Photo by Bogdan Sameliuk on Pexels
By Michael Gonzales · Updated October 30, 2026
For 2026/27, a one-day adult Vail lift ticket costs $202 to $259 when you buy online ahead of time and $239 to $374 at the ticket window, depending on the date. Buy on vail.com four or more weeks ahead for the lowest price. A 4-day Epic Day Pass costs $481, or about $121 a day.
Vail sets a price for every day of the season, so the same ticket can cost $50 more on a holiday weekend than on a January Tuesday. The prices on this page are the ones vail.com showed on October 28, 2026, and all of them include fees.
They move with demand, so price your own dates on vail.com before you budget. The mountain is scheduled to open on Friday, November 13, 2026.
How much is a Vail lift ticket in 2026/27?
Adult tickets cover ages 13 to 64, child tickets ages 5 to 12 and senior tickets 65 and up. Children 4 and under ski free. "Ahead" is the online price for each date; "window" is the same-day price at the ticket office.
| Ski date | Adult ahead | Adult window | Child ahead | Child window | Senior ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 13, 2026 (opening day) | $202 | $239 | $139 | $165 | $192 |
| Fri, Nov 27, 2026 (Thanksgiving weekend) | $202 | $239 | $139 | $165 | $194 |
| Fri, Dec 11, 2026 | $209 | $319 | $145 | $220 | $201 |
| Sat, Dec 19, 2026 | $239 | $353 | $165 | $244 | $231 |
| Mon, Dec 28, 2026 (holiday week) | $259 | $374 | $179 | $258 | $251 |
| Tue, Jan 12, 2027 | $209 | $319 | $145 | $220 | $201 |
| Sat, Jan 16, 2027 (MLK weekend) | $259 | $374 | $179 | $258 | $251 |
| Sat, Feb 13, 2027 (Presidents' Day weekend) | $259 | $374 | $179 | $258 | $251 |
| Tue, Feb 23, 2027 | $209 | $319 | $145 | $220 | $201 |
| Tue, Mar 16, 2027 | $259 | $374 | $179 | $258 | $251 |
| Sat, Apr 10, 2027 | $256 | $303 | $177 | $209 | $246 |
Swipe to see more
From vail.com's ticket calendar, checked October 28, 2026.
The pattern is simple. Opening weeks are cheapest. Regular non-holiday dates such as Dec 11, Jan 12 and Feb 23 sit at $209. The Christmas-to-New Year stretch, holiday weekends and the mid-March date we checked cost $259.
The gap between buying ahead and paying at the window is $37 in November, $110 to $115 from December 11 through mid-March, and $47 on April 10. Vail says the bigger four-weeks-ahead discount starts with ski days from December 11, which matches what the calendar shows.
How much do multi-day Vail lift tickets cost?
Multi-day tickets cost a little less per day, and they also give you some slack. A 3-day ticket can be used on any 3 days within a 5-day window. A 5-day ticket gets an 8-day window, and tickets of 6 days or more get 3 extra days.
| Start date | 3-day adult ahead | Per day | 5-day adult ahead | Per day | 5-day adult window |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 13, 2026 | $576 | $192 | $870 | $174 | $1,145 |
| Dec 11, 2026 | $594 | $198 | $895 | $179 | $1,545 |
| Dec 28, 2026 | $738 | $246 | $1,120 | $224 | $1,820 |
| Apr 10, 2027 | $729 | $243 | $1,105 | $221 | $1,465 |
Swipe to see more
From vail.com's ticket calendar, checked October 28, 2026. Child 5-day tickets ran $600 to $770 for the same start dates.
A Vail lift ticket also works at Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Crested Butte, so a 5-day ticket can cover a day trip to another resort.
Where should you buy Vail lift tickets?
Buy from Vail Resorts directly: vail.com, the Epic Pass site or the My Epic app. Vail Resorts said in December 2025 that fewer than 2% of visits across its resorts came from tickets bought at the window. Lift tickets are issued in the skier's name for set dates and can't be transferred, so resold tickets from strangers are a risk.
How you get the ticket depends on when you buy:
- 9 or more days ahead (14 if you live outside the US): Vail mails the ticket to you.
- Less than 9 days ahead, or if the mailed ticket doesn't arrive: take your confirmation barcode to a ticket window, or find a staff member with a handheld express ticket device.
- Any time: load the ticket in the My Epic app and scan in at the lift.
- Children 4 and under: pick up the free ticket at a ticket window on the day, with the child there.
- Military tickets: active and retired military members buy at the window or by calling (970) 754-0005, with military ID.
- Afternoon tickets: sold only on the day, at the ticket window.
The two main lift bases are Vail Village (Gondola One) and Lionshead (Eagle Bahn Gondola). If you want to walk to the lift, Lion Square Lodge sits beside the Eagle Bahn Gondola, The Arrabelle at Vail Square is steps from it, and Solaris Residences has a ski valet near Gondola One. More are in our guides to Lionshead hotels and Vail Village hotels.
How can you pay less for Vail lift tickets?
These four moves cover most of the savings. Our guide to cheaper Vail lift tickets goes through each in more depth.
- Buy at least four weeks ahead. Vail Resorts says this discount averages more than 30% across its 12 biggest destination resorts, Vail included, and can save $100 or more per ticket on some Vail days. Popular dates sell out, which is the other reason to buy early.
- Ski midweek outside the holidays. A Tuesday in January or February costs $209 instead of $259 on a holiday weekend.
- Buy an Epic Day Pass before prices rise on November 15. On October 28 a 4-day all-resorts adult Epic Day Pass cost $481 (about $121 a day) and the child version $250. You don't pick dates in advance. Restricted peak dates around the major holidays cost $87 more. Vail.com lists a restricted 1-day Epic pass at $144. Epic Day Passes can't be refunded.
- Ski with an Epic Pass holder. Pass holders can buy Epic Friend Tickets, which Vail Resorts prices at half the window rate. The pass holder has to be there when you pick them up, and you can't combine the discount with other offers.
If you'll ski five or six days at Vail this season, the season pass can cost less than lift tickets. The adult Epic Pass was $1,169 on October 28, also rising November 15. Our Epic Pass 2026/27 guide compares the Epic, Epic Local and Day Pass options.
If you bought and scanned a lift ticket at a Vail Resorts resort in 2025/26 and don't have a pass yet, Vail will credit up to $175 of that ticket toward an eligible 2026/27 pass.
Bundling lodging, tickets and rentals can also help. See Vail ski packages.
Can you get a refund on a Vail lift ticket?
Yes, for days you haven't used. Ask before 5 p.m. mountain time on the last day of your ticket, at a ticket window or by calling (970) 754-0005. Epic Day Passes and Epic passes work differently. They are non-refundable, but they include Epic Coverage, which refunds some cases set out in Epic's terms.
What else does a ski day at Vail cost?
The lift ticket is the biggest daily cost, but it isn't the only one. Rentals are separate: see what ski rentals cost in Vail and the shops in our Vail ski rentals directory. Lessons are covered in Vail ski lessons. For parking, food and lodging, see what it costs to ski in Vail.
Before you go, check how long lift lines get and when the lifts close. If you only want a gondola ride, see what the gondola costs.
Plan your trip
Frequently asked questions
How much is a one-day lift ticket at Vail? For 2026/27, an adult one-day ticket was $202 to $259 bought online ahead and $239 to $374 at the window on October 28, 2026. Children 5 to 12 paid $139 to $179 ahead. The price depends on the date.
Is it cheaper to buy Vail lift tickets in advance? Yes. From December 11 through mid-March, buying ahead saved $110 to $115 per adult ticket on the dates we checked, and $37 to $47 in November and April. Vail says the biggest discount is for tickets bought four or more weeks ahead.
Do Vail lift tickets sell out? Yes. Vail limits how many tickets it sells each day, and popular dates such as holiday weeks can sell out.
Can you buy Vail lift tickets at Costco or on Groupon? Vail Resorts sells its tickets on vail.com, epicpass.com, the My Epic app and at the resort's ticket windows. Tickets are issued in the skier's name and can't be transferred, so buy from Vail Resorts directly.
How much does Vail cost per day to ski? With an Epic Day Pass, about $121 a day on the 4-day all-resorts pass. With lift tickets, $174 to $259 a day bought ahead, depending on the dates and the length of the ticket. Rentals, lessons and parking cost extra.
Is the Epic Pass worth it for Vail? At $1,169 for an adult, the Epic Pass costs about the same as four and a half to six Vail lift tickets bought ahead. If you'll ski more days than that this season, the pass usually costs less.
Sources
- Vail Resorts: Vail winter lift tickets (prices by date, pickup, refunds, multi-day windows, resort access)
- Epic Pass: Epic Day Pass (4-day $481, peak dates, prices go up November 15)
- Epic Pass: Epic Pass 2026/27 ($1,169 adult)
- Vail Resorts investor release, Dec 9, 2025: four-weeks-ahead lift ticket discount, Epic Friend Tickets
Checked October 28, 2026. Hotel locations are from our own listings. Lift ticket prices change with demand, so the price you see on vail.com may differ.