Hakuba

Hakuba played host to the 1998 Olympic ski-jumping, alpine downhill and super-G events. This is a world-class resort with more than enough to entertain even the most experienced snow sports enthusiast.

“Having lived in the north of Japan for 3 years I thought that I was familiar with fantastic snow conditions and amazing winter resorts. However my visit to Hakuba was something else! Here the runs were longer, the snow was deeper and the powder was more perfect than anything I had seen before.”

Harry Sargant, Marketing & Agents Manager

There are 10 ski resorts in the Hakuba area, with the 'big three' being Goryu, Hakuba 47 and Happo-one. These three alone have more than enough runs to keep you happy for any length of stay, and when combined with the other outlying resorts offer over 200 runs and 800acres of mountain to explore. The snow in Hakuba comes big and is high quality with cold Siberian air creating reliable and regular dumps of fresh powder from mid December through until late March.

One of the wonderful things about winter sports in Japan is the lack of crowds and amount of space available to you on the mountain, and with so many runs and so many resorts this is definitely the case in Hakuba. Although popular with the Japanese, who come at weekends and public holidays, ski or board from Monday to Friday and you will virtually have the place to yourself with queuing for lifts virtually unheard of.

Another of the joys of Japan in winter is the apres-ski hot-spring (onsen) bath. What better way to rest aching limbs than to sit back in a steaming outdoor onsen with snowflakes falling all around you (for fresh powder tomorrow!), and perhaps a cold beer at your side?! Hakuba has plenty of onsen to choose from, so do take the chance to indulge in this most Japanese of activities. If you need a break from the slopes you could even make a half-day trip to nearby Yudanaka, home to the famous snow monkeys - Japanese macaques who ward off the winter chill by relaxing in onsen baths of their own!

Hakuba also has plenty to keep you busy in the evenings, with a fantastic mixture of western-style bars and restaurants and traditional Japanese style pubs and eateries. The resort's growth has been carefully managed and Hakuba still maintains a small town Japanese atmosphere, despite its growing international fame.

Hakuba can also be visited outside winter with some fantastic outdoor sporting options available from spring to autumn, including mountain biking, rafting, hiking and horse riding.

Recommended Accommodation in Hakuba

The following are our favourites from among the western-style hotels and Japanese-style inns of Hakuba.

Experiences in Hakuba

Hakuba offers a wealth of exciting experiences that will help you get beneath the surface of Japan's fascinating culture. See below for a few of our favourites

Weather in Hakuba

The Climate Guide for Hakuba, Japan is perfect for planning your holiday. Monthly weather averages give the best indication of what the weather is usually like for every month of the year including figures for temperature, rainfall and sunshine.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Max Daytime Temperature (°C)	0	1	5	13	18	21	25	26	21	15	10	3
Min Night-time Temperature (°C)	-8	-8	-5	1	6	12	16	17	13	6	0	-5
Hours of Sunshine (Daily)	4	4	5	6	6	5	5	6	4	4	4	4
Hours of Daylight (Daily)	10	11	12	13	14	15	14	14	12	11	10	10
Heat and Humidity Discomfort	None	None	None	None	None	None	Low	Low	None	None	None	None
Days with some Rainfall	28	24	23	17	17	19	21	19	20	17	19	25
Monthly Rainfall (mm)	79	75	88	102	120	197	207	158	201	108	94	72
UV Index (Maximum)	2	3	5	7	9	10	10	10	8	5	3	2

Featured trips including Hakuba

Self-Guided Adventure

Skiing on a Snowshoe String (Essential)
- Tokyo
- Hakuba
- Tokyo
This is a simple little package that proves it needn't break the bank to go on a winter sports holiday in Japan.

7 nights: from US$1862 pp (twin share) Read more >

View more Self-Guided Adventures