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    New South Wales, Australia · Epic Pass

    Perisher

    Australia's largest ski resort with 4 linked areas, 113 runs and 1,245 hectares in the Snowy Mountains. Open June to October.

    Season 2026
    Opens
    6 June 2026
    Closes
    5 Oct 2026
    Days open
    121
    Annual snow
    3m
    The Overview
    MF
    Michael Fulton
    Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.

    Perisher is Australia's largest ski resort and the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, spanning 1,245 hectares across four interconnected ski areas within Kosciuszko National Park in the NSW Snowy Mountains. The combined resort links Perisher Valley, Smiggin Holes, Blue Cow and Guthega across seven peaks, serving 113 runs on terrain that rises from 1,699m to a summit of 2,054m atop Mt Perisher. The terrain breakdown skews firmly toward intermediates — 60% of runs are graded blue — though the resort's sheer scale means beginners, advanced skiers and freestylers each have dedicated zones across the mountain.

    Access is via Australia's only underground rack railway, the Skitube Alpine Railway, a Swiss-designed train that departs Bullocks Flat on the Alpine Way and travels through a 6.3km tunnel — reaching 550m below the surface at its deepest point — to Perisher Valley, with a further connection to Blue Cow. Opened in 1987, the Skitube remains the defining feature of Perisher's access infrastructure and the most practical option for visitors wanting to avoid chains on the mountain road. Perisher is part of the Vail Resorts Epic Pass network, connecting the resort with Mt Hotham, Falls Creek and a global portfolio of ski destinations.

    355m
    Vertical
    113
    Runs
    3,076 acres
    Skiable
    3m
    Annual snow
    Epic Pass
    Pass
    The Terrain

    113 runs across 3,076 acres skiable

    Perisher spreads 113 runs across 3,076 acres skiable of terrain. It leans intermediate at 60%, with 25 beginner runs to find your feet and 20 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.

    Terrain split
    113
    runs
    113 runs across 4 grades
    Beginner25 runs · 22%
    Intermediate68 runs · 60%
    Advanced19 runs · 17%
    Expert1 run · 1%
    Time it right

    When to visit Perisher

    The 2026 season at Perisher runs from 6 June to 5 October, a four-month window that represents one of the longest seasons of any Australian ski resort. Average annual snowfall reaches 2.6 metres, and the resort's position above 1,699m ensures reliable natural snow coverage across the season's core months of July and August. Snowmaking infrastructure covers 4.4 square kilometres of terrain with 240 snow guns, providing early-season and shoulder-period coverage when natural falls are lighter.

    The Queen's Birthday long weekend in June has historically marked the official season opener for the Snowy Mountains, with the Snowy Mountains of Music Festival running at Perisher Valley across that weekend each year. The back end of the season in September draws a more local crowd and is well regarded for quieter lifts and softening spring snow. Night skiing operates on selected evenings throughout the season, with the floodlit terrain park accessible under lights.

    Season 2026
    6 June 2026
    Opens
    5 Oct 2026
    Closes
    121
    Days open
    3 m
    Annual snow
    Getting there

    Getting to Perisher, and where to stay

    Perisher sits within Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains of southern New South Wales, approximately 30 minutes from the resort town of Jindabyne and 20 minutes from the Skitube's Bullocks Flat terminal at the Alpine Way. Canberra is the nearest major city, around two and a half hours by road via the Snowy Mountains Highway through Cooma and Jindabyne. Sydney is approximately five to six hours by car, while Melbourne is roughly seven hours. All vehicles entering Kosciuszko Road in winter conditions are required to carry snow chains.

    Jindabyne is the primary accommodation and services base for Perisher visitors, offering a full range of accommodation, restaurants, ski hire and lift ticket outlets at lower cost than on-mountain lodging. On-snow accommodation is concentrated in Perisher Valley and is predominantly lodge and chalet style, with ski-in, ski-out access from most properties. The Skitube terminal at Bullocks Flat provides parking for up to 3,500 cars and 250 coaches, with ski hire, a ticket office and a snow school also operating from the terminal building.

    Where to stay

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    Hotels and lodges near Perisher, powered by Stay22.

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    Lift system

    Forty-seven lifts serve Perisher's 1,245 hectares across four ski areas, the largest lift fleet in Australia. The network includes one eight-person chairlift, eight quad chairlifts, two triple chairlifts, four double chairlifts and 25 T-bars, supplemented by five surface lifts across the learner zones. The eight-person Village 8 Express is the resort's flagship lift, servicing Front Valley — the main hub of Perisher Valley — and capable of moving large volumes of skiers through the busiest section of the mountain. The Summit Quad at Blue Cow reaches the highest lifted point in Australia at 2,042m.

    The Skitube train functions as the resort's principal lift link, connecting the Bullocks Flat car park directly to the underground Perisher Valley station and then on to Blue Cow in a further seven minutes. Beyond the main areas, Guthega sits apart from the primary resort hub and is served by its own cluster of lifts, offering consistently uncrowded terrain for those prepared to make the traverse. Five terrain parks operate across the resort, including a floodlit park for night skiing sessions.

    45lifts across 6 types
    1
    8-Person Chair
    8
    Quad Chairs
    2
    Triple Chairs
    4
    Double Chairs
    25
    T-Bars
    5
    Surface Lifts

    Perisher lift system

    Perisher is served by 45 lifts, listed here by type. Check which lifts are turning against the live conditions before you plan your first laps - early lifts and high-speed chairs get you to the best snow fastest.

    More Perisher intelligence: trail map, snow report, webcams, resort overview.