Showing a Friend Niseko on Their First Day: Early Start, Early Finish, Dinner in Kutchan

You're showing a friend Niseko for the first time, for one day. Where do you start, and where do you take them at night? I'd start at 8:30 on Annupuri's gentle runs, take the skis off at 14:30 and go to an onsen, then ride the free bus down to an izakaya in Kutchan town.

There are two reasons for that order. On a first afternoon, people don't notice how tired their legs are, and their falls get sloppy. And the night buses back from Kutchan are few, so you have to plan dinner around the last one home. Prices and times below were checked on the official sites on October 5, 2026; where the 2026-27 figures aren't out yet, I've marked last season's. If your friend has never stood on snow, read Ski or snowboard first? together beforehand, so you're not deciding at the rental counter.

The day at a glance

• The evening before: pick up rentals and decide on a lift pass
• 8:30: Annupuri. Two or three easy runs
• 11:00: early lunch
• Afternoon: if their legs are fine and the upper lifts are running, move to another resort
• 14:30: stop and go to an onsen
• 18:00: dinner in Kutchan town

The evening before: rentals, and which lift pass

Collect the rental gear the evening before. Rental shops get busy in the morning with fittings and paperwork, and losing an hour there means missing the best snow of the day. Not every shop lets you pick up the night before, so ask when you book.

If the first day is all at Annupuri, an Annupuri-only pass is enough. In the 2026-27 peak period (December 24 to February 28), an adult 1-day pass is ¥7,800 and a 5-hour pass is ¥6,700 (Niseko Annupuri). The Niseko United All Mountain Pass, valid at all four resorts, is ¥13,500 for an adult day in the same period (Niseko United), so the difference is ¥5,700. Buy the All Mountain Pass only if you plan to move to another resort in the afternoon.

8:30: Annupuri's easy runs

Annupuri's lifts start at 8:30 in peak season (night skiing runs 16:30 to 19:30). Start on the Family Course, 580 m long with an average pitch of 6 degrees (Niseko Annupuri). Once your friend can stop and turn there, move up to the Junior Course (960 m, average 9 degrees).

Teaching your friend yourself rarely goes well. When a good skier coaches someone all day, both of you are worn out by the end. If your friend is a complete beginner, put them in a morning lesson and go ski on your own in the meantime. How to choose a school and rentals is in Is Niseko good for beginners?

Lunch at 11:00, then read their legs and the weather

Eat at 11:00. In my experience, after noon the resort restaurants turn into a hunt for a seat. Walking in ski boots is more tiring than people expect, so pick somewhere right by the slopes.

In the afternoon, if your friend still has legs and the upper lifts are running, move over to Village or the Hirafu side. Niseko United's four resorts connect on the upper mountain, but the top lifts can stop for wind, and if they do, you can't ski back. In that case, ride the United Shuttle between resorts. On the 2026-27 fare table, Hirafu Welcome Center to Annupuri is ¥700, free with an All Mountain Pass (Niseko United).

One more thing to agree on in the morning: nobody goes past the ropes. Under the Niseko Rules, ducking a boundary rope or going out through a closed gate is prohibited, and search and rescue costs at least ¥100,000 (Niseko Rules). Don't take a first-day friend into the powder in the trees.

Stop at 14:30

Take the skis off at 14:30. On day one, legs get heavy after lunch, but the fun is winning by then, and that's when "one more run" comes out. Keep going and you get the injuries that come from tired falls, like landing on a hand or twisting a knee. In Kutchan, the January normal for the daily minimum temperature is -9.6°C (Japan Meteorological Agency, 1991-2020), and once the sun drops, the cold gets into your gloves.

A local tip: when your friend says "just one more," skip that run and head for the onsen.

Onsen: an hour near Annupuri

Go straight from the slopes to an onsen. At the foot of Annupuri is Ikoi no Yuyado Iroha (Annupuri Onsen area), where bathing with the Niseko Onsen Pass is 12:30 to 21:00 (last entry 20:00). One pass can be shared by several people and is valid for 180 days from issue, which helps when you're a group (Niseko Resort Tourist Association). Each facility sets its own pass periods; Hirafu-tei doesn't accept the pass from December to March. Without a car, go back on Line B of the United Shuttle. On the 2026-27 timetable, the 16:30 from Ikoi Yuyado Iroha reaches Hirafu Welcome Center at 17:20 (fare ¥700, Niseko United timetable PDF). If the Night Bus direct service leaves at 17:30 again this season, you can change straight onto it for Kutchan.

In an onsen you don't wear a swimsuit, and you wash before getting in. Tattoo policies differ by facility, so if your friend has one, call ahead.

Evening: down to Kutchan, planned around the bus home

For dinner, go to an izakaya near JR Kutchan Station. Hirafu is also in Kutchan Town, but "Kutchan town" here means the town center around the station. This is everyday Hokkaido food: yakitori, and zangi (Hokkaido-style fried chicken). For a friend coming from elsewhere in Japan, a meal at one of Hirafu's busy international spots can be the fun part instead.

Take the free Kutchan Night Bus down. In 2025-26 it ran daily from December 1 to March 31, between 17:00 and 22:30, and took about 45 minutes from Hirafu Welcome Center to Kutchan Station. From December 20 to February 28, a direct bus was added, leaving Welcome Center at 17:30 and arriving at the station at 18:00 (Kutchan Tourism Association, timetable PDF). The return is the catch: from Kutchan Station, the bus after 18:30 was 20:15, and the last one left at 21:45. The 2025-26 timetable was announced on November 25. The full bus guide is in Can you get around Niseko without a car?

If you're the one with the car, leave it at the accommodation on a drinking night. In peak season a taxi can take over an hour to arrive; GO, Uber and DiDi all work here (Niseko HANAZONO Resort). If there's time before the last bus, have one more drink near the station. Find a bar for a second stop in Kutchan on Machinavi.

What to ask your friend to bring

• Goggles with a bright lens for cloudy days
• Shoes with grippy soles (the town sidewalks are icy at night)
• A neck warmer or something to cover the face
• Spare gloves. Ski the afternoon in gloves that got wet in the morning, and the cold starts at the fingertips

Phones don't like the cold. Apple says its devices work best between 0 and 35°C, and that very low temperatures can shorten battery life temporarily (Apple). Keep the phone in an inside pocket, and agree in the morning on where to meet if you get separated. Shoes and walking on ice are covered in Before your first Niseko trip.

FAQ

Where should a first-timer start skiing in Niseko?

Annupuri's Family Course (580 m, average pitch 6 degrees). Once they're comfortable, move to the Junior Course, which averages 9 degrees.

Does a first-timer need the All Mountain Pass?

Not if you stay at Annupuri. An Annupuri 1-day pass is ¥7,800 for an adult in the 2026-27 peak period. Buy the All Mountain Pass (¥13,500 in the same period) only if you'll move to another resort.

How late should we ski on day one?

Stop at 14:30. Tired afternoon runs are when people get hurt.

How do we get back to Hirafu after drinks in Kutchan?

On the free Kutchan Night Bus. In 2025-26, the bus from Kutchan Station after 18:30 was 20:15, and the last one left at 21:45. That timetable was announced on November 25, so check for 2026-27 in late November.

— Niseko Hub Editorial Team