Indoor skiing doesn’t quite have the draw of powder days and the steep and deep of your favorite ski resort. However, indoor ski areas have increasingly been popping up around the world, providing a fun, safe environment for taking some laps or playing on terrain park features. Plus, it’s always a snow day at indoor ski areas, where you can enjoy turns on real snow year-round. The first indoor ski area, a temporary destination in Berlin, Germany, opened in 1927. Now, more than 100 indoor ski centers have opened across 36 countries, and that number will only continue to grow.
A number of the top indoor ski areas are tinier, more compact, indoor equivalents of what you’ve likely come to expect from a typical ski resort, often outfitted with rental shops, lesson programs, lifts, dining, and in some cases, lodging. Many of them are attached to malls or theme parks, so that visitors can make a weekend of it. You’ll usually find them in regions of the world where skiing and riding is limited, providing an alternative for people who can’t just take a day trip to a ski resort.
Below we highlight some of the best places around the world for indoor skiing.
Big Snow American Dream, New Jersey
Big Snow American Dream is North America’s first and only year-round indoor ski area. Located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, Big Snow American Dream is just 10 miles east of Manhattan. Opening in 2019, the New Jersey indoor ski resort is 180,000 square feet with three runs — two green and one blue — and a terrain park. One of its more unique offerings is its Sno-Go snow bikes, which are available to rent as a package with outerwear, a helmet, snowboard boots, and a slope access ticket. Big Snow resides within the American Dream Mall, which also has a water park, ice skating rink, mini golf course, and more for guests to enjoy.
AlpinCenter, Bottrop and Hamburg-Wittenburg, Germany
AlpinCenter Bottrop, located just 45 mins from Düsseldorf and just over an hour from Cologne, boasts one of the longest ski halls in the world, featuring 2,100 square feet of terrain. Other notable features include the 24% pitch of its chairlift, which is pretty steep for an indoor ski area, and the recently opened terrain park complete with boxes, rails, and other features. AlpinCenter Bottrop has a 290-foot beginner slope and private and group lessons available for first-timers. An AlpinCenter ticket is all-inclusive and includes admission, lift ticket, gear, and food and drinks from their buffet. AlpinCenter Bottrop’s most unique opportunity for guests is the Pistenbully Experience, in which guests are allowed behind the wheel of a snow groomer for two hours of operation.
AlpinCenter also has a Hamburg-Wittenburg location, offering more than 7 acres of terrain, two lifts, and many of the same amenities as the Bottrop location. Located in Northern Germany, it’s just an hour drive from Hamburg. Guests can make an entire weekend of it thanks to the Van der Valk Hotel, featuring more than 100 guestrooms, several restaurants and bars, and special ski packages. AlpinCenter Hamburg-Wittenburg operates an outdoor go-kart track and e-bike rentals during the summer.
SnowWorld, multiple locations in the Netherlands
SnowWorld Rucphen-Breda was something of trailblazer when it opened the first indoor ski center of its kind in the Netherlands in 1995. It saw a big renovation in 2012 that expanded its terrain to 7.5 acres. SnowWorld Rucphen-Breda’s seven lifts provide access to the three main ski runs, while there’s also a beginner’s slope. It has a go-kart track on ice for guests who want to take the competition up a notch.
SnowWorld has seven locations across the country, including its Landgraaf location that is the largest indoor ski area in the Netherlands with 8.6 acres of skiable terrain. Opening in 2006, SnowWorld Landgraaf has 5 slopes, including a FIS racecourse, and boasts the Netherlands only 6-person chairlift. Attached to the facility is a climbing area and mountain coaster for summer operations. The slopes are two hours outside Amsterdam by car and three hours by train. Guests traveling from Amsterdam can take advantage of the attached hotel that offers a taste of alpine charm in the Netherlands. SnowWorld Amsterdam is the most convenient option for people in Amsterdam, located just 25 minutes by car from the city center.
SNØ, Norway
Snø Norway opened in January of 2020 with 9 acres of skiing. It also has a fully functional race course and jump features served by 1 quad chair and a platter tow rope. One of its most unique features is the cross-country course, located 65 feet above the ski trails, which loops around the top of the facility. Snø Norway recently launched a season pass, where guests can get unlimited use of its indoor ski center. The pass has several access options including tiers for just the alpine slopes, cross-country track, park, or a combination of the three. The Thon Hotel is Snø’s version of a ski-in/ski-out hotel, offering 300 rooms connected to the year-round ski center.
The Snow Centre, Hemel Hempstead, England
The Snow Centre has the convenience of being the closest indoor ski area to London, located just an hour away in the town of Hemel Hempstead. Among its perks is the free gear rental provided by HEAD. The Snow Centre will supply your skis/snowboard, boots, poles, and helmet, but make sure to bring your own waterproof clothing and accessories. Its slope is 500 feet long and 100 feet wide, making it the UK’s largest indoor slope. The Snow Centre is great for beginners, since there’a dedicated beginner area, while those who like to live in terrain parks can enjoy the fully-equipped park with rails, boxes, and kickers. The Snow Centre also offers tubing, private lessons, and family lessons.
Check out our guide for more indoor ski resorts in the United Kingdom.
Shanghai L+Snow Indoor Skiing Theme Resort, China
Shanghai L+Snow Indoor Skiing Theme Resort, located 90 minutes outside of Shanghai, is the latest and greatest indoor ski area, opening in September of 2024. Its massive 1,063,783-square-foot facility makes it the largest indoor ski area in the world. The Shanghai L+Snow Resort slope has a 200 foot vertical drop and features 3 distinct areas measuring 4,000 feet in length. Some of the trails connect, like you’d find at a typical ski resort, while lifts spin overhead. In addition to skiing, Shanghai L+Snow also offers several other winter sports, like sledding and ice skating. It has two hotels and multiple restaurants, and there are plans to add a water park, making it a true destination resort experience.
Chengdu and Guangzhou Snow World, China
Chengdu Snow World opened in 2020 with 13.6 acres of skiable terrain, 230 foot vertical drop, numerous trails, two terrain parks, and a tubing hill. Its ski runs consist of a children’s trail, two beginner level trails, two intermediate trails, and one advanced run. It has a number of other fun activities, including ice bumper cars, and is attached to a shopping mall and adjacent water park. Chengdu Snow World’s parent company, Sunac, owns seven indoor ski areas across China, including Guangzhou Snow World. Opening about a year before the Chengdu location, Guangzhou has just under 14 acres of skiable terrain, and five runs served by one double chair and four magic carpets. Guangzhou Snow World is right next to Sunac Water World, Sunac Mall, and numerous hotels.
Harbin Wanda Indoor Ski Resort, China
Harbin Wanda Indoor Ski Resort, spanning over 800,000 square feet, was formerly the largest indoor ski area in the world. Located in the city of Harbin, in Northeast China, it’s a popular indoor ski area, though unlike many of destinations listed here, it’s in a region known for its cold winters. Investors sought to build something that expanded the city’s love for winter and provide access to snow sports year-round. Harbin Wanda Indoor Ski Resort has two miles of slopes and two lifts serving six runs. Its main slope is 1,640 feet long and 200 feet wide. Guests can have a proper resort experience by staying at the 5-star Wanda Realm Resort. The winter is a great to visit for the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival, which runs from late December through the end of February.
Ski Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Ski Dubai, located in the United Arab Emirates, opened in 2005 as the Middle East’s first indoor ski area. It’s conveniently located at the Mall of the Emirates, just 20 minutes from Dubai International Airport (DXB), which is one of the busiest airports in the world. Ski Dubai has five runs, served by one lift, including one advanced run. The longest run is 1,300 feet and has 197 feet of vertical descent. One of the most interesting parts of Ski Dubai is the live penguin colony, where guests can observe the animals via an underwater viewing station. Considering that Dubai temperatures get well over 100 degrees during the summer, Ski Dubai is a welcome reprieve for cooling off.
Snowplanet, Auckland, New Zealand
We’ve previously written about the best ski resorts in New Zealand. If you’re visiting New Zealand during the summer, however, you can still enjoy some turns thanks to SnowPlanet, an 86,000-square-foot indoor ski center located thirty minutes north of Auckland. Among the highlights is a designated beginner slope and a tricked out terrain park, letting guests of all abilities practice their skills before getting out on the real thing. Arguably the coolest part of the terrain park is that it changes every few weeks with new new features. If you’re traveling with kids, the Winter Wonderland Faux Alpine Village is a great spot for them to play in the snow or go tubing.
January 15, 2025
