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    Longest Ski Seasons 2026

    Which ski resorts have the longest operating seasons? This ranking lists 50+ marquee resorts by scheduled operating days for the 2026–27 season — from year-round glaciers to traditional winter resorts and Southern Hemisphere alternatives.

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    Zermatt (Matterhorn Glacier)

    365 days · year-round operation

    #ResortCountryOpensClosesDays
    1Zermatt (Matterhorn Glacier)SwitzerlandYear-roundYear-round365
    2HintertuxAustriaYear-roundYear-round365
    3Kitzsteinhorn / KaprunAustria4 Oct 202531 May 2026240
    4SöldenAustria20 Sept 20253 May 2026226
    5Pitztal GlacierAustria27 Sept 202510 May 2026226
    6TignesFrance27 Sept 20253 May 2026219
    7Stubai GlacierAustria11 Oct 202510 May 2026212
    8Mammoth MountainUSA8 Nov 202531 May 2026205
    9LeviFinland10 Oct 20251 May 2026204
    10KitzbühelAustria18 Oct 20253 May 2026198
    11Les 2 AlpesFrance25 Oct 20253 May 2026191
    12Cervinia / ZermattItaly25 Oct 20253 May 2026191
    13Alta-SnowbirdUSA21 Nov 202525 May 2026186
    14Whistler BlackcombCanada27 Nov 202525 May 2026180
    15Saas-FeeSwitzerland25 Oct 202519 Apr 2026177
    16HemsedalNorway13 Nov 20253 May 2026172
    17Obergurgl-HochgurglAustria14 Nov 20253 May 2026171
    18Val ThorensFrance22 Nov 202510 May 2026170
    19EngelbergSwitzerland15 Nov 20253 May 2026170
    20VerbierSwitzerland8 Nov 202526 Apr 2026170
    21Sölden (main)Austria15 Nov 20253 May 2026170
    22Shiga KogenJapan22 Nov 202510 May 2026170
    23LivignoItaly22 Nov 20253 May 2026163
    24Niseko UnitedJapan25 Nov 20255 May 2026162
    25IschglAustria27 Nov 20253 May 2026158
    26TrysilNorway14 Nov 202519 Apr 2026157
    27AndermattSwitzerland22 Nov 202526 Apr 2026156
    28ÅreSweden29 Nov 20253 May 2026156
    29SälenSweden22 Nov 202526 Apr 2026156
    30VailUSA21 Nov 202519 Apr 2026150
    31ChamonixFrance6 Dec 20253 May 2026149
    32GeiloNorway22 Nov 202519 Apr 2026149
    33Aspen SnowmassUSA27 Nov 202519 Apr 2026144
    34St. AntonAustria5 Dec 202526 Apr 2026143
    35Alpe d'HuezFrance29 Nov 202519 Apr 2026142
    36Hakuba Happo-OneJapan7 Dec 202526 Apr 2026141
    37CourchevelFrance6 Dec 202519 Apr 2026135
    38MéribelFrance6 Dec 202519 Apr 2026135
    39Les ArcsFrance13 Dec 202526 Apr 2026135
    40La PlagneFrance13 Dec 202526 Apr 2026135
    41Cortina d'AmpezzoItaly29 Nov 202512 Apr 2026135
    42Madonna di CampiglioItaly29 Nov 202512 Apr 2026135
    43MayrhofenAustria5 Dec 202512 Apr 2026129
    44SaalbachAustria5 Dec 202512 Apr 2026129
    45Avoriaz / PdSFrance13 Dec 202519 Apr 2026128
    46Dolomiti SuperskiItaly6 Dec 202512 Apr 2026128
    47GaldhøpiggenNorway15 May 202615 Sept 2026124
    48FolgefonnaNorway1 May 202631 Aug 2026123
    49RiksgränsenSweden20 Feb 202621 Jun 2026122
    50MegèveFrance13 Dec 202512 Apr 2026121
    51CardronaNew Zealand13 Jun 202611 Oct 2026121
    52PerisherAustralia6 Jun 20264 Oct 2026121
    53StrynNorway1 May 202615 Aug 2026107
    54Valle NevadoChile13 Jun 202627 Sept 2026107
    55Cerro CatedralArgentina20 Jun 20264 Oct 2026107
    56PortilloChile20 Jun 202627 Sept 2026100

    Showing 56 resorts. Dates reflect publicly announced 2026–27 season opening and closing for Northern Hemisphere resorts and 2026 austral winter dates for Southern Hemisphere resorts. Snow-dependent.

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    Frequently Asked Questions

    Zermatt's Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Hintertux are the only Alpine ski areas with daily year-round operation (365 days). Among standard seasonal resorts, the longest are typically Saas-Fee, Stubai Glacier, Sölden, Pitztal, Kitzsteinhorn, Les 2 Alpes and Tignes — all running 200+ days from October through early May. Galdhøpiggen and Stryn (Norway) operate exclusively in summer (May–September) on snowfields.

    Season length = total scheduled operating days from publicly announced opening to closing dates for the 2026–27 season. Year-round resorts (Zermatt, Hintertux) are listed as 365 days. Southern Hemisphere resorts are listed with their austral winter operating dates (June–October 2026). Late-season snowfield-only operations (Galdhøpiggen, Stryn) are listed with their actual operating window, not the full calendar year.

    Yes, at Zermatt's Matterhorn Glacier Paradise and Hintertux. Both operate every day of the year barring brief maintenance closures (typically 5–10 days total). Summer operations at both venues are restricted to high-glacier terrain — usually 4–10 lifts versus 60+ in peak winter. The skiing is genuine but limited compared to a full winter ski experience.

    South American and Australasian ski seasons are shorter (90–120 days vs 150–180 days in the Alps) because the Southern Hemisphere winter is structurally shorter and warmer. Treeline in the Andes is around 2,000 m, limiting the geographical extent of skiable terrain. Most South American and Australasian resorts open in mid-June and close in early October.

    Sölden's Rettenbach glacier opens in mid to late September every year for the FIS World Cup giant slalom (25–26 October 2025 for the 2026–27 season). Hintertux, Pitztal, Stubai, Kitzsteinhorn, Mölltal, Kaunertal, Tignes Grande Motte and Saas-Fee all open in late September or early October. The Austrian glacier cluster is the early-season epicentre of European skiing.

    Related tools and guides

    Year-round skiing & glacier calendarBest week to skiBest glacier resorts in EuropeMost snow-sure resorts in Europe