Is it cheaper to ski in Japan than Australia? What is the breakdown of the costs of skiing in Japan vs Australia?
After a couple of disappointing Australian ski seasons, we are going to do the comparison. To see what it actually costs, including flights, to have a ski trip to Japan.
The costs and comparison will be based on our recent experience of visiting Falls Creek in Australia (August 2024) and Hakuba – Happo One in Japan (March 2024).
Skiing and Snowboarding in both these places offer very different experiences and we loved our ski holidays in both locations.
Nowadays, with lens on costs and getting bang for your buck, we wanted to see what is possible if only one location was flagged as the family ski holiday – Japan or Australia.
Overview of Falls Creek Ski Resort, Australia
Falls Creek is listed as Australia’s only ski-in and ski-out resort and is the largest in Victoria.
Located 4.5 hours (Car) North East of Melbourne, it is often hailed as a great Family ski resort, with a ski-in / ski-out village, good learner runs, and when the snow coverage is good, solid intermediate and advanced runs (for Australian standards).
There are plenty of accommodation options, various restaurants, bars, pubs and cafes as well as a number of off-Mountain options in nearby Mt Beauty.
The skiing is ok, but limited by length of runs and the general quality/inconsistency of snow and coverage, compared to Northern Hemisphere resorts.
Overview of Hakuba Happo One Resort, Japan
Located 3 hours (Train & Bus) north west of Tokyo, The Happo One ski resort was home to a number of ski racing events during the Nagano Winter Olympics in 1998.
The range of accommodation is very good with options for budget travellers through to high end. Less lodge style, self-catering and more pensions and family run inns and hotels.
Restaurants and bars are plentiful, in both the Happo and Echoland areas. Again with options for all budgets and a good selection of Japanese and international cuisine.
The skiing at Happo One and nearby resorts of Goryu and 47 is world class. The area receives over 9 metres of snow per season with unique conditions delivering powder dumps, regularly. The runs are long, with a solid mix of beginner, intermediate and advanced trails and well connected with on mountain gondolas and lifts and a bus shuttle network on the ground.
Cost Comparison: How Much Does a Skiing Holiday Cost in Falls Creek vs Hakuba Happo One
So this is what we have been thinking gin recent years, is even with flights, is it possible that skiing in Japan is similar or in fact cheaper than in Australia?
Let’s break down the costs with a few caveats.
The parameters are:
- Costs in AUD
- Cost and research based on a family of four :
- Two Adults and Two Children (13 & 16)
- Based in Melbourne, Australia
- Three Skiers and one Snowboarder
- 7 nights Accommodation
- 5 days lift passes
- Travel to Japan
- Option 1 in Late Jan (within AU school holidays)
- Option 2 in Mid-March
- Travel to Falls Creek
- Option 1 August (Peak)
- Option 2 Sep (Spring specials)
Travel & Transportation Costs
These travel costs of skiing in Australia & Japan are related to the costs of getting to the mountain – flights, vehicles, trains etc.
Each location has there own unique requirements and options to get a family of 4 to their accommodation.
Travel Costs – Ski Holiday Falls Creek, Australia
When travelling to Falls Creek you can drive right up to the overnight car park, at the base of the village.
During the winter season there is an additional national park entry fee based on the vehicle and number of people. This can be purchased online or at the park entry.
If your accommodation is not next to the main road (e.g. St Falls or Falls Creek Country Club), it is likely that you will need to use the accommodation transfer service, which gets your luggage and yourselves, to your hotel or lodge.
Travel Costs – Ski Holiday Hakuba, Japan
The most significant cost here is flights and travel time. It is around 10 hours for a direct flight, but more like 13-14 hours, for flights with a stopover via an Asian airport hub.
To get to Hakuba from Tokyo airports, you can get a combination of train, bullet train and bus, from the Airport to the Hakuba Valley.
The bus from Nagano train station to Hakuba goes to multiple stops throughout the valley, with the Happo bus terminal, being a good central location. Many hotels and inns provide a shuttle service, to pick you up from the bus terminal.
Accommodation Costs
For the ease and convenience, we have put forward costs of accommodation that makes it relatively easy to get to the lifts. A short walk to the closest lift or shuttle bus stop.
Accommodation Falls Creek
To keep the comparison roughly the same, I have sourced pricing for hotel accommodation. This is where Falls Creek is challenging, due to high pricing and limited availability. However plan it out early, and you can have good options to choose from.
Accommodation Hakuba, Japan
The options are greatly increased in Hakuba, Japan, particularly around Happo and Echoland. With the increase in options, there are plenty of comfortable hotel stays for a family, many with Breakfast included. Click to find out more about Hakuba ski resort hotels.
Lift Pass Prices
Lift pass prices is one area where Hakuba, and in particular Happo One is priced very competitively. Compared to Falls Creek, the cost of a 5 day lift pass for a family of 4, at Happo One is about 40% less – AUD $2032 vs AUD $1260
Falls Creek Lift Prices
The lift pass can be purchased online and this sometimes gives you a slight discount to buy in advance, rather than on the day at the ticket office.
If going for more than 5 days, the option to purchase an Epic Pass, which includes Falls Creek (in addition to Mt Hotham, VIC and Perisher, NSW), is a great option to keep costs manageable. Purchasing at the early bird rate is what you want to look for.
Hakuba Lift Prices
The pricing below is based on a 5-day lift pass at Happo One, which can be broken up into individual or two-day passes. This is a good way to purchase as it opens up other resorts in the Valley to explore. This includes resorts such as nearby Goryu, Hakuba 47 or Tsugaike.
Rental Equipment and Ski/Snowboard Hire
There are plenty of rental options for both your trip to Falls Creek or Hakuba. We have listed in-resort comparisons, but there will be others that are more affordable.
The pricing is based on the Hub at Falls Creek and Rhythm Sports in Happo.
Ski Hire Falls Creek
The ski hire pricing is based on three standard skis, boots and poles and one standard snowboard + boots. Pricing was taken from their website.
Ski Hire Happo One
Going through Rhythm Sports in Happo, ski hire is actually more expensive compared to Falls Creek, albeit with an excellent range and selection of brands and models.
Food and Drink
Food and drink is expensive in Falls Creek given the smaller amount of venues and cost to get food to the village. Happo on the other hand have affordable options by ski resort standards. Both locations have good options for family dining, whether you go up or down the price spectrum.
Costs were based on a family of 4, dining over 7 days, assuming that breakfast is included at the hotel.
Food Costs at Falls Creek
The food cost was based on meals at The Frying Pan.
Food Costs at Happo Hakuba
The food costs vary from ramen places, izakaya and general Japanese cuisine restaurants. Snacks cost was drawn from visits to the local Lawson.
Total Breakdown – Costs of Skiing in Japan vs Australia
See below the breakdown of costs and options between a standard season and alternative timing e.g. Spring season.
If you are travelling during the peak period then Falls Creek is going to be a better pick, cost-wise. However if you look at the spring ski season in Japan (mid-March onwards) there are very good savings to be made, both from flights, accommodation and lift passes. This brings the cost down and highlights Hakuba as a more affordable option.
Accessibility and Travel savings
Outside of the Australian summer school holidays (Dec-Jan), you can save around $2000+ on flights, for a family of four.
Other options are to look at utilizing frequent flyer points to secure award flights. Given the popularity of routes between Australia and Japan, early planning (around 300-350 days before flying) will help to snag those popular flights.
Happo One have very generous spring skiing specials on lift passes, with almost 1/2 price tickets, compared to peak season.
Final Thoughts on the Costs of Skiing in Australia vs Japan
Skiing in both locations offer a very unique experience compared to US and European resorts.
Falls Creek is a special place where our family has visited for many years, with our children learning to ski here and have many great memories of our ski holidays here.
The Hakuba Valley has quality snow, great facilities and makes it easy for ski visitors to explore and enjoy.
With the challenging weather conditions in recent years, the question of exploring skiing in Japan often comes up as a possible replacement to our annual Falls Creek trip.
The costs of Skiing in Japan vs Australia is comparable and very similar – depending when in the season you go.
If timing allows for it, and a spring ski season trip is possible, the costs are on par as a trip to Falls Creek and definitely worth looking into further, when planning this out for next season.
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