Hakuba is situated on Honshu, the main island of Japan, in the heart of Nagano Prefecture. Hakuba is easily accessible from Tokyo, coach or private transfers can take you from either of Tokyo’s airports, Narita or Haneda, all the way to Hakuba in about 5 hours. If the bullet train is on your bucket list, this can easily be arranged. Japan’s bullet trains reach speeds of up to 260km/h and trains operate between Tokyo and Nagano dozens of times a day.

When visiting Hakuba, you will most likely find yourself staying in the village of Happo, which was a traditional farming village before the ski resort existed, so it is filled with life and local culture, including shops, restaurants, bars or izakayas, shrines and onsens. Today, Hakuba thrives on winter tourism and boasts countless dining options. Wadano village is a forest area wrapping around Happo, and is dotted with hotels, chalets and houses nestled amongst the trees. Depending on which end of Wadano village you’re in, it’s about a 15-30 minute walk to Happo, or there is a local shuttle bus service. Hakuba proudly hosted numerous events during the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, and the Olympic rings and ski jumps still greet you on arrival. Happo was home to the downhill ski races and the ski jumping. One of the famed attributes of Hakuba and the Nagano region, is its ample natural hot springs. The water rich in minerals from a natural hot spring are used to fill the communal baths called onsens. In Hakuba, this water is piped from the springs to the baths in the hotels and bath houses, and reheated. The mineral qualities in the water are great for relaxing, soothing sore muscles from skiing all day, and work wonders for your skin! To observe traditional onsen etiquette, onsens are gender segregated, and only entered fully nude after showering and washing off all suds and shampoo, don’t worry, you’ll be provided a small modesty towel. Tattoos are frowned upon, but may be allowed if covered up, just be sure to check before entry. Some public baths offer private onsens for an additional charge, so just ask if you would rather the privacy.

Hakuba Destination Tips: No Japanese ski holiday is complete without a visit to an Onsen or natural hot spring bath. Traditionally you bathe naked, men and women onsen separately and you must clean yourself thoroughly before and after entering the hot springs. Many hotels and resorts in Hakuba have their own Onsen but there are public ones as well, just make sure you check the rules for your onsen before you go! Some Onsen do not allow tattoos or require them to be covered before entering and you may offend locals if you do not follow their traditional rules. Anyone visiting Hakuba should add a trip to the famous Jigokundai Snow Monkeys, to their ski holiday, the monkey’s sit in natural hot springs and are a must-see for many visitors. Make sure to wear good shoes and warm clothes as you do walk to the hot springs through a beautiful alpine forest. A visit to the snow monkeys can be easily be added as a day trip from Hakuba or Shiga Kogen. Cash is king, a lot of smaller shops, restaurants and bars in Hakuba prefer to use cash or in some cases only accept cash. We recommend grabbing some cash in Tokyo before heading to Hakuba, if you run out (or forget) the Post Office is a great place to top up your cash stash as they accept both Debit and Credit cards. Seven Bank ATM';s are another option, just make sure you look for the "International ATM Service" symbol.

The Hakuba Valley consists of 10 ski resorts, all accessible on one lift pass. The Hakuba Valley Pass provides flexibility in mountains and does not have to be used on consecutive days, giving you time to rest your legs or take in the local sights. When staying in Happo, Happo-One ski resort is right on your doorstep. All these resorts can be accessed by the free ski resort shuttles which operate morning and afternoon. The next closest is Goryu Iimori, which is only 10 minutes down the road, and the furthest being Cortina, about 45 minutes away. The Hakuba Valley Pass also includes a free skier shuttle between the 10 ski resorts.

You will be spoilt with choice for terrain, depending on your preference for powder, trees, steeps, park, cruisers and groomers. Happo is steepest, 47 has a terrain park, Goryu has great tree skiing (that’s between the trees for our beginners out there) and this is my top secret tip, Cortina typically cops the most powder snow in a big storm due to its north facing aspect. If you’re just learning to slide (forwards or sideways, or both!) there are English speaking ski schools - just make sure we book that in advance as demand is high and they do sell out.

Annually Hakuba sees an average of 11m of snowfall, which is an incredible amount of dry snowfall for a relatively low altitude ski resort. As we know, weather often changes, so in an average week in Hakuba, you’re likely to get 3-4 days of fresh snowfall and clouds, and the remainder of the week with blue skies and sunny days - Bring it on!