Come and visit Niseko this December, and you will surely not regret it. The last month of the year is one of the best times to experience and enjoy the adventures Niseko could offer. Hokkaido, Niseko has some of the biggest early winter snowfalls. As an early bloomer, the ski slopes are already in their best conditions, very ideal for skiing when the other major resorts across the globe are just yet to form their ski slopes.
DECEMBER WEATHER – A WINTER WONDERLAND
It is never too early to ski in Niseko during December. This month is the snowiest month of the year base on the previous years’ data. Ski schools are open this season of the year where the town is covered by a fresh blanket of snow. If you haven’t tried skiing before, visitors are free to choose their preferred instructor. You can enjoy and practice on the slopes with very few people around – one of the perks of early winter.
No, you don’t need to visit Niseko in its peak winter months in January and February to have the best experience in skiing and snowboarding. With the high prices during peak season, you cannot also enjoy the calm and relaxing fields due to the huge crowd surrounding you.
If it is your first visit to the town of Niseko, we highly recommend that you visit during the Early Season in December. Trust us, the locals would also tell you the same. The quality of the snow is as perfect as it is in the peak season, plus you can enjoy slopes with little to minimal crowd. If you are a beginner and want to learn skiing and snowboarding, this is the ideal time to experience that brand new adventure.
ACCOMMODATIONS IN NISEKO
The earlier you book ahead, the more money you’ll save! That’s how it simply works on any tours. Here are some of the accommodations you can book in Early Season Niseko.
Snow Dog Village. This premium apartment room development is created for investors and passionate mountain lovers alike. Snow Dog Village has buildings A, B, and C to accommodate excited visitors.
They offer different apartment types that will surely suit the wants and needs of the visitors. Snow Dog Apartment A has a Studio on its 2nd floor ranging from 23 to 26 sq. meters wide.
Other apartment types are one bedroom plus a studio, two bedrooms in Building B, and two-bedroom loft plus a studio.
Raku Ichi Niseko. Raku Ichi is a name synonymous with luxury, fine Japanese cuisine. Now, Raku Ichi is going through a revolution.
A new and exciting development is just around the corner that will bring with it refined apartments and condos and a reimagining of this sensational restaurant to create a revitalized spot where investors, diners, skiers and nature lovers alike can find solace, comfort, and elegance.
SnowDog Chalets. This is a new development and soon to open to accommodate guests for winter 2020. From the style of the Haute-Savoie to the mountains of Hokkaido, SnowDog Chalets will be the first of their kind. Alpine style & Japanese minimalism.
SKI PASS PRICES: THE BEST DEALS
Niseko has four major ski areas. Namely, they are Niseko Annupuri, Niseko Village, Niseko Grand Hirafu, and Niseko Hanazono. A ski pass is needed to enjoy skiing in these areas. The operational date starts as early as November 23rd this year until December 10th for the early season. While the regular season officially starts the day after and would last until March 22nd the following year.
Ski pass price deals vary for every season so it will be wise to choose which of the three seasons offers the best price. The price in the regular season is much higher compared to the affordable ski pass deals during the early season and spring season.
Given the winter wonderland December weather, with the perk of uncrowded slopes and with low affordable ski pass prices, the early season is the best choice among the three.
For a more accurate price, check out Niseko United All Mountain Pass price guide.
BOOK YOUR FLIGHT NOW!
Direct flights from different places around the world to Sapporo, the nearest airport to Niseko, keep on increasing in number. Some of the airlines that offer direct flights are Finnair, Cathay Pacific, Scoot Airlines, and Qantas.
Finnair offers a direct flight from Helsinki, Finland to Sapporo with a round trip or one-way ticket options. While Cathay Pacific offers flights from Hong Kong.
New direct flights from Singapore to New Chitose International Airport, Sapporo is now available brought to you Scoot Airlines since its launching November 3rd, 2017. Scoot CEO Mr. Lee Lik Hsin said, "Much as Singaporeans love the tropical delights of our sunny island nation, the allure of winter is undeniably compelling!"
"Our Singapore-Taipei-Sapporo services have also been a crowd-pleaser since launch, but in response to feedback, we will be launching additional non-stop Singapore-Sapporo services in the winter peak season!” the CEO added.
The latest addition to the list of airlines that offers direct flight to Sapporo is Qantas Airways. The company will offer seasonal flights from Sydney to Sapporo. This is to meet the growing demand of Australians tourists who wants to experience the winter wonderland and the ski paradise that is only found in Japan.
The airline will be the first to offer a Sydney-Sapporo direct flight. Naren Kumar, Qantas International Acting CEO, said Sapporo was a highly sought-after holiday destination for Australian travelers.
He added, “Travel between Australia and Japan is booming. These new flights make it easier for Australians to reach Hokkaido’s popular ski resorts like Niseko and Rusutsu.”
CONCLUSION
To conclude, traveling to Niseko early in December is one of the decisions you will not regret. Skiing and snowboarding in the Early Season are as amazing as it is during the peak season. There are lots of perks if you would come this early. Embracing the calming and relaxing December weather in the town of Niseko is just priceless moment money could never replace. With the affordable prices of the accommodation and best ski price deals, visitors could save a lot in this unique winter experience.
The rising number of direct flights to Sapporo only means one thing. The booming industry of tourism in Niseko will explode in the following years. If you are an investor, this is one of the things you don’t want to miss out on.