- Days
- 4
- Participants
- 20 to 120 participants
- Cities
- Hakuba
Objectives
- Reward teams with a snow destination few competitors offer in Japan
- Let everyone progress at their own pace with lessons by level, beginners included
- Build cohesion between skiers and non-skiers through shared activities
- Introduce Nagano mountain culture: onsen, local food and sake
Participant profile
Sales challenge winners, Asia-Pacific regional teams, distributors or loyal clients of all ski levels. Suits a group mixing confident skiers, beginners and guests who prefer snowshoeing or the onsen.
Day by day
- 1
Day 1
Day 1 — Tokyo, Hokuriku Shinkansen and arrival in Hakuba
- Meet at Tokyo Station, luggage handled by our team; no need to carry skis or boots, equipment is rented on site
- Hokuriku Shinkansen (Kagayaki or Hakutaka) to Nagano, about 1 h 20 to 1 h 45, in reserved cars
- Transfer by snow-equipped coach to THE ALPS HOTEL HAKUBA, at the foot of the Hakuba Norikura ski area (about 1 h 15 to 1 h 30 depending on weather)
- 3:30 pm — Check-in, ski or snowshoe equipment fitting at the hotel, lift passes handed out by level
- 5:30 pm — Free time in the natural onsen, sauna or heated outdoor pool
- 7:00 pm — Welcome dinner at the hotel restaurant, program briefing and level groups
Shinkansen, Tokyo - 2
Day 2
Day 2 — Ski and snowshoe lessons by level
- 9:00 am — Ski or snowboard lessons in groups of 6 to 8 by level, with English-speaking instructors, ski-out from the hotel
- Beginners on the gentle slopes of Hakuba Norikura; confident skiers guided to the linked Hakuba Cortina area, known for its powder
- For non-skiers: guided snowshoe walk in the nearby beech forest (2.5 hours), hot drinks in a mountain hut
- 12:30 pm — Lunch at the hotel restaurant or on the mountain depending on the group
- 2:00 pm — Second lesson or team challenge on the snow (friendly timed slalom, kamakura snow-hut building), run by the instructors
- 4:30 pm — Onsen and recovery
- 7:00 pm — Shinshu dinner: either at Nikusho Nakazawa in Hakuba village, wagyu and Shinshu beef grilled over charcoal in four private rooms for 4 to 10 guests (larger groups split across rooms, booths and the counter), or at the hotel, with a hand-made soba demonstration, oyaki dumplings, Shinshu salmon, nozawana greens, sake from Omachi and Nagano wines
Japanese powder snow - 3
Day 3
Day 3 — Jigokudani snow monkeys and gala dinner
- 8:00 am — Coach departure for Yamanouchi (about 2 hours via Nagano and the Joshinetsu Expressway)
- 10:00 am — 1.6 km forest walk to the Jigokudani Monkey Park (30 to 40 min each way on a snowy trail), boots and light crampons provided, groups of 20 to 25 with a guide and staggered starts
- Watching Japanese macaques around the hot spring; the monkeys are wild and never guaranteed, but they are seen very regularly in winter
- 12:30 pm — Soba lunch in Yudanaka or in the small town of Obuse, with a tasting at a local sake brewery
- 5:00 pm — Back at the hotel, free time in the onsen
- 7:00 pm — Gala dinner in the privatized hotel restaurant, awards and a taiko performance by a local group
三日目 · Jigokudani - 4
Day 4
Day 4 — Last morning on the slopes and return to Tokyo
- Free morning: skiing on your own or with an instructor, snowshoeing, onsen or spa
- 11:30 am — Equipment return, check-out and light lunch
- 12:30 pm — Coach transfer to Nagano Station, with a buffer in case of snowfall
- Around 2:30 pm — Hokuriku Shinkansen to Tokyo, arriving around 4:00 pm; transfers to Haneda or Narita available for evening flights
Hakuba
Budget
From €2,900 per person, excluding flights
Indicative rate based on 60 participants in double rooms, 3 nights at THE ALPS HOTEL HAKUBA. Included: round-trip Tokyo-Nagano Shinkansen in reserved ordinary class, coach transfers, 2.5-day lift passes, equipment rental, lessons with English-speaking instructors or snowshoe outing, Jigokudani excursion with guides, meals as per program, gala, bilingual staff. Not included: flights, drinks beyond packages, ski insurance, ski clothing (rental available). Chinese New Year and late January to mid-February are the busiest weeks; the hotel reopens on 15 December 2026 after renovation.
Quick estimate
20120
€203,000
i.e. €2,900 per person, excluding flights
Indicative estimate based on the per-person rate shown for this programme. The exact quote follows your brief.
Frequently asked questions
When should a Hakuba ski incentive take place?
The ski season runs from mid-December to late March, with the most reliable snow from mid-January to late February. We offer this program from January 2027, as THE ALPS HOTEL HAKUBA reopens on 15 December 2026. March brings longer days and slightly more flexible rates.
Do participants need to know how to ski?
No. Groups are formed by level, from complete beginners to confident skiers, and guests who prefer not to ski join a guided snowshoe walk or enjoy the onsen and spa. The highlights (Jigokudani, dinners, gala) are shared by everyone.
Is the Jigokudani excursion feasible for 120 people?
Yes, if it is run in waves. The park is about 2 hours by road from Hakuba and is reached by a 1.6 km forest trail, snow-covered in winter. We split the group into sub-groups of 20 to 25, each with a guide and staggered starts, and provide boots and crampons. Winter opening hours are shorter, so the whole day is set aside for this outing.
Where are meetings and the gala dinner held?
The gala is held at the THE ALPS HOTEL HAKUBA restaurant, which seats up to 220. Meeting room capacities have not yet been published after the renovation, so we confirm them with the hotel when you enquire; a short 1 to 2-hour plenary can be added in the late afternoon.
What about access during heavy snowfall?
Coaches have snow tyres and chains, and we build buffers into every transfer, especially to Nagano Station on the last day. The Hokuriku Shinkansen runs normally in snowy weather; we still advise against booking an international flight before 8:00 pm on the last day.
