Guide to the Free Ski Shuttles in Hakuba
The free ski shuttle buses in Hakuba are a fantastic way to get from your hotel to the ski resorts in Hakuba Valley. Athough Hakuba is quite spread out for a ski town, the buses link you up to the white fluffy stuff (which is what you’re coming for right?!), so it is important to get accommodation in close proximity to one of the free ski shuttle bus stops.
At Hakuba Matata we have a bus stop virtually right outside, and another, accessing different resorts, 200m up the road. Here is a map showing where the bus stops in the main village area are:
*NOTE* Change is happening in Hakuba for 23/24 season. Base Camp is moving to a different location which may change the way these buses operate. We will update this page as soon as we know the answers ourselves.
Hakuba free ski shuttle bus timetable
It is important to plan your shuttling, or at least get a copy of the bus timetable in advance. The buses do not run every 15 minutes as you might expect. Many of the buses run once an hour, with quite a long break over lunch. They also seem to run in one direction only – meaning that if you want to return to your accommodation before lunch, this may not be possible.
The other thing to be aware of is that there are three different organisations running buses. I wont go into why this is, but it’s important to know because different buses do different things.
- The main shuttle bus network runs out of the Happo Information centre/bus station and has buses numbered 1 – 10. The ski resorts you can access on this network are; Happo One, Iwatake and Tsugaike. These are all FREE.
- The Hakuba Escal shuttle bus network services Hakuba 47 and Goryu Escal Plaza and Iimori. These routes are usually letters (rather than numbers) and there is also a night bus. These are all FREE.
- The Hakuba Valley Shuttle bus. This bus services all ski resorts in the Hakuba Valley and makes it easy to go from one resort to the other. This bus is free if you have a Hakuba Valley lift pass, or ¥500 each way.
Top Tip: Download this, this and this onto your phone to have the full list of Hakuba ski shuttle timetables available when you’re out and without wifi.
How to ride the free ski shuttle bus
The free ski shuttle buses in Hakuba are designed to be for just that purpose. To get you to the snow and back again. Get your gear on, stand next to the bus stop at the correct time and wait for your bus to come along. The buses are clearly labelled, either with a big brightly coloured number in the window, or with other signs near the door in English and Japanese. If in doubt, ask the driver – they are very happy (and used to) telling everyone where they’re going.
Once on the bus, you need to pay attention, or count the bus stops as you go. It is not always obvious when you arrive at your stop, especially if it is your first time going to the resort. Most drivers are brilliant and shout out the location at major stops, while others choose to save their voice. An obvious hint that you are somewhere major is that everyone else is getting off the bus. I advise that you still clarify that you’re in the right place before getting off.. just in case. Some routes stop at multiple ski resorts.
Taking skis and snowboards on the bus
There is no rule for whether the skis and boards come on the bus with you, go underneath or on a rack on the back. Each bus is different. Be prepared for any option and watch what others are doing. Most of the time, as many buses aren’t designed for boards, snowboards go on the bus with you and you have to hold them in front of you as you ride. It can be very cramped at busy times and can be a very good reason to opt for a route with a bigger bus if possible.
Can I ride the Hakuba free ski shuttle bus if I am not going, or returning from skiing?
The official answer here, is no. Some bus drivers will reject you from riding if you don’t look like you’re heading to the slopes. If you are carrying loads of luggage with you because you’ve just arrived from Tokyo and want to get to your accommodation, you may find that the driver isn’t very sympathetic to your cause. However, if you aren’t carrying too much with you and you get on the bus acting like you’re meant to be there, then it is certainly possible to do. There are many sightseeing tourists (paying to go on the gondola), or people who need to hire all their gear once they arrive at the resort… so if you would like the ride the bus without the intention of going to the ski resort, pretend to be one of these people.
Which Hakuba resorts can I access using the free ski shuttle buses?
The free ski shuttles can easily take you to most resorts in the Hakuba valley. Tsugaike, Iwatake, Happo One, Hakuba 47 and Goryu
The Hakuba Valley bus will connect you to all resorts in the Hakuba Valley including Cortina, Norikura, Sanosaka, Kashimayari and Jigatake ski resort areas. This bus is free if you have a Hakuba Valley lift pass, or ¥500 each way.
If the bus stop near your accommodation doesn’t have a shuttle that services the resort you want to go to, you will need to transfer to get on the right bus. The best places to transfer are;
Hakuba Base Camp, at the bottom of Echoland (Stop 19), and Hakuba Bus Station (Stop 1).
The Hakuba Valley lift pass and shuttle bus
The Hakuba Valley bus is put on by the company that sells the Hakuba Valley Lift passes. The all mountain pass allows holders to access to any of the Hakuba Valleys 10 ski resorts, and so does the bus. If you hold a HV lift pass or a HV season pass, you can ride the HV bus for free. If you don’t, you will need to pay Y500 per journey.
The HV bus route links all the ski resorts and stops at a limited amount of other bus stops. The HV buses are usually large buses with the Hakuba Valley logo across the top of the window. A clear indication that you’re getting on the HV bus is that they will ask to see your pass or Y500.
How to get to every ski resort in the Hakuba Valley from Hakuba Matata
We know it seems a bit confusing, but we’ve made it easy for you by putting together a simple info page about access from Hakuba Matata. Check it out here.
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