Hokkaido Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Sapporo Kokusai Opens First on Nov 20, 9 Resorts Ranked

Ranking Hokkaido’s ski resorts by their 2026-27 season opening date: Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort opens November 20, Sapporo Teine opens November 21, Niseko Grand Hirafu opens November 28, and Hoshino Resorts Tomamu opens December 1, according to each official site. Sahoro Resort has only announced a “planned December start,” with no specific date yet. Kiroro Resort, Furano Ski Resort, and Kamui Ski Links haven’t announced their 2026-27 schedules, so this article shows last season’s (2025-26) actual dates and plans, with sources.

All sources were checked as of 2026-09-29. For Rusutsu Resort and the three Niseko areas of HANAZONO, Village, and Annupuri, we could not confirm either the 2026-27 announcement or last season’s opening date on their official sites, so this article does not list dates for them.

When Do Hokkaido Ski Resorts Open for 2026-27? Ranking the 5 Resorts With Official Announcements

As of September 29, 2026, the following 5 resorts have confirmed their 2026-27 season opening dates on their official sites. All are listed as “planned,” and dates may shift depending on snow conditions.

Ski Resort	Area	2026-27 Season Operating Period
Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort	Sapporo City	Opening planned for Friday, November 20, 2026
Sapporo Teine	Sapporo City	Opening planned for November 21, 2026
Niseko Grand Hirafu	Kutchan Town	November 28, 2026 – May 5, 2027 (planned)
Hoshino Resorts Tomamu Ski Resort	Shimukappu Village	December 1, 2026 – April 5, 2027
Sahoro Resort	Shintoku Town	Planned to start December 2026 (specific date not yet announced as of 2026-09-29)

Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort Is First, Opening Planned for November 20

Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort’s official site announces, “Opening planned for Friday, November 20, 2026!” (Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort official site). As the “planned” wording indicates, the date may shift depending on snow conditions. Check the official site’s operating information before your trip for the final opening date.

Sapporo Teine Also Plans a November 21 Opening — the Closest Slopes to the City Center

Sapporo Teine’s official site, in information dated August 5, 2026, states “Opening planned for November 21, 2026!” (Sapporo Teine official site). The same site notes that the 2025-26 season ended on May 6, 2026 (same page). Sapporo Teine also uses “planned” wording, so this is not a confirmed opening date.

Niseko Grand Hirafu: November 28 – May 5, 2027 — the Only Niseko Area With 2026-27 Dates Announced

Niseko Grand Hirafu’s official site lists its operating period as “November 28, 2026 – May 5, 2027 (planned)” (Niseko Grand Hirafu official site). The Niseko area also has three other resorts — Niseko HANAZONO Resort, Niseko Village Ski Resort, and Niseko Annupuri International Ski Area — and the four areas together are known as “Niseko United.” As of September 29, 2026, Grand Hirafu was the only one of the four with 2026-27 season dates posted on its official site. The status of the other three areas is covered later in this article. For overnight parking information across the whole Niseko area, see Niseko Campervan Drive Guide.

Hoshino Resorts Tomamu: December 1 – April 5 — Ice Village Runs on a Different Schedule

Hoshino Resorts Tomamu’s official site, in information dated August 3, 2026, announces its 2026-27 winter season, with the ski resort’s operating period listed as “December 1, 2026 – April 5, 2027” (Hoshino Resorts Tomamu official site). The on-site Ice Village is listed separately, with its own “planned” schedule of “December 20, 2026 – March 10, 2027 (planned)” (same page). Because it’s built on a snowfield, its schedule is directly tied to snow conditions.

Sahoro Resort Has Only Announced “Starting in December” — No Date Yet

Sahoro Resort’s official site looks back on its 2025-26 season, which ran “December 1, 2025 – April 5, 2026,” and announces that “next season is planned to start from December 2026” (Sahoro Resort official site). As of September 29, 2026, only “December” is known, with no specific opening date announced yet. If you’re booking or planning an itinerary, check the official site for updates.

Kiroro, Furano, and Kamui Haven’t Announced 2026-27 Yet — Here’s Last Season’s Record

As of September 29, 2026, Kiroro Resort’s official site has no announcement of its 2026-27 opening date. For the 2025-26 season, it lists “Season pass valid period: Saturday, November 29, 2025 – Wednesday, May 6, 2026 (holiday) *planned” (Kiroro Resort official site). The same site also notes that the 2025-26 season actually ended “three days earlier than originally planned, on Sunday, May 3, 2026” (Kiroro Resort official site), showing that an announced “planned” date can end up a few days off from actual operations.

According to the Shin-Furano Prince Hotel’s official site, Furano Ski Resort’s 2025-26 season ran, for the Furano Zone, “Saturday, November 29, 2025 – Sunday, March 22,” followed by a spring skiing period of “Monday, March 23 – Wednesday, May 6 (substitute holiday),” while the Kitanomine Zone ran “late December – Sunday, March 22” (Shin-Furano Prince Hotel official site). As of September 29, 2026, the 2026-27 season dates were not yet posted on that site.

Kamui Ski Links in Asahikawa City has a note in the footer of its official site giving the 2025-26 season as “Planned operating period: 2025/12/13 – 2026/3/31” (Kamui Ski Links official site). As of September 29, 2026, no announcement for the 2026-27 season could be found.

Rusutsu and the Remaining 3 Niseko Areas: No Opening Dates Confirmed as of September 29, 2026

For Rusutsu Resort and the three Niseko areas — Niseko HANAZONO Resort, Niseko Village Ski Resort, and Niseko Annupuri International Ski Area — we could not find any statement on their official sites confirming either the 2026-27 season dates or the actual opening date for last season (2025-26), as of September 29, 2026. Some summary sites and tour operator pages list specific dates, but this article does not include dates that couldn’t be confirmed from primary sources. Please check each resort’s official site or social media directly before your trip.

Can a Lack of Snow Delay Opening? What Resorts Mean by “Planned”

Every official site referenced so far uses wording like “opening planned” or “(planned)” — these are estimates, not confirmed dates. As with Hoshino Resorts Tomamu’s Ice Village, even different facilities at the same resort can each carry their own separate “planned” label (Hoshino Resorts Tomamu official site). At Kiroro Resort, there’s an actual example of the season end date changing to “three days earlier than originally planned” (Kiroro Resort official site). Since planned dates can shift either earlier or later, the most reliable way to check same-day operating status is each resort’s official site or lift operation status page.

Driving There? Check Winter Road and Parking Precautions Too

Right after opening, from late November to early December, roads around the ski resorts often overlap with a period when drivers haven’t yet fully adjusted to serious winter driving conditions. For how to think about drive systems when driving a campervan on snowy roads, see Does a Campervan Have to Be 4WD?. For when to switch to studless winter tires and how rental companies handle it, see Rental Company Winter Tire Guide, and if you want to resolve all your worries about snowy roads, icy conditions, and heating at once, check Before Traveling Hokkaido by Campervan in Winter.

Overnight Parking Near Ski Resorts: It Varies by Facility

Whether you can drive a campervan right up to a ski resort and stay overnight varies by facility. For the article that checked, one by one, up to 9 facilities such as RV parks near 6 major ski resorts — Niseko, Rusutsu, Kiroro, Tomamu, Sahoro, and Furano — where overnight parking is available in winter, see Hokkaido’s 6 Major Ski Resorts: Where Can You Park Overnight Nearby in Winter?. If you want a broader look at how to think about resort-friendly parking and recommended slopes, also read Hokkaido Ski Resort x Campervan Overnight Parking Guide to make planning your itinerary easier.

Related Pages

• Hokkaido’s 6 Major Ski Resorts: Where Can You Park Overnight Nearby in Winter? Checking Winter Operations at 9 Facilities Including RV Parks, One by One [2026 Edition]
• Hokkaido Ski Resort x Campervan Overnight Parking Guide | Compatible Parking, Cold-Weather Prep, Recommended Slopes [2026 Edition]
• Niseko Campervan Drive Guide | Mt. Yotei, Annupuri, Hot Springs, and Overnight Parking [2026 Edition]
• Hokkaido Campervans: When Should You Switch to Studless Tires? Rental Company Winter Tire Guide [2026 Edition]
• Before Traveling Hokkaido by Campervan in Winter | Resolving All Your Worries About Snowy Roads, Ice, Heating, and Overnight Parking [2026 Edition]

Featured photo: Excellent moniteur de ski, “Namara Slope” (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)