Dec–MarTwo areas on one ticket, 30 minutes from Toyama city: sleep in Toyama for the sushi and the Shinkansen, ski by day, or stay at the foot of the hill.
Tateyama Sanroku (立山山麓スキー場) is two ski areas in the foothills east of Toyama city, Raichō Valley (らいちょうバレー) and Gokuraku-zaka (極楽坂), on one lift ticket. The longest run is 3,000 m. An adult day ticket is ¥5,000 on weekdays. Dates for 2026-27 are posted in November; last season ran from 28 December to 15 March. The base is Toyama, 2h 4m from Tokyo on the Shinkansen, then about an hour on the Tateyama Line and a short bus, or about 30 minutes by car.
Toyama is my own base in Hokuriku, and this is the hill I would send a Toyama visitor to. The slopes are 30 minutes by car or an hour by local train from the city, so you can sleep in Toyama, eat at a sushi counter in the evening and be on the lifts in the morning. Slope-side lodging is thin, which is why most of the stays below are in the city.
It suits beginners, families and anyone who wants a cheap day on snow rather than a destination resort: ¥5,000 on a weekday, a free sled area, a Kids Park and a night course at Raichō Valley. Below: how to get there by train and bus or by car, the lift tickets, the courses, and where to stay.
Both start at Toyama, on the Hokuriku Shinkansen.
Hokuriku Shinkansen to Toyama: Tokyo 2h 4m. Walk to Dentetsu-Toyama and ride the Toyama Chiho Railway Tateyama Line to Tateyama Station, about an hour depending on the service. It is a private line and is not covered by rail passes; a limited express needs an extra ticket.
Loop bus. From Tateyama Station front, the Tateyama Kurobe bus stops at Raichō Valley, Awasuno and Gokuraku-zaka in about 10 minutes. Last season it ran on ski-area operating days only (13 December to 29 March) and cost ¥300 for adults and ¥150 for children; the 2026-27 timetable is posted with the season. The bus is not covered by passes either.
Passes: the Hokuriku Arch Pass (¥35,000, 7 days) and the JR Pass cover the Shinkansen to Toyama. The Tateyama Line and the loop bus are not covered.
See the Arch Pass ↗See the JR Pass ↗Compare rail passesCollect the car at Toyama Station. Raichō Valley is about 23 km and 30 minutes away in light traffic.
Winter tyres are needed. Ask for them when you book the hire car. Parking is free: about 1,400 spaces at three lots at Raichō Valley and about 1,200 at two lots at Gokuraku-zaka. Licence rules are in our car-hire notes.
Find a hire car ↗One ticket covers both areas. In yen, the operator's current price list.
| Ticket | Weekday | Weekend and holiday |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, 1 day (8:00 to 16:10) | ¥5,000 | ¥5,400 |
| Adult, 4 hours | ¥4,200 | ¥4,600 |
| Student or senior (60 and over), 1 day | ¥4,000 | ¥4,400 |
| Child (primary school), 1 day | ¥3,000 | ¥3,000 |
| Child, 4 hours | ¥2,500 | ¥2,500 |
| Night ticket, Raichō Valley (adult / child) | ¥3,000 / ¥2,000 | ¥3,000 / ¥2,000 |
| Meal set (1 day plus meal voucher), adult | ¥5,500 | ¥6,000 |
| Full set (1 day, ski or board set and wear), adult | ¥12,000 | ¥12,500 |
A single ride is ¥500 (not valid at night). A season pass is ¥60,000 for adults and ¥25,000 for children. Prices can change in season.
| Rental, per day | Adult | Child |
|---|---|---|
| Ski or snowboard set | ¥4,500 | ¥3,000 |
| Wear | ¥4,000 | ¥3,500 |
| Wear, one piece | ¥2,000 | ¥2,000 |
| Helmet | ¥1,000 | ¥1,000 |
| Sled | ¥1,000 | ¥1,000 |
Rental cannot be reserved in advance; collect it at the base on the day. The Raichō Valley Kids Park costs ¥1,000 (age 3 and over) and includes a conveyor lift, sled, tube, Striders and toys. The sled area at Gokuraku-zaka is free. One-to-one kids lessons (primary school year 2 and under) are ¥8,000 for 2 hours or ¥12,000 for 4 hours.
Raichō Valley is the gentle one with the night course; Gokuraku-zaka has the steeper pitches.
The area for beginners and families, with the Panorama run (2,000 m, 25°) as its longest and the 15° Utopia course for first turns. Utopia is the night course, served by the No. 2B pair lift from 16:30 to 20:30; the night ticket is ¥3,000 for adults and ¥2,000 for children. The Kids Park is here.
The steeper side, with Giant (1,000 m), Expert (1,300 m) and Challenge (1,500 m) all at 32°, the 25° Romance for intermediates and a gentle 500 m Family course. The sled area is free, which makes it a good split for a mixed group: some ski, others sled.
| Area | Course | Length | Gradient | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raichō Valley | Panorama | 2,000 m | 25° | Intermediate to advanced |
| Raichō Valley | Paradise (upper) | 500 m | 32° | Advanced |
| Raichō Valley | Paradise (lower) | 800 m | 27° | Intermediate |
| Raichō Valley | Utopia (night course) | 900 m | 15° | Beginner |
| Gokuraku-zaka | Giant | 1,000 m | 32° | Advanced |
| Gokuraku-zaka | Expert | 1,300 m | 32° | Advanced |
| Gokuraku-zaka | Romance | 1,400 m | 25° | Intermediate |
| Gokuraku-zaka | Challenge | 1,500 m | 32° | Advanced |
| Gokuraku-zaka | Family | 500 m | 15° | Beginner |
The longest run in either area is 3,000 m. The resort publishes no easy, intermediate and advanced split.
IOX-Arosa is on the Nanto side: 7 courses, a longest run of 3,000 m, 500 m of vertical, five pair lifts and a gondola, and a top at 770 m. A day ticket was ¥5,000 and it ran from 3 January to 8 March 2026. There is no obvious rail route, so plan on a car.
Gokayama Taira (五箇山たいら) is a small hill in the World Heritage valley: 3 lifts, 5 courses, a top at 933 m and a ¥3,500 day ticket, open from 28 December 2025 to 29 March 2026. It pairs with a day among the thatched farmhouses; see our Gokayama Taira ski guide and the Gokayama guide. Both post 2026-27 dates later in the autumn.
Eleven stays: five near the slopes, six in Toyama city. Check rates shows tonight's price for your dates.
How to choose: slope-side lodging near Tateyama is small, so the choice is between sleeping at the foot of the hill for first lifts, or in Toyama city, 30 minutes away, where there are far more rooms, a Shinkansen station and the best food in the prefecture. If you come by train, the city is the easier base; the Tateyama Line starts from Dentetsu-Toyama, a short walk from the station.
At the foot of the hill
An onsen hotel at the foot of the Tateyama slopes, the best-reviewed of the larger slope-side stays. Scored 8.7 on Agoda from 282 reviews.
Check rates ↗The closest of the larger hotels to the lifts, 1.7 km away. Scored 7.7 on Agoda from 251 reviews.
Check rates ↗A guesthouse near Tateyama Station on the Alpine Route side. Scored 9.1 on Agoda from 84 reviews.
Check rates ↗A small pension 2.5 km from the slopes. Scored 8.5 on Agoda from 22 reviews.
Check rates ↗A guesthouse 3.6 km from the ski area, scored 7.6 on Agoda from 41 reviews.
Check rates ↗Stay in Toyama city and travel to the slopes
The best-reviewed large hotel in the city and a good base for the Tateyama Line. Scored 9.3 on Agoda from 5,194 reviews.
Check rates ↗A modern business hotel by the station, handy for an early start on the train. Scored 9.1 on Agoda from 3,038 reviews.
Check rates ↗A 4-star hotel in the city centre, close to the sushi and izakaya streets. Scored 8.7 on Agoda from 3,806 reviews.
Check rates ↗A budget chain hotel at the Shinkansen exit, which suits a quick ski trip. Scored 8.9 on Agoda from 3,869 reviews.
Check rates ↗A 4-star city hotel with a wide choice of rooms. Scored 8.1 on Agoda from 2,790 reviews.
Check rates ↗A city hotel in the station area with a wide choice of rooms. Scored 8.1 on Agoda from 2,173 reviews.
Check rates ↗all hotels in Toyama · Toyama hotel guide · Getting to Toyama
The reason to base yourself in Toyama is the food, and the Shinkansen is on the doorstep.
An adult day ticket (8:00 to 16:10) is ¥5,000 on weekdays and ¥5,400 at weekends and holidays. A 4-hour ticket is ¥4,200 and ¥4,600. Primary school children pay ¥3,000, and students and seniors aged 60 and over pay ¥4,000 on weekdays and ¥4,400 at weekends. This is the operator's current price list; prices can change in season.
The 2026-27 dates are estimated from last season. Last season ran from 28 December 2025 to 15 March 2026. Day skiing runs from 8:00 to 16:10.
Yes. Take the Toyama Chiho Railway Tateyama Line from Dentetsu-Toyama to Tateyama Station (about an hour), then the Tateyama Kurobe loop bus to Raichō Valley and Gokuraku-zaka (about 10 minutes). Last season the bus ran on ski-area operating days only and cost ¥300 for adults. Neither the railway nor the bus is covered by rail passes, but the Shinkansen to Toyama is.
About 30 minutes. Parking is free, with about 1,400 spaces at Raichō Valley and about 1,200 at Gokuraku-zaka. Ask for winter tyres when you book a hire car.
Yes. Both areas have a beginner course (Utopia at Raichō Valley and Family at Gokuraku-zaka), the Raichō Valley Kids Park costs ¥1,000, and the sled area at Gokuraku-zaka is free. One-to-one kids lessons are ¥8,000 for 2 hours. The steeper runs at Gokuraku-zaka are for advanced skiers.
Both cover the Shinkansen to Toyama. Neither covers the Toyama Chiho Railway to Tateyama Station or the loop bus to the slopes, which are private.
Yes. A ski or snowboard set is ¥4,500 for adults and ¥3,000 for children, wear is ¥4,000 and ¥3,500, and a helmet is ¥1,000. Rental cannot be reserved in advance.
No. The Alpine Route above Tateyama Station is closed in winter and opens in April, so Tateyama skiing in winter is on the foothill slopes only.
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