Ski Resorts with Activities for Non-Skiers: Eight Places Beyond the Slopes

On a group trip, it's often the case that at least one of the group does not ski, and the resort you choose decides whether that person has a holiday of their own or spends the week waiting for everyone else to come off the mountain. Every resort below has skiing for the rest of the group and enough happening away from the lifts to fill a week.

So who in your party skis, and who would rather be on a train to a mountain top, in a spa or behind a team of huskies? Start there, and the resort mostly chooses itself.

Chamonix, France

Chamonix sits beneath Mont Blanc, and you do not need skis to get close to it. The Aiguille du Midi cable car rises to 3,842 metres, a very different view of the Alps from the one in the valley. Snowshoeing gives you a slower day on foot, and the spas are there for the afternoon.

Whistler, Canada

Whistler suits the non-skier who wants some speed. Zip lines run through the forest, snowmobile tours head out across the snow, and the Scandinave Spa is the place to end the day. The village has restaurants for the evening, so everyone can meet for dinner.

Zermatt, Switzerland

Zermatt is the village below the Matterhorn, and the Gornergrat Railway takes you up to 3,089 metres in about 40 minutes, so you reach the high mountain sitting down. The 1.5 km Rotenboden toboggan run brings you back with a bit more excitement, and the Matterhorn Museum tells the story of the peak. Husky sledding and helicopter flights are there for a bigger day.

Aspen and Snowmass, USA

A morning here can start with a dog sled team or a hot air balloon, which is a good way to spend the hours while the skiers are on the lifts.

Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy

Cortina is set in the Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape, and a guided snowshoe trek takes you into it at walking pace. You can skate at the Olympic Ice Stadium, try dog sledding for something faster, and keep the slower afternoons for shopping on the Corso Italia.

Niseko, Japan

Niseko is known for its powder snow, and it is a good place to be a non-skier too. There are snowshoe and snowmobile tours, local food to try, and an onsen to finish the day in. Otaru, about 90 minutes away, makes a day trip.

Lech, Austria

Lech suits the group that wants to be outdoors without a lift pass. More than 50 km of groomed winter hiking trails run through the village and the mountains around it, and a sleigh ride covers the days when walking is too much.

Queenstown, New Zealand

Queenstown is for the non-skier who wants more adrenaline than the skiers. There is bungy jumping, jet boating and the Skyline Gondola, and wine tasting for the afternoons. A day trip to Milford Sound adds fjord views and a boat tour.

Choosing a resort for your group

Who skis, and how well? Does anyone want a quiet week, or a busy one? Do you want the non-skiers to have their own days, or to join the skiers for lunch on the mountain? These questions decide the resort far more than the snow report does. My snow and ski holidays page shows what I plan, and my article on winter adventures has more ideas for the season.

Why book with me

I have planned adventure holidays for 30 years and travelled to around 80 countries myself, so my advice comes from the trips and not from a brochure. I am independent, I search the whole market for the best deal on each part of your holiday, and your money is protected through ATOL and ABTA.

Call or WhatsApp 0117 452 1159 or email bridget@worldclassadventures.co.uk

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