You’re finally about to embark on the Niseko family holiday you’ve always dreamed of, now all you need to do is tackle all the nitty-gritty logistics before you touch down.
For those who have never visited Japan or Niseko before, it can be quite a confusing process trying to figure out exactly where the best place to ski will be, the best time of year to visit, which accommodations are family-friendly, and how you’ll get from New Chitose airport to the Niseko village.
If these are issues that you’re currently trying to work out, read on. Below we’ve created a detailed guide of everything you need to know to ensure you have the perfect family holiday in Niseko.
What You’ll Need
Your Kids
First and foremost, you’ll need your family. While we’re in the age of film and television reboots, nobody wants to remake ‘Home Alone’ in real life!
Gear
As you may have imagined, you won’t be able to shred Niseko’s world renowned powder without your skis and snowboards, making it essential that you either bring your own or pre-book your rentals in advance.
If you don’t have gear to pack, our Rhythm stores will be able to hook you up with any gear you’d ever need, including an extensive retail range if you’re looking for some lifelong outerwear options. We put emphasis on pre-booking for a reason. As Niseko is a highly sought after winter destination, it can be hard to secure your rentals upon arrival as many of the local rental stores will already be booked out, so make sure you pre-book your rentals before your arrival!
Accommodation
It goes without saying that you’ll need a place for you and the fam to stay every night, but it’s not just as easy as picking a hotel and rolling with it. First you’ll need to decide which village you plan to stay in.
Niseko United is broken up into four different resorts; Hanazono, Niseko Tokyu Grand Hirafu, Niseko Village and Annupuri. While these resorts are interconnected, making it easy for All-Mountain passholders to traverse between resorts and ride the whole mountain, they can be quite far from each other to travel by foot or car. Making it hard to always rely on shuttles, buses and taxis – especially when you need to duck into Kutchan to grab some groceries.
Make sure you choose accommodation that is located in the resort where your lift pass is based (e.g. if you have a Hirafu/Hanazono pass, make sure your accommodation is in one of those areas).
Additionally, think about what you want from your accommodation; are you after close proximity to the slopes? Will you be able to comfortably walk to restaurants and bars? Does the accommodation have a kitchen or will you eat out most nights? And most importantly, how close is the accommodation to the ski school you’re putting the kids into?
Transport
Are you planning on travelling by public transport for the entirety of your stay or will you hire a rental car?
As Niseko is quite a large resort, it can be difficult for visitors staying in Annupuri, Hanazono or Niseko Village to access supermarkets and the central food and beverage hub in Hirafu. While it is still accessible via public transport, you can be quite limited by bus times, with most public transport finishing around 8pm.
There is a taxi service that operates within the resort, although it can quite often be very hard to secure a ride during peak season due to a high demand of travellers.
The Best Time for Families to Visit Niseko
For those wanting less crowds on the slopes during their family holiday in Niseko, we recommend visiting in late Feb/early March for some spring skiing. Not only will you have the runs all to yourself, you’ll also find it a lot easier to score dinner reservations, the temperature will be slightly milder and accommodation will be cheaper.
For families with experienced riders looking for the deepest pow possible, peak season (December -Jan) will definitely be the best option for your family vacay.
Skiing and Snowboarding Lessons for Kids in Niseko
We know it’s not just as easy as signing your kids up to the first ski school that comes along, you want to put the kids in a fun and friendly environment where they can hit their goals and make friends each day.
For those looking for more personalised lessons, we recommend our Kids Week program. Offering five consecutive days of lessons with the same instructor and participants, Kids Week will help your young one improve their skills and reach their goals, all under the watchful guidance of our expert instructors.
Niseko Ski Activities for the Whole Family
While private lessons and kids week are a great way to get the kids skills up to speed, we understand that you also want to spend as much time with them as possible.
For those wanting the opportunity to explore the resort as a family, we recommend a family resort guiding experience with an expert instructor, who will show you the best photo spots and runs around the region to suit your skill sets and the weather conditions.
If you’re looking for family-friendly fun off the slopes, check out our guide of the best winter activities that don’t require you to strap into ski boots and bindings.
Lift Passes
As previously mentioned, it’s important to choose the correct lift-pass for where you’re staying. If you want the ability to ride freely around the whole mountain, you can’t go wrong with the Niseko United All-Mountain pass.
For those looking for a more budget-friendly option that covers you for just the resort that you are staying at, a single resort pass will suffice. Unsure about which lift pass will best suit your needs, we recommend visiting our comprehensive lift pass guide?
Budgeting for a Family Holiday in Niseko
- Avoid exorbitant baggage fees this family holiday by renting your gear and outerwear.
- Find accommodation with a kitchen included and cook meals at home to save money eating out all the time. Trust us, when you see Japanese supermarkets for the first time, it’ll be equally as exciting as eating out.
- Choose accommodation with their own shuttle service or close proximity to the slopes.
- Pre-arrange your airport transfers to avoid spending big on a taxi from Sapporo to Niseko.
- Choose your lift pass wisely. If you’re not planning on riding all four resorts, save money by buying individual lift passes for the main resort you want to ride.
- Avoid peak season. While it might be the best pow, you’ll notice that everything is significantly more expensive during the two months of peak season. If you’re wanting the Japanese experience for your family holiday, but also don’t want to spend too much, we recommend visiting for some spring skiing.
Make your TRIP easy and cost effective
While we all cherish the memories made together on family holidays, a lot of us are quick to try and forget the headache that it took to organise. Itineraries, flights, accommodation, rentals, kids programs, ski school – the list goes on.
To make the process easier for everyone, we decided to offer the Ultimate Family Trip.
Ok, I’m listening… What’s the Ultimate Family Trip?
The Ultimate Family Trip offers a convenient, all-inclusive package covering your rentals, airport transfers, lessons, accommodation and access to our weekly Kids Week program, all in the one bundle, making it a great option for families looking for a JaPow winter holiday, without the worry of organising everything in advance.
Follow this link to find out more about the Ultimate Family Trip!
