In its early days, skiing was considered a sport for intrepid mountaineers. However, it has rapidly evolved, now being a mainstream winter activity for the whole family with new features. Ski resorts worldwide have adapted to this demand by incorporating hotels, restaurants, after-ski entertainment, and various indoor and outdoor recreation options, including reflective snow jacket in different styles, snowboard jumpsuit, and ski hip protector. When selecting the ideal ski resort for your vacation, factors such as the terrain variety and challenge, snow conditions, and lift access should be taken into account.
Ready to scout out your next great run? Below, we’ve rounded up five of the top ski resorts in the world!
Cerro Chapelco in San Martín de los Andes, Argentina
Keeping watch on beautiful San Martín de los Andes, Chapelco is a wonder of Patagonia, as it is one of the most delightful and panoramic ski resorts in Argentina. Located at 1,980 meters of height, Chapelco has been considered a synonym for Argentinian and international ski, as its worldwide fame has reached the most remote sites, with visitors from all over the world coming along to its trails.
With 22 trails of various difficulties and excellent snow quality, Chapelco combines extreme adrenaline and landscape. The impressive view of Lake Lácar, the silence of the lenga forests and the striking presence of the Lanín Volcano breaking the mountain range horizon make this place a unique option to practice winter sports.
Chapelco offers the possibility of practicing various ski modalities: alpine, Nordic, and randonee. Likewise, its trails are chosen by lovers of snowboarding, who display their skills in the four categories of this sport: half pipe, parallel slalom, big air and fun park.
Snowmobile tours and rides on sleds pulled by Siberian huskies or snowshoe walks across the unspoilt woodland also gain more and more followers winter after winter.
Andermatt, Switzerland
The Andermatt holiday region is one of the most well-known ski resorts in Switzerland. Here, the diverse skiing areas of the Skiarena Andermatt-Sedrun offer a healthy mix with varying degrees of altitude and levels of difficulty. Freeriders and lovers of steep-slope descents fall for the Gemsstock, while recreational skiers and families find themselves in their element at the Nätschen and Sedrun resorts.
Well-signposted snowshoe trails and various winter hiking trails add to the long list of possible winter adventures too, not forgetting three different toboggan runs for rapid fun! And last but not least, cross-country skiers find 28 km of classic & skating trails in the Urserntal valley and another 12 km in Sedrun.
Aspen-Snowmass, Colorado, USA
Aspen resort is a wonderful place that you can have fun in four seasons. A favorite with families, this year-round Aspen resort means biking and hiking in the summer, and downhill and cross-country skiing in the winter.
For those who were new to skiing, Snowmass Village was the ideal location for their first ski adventure. A nice bonus is that the beginner's run, Meadows, is located higher on Snowmass Mountain than at the base. There are excellent lunch eateries as well. The mountainside and village both strictly enforced the safety measures. The amazing ski instructors at Aspen Snowmass are excellent at gauging our readiness to try different skiing activities and will give us their full attention. You may explore a lot of eateries and retail establishments while in town, and there's a free shuttle service as well. Highly recommend!
Cervinia, Italy
Cervinia has always been linked to its neighbour Zermatt, one of the best ski resorts in Switzerland we have mentioned above, via the slopes. Cervinia ski resort's location is astounding. It sits in a rugged high-altitude basin in the lap of Monte Cervino and Piccolo Cervino, at the head of a long side valley that rises north from the Valle d'Aosta, and is linked with the famously challenging Swiss resort of Zermatt.
Despite all this, Cervinia is actually a good choice for beginners and intermediates. The ski area is mostly comprised of easy to mid-range blue and very light red runs, and piste grooming here is of a consistently high standard, making this a great playground for keen intermediates who enjoy big-mileage cruising and big-mountain landscapes.
Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Whistler features two majestic mountains with a vibrant base Village, epic skiing and snowboarding, four championship golf courses, world-class shopping, restaurants and bars, hiking trails, spas and the world-famous Whistler Mountain Bike Park. No matter what season you come, you're going to love it here.
More importantly, Whistler is a wonderful choice for a ski holiday. Whistler features a snow season that extends from November through to May with a mild West Coast climate and over 8,100 acres of terrain on two mountains providing powder, groomers and technical terrain to suit all ability levels.
All in all, there are many ski resorts to choose from and you can select the right one according to your own preferences and needs. We hope you can kick up your heels in our recommended ski resorts.
FAQ:
Q: Are there other services in the ski resort besides skiing?
A: Yes. Most ski resorts include skiing, dining, lodging and even shopping services. Some ski resorts in Japan also have hot spring services.
Q: Can we rent ski clothes at the ski resort?
A: I suggest you prepare your own ski gear. This is because not all ski resorts offer the service of renting ski clothes. And the size of the rental ski clothes is limited and may not fit you.
Q: Is it necessary to have a ski instructor?
A: It depends your skiing ability. If you are new to skiing, I suggest you hire an instructor. This will help you progress and keep you safe.
References:
The Best Ski Resorts in the World 2024 - Snow Magazine
Skiing and Snowboarding in Whistler | Tourism Whistler
Aspen Snowmass - Snowmass Ski Area | Snowmass Tourism (gosnowmass.com)
The best ski resorts in the world: 2023 Readers' Choice Awards | CN Traveller
26 Top-Rated Ski Resorts in the World, 2023 | PlanetWare
8 best ski resorts in the world - Tripadvisor