Best snow destinations in Asia
Best snow destinations in Asia
High-altitude ski fields and frozen lake regions across Asia
Asia has some of the most reliable snow in the world, and in parts of Japan it falls so often and so heavily that skiers plan whole trips around it.
Hokkaido is famous for its light, dry powder, and Niseko draws skiers from all over the world. If you are not a skier, there is still plenty to see, like the thatched farmhouses of Shirakawa-go under deep snow, or the snow monkeys soaking in hot springs near Nagano. On the mainland, Harbin in northern China turns into a city of huge ice sculptures every January, and Gulmarg in Kashmir has high Himalayan slopes that cost a lot less than a week in the Alps.
Winters in these places can be very cold, especially in northern China. Warm layers, good boots and gloves that work with your phone screen make a big difference if you plan to spend long days outside.
Lists by region
State/Prefecture in Japan
Hokkaido
Volcanoes, powder snow and fresh seafood
Cold Siberian air picks up moisture over the Sea of Japan and falls on the island as dry powder. Snowfall is measured in meters here. Niseko and Rusutsu are well known powder areas. Skiers come for light snow that stays fluffy. Sapporo, the biggest city, is a short trip away.
City in Japan
Sapporo
Snow festival city with ramen and beer
Every February the Sapporo Snow Festival fills Odori Park for seven days. It began in 1950 when six high school students built six snow statues. Today about 400 statues are on show. Susukino adds ice carvings in the nightlife district. Japan's Self-Defense Forces have helped build the biggest sculptures since 1955.
Village in Japan
Nozawa Onsen
Thirteen free public baths and a ski area
The Dosojin Fire Festival on 15 January honours the village guardian deity. Men aged 25 and 42 defend a wooden shrine while others try to set it alight with torches. The village has 13 free public bathhouses. Bathers wash first and soak in silence. Ogama, a spring near 90 degrees Celsius, is for residents only.
Village in Japan
Hakuba
Alpine ski valley beneath the Japan Alps
Happo-One is one of 10 ski resorts in Hakuba Valley. The valley hosted the Alpine, ski jumping and cross-country events at the 1998 Winter Olympics. It averages 655 cm of snow a year. A record 782 cm fell in the 2024-25 winter. Goryu and Hakuba 47 have linked slopes.
Village in Russia
Krasnaya Polyana
Russia’s Alpine Playground Near Sochi
Crisp cold air fills the valley, while Sochi's Black Sea shore about 30 miles away stays mild. Rosa Khutor has about 1,500 metres of vertical drop. It hosted most of the snow events at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Mountain days run much colder than on the coast.
Town in Japan
Zao Onsen
Sulphur onsen, snow monsters and ski slopes
The largest resort in the Tōhoku region, Zao spans 780 to 1,661 metres. Siberian winds coat the upper fir trees in ice, making hunched shapes called snow monsters. They peak in January and February. The sulphur hot spring water is about pH 1.3, among the most acidic in Japan.
Town in Japan
Niseko
Hokkaido powder snow and four linked resorts
Four linked resorts ring Mount Annupuri. Mount Yotei rises 1,878 metres nearby. Niseko averages about 15 metres of snow a year. Grand Hirafu has floodlit night skiing. Several onsens, Japanese hot springs, have views of Yotei. The season runs from late November to April or May.
Town in Georgia
Gudauri
Alpine Adventures Await You
Skiers reach the slopes by the Georgian Military Highway, a scenic road 120 km from Tbilisi. The resort has a vertical drop of about 1,317 metres and 57 km of pistes. Heli-skiing and paragliding are on offer. Peak season runs from late December to mid-April.
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