HAKUBA VALLEY Hakuba Goryu Snow Resort: Hakuba’s Biggest Ski Resort!

Hakuba Valley’s famous big slopes

The best thing about skiing in Hakuba Goryu is how astoundingly wide the slopes are. With a total of 16 courses on offer, the Hakuba area is moderately large, but with areas for beginners and advanced skiers separated from each other, there are all sorts of courses on offer for skiers of all skill levels. Another excellent point is the long course that spans 5,000 meters from the peak of the mountain all the way down.

If you include the Hakuba47 area, the number of courses here is second to none. This resort is not one where you’ll be able to see everything in one day. In actuality, the ski area is a combination of two large snow resorts.

3 slopes all with hugely different features

The slopes of Hakuba Goryu can be split up into 3 main categories, each with its own difficulty and ski traffic. Getting to know the characteristics of these areas will help you have a smoother skiing experience.

Alps Hira Slopes: offering dynamically changing inclines

Extending from the peak to halfway down the mountain are the Alps Hira Slopes. Being so close to the peak means the snow is of excellent quality, and as a bonus gives skiers an amazing view of the surrounding Hakuba mountains. Here, skiers will find lots of challenging courses such as the Grand Prix Course which boasts the steepest incline in all of Goryu as well as the Technical Course which features zero compacted snow. If you head all the way to the peak, at some point you will have to take a path through the trees, so novice skiers need to be careful if they don’t feel confident enough to get down the mountain.

Tomi Slopes: wide open slopes popular with beginners

Slopes towards the bottom at the end of the Alps Hira Slopes are called the Tomi Slopes. Featuring lots of courses with gentle inclines and compacted snow, this area is great for relaxed skiing and features excellent lift placement. These courses are excellent when it comes to beginners looking to get some practice. Lots of beginners will come here to sharpen their skills, so be careful of congestion. This area is also well known for having a large amount of snowboarders as opposed to skiers.

Family-friendly, gently inclining Iimori Slopes

Right next to the Tomi Slopes are the Iimori Slopes. This area also features gentle inclines and has lots of courses targeted at novice skiers. This part of the resort also features the kid’s park known as Family Land Iimori where children and their families can enjoy relaxed skiing together. As this area is comparatively less crowded than others, this makes a good getaway when the Tomi Slopes start getting a lot of traffic. Iimori Slopes offer plenty of runs that beginner skiers can enjoy.

Escal Plaza: featuring a 24-hour Ski Center!

Escal Plaza is one of the most famous aspects of the Hakuba Goryu Snow Resort and offers a ski center open 24/7 throughout the season. With plenty of restaurants, rest areas, changing rooms, and rental shops, Hakuba Goryu takes pride in providing so many services all in one place for both day trip and overnight stay visitors.

Complete with nap rooms, skiers who arrive late at night can get a good night’s sleep before hitting the slopes. With a day-trip oriented onsen also on offer, skiers who want to warm their bones after a long day on the mountain should check this place out. The plaza offers free rest lounges and day-care centers, making it perfect for parents who bring the whole family along.

At the rental shop, visitors can rent top-of-the-line skis and even switch out their skis or snowboard as long as they bring the equipment back within the trial period. This kind of service is just another reason why Hakuba Goryu is known as one of the best ski resorts.

Restaurants featuring all sorts of different cuisines

Generally, all the slope-side restaurants at Hakuba Goryu have great reputations for excellent food. From ramen noodles to pork cutlet curry, hamburgers, rice bowls, even ice cream, there’s all sorts of light meals to be had. From brand name stores to fast food, there are all sorts of dining options available, so skiers will never be at a loss when picking out something to eat.

There are all sorts of great options on offer at the Ski Center when it comes to food, but one we highly recommend is Alps360, a restaurant with a viewing platform. We recommend the big sanzoku-yaki burger which uses lots of fresh, locally grown Nagano ingredients. The burger’s taste is second to none, and looks simply delicious even at just a glance. The restaurant also features a plethora of other hearty meals, all of excellent quality!

Located 1,500 meters up, the view from the dining room is great in its own right! The view of the alps and the bright blue sky on a clear day is definitely a sight to behold. Since the restaurant gets really crowded during lunch hours, if you want to enjoy the view and the food to your heart’s content, we suggest getting there early.

A snow resort so big you’ll want to stay overnight to see everything on offer

Thus concludes our report on HAKUBA VALLEY Hakuba Goryu Snow Resort.

With a layout that allows anyone from beginner to pro to have a great skiing experience, a 5,000 meter long course, and a 24 hour Ski Center on offer, the merits of Hakuba Goryu go on and on. By no means can one see everything the resort has to offer in just a single day.

While day trippers can certainly have a good time, if you really want to get the most out of the resort, we recommend staying a couple of nights! No hesitation whatsoever when we say that this is the largest ski resort in all of Hakuba.

Pricing information and schedule may not be up to date and are subject to change without notice. Please check before your trip.