New Zealand’s Best Family Ski Resorts

The votes have been tallied, and the Best Family Ski Resorts in New Zealand have been announced.

We enlisted a panel of experts – our ski gurus – to help us find the best ski resorts in New Zealand. We asked these ski gurus to nominate their favourite family-friendly resorts in New Zealand across six categories, then tallied the votes and combined the scores to determine the overall winners, each one a guaranteed crowd-pleaser that families will love.

Right on our doorstep, New Zealand is the perfect destination for families wanting a snow holiday without flying to the other side of the world. With so many amazing ski resorts to choose from, from the slopes of Cardrona and Treble Cone to the north island’s Mt Ruapehu, let our experts guide you through New Zealand’s best family ski resorts.

1. Cardrona Alpine Resort

Situated between Queenstown and Wānaka, Cardrona is a real crowd pleaser. It has slopes for all levels, from first-timers to Olympians, and its snow sports school is impressive. Ski Kindy offers kids aged two to five the chance to play in the snow and learn to ski while Kids’ Snow Sports Club teaches children from five to 14 to ski and snowboard.

The resort has a family atmosphere, open runs and an abundance of intermediate terrain. Cardrona has 38 runs across 400 hectares of skiable terrain accessible from six lifts. 

2. Treble Cone

Treble Cone is heavenly for intermediate and advanced skiers, especially at Saddle Basin. Its beautiful basins offer everything from gnarly chutes to gorgeous groomers. Treble Cone has expanded and improved its terrain for beginners, and there’s a terrain park just for kids.

Just three lifts service the 550 hectares of terrain. Treble Cone focuses more on providing high-quality ski experiences through its chutes, bowls, gullies and natural half-pipes rather than expanding lift infrastructure.

Treble Cone’s longest ski run is a thigh-burning four kilometres, with a vertical drop of 700m.

=3. Coronet Peak

Known for its 280 hectares of fun roller-coaster terrain, Coronet Peak is a veritable playground. Head up the mountain for stunning views over the Wakatipu Basin. The closest resort to Queenstown, Coronet Peak has it all for families. The terrain is varied, the snow sports school is excellent and the on-mountain dining tasty – stop in at Heidi’s Hut while you are there. Coronet is also known for its night skiing on Wednesday and Friday nights. Soak in panoramic sunsets before tearing up the floodlit slopes. The resort has a multi-million dollar base lodge and sophisticated snow-making facilities.

Coronet Peak has 280 hectares of skiable terrain serviced by eight lifts. 

Keep reading:

• An essential guide to New Zealand ski resorts with kids
• 15 things to do in Queenstown with kids

=3. The Remarkables

The Remarkables Ski Area is named for the ruggedly beautiful mountain range on which it sits. North-facing, the sunny resort has wide open bowls, vast off-piste terrain and the Homeward Run back-country ski run. The Remarkables have a range of kids programmes, from School Holiday Programmes to ski lessons. 

The resort has upped the ante over recent years and there is more to come, with the six-seater Shadow Basin chairlift set to carry riders this season, ensuring your skiing and snowboarding experience is world-class. Don’t miss the wonderful view over Lake Whakatipu and Queenstown from the ridge accessed from the Shadow Basin chairlift – it is truly epic.

The Remarkables has 435 hectares of terrain accessed by 10 lifts.

5. Mt Ruapehu

New Zealand’s North Island has a big player in the ski scene: Mt Ruapehu. With not one, but two great resorts on the sides of this creamy volcano, you can have twice as much fun. Whakapapa is the bigger resort and its Happy Valley area is absolutely world-class, while Turoa has the highest lifted point in New Zealand. It’s  renowned among intermediate and advanced skiers for its natural bowls, kickers and wide, open slopes. One pass gives families access to both resorts. When your ski break is over, head for beautiful Lake Taupo for more memorable family experiences.

Expert picks

Best ski resort for beginners

Plenty of gentle runs, separate learning areas, great snow sports schools and crèches.

1. Cardrona
2. Coronet Peak
3. Whakapapa (Mt Ruapehu)

Best NZ ski resort for advanced families

A variety of good-quality terrain for expert-level teens and their parents.

1. Treble Cone
2. The Remarkables
3. Mt Hutt

Readers’ choice

1. Cardrona, South Island
2. The Remarkables, South Island
3. Coronet Peak, South Island
4. Treble Cone, South Island
5. Ruapehu, North Island

Best freestyle resort

Terrain parks, halfpipes and more slopestyle fun.

1. Cardrona
2. Treble Cone
3. Coronet Peak + The Remarkables

Best snow hotel

Best facilities for kids, great location, spacious rooms, good dining options.

1. The Rees Hotel, Queenstown
2. Eichardts Private Hotel, Queenstown
3. Hotel St Moritz, Queenstown

Best village/town for families

These villages have the best location and atmosphere, a magical vibe, lots to do, are accessible and have good shopping and dining for families.

1. Queenstown
2. Wānaka
3. Methven

BEST SKI RESORTS IN:

AUSTRALIA | NEW ZEALAND | JAPAN | EUROPE | USA | CANADA

Keep reading:

• Australia’s best five-star snow accommodation
• The best ski hotels in the USA for families