The Ultimate Ski Guide to Ski Resorts
Ultimate Ski uses independent ski area statistics, hard data analysis and expert contributor reviews of ski resorts in Europe and North America to help you discover the best ski resorts for you.
The most snow-sure ski resorts, the best ski resorts for beginner, intermediate, advanced, and expert skiers and snowboarders. The best ski resorts for families, après-ski and nightlife, village charm, scenery, luxury or budget accommodation, and more.
Snowboarders, please excuse us. While typically we refer to “skiing” or “skiers”, rather than “skiing and snowboarding”, we love you too! Our ski area reviews also include an honest effort to highlight the best terrain for boarding and freestyle, along with everything else that matters to all skiers, snowboarders and non-skiers alike.
And remember that skiing is about appreciating the present moment. As Warren Miller said, “The best place in the world to ski is where you’re skiing that day”.
Finding The Best Ski Resorts For You
Choosing a ski resort is one of the most important decisions of your holiday. Get it right, and you could be carving snow-sure pistes and enjoying a delicious lunch or cold beer in the afternoon sun. Get it wrong, and you could spend the week on icy, crowded runs that don’t suit your ability, and wish you were skiing somewhere else.
That’s exactly why we created Ultimate Ski. Our editors and expert contributors have 20+ years of experience skiing, reviewing and rating over 180 ski resorts across Europe and North America.
Ultimate-Ski resort reviews are independent and detailed, covering the ski area and skiing for all abilities, on-mountain dining, snow reliability, the lift system, ski lessons and guiding, ski rental, accommodation, après-ski and how to get there by road or rail from nearest airports.
Our section of the “Best Ski Resorts” includes 10 categories, so whether you’re a nervous first-timer looking for gentle nursery slopes, an expert chasing vertical drop and off-piste powder, or a family trying to keep everyone happy, Ultimate-Ski can help you find the best ski resorts for you.
Ultimate-Ski Resort Ratings
Our ratings are not based on sponsored content or influenced by resort marketing. We’ve built a rating system around the numbers that actually matter. Each ski resort is rated from 1 to 5, where 1 is poor and 5 is excellent, across [20] criteria.
Snow reliability is where we go furthest. Our snowsure ratings are built from six hard data points: (1) altitude, (2) historical average snowfall, (3) snowmaking capacity, (4) ski area extent, (5) the percentage of ski slopes with guaranteed snow cover regardless of natural snowfall, and (6) glacier access if applicable. Our ratings identify ski resorts that can genuinely guarantee skiing, not just hope for it.
Beginner-ski ratings reflect the presence of dedicated beginner zones, well-regarded ski schools, the percentage of easy (blue or green) slopes, and the availability of wide, confidence-building blue runs that allow beginners to explore the ski area, access the best mountain restaurants, and avoid being confined to nursery slopes.
Intermediate-skiing ratings reflect the ski area extent and the availability of long and varied red runs for cruising a wide area without having to keep riding the same lifts and skiing the same runs again and again, as well as more technically demanding red runs and black runs that make a ski area challenging as well as interesting.
Advanced-skiing ratings factor in vertical drop, the difficulty and extent of a resort’s challenging black runs, lift-accessible off-piste within the ski area boundary, as well as backcountry terrain and the availability of qualified off-piste instruction and guiding.
Après-ski ratings reflect the range and quality of bars, restaurants, and nightlife, as well as village charm, amenities, other activities, and events that combine to create the hard-to-define atmosphere that separates a truly memorable ski resort from a forgettable one.
The result is an honest, data-driven guide to help you identify the best ski resorts for you, ski resort reviews by expert contributors and offers from trusted partners that can save you time and money, at no cost to you.
Use the search function above to find ski resorts to match your preferences and interests, or scroll down to discover the best ski resorts in each category.
Best for Beginners
Your first week on the snow defines your skiing future. A truly great beginner resort combines dedicated, traffic-free nursery slopes with first-class ski lessons. But it doesn't stop at the nursery slopes; we prioritise resorts with wide, easy pistes high in the ski area, and a good lift system, which offer beginners a whole of mountain experience, including easy access to the best mountain restaurants. And ski resorts with ski schools with a strong offering for beginners and children.
Best for Intermediates
For the intermediate skier, the goal is to be able to ski varied terrain, and long runs ideally, rather than to repeat the same runs again and again. The best ski resorts for intermediates typically offer huge ski areas, and great lift systems, that allow you to ski from village to village, crossing valleys without retracing your tracks. They offer the ultimate sense of achievement: clocking up serious mileage on varied terrain that pushes your skills without overwhelming your confidence.
Best for Advanced & Experts
For advanced and expert skiers, vertical drop is the ultimate benchmark of a mountain's scale. It promises long, leg-burning descents from the highest lift down all the way down to the valley lift stations. And varied terrain, from mogul fields and challenging couloirs to tree-lined slopes lower down. These resorts offer technical complexity as well as serious off-piste potential.
Best Snowsure Resorts
Nothing kills a ski holiday faster than lack of snow. True reliability comes from a combination of high-altitude, aspect, and extensive artificial snowmaking systems to build snow depth on piste before the heaviest natural snowfall, and to preserve snow depth throughout the ski season. We rank these resorts based on their ability to guarantee skiing, looking for north-facing slopes that hold powder longer and specific microclimates that trap storms. Bear in mind that high-altitude ski resorts with rocky, mountainous terrain need more snow than Alpine pastures which can quickly become perfect after heavy snowfall, are less steep and also less risky.
Big Sky
Engelberg
Mammoth Mountain
Saas-Fee
Beaver Creek
Val d’Isere
Tignes
Cervinia
Val Thorens
Vail
Best for Families
Skiing with children requires a different kind of perfection. It's not just about the slopes; it's about genuinely family-friendly services and logistics. We look for resorts that offer excellent ski schools and childcare; safe beginner zones for young children; ski-in, ski-out accommodation to avoid carrying ski gear; and traffic-free villages where kids can roam safely, and parents can enjoy a stress-free ski holiday, as well as good skiing for all abilities.
Best for Après-Ski & Nightlife
The best ski days don't end when the lifts close. Legendary après-ski transforms a good ski resort into a truly memorable one. It may start on the mountain with live music and dancing on sun-drenched terraces, seamlessly transitioning into vibrant village bars, charming restaurants, and sophisticated lounges and clubs later in the evening.
Best for Character & Charm
Skiing is about more than just the sport; it is about the setting. These resorts reject the concrete high-rises of the purpose-built era in favour of traditional timber chalets, ancient stone churches, and car-free village centres. We look for authentic mountain ski resort villages and towns that have preserved their history, offering a fairy-tale winter atmosphere.
Best for Spectacular Scenery
Sometimes the view is as important as the skiing. We have rated the best destinations for their breathtaking panoramas, from the jagged limestone peaks of the Dolomites to the towering 4000m summits of the Swiss Alps, and the granite peaks of North America's Rocky Mountain resorts. These resorts offer dramatic backdrops that make every run feel like a scene from a movie.
Best for Non-Skiers & Activities
Perfect for mixed groups where not everyone wants to hit the slopes, the best ski resorts nor non-skiers, score the highest rating for their off-mountain infrastructure, such as spa and wellness, culture, shopping, other amenities, and a wide range of other activities, such as winter walking paths, snowshoe trails, sledging, and events throughout the ski season.
Best for Short-Transfers
For weekend warriors and families, a long transfer eats into precious holiday time. The best ski resorts for short transfers offer conveniently short transfers by road or rail from major international airports. By minimising transfer times, you maximise your time on the snow, with the possibility of skiing on both your arrival and departure days.
