Best ski resorts in January for first-timers

Ranked on what actually fell, not on marketing copy. La Plagne comes out on top for learning to ski or board in January: 45% of the terrain is beginner-friendly.

1
La Plagne
Savoie, France · 1250m to 3250m
100
match score
La Plagne in January: 45% of the terrain is beginner-friendly.
Easy terrain
45% beginner
Snow depth
143cm average base
Rain days
0.6 in the month
Snow history 5 off-piste zones
2
Les Arcs
Savoie, France · 1200m to 3226m
86
match score
Les Arcs in January: 35% of the terrain is beginner-friendly.
Easy terrain
35% beginner
Snow depth
154cm average base
Rain days
0.7 in the month
Snow history 4 off-piste zones
3
Alpe d'Huez
Isère, France · 1100m to 3330m
84
match score
Alpe d'Huez in January: 35% of the terrain is beginner-friendly.
Easy terrain
35% beginner
Snow depth
123cm average base
Rain days
0.5 in the month
Snow history 3 off-piste zones
4
Zermatt
Valais, Switzerland · 1620m to 3899m
80
match score
Zermatt in January: 20% of the terrain is beginner-friendly.
Easy terrain
20% beginner
Snow cover
Never melts out at mid-mountain
Rain days
0 in the month
Snow history 2 off-piste zones
5
Val Gardena
South Tyrol, Italy · 1236m to 2518m
78
match score
Val Gardena in January: 35% of the terrain is beginner-friendly.
Easy terrain
35% beginner
Snow depth
57cm average base
Rain days
0 in the month
Snow history
6
Les Deux Alpes
Isère, France · 1300m to 3600m
76
match score
Les Deux Alpes in January: 30% of the terrain is beginner-friendly.
Easy terrain
30% beginner
Snow depth
117cm average base
Rain days
0.5 in the month
Snow history 4 off-piste zones
7
Whistler Blackcomb
British Columbia, Canada · 675m to 2284m
74
match score
Whistler Blackcomb in January: 20% of the terrain is beginner-friendly.
Easy terrain
20% beginner
Snow depth
270cm average base
Rain days
1.5 in the month
Snow history 3 off-piste zones
8
Tignes
Savoie, France · 1550m to 3456m
73
match score
Tignes in January: 25% of the terrain is beginner-friendly.
Easy terrain
25% beginner
Snow depth
152cm average base
Rain days
0.2 in the month
Snow history 4 off-piste zones
9
Val d'Isère
Savoie, France · 1850m to 3456m
73
match score
Val d'Isère in January: 25% of the terrain is beginner-friendly.
Easy terrain
25% beginner
Snow depth
150cm average base
Rain days
0.2 in the month
Snow history 7 off-piste zones
10
Cortina d'Ampezzo
Veneto, Italy · 1224m to 2935m
73
match score
Cortina d'Ampezzo in January: 30% of the terrain is beginner-friendly.
Easy terrain
30% beginner
Snow depth
80cm average base
Rain days
0.2 in the month
Snow history

Other months and trip styles

First-timers in another month

November December February March April

A different kind of trip in January

Off-piste & powder Family Après & nightlife Sunshine & bluebird Snow-sure

How this ranking is built

Share of beginner terrain, snow depth in your month, and low rain.

Snow figures come from the same ten-year ERA5 record shown on each resort's snow history page, measured at mid-mountain height. Terrain splits come from each resort's own piste breakdown. Scores are relative to the other resorts searched, not absolute quality marks.

We ranked 48 resorts with a full climate record, out of 253 on the site, against a benchmark of 40 resorts across 18 countries. A resort without a record is left out rather than guessed at. Search it yourself.