Skiing in Japan had been on our list for a couple of years — we just kept finding reasons to push it back. Our daughter felt a little young, other trips got planned. Then a HoneyKids Asia lucky draw landed a 2-night voucher for Setsu Niseko in my inbox, valid for that March only — an opportunity too good to pass. We added a third night ourselves at Setsu Niseko and combined it with a few days in Kyoto to see some of Japan beyond the slopes. For more on that trip, go here.
We were with the same group as in Kyoto — two families, eight of us, four adults and four kids aged 2 to 7. Three days in cherry blossom season followed by three days skiing, which may not seem the most obvious combination but worked out really well.
The Basics
Thanks to the lucky draw, we stayed at Setsu Niseko in a spacious 2-bedroom apartment. It is quite a luxury hotel, very centrally located in Grand Hirafu, and more upscale than we would normally pick, so it felt like a proper treat that came with some practical perks. Conveniently, there is a Rhythm ski and snowboard rental shop on site. Also, Setsu provides a free shuttle to the slopes at regular intervals, which we used most days. We walked occasionally, but a 10-minute walk on Google Maps is a different matter with small kids in full ski gear. There is also a private onsen you can book by the hour — more on that below.
For restaurants, the same advice from Kyoto applies: book ahead, especially with a group of eight. The hotel concierge can help, and for some places you can book online directly. Either way, better not to leave it to chance with eight people.
Day 1: Getting Settled and Sorted
We arrived early afternoon after the flight from Kyoto to New Chitose and a roughly two-and-a-half hour private transfer to Niseko. We rented our ski gear at Rhythm, picked up our lift passes, walked around town for a bit, and the kids made their first snowman — the first of many, as it turned out. Dinner was at Ren, a cosy, small local place right next to the hotel. I had booked ahead through the concierge because even at the end of season, finding a table for eight without a reservation is optimistic. We filled up almost half the place. The food was very good, and the staff were friendly and relaxed with the kids.
Day 2: Skiing, Tubing and Cheese Fondue
Time to get up the mountain. Our 7-year-old had two days of ski lessons booked with Hokkaido Ski Club — easy to book online in advance, with English-speaking instructors. However, with the minimum age for lessons being 3 at all ski schools, our 2-year-old daughter could not join. Which meant the adults swapped at lunchtime: one of us skiing with the group in the morning, the other spending time with her, then switching in the afternoon.
That afternoon it was my turn with our youngest and we took the free shuttle to Hanazono Tube Park. For a small fee you can take the tubes up the magic carpet and slide down the hill — it's quite fast, but luckily, she loved it, so we spent a good amount of time there. We also went up on the gondola just to take in the views from the top and ride back down again. Easy entertainment when you have a 2-year-old who can't ski.
Dinner was at Grandpapa's — a bit of a walk from the hotel but worth it. It's a lodge in a beautiful chalet, and the common room upstairs doubles as a restaurant. Cosy, a fireplace, and informal enough that nobody minds if the kids are noisy. The cheese fondue was very good with generous sides for dipping, and for the kids who were not particularly fan of fondue they provided spaghetti.
Day 3: Skiing, Cheeky Wine, and Onsen Fun
The morning started cloudy and snowy, but it didn't keep anyone indoors. One good thing about Niseko is that some of the chairlifts have a transparent cover — a 'bubble hood' — that you can pull down for shelter when it's snowing or windy. In contrast, there is also what we came to call the 'pizza box' lift: a square plank of wood roughly the size of a pizza box, attached to a metal pole hanging off the cable. No safety bar, no ski rest. We gracefully passed on that one.
During my afternoon with our youngest we had lunch at Cafe Cubanos, centrally located in Grand Hirafu. It's a retro-themed cafe with a small outdoor terrace and relaxed music. Our daughter fell asleep in the stroller after a hot chocolate and a massive cheese toastie, and mummy had some quiet time in the sun with a – also massive, no complaints - glass of white wine and a book. Good coffee as well.
Late afternoon, after skiing, we made use of the option to book a private onsen at Setsu — so we could go as a whole family rather than having to split by gender. A good soak for tired muscles, and the kids could splash around a bit. Very convenient to just put on bathrobes and walk back to the room. Only note is that you do miss the more traditional feel of going to an onsen like you might have going to a public one, from a cultural experience this was a bit more like having a small private indoor pool, and no outside area or view.
Dinner was at Kitchen, the restaurant at Chatrium Niseko, directly opposite our hotel — we'd spotted it on Google Maps looking for something nearby that would work with the kids. It's a bit more upscale than the other nights, but not busy when we were there so fine with the kids, and the food was very good — more of a treat for the adults.
Day 4: Last Ski Run and Transfer Back
Our transfer back to the airport was in the late afternoon, so we skied until around 1pm. Our son had been in almost full-day ski classes the two days before and was now keen to ski with the group and show off what he'd learned — our friends' kids had more experience and had not been in class, so there was some motivation there. One highlight for the kids was a section of slope with small ski jumps and a sort of curved ramp halfway down. He still asks if we can go back there. After a late lunch to make the most of the time in the snow, we all piled into the van, and it quickly became very quiet on the way to the airport.
A Note on Timing
End of March is late ski season. The snow on the slopes was still good; in town it had mostly melted away except where it was piled up in shaded spots. Late afternoon the snow got a bit slushy, particularly on sunny days. If you are looking for lots of fresh powder this is probably not the best time to go, but for a family holiday it worked well — the town was quiet, the slopes were not crowded, and there were no waits at the lifts.
What We Skipped and Why
- More of the town: evenings were dinner nearby and back to the hotel. With full days on the mountain and four kids, we didn't have much left for exploring after dark. Niseko has plenty of restaurants and bars if you have the energy — we mostly did not.
- Other ski areas: We also only skied Grand Hirafu and didn't try out the other Niseko areas like Hanazono and Annupuri. With only two and a half days on the slopes and the mid-day swap with our youngest, it wasn't really worth moving around. Grand Hirafu is the biggest area though and had more than enough runs for the time we were there.
This was the second leg of the Japan trip — three days in Kyoto for cherry blossom season, then three days skiing in Niseko. The Kyoto post is here if you're planning the same combination.
Trip taken March 2023.