For the 2026/27 season an adult lift ticket at Vail costs $202 to $259 when bought ahead and reaches $374 at the ticket window on the busiest dates. An adult Epic Pass costs $1,145 this fall, which pays for itself after about five days at the advance prices. Lessons, rentals and parking come on top.
Lift tickets: what one day costs
Vail prices every date separately and shows a lower advance price beside a struck-through same-day price. The table shows adult (ages 13 to 64) and child (ages 5 to 12) prices for a sample of dates as they stood in September 2026, fees included. Vail's lowest prices go to buyers four or more weeks ahead.
| Date | Adult, advance | Child, advance | Adult, same day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri, Nov 13, 2026 (planned opening day) | $202 | $139 | $239 |
| Tue, Jan 12, 2027 | $209 | $145 | $319 |
| Mon, Dec 28, 2026 (holiday week) | $259 | $179 | $374 |
| Sat, Feb 13, 2027 (Presidents' Day weekend) | $259 | $179 | $374 |
| Sat, Apr 10, 2027 | $256 | $177 | $303 |
Vail limits the number of lift tickets it sells each day, and popular dates sell out. Unused days are refundable if you ask before 5 p.m. on the last day of the ticket. Current prices for your own dates are on Vail's lift ticket page; how much lift tickets at Vail cost covers multi-day tickets, and how to get cheaper Vail lift tickets covers ways to pay less.
Epic Pass and Epic Day Pass
The 2026/27 Epic Pass is $1,145 for adults (31 and older), $909 for ages 13 to 30 and $585 for children 5 to 12, with a price increase scheduled for October 7. It covers every day of the season at Vail, peak dates included, so it beats advance tickets once you ski five or six days. Buyers also receive five Epic Friend Tickets, which take 50 percent off an adult lift ticket for a companion. The Epic Pass listing summarizes what the pass covers.
The Epic Day Pass suits a shorter trip. You buy one to seven days before the season starts and pick the dates later, and the price per day falls as you add days: a four-day adult pass with access to all resorts was $471 ($118 a day) and the child version $245 ($62 a day). At Vail the restricted one-day adult pass was $144. Day passes exclude a handful of holiday peak dates unless you add peak-date access when you build the pass. Vail Resorts advertises savings of up to 65 percent against window prices.
Both products include Epic Mountain Rewards, which takes 20 percent off food, lodging, rentals and group lessons.
Lessons
Group lessons are priced by length and age. Each also needs a lift ticket or pass, and Vail sells discounted tickets and rentals as add-ons at checkout. Lessons meet at Golden Peak or Lionshead, depending on the base you choose at booking, and multi-day lessons have to run on consecutive dates.
| Lesson | Price | With Epic Mountain Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Adult group, half day (2½ hours) | $248 | $198 |
| Adult group, full day (5½ hours) | $331 | $264 |
| Adult group, two full days | $662 | $529 |
| Adult beginner series, three days for the price of two | $662 | – |
| Child group, ages 3 to 4, half day | $248 | $198 |
| Child group, ages 7 to 15, full day (6 hours, lunch included) | $387 | $309 |
The Vail Ski and Snowboard School listing has contact details, and the Golden Peak guide explains where the children's lessons check in.
Rentals
Booking rentals online in advance saves up to an extra 20 percent, and Epic Pass holders take 20 percent off through Epic Mountain Rewards. Vail also offers free rental delivery to a hotel, vacation rental or condo. Independent shops set their own prices; browse the Vail ski rentals directory or read how much ski rentals in Vail cost.
Parking and getting there
Vail's in-town buses and the Core Transit routes through the Vail Valley are free, so a hotel outside the villages does not require a car on those routes. Vail is 119 miles from Denver International Airport by I-70; see the closest airport to Vail for the alternatives.
If you drive, the town garages in Vail Village and Lionshead charged winter 2025/26 visitors nothing for the first hour and then $10 an hour, capped at $30 on a regular day and $50 on a peak day, with overnight parking at $60. The town sets winter rates each year on its parking pages, and where to park at Vail covers the options in detail.
Lodging and food
Hotel rates and restaurant prices are set by each business and move with the calendar, the same way lift tickets do. The Vail hotels directory and budget lodging ideas are the place to start for a bed, and the Vail restaurants directory and on-mountain dining guide cover meals. For the cost of the wider trip, see how expensive Vail is.
