Switzerland, Europe
Leysin
60km of pistes, 948m vertical, 72% beginner terrain. South-facing slopes in Canton Vaud with Magic Pass access.
Season 2026 - 2027
Opens
28 Nov 2026
Closes
11 Apr 2027
Days open
134
Annual snow
4m
The Overview
Michael Fulton
Melbourne-based skier and snowboarder with 50+ resorts across 5 continents. Specialises in Australian resorts and international resort comparisons.
Leysin operates from 1,250 to 2,198 metres across 60 kilometres of pistes and 948 metres of vertical drop in the Vaud Alps. The resort combines with Les Mosses and La Lécherette via shuttle bus to form a 100-kilometre ski area. Snowmaking covers a portion of the terrain, whilst the south-facing slopes deliver 1,900 hours of annual sunshine. Magic Pass holders access the full network without additional day tickets.
Beginner terrain dominates with 72 per cent of marked runs, leaving 25 per cent for intermediates and three per cent rated advanced. The ski area fans across two main sectors accessed from Leysin village: the Berneuse gondola serves wide upper slopes and tree-lined descents, whilst the Tête d'Aï chairlift opens terrain towards the 2,331-metre Tour d'Aï peak. Les Chaux and La Berneuse rank among the most frequented descents. Off-piste routes from La Berneuse at 2,048 metres attract experienced riders.
Leysin hosts several international boarding schools and maintains a youthful, diverse atmosphere on the mountain. The Kuklos revolving restaurant at 2,048 metres completes a 360-degree rotation in 90 minutes with views across Lake Geneva, Mont Blanc, the Matterhorn and the Eiger. Terrain parks traditionally featured half-pipes and jump lines, though conditions vary seasonally. The village sprawls across a sunny plateau at 1,260 metres above the Rhone Valley.
The Alpes Vaudoises regional pass extends access to Villars, Gryon, Les Diablerets and Glacier 3000, covering more than 225 kilometres of terrain within a 30-minute radius. The 2025-26 season runs from 7 December to 6 April. Leysin suits learners, families and intermediates seeking accessible Swiss skiing without the scale or price point of larger resorts. Limited expert pistes and moderate elevation require attention to snow forecasts in marginal conditions.
948m
Vertical
0
Runs
60 km
Piste
4m
Annual snow
The Terrain
0 runs across 60 km of piste
It leans beginner at 72%.
Terrain split
0
runs
0 runs across 4 grades
Beginner0 runs · 72%
Intermediate0 runs · 25%
Advanced0 runs · 3%
Expert0 runs · 0%
Time it right
When to visit Leysin
The 2025-26 season operates from 7 December 2025 to 6 April 2026, spanning four months. Typical opening lands in early December, with closures extending into mid-April depending on snow cover. Historical records show opening dates as early as late November in strong snow years. Late and early season quality suffers due to the 1,250-metre base elevation and south-facing exposure.
Annual snowfall averages 4.3 metres, with week two of December historically the snowiest period, delivering 40 centimetres across 3.4 snowy days. February provides the deepest mid-season base, averaging 145 centimetres at summit elevation and 40 centimetres at the base. Snowmaking equipment covers five kilometres of priority runs with 68 snow cannons, focusing on lower slopes and high-traffic zones. Natural accumulation remains the primary source, with elevation and aspect influencing reliability.
January through March offer the most consistent conditions, with February delivering peak depth and cold temperatures. December suits early-season visitors willing to accept limited terrain, whilst March combines longer daylight and spring snow with the resort's famed sunshine. Weekday skiing avoids the school groups and weekend crowds that frequent Leysin due to its proximity to international schools. Midweek visits in January and February provide the best balance of snow quality and empty pistes.
Night skiing operates on floodlit slopes near the village, with tobogganing open from 10:00 to 20:00. The Giant X Tour snowboard and ski event finals traditionally occur at Leysin. Terrain park features remain condition-dependent, with recent seasons seeing closures in January. Cross-country trails extend 10 kilometres within the immediate area, with 39 kilometres across the broader region. The resort officially holds Swiss Tourism Federation family-friendly certification since 2001.
Season 2026 - 2027
28 Nov 2026
Opens
11 Apr 2027
Closes
134
Days open
4 m
Annual snow
Getting there
Getting to Leysin, and where to stay
Leysin sits in the Aigle district of Canton Vaud at 1,260 metres on a south-facing plateau above the Rhone Valley. The village occupies a natural terrace beneath the Tour d'Aï massif at 2,331 metres, with views extending across Lake Geneva to the Dents du Midi, Mont Blanc and the Bernese Alps. The Grande-Eau river runs through the valley below. Leysin forms part of the Vaud Alps in western Switzerland, positioned at the eastern end of Lac Léman.
Aigle lies 14 kilometres downhill in the Rhone Valley, serving as the primary rail hub and connecting point for regional trains. Montreux sits 20 kilometres west along the lake shore, nine minutes by train from Aigle. Lausanne is 45 kilometres northwest, whilst Geneva sits 97 kilometres west. The resort village itself spreads across three kilometres of mountainside with hamlets at Veyges, Feydey, Aï and Mayen. Several international schools and former sanatorium buildings occupy the lower slopes.
Road access follows the cantonal route from Aigle via Le Sépey, climbing through switchbacks to Leysin village. From Geneva, the A1 and A9 motorways connect via exit 17 at Aigle, with total drive time of 90 minutes covering 97 kilometres. Bern lies 120 minutes northeast via the A12 to Lausanne, then A9 towards Montreux. The route passes vineyards in the Chablais wine region and Aigle Castle. Parking concentrates near lift bases.
Geneva Airport is 122 kilometres west with transfers averaging 90 minutes by road or two hours 18 minutes by train via Aigle. Bern Airport sits two hours away, Zurich 150 minutes. Direct Swiss Federal Railway trains from Geneva to Aigle depart hourly, taking 80 minutes. The Aigle-Leysin cog railway climbs to the resort in 27 minutes, stopping at Leysin Village, Versmont and Leysin-Feydey stations. Trains run hourly at 56 minutes past. Free shuttle buses 170 and 171 link stations to gondola terminals.
Where to stay
Search all stays →Hotels and lodges near Leysin, powered by Stay22.
Latest News
From the SnowStash desk
Thredbo to Replace Ageing Gunbarrel Quad With New Six-Seat Chairlift for 2028
Thredbo Alpine Resort has confirmed plans to replace its 37-year-old Gunbarrel quad chairlift with a new six-seat Doppelmayr D-Line, targeting winter 2028. The AUD 35 million project will keep travel time roughly the same but lift capacity from 2,800 to 3,000 skiers per hour. It's part of a broader investment push that also includes doubled snowmaking capacity at Friday Flat for 2027, with the ageing Kosciuszko Express now flagged as the resort's next major lift replacement after Gunbarrel.
31 Aug 2026
Aerial Tram Collides With Crane at Alpe d'Huez: 23 Injured
An aerial tram carrying around fifty passengers struck the boom of a construction crane on the route to Pic Blanc at Alpe d'Huez on Wednesday morning, injuring 23 people, three seriously. The cabin tipped on impact before the operator reversed it to right the car. Most of the injured were treated on site, with five taken to hospital in Grenoble, including a pregnant woman assessed as a precaution.
28 Aug 2026
Why Glaciers Are Collapsing - And What Happens When They Do
A deadly flood on the Nepal-China border, a decade-old tragedy on Italy's Marmolada, and an unstable glacier right now above a village near Zermatt - three very different mountain ranges, the same underlying story. Warming ice is destabilising terrain that was considered settled for generations, and the results range from catastrophic floods to slow-motion monitoring situations that could go either way.
27 Aug 2026
Pitztal Glacier Set to Reopen for the 2026/27 Ski Season on 26 September
Tyrol's highest ski area is gearing up to open a full month ahead of most of the Alps. The Pitztal Glacier is scheduled to start its 2026/27 season on Saturday 26 September, running through to 2 May 2027, with the lower-altitude Rifflsee area following in December. High-altitude terrain up to 3,440 metres gives the glacier a head start on snow, though as always, the actual opening extent will depend on how September's weather plays out. Early online ski pass bookings can save up to 30%.
26 Aug 2026
Unstable Glacier Above Randa Puts Zermatt-Area Village on Alert
A hanging glacier above the Swiss village of Randa, just south of Zermatt, has been shedding large chunks of ice for weeks, with authorities warning more break-offs are likely. A danger zone has been closed off since June, though officials say the village's 479 residents aren't at risk. It's a familiar pattern for this glacier - it's done this before, in 1819, 1972 and 1973 - but a reminder of how closely Alpine authorities now watch terrain once considered stable.
26 Aug 2026
Thredbo Is 'On the Table' as EVT Reviews Its Whole Business
Thredbo is officially 'on the table.' EVT Limited, owner of Australia's most decorated ski resort, has hired Rothschild & Co to review its entire corporate structure - and confirmed Thredbo isn't off limits, even as it books a stronger year of earnings. The resort's own valuation has nearly halved after a brutal 2026 season, and speculation is already running toward Vail Resorts, Alterra, or a New Zealand operator picking it up. Here's what EVT actually said, and who could buy it.
25 Aug 2026
Ski-E-O! Is the Ski Resort Tycoon Game We Didn't Know We Needed
I'm not a gamer. I'm a skier and snowboarder who happens to have a laptop. So when a ski resort management game called Ski-E-O! landed on Steam, I wasn't expecting to lose an afternoon to it - but here we are. Real mountain terrain, a full weather system, storms that roll in and wreck your snow base, avalanche danger, and enough depth to make RollerCoaster Tycoon feel simple by comparison. Early access lands in November. Here's what a few hours in the free demo actually looks like.
23 Aug 2026
Sugar Bowl, California, Rebuilds Its Historic Village Gondola
The rumours are true: Sugar Bowl is tearing out its Emerald gondola, in place since 1983, and replacing it with a new 8-person Doppelmayr system - nearly doubling uphill capacity to 1,800 people an hour. It's the fourth generation of a gondola line that dates back to 1953, when Sugar Bowl became the first resort on the West Coast to run one at all, and it's just one piece of a $100 million overhaul touching lodges, parking and snowmaking. Here's what's changing, and what's staying the same.
23 Aug 2026
Leysin Snow Report
Snow Report
Updated 31 Aug 2026
2198m
summit
+0cm
new snow · last 24 hours
Partly Cloudy8°C / 13°C · W 22km/h
Snowfall
24 hours
0cm
48 hours
0cm
7 days
0cm
Base depth
0cm
Season total
0cm
Total lifts9
Live open status isn’t available right now.
28 Nov 2026 - 11 Apr 2027
Hour by Hour
Next 43 hours· Updated Aug 31, 2026 at 6:02 AM
Scroll for the full outlook · Open-Meteo
7-Day Outlook
2,198 mUpdated Aug 31, 2026 at 6:02 AMOpen-Meteo
Days 1–7
0.0cm
Days 8–14
0.0cm
Mon, Aug 31
Thunderstorm with Slight Hail
Temp13° / 8°°C
Snow0.0cm(80%)
Wind22 km/h W
Live snow from the resort feed; forecast from Open-Meteo, via Supabase.
Understanding the Leysin snow report
See what's happening on the mountain at Leysin right now — snowfall, snow depth, and weather data to help you plan your day in Switzerland.
Snow measurements
Our snow reports measure snowfall in centimeters over multiple time windows — last 24 hours, last 7 days, and the season total. Base depth reflects accumulation at the 1250m base area, while summit depth captures conditions 948m higher at 2198m, where snow typically stays colder and lingers longer. Imperial conversions are shown alongside for convenience.
Weather conditions
Wind and temperature swings matter as much as fresh snowfall. Cold, calm conditions hold snow quality well, while wind-loading or a warm-up can change things quickly — especially given the elevation spread between Leysin's base and summit.
Data sources
Snowfall and depth figures for Leysin come from official mountain sources; weather and outlook data comes from independent forecasting services. The mountain is served by 9 lifts, including 4 quad chairlifts and a 6-person chairlift.
When to check
Conditions can change overnight, so mornings and late afternoons are the best times to check back on Leysin.