A winter day in Vail without skis can fill up quickly. In the villages there are two outdoor ice rinks, a free ski-history museum, spas, shopping and a scenic gondola ride. A short drive opens up horse-drawn sleigh dinners, snowmobile tours and snow tubing, and both the Vail Nordic Center and Betty Ford Alpine Gardens run snowshoe outings. Each operator sets its own schedule and prices; the table gives the costs that are published.
Winter options at a glance
| Activity | Where | Season and cost |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor ice skating | Solaris Plaza (Vail Village); Alderhof Ice Rink at Arrabelle at Vail Square (Lionshead) | November to April; skate rentals at the Arrabelle rink |
| Snowshoeing | Vail Nordic Center; Betty Ford Alpine Gardens | Nordic Center: 10 km of snowshoe trails, $37 for a snowshoe package. Gardens: guided tour January to March, $25 with snowshoes |
| Sleigh rides | 4 Eagle Ranch (Wolcott); Bearcat Stables (Edwards) | Late November to mid-March; reservations required; 4 Eagle Ranch dinner ride $110 for ages 13 and up, $55 for ages 5 to 12 |
| Snowmobile tours | Vail Backcountry Tours; Nova Guides | Vail Backcountry Tours: two hours from $280 |
| Snow tubing | Sage Outdoor Adventures, Wolcott | December 1 to April 6, snow permitting; one hour; helmets required |
| Ski museum | Colorado Snowsports Museum, Vail Village | Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; free, $10 donation suggested |
| Scenic gondola ride | Eagle Bahn Gondola or Gondola One | Tickets sold by Vail; a $25 lunch add-on gives a $30 voucher |
In the villages
Skating is the easiest evening plan. The Arrabelle at Vail Square rink in Lionshead rents skates in all sizes and has skating-assist devices, and Solaris Plaza has the outdoor rink in Vail Village. The indoor Dobson Ice Arena in Lionshead has been renovated and reopens for programming in November 2026.
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The Colorado Snowsports Museum is the state's official snow sports museum. It sits on the third level of the Vail Village Parking Structure beside the Covered Bridge, opens daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and does not charge admission, though as a non-profit it suggests a $10 donation.
Non-skiers can also ride the gondolas for the views. The winter scenic ride goes up the Eagle Bahn Gondola (#19) or Gondola One (#1), with views of the Gore Range and the Mount of the Holy Cross. A $25 lift-and-lunch add-on gives a $30 food and beverage voucher at Mid Vail and Eagle's Nest Marketplace. Tickets and prices are on Vail's scenic gondola ride page; the summer prices are in how much the gondola costs.
For spa time, the Lodge at Vail and the Arrabelle each run a RockResorts Spa with 11 treatment rooms, and Sonnenalp Spa admits outside guests who book a treatment. More are under wellness and spas. In the evening, Almresi serves Bavarian fondue and schnitzel with mulled wine, The Red Lion is a pub with burgers, ribs and weekly live music, and the tasting room of 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Company is named for the World War II ski division. The Vail nightlife directory has the rest.
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Snowshoes and sleds
The Vail Nordic Center turns the Vail Golf Club at 1775 Sunburst Drive into 10 kilometers of snowshoe trails and 17 kilometers of groomed ski track, open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in season. It closes its trails when snow runs short, as it did on March 10, 2026. The Betty Ford Alpine Gardens run a naturalist-led snowshoe tour for all ability levels on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., January to March, for $25 with snowshoes. More trails and rental shops are in where to snowshoe in Vail.
Ellefson Park and East Vail's Bighorn Park have sledding hills, and Antlers at Vail and Sandstone Creek Club lend sleds to guests. For a groomed hill, Sage Outdoor Adventures in Wolcott, 20 to 30 minutes from Vail, runs two tubing slopes, a gentle 150-yard run and a 300-yard run, in one-hour sessions from age 3. Helmets are required.
Sleigh rides and snowmobile tours
Two ranches run horse-drawn sleigh rides from late November to mid-March, conditions permitting, and both need advance reservations. 4 Eagle Ranch in Wolcott drives guests to the 1890 Nelson Cabin for a ranch dinner: $110 for ages 13 and up and $55 for ages 5 to 12, with wagon rides standing in when snow is thin. 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.
Vail Backcountry Tours starts its snowmobile tours about five minutes from Vail Village. A two-hour tour costs $280 on a single snowmobile and $420 on a double, and three hours costs $380 and $520; the tours stop at a private yurt for a hot drink and a snack. Nova Guides rides in the Camp Hale area, where the 10th Mountain Division trained in World War II.
Summer visitors have a different list in things to do in Vail in summer, and things to do in Vail for non-skiers covers the same question across the year.
