Best Ski Resorts for Apres-Ski
The mountain ends at 4pm. What happens next matters too. These are the resorts where the après-ski is as good as the skiing.
Après-ski gets a bad reputation in the UK press - all jagerbombs and foam parties. The reality is more varied and more interesting than that. At its best, après-ski is the reward after a physical day: a cold beer at a mountain terrace in the last hour of sunlight, a fondue dinner that takes three hours, a dance floor in ski boots at a resort that started doing this before most British skiers were born.
The resorts on this list run the full spectrum. Ischgl is the uncontested apex of Alpine party culture - the end-of-season concert has featured Elton John, Rihanna, and Lady Gaga. Verbier's Farinet is a sophisticated bar where the clientele leans international and expensive. Kitzbühel during Hahnenkamm week is controlled chaos. Åre has a Scandinavian après scene that goes late in a way that's distinctive to that culture. Pick the vibe that matches yours.
Mountain bars vs resort nightlife
The best après starts on the mountain. Ski-in bars at the base area, like Ischgl's Trofana Alm or Mayrhofen's Ahorn glacier bar, offer the quintessential Alpine experience: skis in the rack, boots on your feet, beer in hand while the last runs are being taken overhead. The transition to the resort's evening scene varies significantly by destination - some, like Kitzbühel and Verbier, have proper restaurants and cocktail bars that continue the energy; others wind down earlier and shift to quieter dining. We've noted the distinction in our resort coverage.
Featured Destinations
Silvretta Arena Ischgl/Samnaun
Tyrol, Austria
Silvretta Arena Ischgl/Samnaun is a large ski area in Tyrol, Austria. It has 239 km of pistes served by 45 lifts, including 7 gondolas and cable cars
Skicircus Saalbach-Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn
Salzburgerland, Austria
Skicircus Saalbach-Hinterglemm Leogang Fieberbrunn is a large ski area in Salzburgerland, Austria. It has 270 km of pistes served by 70 lifts. The slo
KitzSki
Tyrol, Austria
KitzSki is a large ski area in Tyrol, Austria. It has 188 km of pistes served by 58 lifts. The slopes run from 800 m to 2,000 m, a vertical drop of 1,
Mayrhofen Hippach
Tyrol, Austria
Mayrhofen Hippach is a large ski area in Tyrol, Austria. It has 142 km of pistes served by 61 lifts, including 9 gondolas and cable cars and 17 chairl
4 Vallées – Verbier/La Tzoumaz/Nendaz/Veysonnaz/Thyon
Valais, Switzerland
4 Vallées – Verbier/La Tzoumaz/Nendaz/Veysonnaz/Thyon is a large ski area in Valais, Switzerland. It has 412 km of pistes served by 68 lifts. The slop
Les Trois Vallées
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Les Trois Vallées is a large ski area in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. It has 600 km of pistes served by 159 lifts, including 41 gondolas and cable ca
Les Deux Alpes
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Les Deux Alpes is a large ski area in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. It has 220 km of pistes served by 42 lifts, including 5 gondolas and cable cars an
Zermatt - Breuil-Cervinia, Breuil-Cervinia Ski Paradise
Valais, Switzerland
Zermatt - Breuil-Cervinia is a large ski area in Valais, Switzerland. It has 360 km of pistes served by 51 lifts. The slopes run from 1,562 m to 3,899
Val Thorens - Orelle
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
Val Thorens - Orelle is a large ski area in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France. It has 150 km of pistes served by 33 lifts, including 11 gondolas and cable
Tignes - Val d'Isère
Espace Killy, France
Tignes - Val d'Isère is a large ski area in Espace Killy, France. It has 300 km of pistes served by 80 lifts, including 9 gondolas and cable cars and
Laax
Graubünden, Switzerland
This is LAAX Mountains. The world-famous freestyle mecca in the Swiss Alps. A place where freestyle, lifestyle and greenstyle meet.
Åre
Jämtland County, Sweden
SkiStar offers ski trips and skiing holidays in Åre in Sweden! Here you
Whistler Blackcomb
British Columbia, Canada
Discover North America’s largest ski resort, Whistler, Canada. Two mountains, endless terrain, unforgettable skiing, snowboarding, and year-round adve
Aspen Snowmass
Colorado, United States
Aspen Snowmass is a large ski area in Colorado, United States. It has 119 km of pistes served by 20 lifts, including 2 gondolas and cable cars and 12
Breckenridge
Colorado, United States
Built for those who come to do it all, Breckenridge offers high-alpine skiing and snowboarding, expansive terrain, and a walkable Colorado mountain to