Things to do in Vail in winter
Two mountains, a valley full of things to do when the skis come off, and a local team that books all of it before you land. Here is what a Vail winter actually looks like.
Typical season
Mountains: Vail and Beaver Creek
From Eagle County (EGE)
We book it all at no fee
Skiing and snowboarding in Vail
Vail Mountain is best known for the Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin, and Beaver Creek is the quieter, gentler mountain twenty minutes down the valley. Between them there is terrain for a first-timer and for someone who has skied here for thirty years.
Groomers with a view
Freshly groomed runs with the Gore Range on the horizon, like this one high on Vail Mountain. Vail and Beaver Creek are both on the Epic Pass, so one pass covers both.
Start gently at Arrowhead
The quiet western end of Beaver Creek. Wide groomers, short lift lines and the ski school base a few steps inside the gate.
Watch the World Cup
Each December the Audi FIS Ski World Cup races the Birds of Prey course at Beaver Creek. The finish area fills up, so book your stay early.
Is the Epic Pass worth it for your trip?
It depends almost entirely on how many days you plan to ski. Buying a multi-day Epic Day Pass in advance can save a large share of what the same days would cost at the ticket window, and pass holders skip the ticket line and go straight to the lift.
Pass holders also get Epic Mountain Rewards, which discounts things you were going to pay for anyway — lessons, rentals and on-mountain food. For a trip of four days or more it is usually the obvious choice. For two days it often is not.
Tell us your dates and how many people are skiing, and we will tell you which way round it works out. We do not sell passes and we make nothing either way.
Lift tickets and passes
We help you work out whether an Epic product or day tickets make more sense for your dates, and get it sorted before you arrive.
Ski school and instructors
Group lessons, private instructors and children’s programs. In Christmas week and over Presidents’ Day these sell out early, so tell us as soon as you book.
Gear delivered to the door
Rentals and demos fitted in your living room the evening you arrive. No rental queue on your first morning, and no carrying boots through the village.
What to do in Vail if you do not ski
Nordic skiing and snowshoeing
Groomed Nordic trails and quiet snowshoe routes through the trees. The calmest half day you can have here, and it needs no lift ticket.
Snowmobile tours
Guided rides into the backcountry above the valley. Popular with teenagers and with anyone who has had enough of chairlifts for one day.
Sleigh ride dinners
Horse-drawn sleigh up to a cabin, dinner, and the ride back under the stars. The one thing guests mention most often afterwards.
Ice skating
Outdoor rinks in the villages, open into the evening. An easy hour with small children between lunch and dinner.
Spa and recovery
Massage and treatments booked for the afternoon of day three, which is when most people discover they need it.
Dinner and après-ski
The tables worth having in Vail Village go weeks ahead in February. Tell us how you like to eat and we will get them.
Winter questions we get asked
When is ski season in Vail?
Vail Mountain usually opens in the second half of November and runs to mid-April, with Beaver Creek on a similar calendar. Snow is most reliable from late December through March. Exact opening and closing dates are set by the resort each year.
When are the busiest weeks?
Christmas and New Year, Martin Luther King weekend, Presidents’ Day week and spring break. Rentals, ski school places and the better restaurant tables in those weeks go months ahead. If your dates are fixed and fall in one of them, book early rather than well.
Is Vail good for beginners?
Yes. Golden Peak has the main learning area and ski school base, and there is a large amount of gentle groomed terrain higher up. Beaver Creek is often the easier choice for families with small children because it is quieter and more contained.
What is there to do if I do not ski?
Nordic skiing and snowshoeing, snowmobile tours, sleigh ride dinners, ice skating, spa treatments, and the shops and restaurants of Vail Village and Beaver Creek. A non-skier can fill a week here without ever buying a lift ticket.
Do I need a car in winter?
Usually not. Free shuttles run within Vail and Avon, and we can arrange transfers from the airport and between the villages. If your home is ski-in/ski-out or a short walk from a gondola, a car is mostly something to park.
We book all of it, at no extra cost
Lessons, gear, sleigh dinners, transfers and tables. Concierge service is included with every Visit Vail stay and there is no service fee.