Switzerland, Europe
Davos
266km of piste, 2034m vertical, 6 ski areas from Parsenn to Pischa freeride terrain in Switzerland's highest town.
Season 2025 - 2026
Opens
14 Nov 2025
Closes
20 Apr 2026
Days open
157
Annual snow
7m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Davos sprawls across 266 kilometres of piste between 810 and 2844 metres in the Prättigau/Davos Region of Graubünden, Switzerland. The resort comprises six distinct ski areas - Parsenn, Jakobshorn, Rinerhorn, Pischa, Madrisa and Schatzalp - spread across both sides of the Landwasser valley, connected by 53 lifts and free regional buses. 2034 metres of vertical drop delivers everything from the 12-kilometre Parsenn descent to Küblis, one of Europe's longest pistes, to the dedicated freeride terrain of Pischa where no runs are groomed.
The terrain splits 31 per cent beginner, 49 per cent intermediate, 15 per cent advanced and 5 per cent expert across 70 marked runs, with vast off-piste zones adding depth for strong skiers. Parsenn anchors the system as the largest sector with 97 kilometres of runs and direct connections to neighbouring Klosters via the Gotschnabahn. Jakobshorn on the valley's south side hosts a 120-metre superpipe and the JatzPark terrain park at 2300 metres, drawing snowboarders since the 1980s. Rinerhorn offers quiet intermediate cruising, whilst family-friendly Madrisa near Klosters provides sunny slopes and a 1478-metre vertical descent.
Davos operates as Switzerland's highest town at 1560 metres rather than a purpose-built ski village, with two main centres - Davos Dorf and Davos Platz - offering urban infrastructure, the Kirchner Museum, indoor pools and conference facilities. The resort hosts the World Economic Forum each January and the Spengler Cup ice hockey tournament every December. Lift bases scatter across the valley floor requiring trains and buses to move between sectors, though all transport runs free with a valid lift pass.
The Davos Klosters Mountains regional pass covers five of six sectors for CHF 80 peak-day adult tickets, with separate single-mountain options from CHF 45 for Parsenn or Jakobshorn alone. An annual TopCard season pass costs CHF 1550. The resort receives 423 centimetres of snow annually with reliable coverage from mid-November through mid-April at elevations reaching 2844 metres at Weissfluhgipfel. Davos suits intermediates seeking mileage, freeriders chasing untracked powder on Pischa, and families wanting comprehensive facilities beyond skiing.
2034m
Vertical
70
Runs
266 km
Piste
7m
Annual snow
The Terrain
70 runs across 266 km of piste
Davos spreads 70 runs across 266 km of piste of terrain. It leans intermediate at 49%, with 22 beginner runs to find your feet and 15 advanced or expert runs when you want to push.
Terrain split
70
runs
70 runs across 4 grades
Beginner22 runs · 31%
Intermediate34 runs · 49%
Advanced11 runs · 15%
Expert4 runs · 5%
Time it right
When to visit Davos
The 2025-26 season runs 14 November 2025 through 20 April 2026, delivering a 157-day operating window. Davos typically opens earlier and closes later than many European resorts due to its high base elevation of 1560 metres and summit reaching 2844 metres. Season length averages five months with snow reliability particularly strong from December through March, when over 80 per cent of terrain sits above the 2000-metre snow-sure threshold.
Davos receives 423 centimetres of average annual snowfall, with January historically the snowiest month delivering 101 centimetres, followed by February's 74 centimetres and March's 75 centimetres. November brings 41 centimetres to build early-season coverage, whilst December adds 83 centimetres. Snowmaking covers 75 kilometres of piste - roughly 28 per cent of the network - concentrated on lower elevation runs and key links to ensure valley access throughout the season. Base depths typically range 100 to 300 centimetres at mid-mountain through peak winter.
Optimal timing centres on January through early March for deep powder and full terrain access, including the long valley descents to Küblis and Serneus that require sustained cold temperatures. December offers quieter slopes post-Christmas once the Spengler Cup crowds depart, whilst late March and April deliver spring corn snow conditions with extended daylight and terrace weather. Early season in November provides uncrowded skiing on upper Parsenn and Jakobshorn before Christmas crowds arrive.
Night skiing operates on a 2.5-kilometre section at Davos from 18:30 to 20:30 Monday through Friday, with Klosters adding 3.2 kilometres on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The World Economic Forum occupies Davos each January, raising accommodation prices and crowds. The Parsenn Derby - Switzerland's oldest downhill race - runs annually, whilst Jakobshorn hosts international freestyle competitions. Parsenn offers sunrise first-tracks sessions before official opening for early risers seeking fresh corduroy.
Season 2025 - 2026
14 Nov 2025
Opens
20 Apr 2026
Closes
157
Days open
7 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Davos, and where to stay
Davos sits at 1560 metres in the Landwasser valley within the Prättigau/Davos Region of Graubünden canton in eastern Switzerland, making it the country's highest town. The municipality sprawls along the valley floor between the Plessur and Albula mountain ranges, with ski terrain rising on both north and south-facing slopes. The town divides into six districts - Davos Dorf, Davos Platz, Davos Frauenkirch, Davos Glaris, Davos Monstein and Davos Wiesen - with a permanent population of 10,832 residents. Neighbouring Klosters lies 10 kilometres north down the valley, connected via the Wolfgang Pass and forming the extended Davos Klosters ski area.
Chur, Graubünden's capital, sits 50 kilometres northwest as the nearest major city. Landquart marks the valley junction point 35 kilometres north where the Prättigau meets the Rhine valley road network. The resort lies 154 kilometres southeast of Zürich, 239 kilometres from Basel and 175 kilometres from Innsbruck across the Austrian border. The Flüela Pass road east leads to the Engadin valley and St Moritz when open, whilst the Vereina rail tunnel through the mountains provides year-round car transport to the Lower Engadine.
Road access follows the A13 motorway from Zürich direction Chur, exiting at Landquart onto Cantonal Road 28 through the Prättigau valley to Davos - approximately two hours driving time covering 154 kilometres. Swiss motorway vignettes cost CHF 40 and must be displayed. Snow chains may be necessary from Klosters upward during heavy snowfall for two-wheel-drive vehicles. Parking concentrates in paid garages throughout Davos Dorf and Platz, with some hotels offering dedicated spaces.
Zürich Airport sits 154 kilometres northwest as the primary international gateway. Trains depart hourly from beneath the terminal, requiring two changes at Zürich Hauptbahnhof and Landquart to reach Davos Platz via the Rhaetian Railway in approximately 2 hours 40 minutes to 3 hours 11 minutes. Friedrichshafen Airport across the German border lies 153 kilometres distant, whilst St Gallen-Altenrhein sits 89 minutes away. The scenic Rhaetian Railway journey passes through mountain terrain with regular service to Davos Dorf and Davos Platz stations, with onward connections to Klosters.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Davos, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Spain Moves to Ban Smoking at Ski Resorts Under New Tobacco Law
Spain's government has approved a draft tobacco law that would ban smoking across a wide range of outdoor spaces, including sports venues - a category Spanish winter sports media expect to cover ski resorts, potentially extending to slopes and lifts themselves. The rules would also apply to e-cigarettes and vaping devices, even nicotine-free ones. The bill still has to clear the Spanish parliament before any ban, signage, or fines can take effect.
22 July 2026
South Tyrol Approves New 16-Person Ciampinoi Gondola in Val Gardena
South Tyrol has approved a full rebuild of the Ciampinoi cable car in Selva di Val Gardena, replacing the current 12-person gondola with a 16-person cabin and a new mountain-station restaurant. Capacity is capped at 3,200 people an hour rather than the 3,600 the operator wanted, and 250,000 euros must go toward compensatory measures. No construction or opening date has been set, though the upgrade is partly aimed at clearing bottlenecks before the 2031 Alpine Ski World Championships.
22 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Hoshino Tomamu - Corporate Japan's Mountain Playground Revisited
Hoshino Tomamu is the ski resort equivalent of a conference hotel that happens to have excellent powder. Built for corporate retreats and package tourists, it offers genuine Hokkaido snow on surprisingly limited terrain - 29 runs spread across 585 vertical metres.
21 July 2026
La Thuile's New Cable Car Replaces Two Ageing Chairlifts
La Thuile is spending 38.7 million US dollars on a new 10-person cable car linking Les Suches to Chaz Dura, replacing the La Combe and Chaz Dura chairlifts after nearly forty years of service. Built by Leitner, the new cable car runs 1,950 metres to a top station at 2,576 metres, carrying up to 3,000 people an hour with a six-minute ride. It also improves the connection to La Rosiere in France via the Petit-Saint-Bernard Pass, and is on track to open for the 2026/27 season.
21 July 2026
The Remarkables Adds Scarpa Bowl to Its Inbounds Terrain
The Remarkables is adding new inbounds terrain for winter, bringing the Scarpa Bowl - known locally as the Toilet Bowl - into its lift-accessed network after years as backcountry-only ground. The roughly 500 metre run is reached by bootpacking from the top of the Sugar Bowl chairlift, with a shuttle picking skiers up from the road at the bottom. It's a smaller, faster addition than the resort's planned Doolans expansion, though the new terrain hasn't opened yet due to a lack of snow this season.
21 July 2026
Ski Portillo Cut Off After Storm Dumps More Than 4.5 Metres of Snow
Ski Portillo remains isolated after an extended storm buried the Chilean resort under more than 4.5 metres of snow, with both ground and air access suspended since Tuesday while crews monitor avalanche hazards and worsening weather. Resort officials say further snowfall is expected in the coming days and haven't set a timeline for reopening the mountain road. Once access resumes, the scale of the snowpack could set up a strong season at one of the Southern Hemisphere's most historic ski resorts.
21 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Lotte Arai - Japan's Corporate Ski Anomaly With 22 Metres of Annual Snowfall
Lotte Arai receives 22 metres of annual snowfall - exceptional even by Japanese standards - but its corporate ownership model and limited terrain create an unusual cost-benefit equation. Here's what the numbers actually mean on the ground.
19 July 2026
Resort Spotlight: Banff Sunshine Village - Nine Metres of Snow and a Season That Runs Until May
Banff Sunshine Village sits at 1,660m base and receives 9.27m of snow annually. Inside Banff National Park, it offers a six-month season and terrain split that skews heavily advanced - though the crowds and lift infrastructure tell their own story.
18 July 2026
Trail map & terrain
Terrain split
70
runs
Beginner31%
Intermediate49%
Advanced15%
Expert5%
266 km of piste
Resort Stats
Elevation
Base810m
Summit2844m
Annual snowfall
7m
Season
2025 - 2026
14 Nov 2025 - 20 Apr 2026
Trail coverage
70 runs
266 km
About Davos's trail map
Explore Davos's full trail map with 70 runs across the mountain, colour-coded by difficulty and shown alongside the terrain split. Use it to plan a day that matches your ability, find lift-served pockets of your favourite grade, and see how the resort links together. Download the piste map (PDF) ↗
More Davos intelligence: snow report, lift system, webcams, resort overview.