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The best things to do in Vail in winter are skiing Vail Mountain's seven Back Bowls, après-ski at the gondola bases, skating on the outdoor rinks in Lionshead and Vail Village, and snowshoeing, either on a free guided tour at Eagle's Nest or at the Vail Nordic Center. Off the slopes, you can take a horse-drawn sleigh ride to a ranch dinner, a guided snowmobile tour that starts five minutes from the village, or a free hour in the Colorado Snowsports Museum. The 2026/27 season is planned to open on November 13, 2026, and runs to mid-April. January and February are the snowiest months, with about 35 inches each in town.
Facts, dates and prices come from the operators' own pages, as recorded on VailVacay's listings and guides (checked September to October 2026). Several operators had not posted 2026/27 prices yet. Those are marked, so confirm before you book.
Vail winter activities at a glance
| # | Pick | Where | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ski the Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin | Vail Mountain | Intermediate to expert skiers and riders |
| 2 | Après-ski at the gondola bases | Vail Village and Lionshead | Everyone, skiers or not |
| 3 | Take a lesson at the Vail Ski & Snowboard School | Golden Peak and Lionshead | First-timers and families with young children |
| 4 | Skate on the outdoor rinks | Vail Square (Lionshead) and Solaris Plaza (Vail Village) | Families and couples on a winter evening |
| 5 | Snowshoe the gardens, the Nordic Center or Eagle's Nest | Ford Park, Vail Golf Club, top of the Eagle Bahn | Non-skiers and anyone who wants a quiet morning |
| 6 | Cross-country ski at the Vail Nordic Center | Vail Golf Club, 1775 Sunburst Drive | A winter day out without a lift ticket |
| 7 | Ride a gondola for the views | Gondola One (Vail Village) or Eagle Bahn (Lionshead) | Non-skiers meeting skiers for lunch |
| 8 | Take a horse-drawn sleigh ride | 4 Eagle Ranch (Wolcott) and Bearcat Stables (Edwards) | Couples and families, for an evening out |
| 9 | Go snowmobiling in the White River National Forest | Red Sandstone Road, about 5 minutes from Vail Village | Groups who want a half-day adventure off the slopes |
| 10 | Spend a free hour at the Colorado Snowsports Museum | Vail Village parking structure, level 3 | A snowy afternoon, history fans and kids |
| 11 | Catch the free holiday events | Vail Village and Lionshead | Families from Thanksgiving to New Year |
| 12 | Book a spa afternoon | Vail Village and Lionshead hotels | Recovery after a ski day, couples |
The 12 best things to do in Vail in winter
Ranked by how much each one defines a Vail winter, then by how easy it is to do from the villages. The top three need skis or a lift ticket. The other nine do not.
1. Ski the Back Bowls and Blue Sky Basin
Vail Mountain has 5,317 skiable acres, 278 trails and 32 lifts, from 8,120 feet at the base to 11,570 feet at the top. The seven Back Bowls behind the front side are Sun Up, Sun Down, Tea Cup, China, Siberia, Inner Mongolia and Outer Mongolia, and they cover 2,785 of those acres. They are not all expert terrain: China Bowl's Poppyfields are wide, groomed intermediate runs. Blue Sky Basin, farther out, is open meadows and groomed glades. Across the mountain the terrain is rated 18% beginner, 29% intermediate and 53% advanced. For when the bowls open and how to reach them, see Vail's Back Bowls and getting to Blue Sky Basin. Ticket prices change by date, so see how much Vail lift tickets cost.
2. Après-ski at the gondola bases
Vail's après happens on the decks at the foot of Gondola One and the Eagle Bahn Gondola. Express Lift, the mountain's own outdoor bar at Gondola One, has DJs on winter weekends from mid-December into April and needs no lift ticket. The Red Lion has had live music on Bridge Street since 1963. In Lionshead, Garfinkel's faces the gondola and Trails End serves $5 tacos from 3 to 5 p.m. Our ranked après guide has all 12.
3. Take a lesson at the Vail Ski & Snowboard School
Lessons meet at two bases, Golden Peak on the east side of Vail Village and Lionshead, and you choose the base when you book. Child group lessons are split by age, 3 to 4, 5 to 6 and 7 to 15, and full-day child groups include lunch. Adult group lessons run 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 1 to 3:30 p.m. or a full day. Lessons include instruction only, so add lift tickets and rentals when you book, and arrive 60 minutes early if you still need to pick up gear. See the best ski rental shops in Vail for where to rent.
4. Skate on the outdoor rinks
Two outdoor rinks open around Thanksgiving and run through the ski season. One is the Alderhof Ice Rink on Vail Square, run by The Arrabelle in Lionshead, with fire pits nearby. The other is in Solaris Plaza in Vail Village. Skates come in all sizes, and skating-assist devices are available. 2026/27 rink prices were not published in October. Indoors, Dobson Ice Arena in Lionshead reopens in November 2026 after its first full remodel since 1979. The reopening concert is November 28, and the arena's last posted public skating rates were $10 for ages 13 and up, $8 for ages 5 to 12 and $6 for 4 and under, plus $5 skate rental. Free figure skating shows start on the Arrabelle rink on November 27.
Check The Arrabelle prices on Expedia (rink-side in Lionshead)
5. Snowshoe the gardens, the Nordic Center or Eagle's Nest
There are three easy options. At Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, a 10-minute walk east of Vail Village, naturalist-led snowshoe tours run January to March on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. They cost $25 with snowshoes, and self-guided snowshoe rental is $10 on weekdays, snow permitting. The Vail Nordic Center has 10 kilometers of snowshoe trails on the golf course, and its 2025/26 snowshoe rental was $37. At the top of the Eagle Bahn Gondola, the Nature Discovery Center runs free guided snowshoe tours of about 90 minutes for ages 10 and up. Registration is required, and you need a lift ticket or pass for the gondola. See where to snowshoe in Vail.
6. Cross-country ski at the Vail Nordic Center
When snow covers Vail Golf Club it becomes the Vail Nordic Center: 17 kilometers of skate and classic track groomed every morning at 8 a.m., plus 13 kilometers of fat bike trails, open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in season. Its pro shop opens November 9, 2026, and the track opens once there is enough snow. 2026/27 prices were still "coming soon" in October. Last winter an adult day pass was $29, a classic rental package $39 and a 75-minute beginner group lesson $79. In winter, Grill on the Gore in the clubhouse serves a bottomless soup and chili buffet.
7. Ride a gondola for the views
Non-skiers can ride Gondola One or the Eagle Bahn Gondola on a scenic ticket for views of the Gore Range and the Mount of the Holy Cross, and meet the skiers for lunch at Mid-Vail, The 10th or Eagle's Nest. Vail lists lift access, not skier access, as the requirement for those restaurants. Vail has sold scenic tickets with an optional lunch voucher for the restaurants at the top. It had not posted 2026/27 scenic ticket or lunch prices in October, so check Vail's scenic ride page before you go.
8. Take a horse-drawn sleigh ride
Two ranches down valley run horse-drawn sleigh rides through the winter, conditions permitting, and both need advance reservations. 4 Eagle Ranch in Wolcott starts its sleigh ride dinners in November 2026: a sleigh ride, then a ranch dinner by the fire in the 1890 Nelson Cabin, at $110 for ages 13 and up, $55 for ages 5 to 12 and free under 5, plus bar, tax and an 18% gratuity added to every check. When snow is thin, wagon rides stand in. Bearcat Stables in Edwards runs a 30-minute après sleigh ride in the early evening from December to March, and a sleigh ride with a four-course dinner. Details are in what to do in Vail if you do not ski.
9. Go snowmobiling in the White River National Forest
Vail Backcountry Tours calls itself the only snowmobile touring company in Vail. Its tours start about five minutes from the village and stop at a private yurt for a hot drink and a snack. A two-hour tour is $280 for a single rider or $420 for a double, and three hours is $380 or $520. Tax and the Forest Service fee (12.5%) and a customary 20% guide tip are extra. Passengers can be as young as 5, and the company says it reopens in November 2026.
10. Spend a free hour at the Colorado Snowsports Museum
The state's snowsports museum and hall of fame sits on the third level of the Vail Village parking structure, across from the Covered Bridge. Admission is free (a $10 donation is appreciated), and it is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Climb to Glory, its 10th Mountain Division exhibit, explains why a World War II ski unit matters so much to Vail. Pair it with Vail Legacy Weekend on February 27 and 28, 2027, a free celebration with a 10th Mountain parade.
11. Catch the free holiday events
The town's free Vail Après program fills the early season. The Kringle Crossing holiday village of lit chalets runs November 14, 2026 to January 4, 2027. The Lionshead tree lighting, with free photos with Santa, is November 27 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., and the Vail Village tree lighting is December 6 at 5 p.m. at the Children's Fountain. A silent disco runs Wednesdays from November 18 to December 30, and the New Year's Eve fireworks go up from Vail Mountain at 6 p.m. on December 31, early enough for children. See Vail at Christmas for more.
12. Book a spa afternoon
Several hotel spas take non-guests. At Sonnenalp Spa, a treatment booking includes the indoor-outdoor pool, the hot tubs over Gore Creek and the steam rooms. Its winter 2026 menu lists a 50-minute massage from $215 and a $50 weekday day pass when available. The RockResorts Spa at The Arrabelle and the RockResorts Spa at The Lodge at Vail each have 11 treatment rooms. See Vail spas to compare.
Free things to do in Vail in winter
- Walk through Kringle Crossing (Nov 14 to Jan 4) and the two tree lightings.
- Visit the Colorado Snowsports Museum (donation appreciated).
- Watch the free figure skating shows at the Arrabelle rink and the New Year's Eve fireworks.
- Go sledding on the small hills at Ellefson Park in West Vail, a free Town of Vail park.
- Ride the free town buses between East Vail, the villages and West Vail. More ideas are in free things to do in Vail.
Vail in winter, month by month
| Month | What is happening |
|---|---|
| November | Vail Mountain's planned opening on November 13; the Nordic Center pro shop on November 9; Kringle Crossing from November 14; the outdoor rinks around Thanksgiving; the Lionshead tree lighting and the first figure skating show on November 27; Dobson Arena's reopening concert on November 28. See Vail in November. |
| December | Vail Village tree lighting on December 6; Vail Yeti hockey home games at Dobson from December 4; Express Lift weekend DJs from mid-December; fireworks at 6 p.m. on December 31. See Vail in December. |
| January to February | The snowiest months, about 35 inches each in town, with average January highs around 28°F; guided snowshoe tours at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens; Vail Legacy Weekend on February 27 and 28, 2027. |
| March to April | Longer, warmer days (March highs average about 42°F) and spring skiing to closing day in mid-April. See Vail in April. |
Snowfall and temperatures are NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for the Vail station; see when it snows in Vail. For a full trip, see the best hotels in Vail and the best restaurants in Vail.
How we picked
We ranked winter activities by how central each is to a Vail winter and how easy it is to reach from Vail Village or Lionshead without a car. We gave extra weight to options that work for non-skiers and families. Every fact comes from the operator's own page, as recorded on the VailVacay listing or guide linked in each entry (checked September to October 2026). Where an operator had not published 2026/27 prices, we give last season's figure and say so. The 4 Eagle Ranch sleigh dinner, Bearcat Stables, Express Lift and the Nature Discovery Center snowshoe tours were re-checked on the operators' own sites on October 11, 2026. Nobody paid to be included; the hotel and rental buttons are Expedia and Viator affiliate links.
