Hakuba: 4-Day Family Ski Trip from Tokyo
A 3-night trip to Hakuba for a family with young kids. Two days of ski school at Evergreen, one family ski day at Happo-one, and honest notes on costs. Based on a real trip.
Tak took his wife and two kids (ages 5 and 8) on this trip in late January 2026. The kids spent two days at Evergreen ski school while the parents explored Goryu and Happo-one.
Before you go
- Reserve Evergreen ski school onlineHigh-season classes fill up. Full-day kids lessons (10:00-15:30) include lunch. Booking online before your trip is more reliable than booking after you arrive.
- Book Alpico bus tickets (Nagano - Hakuba)Buy online before your trip. In late January the buses fill up.
- Reserve Shinkansen seats (Tokyo - Nagano)
- Book kids ski equipment rental
- Check ski resort opening status on Japow Guides
- Prepare cash: ¥30,000 as starting amount
Day 1 · Arrival · Hakuba
Reserve seats. The ride is about 1.5 hours and kids can watch the mountains appear after Takasaki.
At Nagano Station, follow the signs to the Alpico bus stop - it is on the opposite side from the main shopping area. If you get lost, ask staff at the Shinkansen gates: 'Alpico bus, Hakuba' is enough.
Day 2 · Goryu Ski Resort
Young kids' classes (ages 3-6) only run at Happo-one. Plan your own ski day around drop-off and pick-up times.
Day 3 · Happo-one Ski Resort
Day 4 · Departure · Happo-one Ski Resort
After two days of lessons, the kids could ride the lift and ski a full beginner run - Sakka is the place to enjoy that together.
Buy dinner at Nagano Station before boarding - kids can eat on the train and you arrive in Tokyo around 7:30 PM.
Pick your dates and who is coming. You get an editable copy — no sign-up.