速リフト)
- Fee: Round trip ¥3,000 for adults (junior high school students and older), ¥2,000 for ages 4 through elementary school
- Free for children under 4
2026-2027 Season Overview
- Opened: December 23, 1973 (53rd anniversary)
- Address: Karuizawa, Karuizawa-machi, Kitasaku-gun, Nagano 389-0102
- Season: October 31, 2026 (Saturday) to March 31, 2027 (Wednesday) (planned)
- Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM (8:30 AM to 4:30 PM from October 31 (Saturday) to December 18 (Friday))
- Lift tickets:
- 1-day ticket: from ¥8,000 for adults (junior high school students and older)
- Afternoon ticket: from ¥7,000 for adults (junior high school students and older)
- Children up to elementary school age ride free of charge under the Kids Free Program. Prices vary by period. Afternoon tickets are valid from 12:00 PM (noon) until closing time.
- Size: Total area 60 ha, slope area 30 ha
- Elevation: 940 m (summit 1,155 m, vertical drop 215 m)
- Courses: 14 (beginner about 58%, intermediate about 21%, advanced about 21%)
- Lifts: 8
- Longest run: 1,519 m
- Website: https://www.princehotels.co.jp/ski/karuizawa/winter/
- Phone: 0267-42-5588
- Operations may change.
