Hakuba Goryu

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Hakuba Goryu Ski Resort
Hakuba Goryu Ski Resort
The small "Open Tree Zone" at Goryu
The small "Open Tree Zone" at Goryu
Escal Plaza has very well developed facilities
Escal Plaza has very well developed facilities
Goryu Ski Resort is popular with families
Goryu Ski Resort is popular with families
Eating crepes after skiing is a popular pastime
Eating crepes after skiing is a popular pastime
Goryu only has a little slopeside lodging
Goryu only has a little slopeside lodging
Looking up at the main face of Goryu Ski Resort
Looking up at the main face of Goryu Ski Resort
Freshies on-piste at Hakuba Goryu
Freshies on-piste at Hakuba Goryu
Hakuba Goryu
Hakuba Goryu
There are only a handful of Goryu restaurants
There are only a handful of Goryu restaurants
Goryu Ski Rentals
Goryu Ski Rentals
Cafeteria at the top of Goryu Snow Resort
Cafeteria at the top of Goryu Snow Resort
Goryu Hakuba Ski Resort
Goryu Hakuba Ski Resort
Goryu has plenty of daytime dining options
Goryu has plenty of daytime dining options
A soak in the onsen after a day on the slopes
A soak in the onsen after a day on the slopes
Escal Plaza has a couple of shops
Escal Plaza has a couple of shops
More daytime dining options
More daytime dining options
The Goryu snowboard shop
The Goryu snowboard shop
One of many Goryu hotels
One of many Goryu hotels
Snowing again in Goryu
Snowing again in Goryu

Hakuba Goryu

Readers Ratings

Hakuba Goryu

Hakuba Goryu3.5/56
Hakuba Goryu3.5 out of 5 based on 6 reviews
  • Recommend
    83%
  • Would Revisit
    83%

Able Hakuba Goryu

Goryu is one of the Hakuba ski resorts and it shares a common lift pass and is interconnected at the top with the Hakuba 47 Ski Resort. The Hakuba Goryu Ski Resort and Hakuba 47 are good to visit as a day trip from other areas of Hakuba, or there’s a village at Goryu offering a peaceful and family friendly option for a Hakuba holiday.

The mountain views are pretty special and the nearby Goryu-dake (Mt Goryu) is named after dragons and/or diamonds that can be seen up on the mountain, but possibly only by tired skiers whose goggles are fogged up a little?!

Pros and Cons of Goryu

Pros 
  • In combination with Hakuba 47, Goryu offers decent sized terrain and a variety of slopes.
  • Goryu Ski Resort itself is very good for beginners and is good for intermediates (when there is nice weather).
  • Goryu is rather family friendly with kids play areas, child care facilities, and group ski and snowboard lessons in English.
  • Goryu is westernised enough to make a holiday straightforward for English speaking guests, yet it hasn’t lost the essence of Japan.
Cons
  • If staying at Goryu, it’s easy enough to use the buses to get to Happo One ski resort, but more difficult to travel to the other resorts (relative to other Hakuba accommodation base areas such as Wadano, Happo and Echoland).
  • The prohibition of off-piste skiing and snowboarding in most areas is rather restrictive for powder hounds.
  • Hakuba Goryu can get very crowded, especially on the weekends, and there are a few congested choke points.
Pro or Con Depending on your Perspective
  • Goryu is a nice spot to stay if you’re happy with a quiet village with minimal nightlife, restaurant options, or shops.

Hakuba Goryu Ski and Snowboard Terrain

Goryu Ski Resort (officially Able Hakuba Goryu) is a little larger than neighbouring Hakuba 47 but it’s still modest in size with only 16 courses and 11 lifts (including a gondola and 3 quad chairs). The elevation is from 750 to 1,676 metres, with 926 metres of vertical drop.

The official trail stats are 35% beginner, 40% intermediate, and 25% advanced. As is often the case in Japan, the statistics don’t quite reflect reality because the advanced terrain is a little overestimated - Goryu only has three advanced runs.

In a small attempt to be savvy to their best asset, the powder, Hakuba Goryu opened a little “Open Tree Zone” where tree skiing is permitted. It’s delightfully steep and the trees are perfectly spaced, but there’s only enough room for about half a dozen fresh tracks. Elsewhere, off-piste skiing at Goryu is prohibited and whilst very tempting, riding under the gondola is really frowned upon. There is also some tasty sidecountry, but you’ll probably need to appear invisible or risk losing your lift pass. Goryu also has some great backcountry access above the resort.

See the Goryu skiing page for more information.

Where is the Hakuba Goryu Ski Resort?

The Able Hakuba Goryu Ski Resort is one of the Hakuba Valley ski areas. To the north of Goryu is Hakuba 47, and Happo One Ski Resort is further north again. Sanosaka Ski Resort sits to the south of Goryu.

See the getting to Goryu for more information on location and see our getting to Hakuba page for information on the location of Hakuba Japan and for travel options.

Goryu Accommodation

There is a lovely forested village near the Goryu Toomi base (Kamishiro) which has several hotels, lots of pensions, lodges, and various options for self-contained accommodation. There are a few ski-in ski-out properties, but most Goryu accommodation requires a short walk to the lifts, or some lodges provide morning shuttles. There is also a small amount of accommodation near the Iimori base.

You can search for availability and more information on the Hakuba Goryu Accommodation listings page.

[AdListings collection="Japan" category="Hakuba" subcategory="Goryu Rentals"]
Hakuba Ski Tours

Safari (Road Trip) Tours

Japow Freedom Tour
CAMPER VAN TOUR
8 Nights | 7 Days Guiding
Ability: Advanced to Expert
Explore in a camper van with the support of your guide & get the maximum exponent of freedom to be in the right place at the right time. The itinerary is completely flexible depending on snow forecasts and your guide can show you the best Japow spots in lift-assisted freeriding zones
Price p/p Based on a group tour for 2024 with a group of 4 people
USD 3,229
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See all Safari (Road Trip) tours that visit Hakuba Goryu here

Single-Base, Multi-Ski-Area Tours

Hakuba Backcountry
GUIDED BACKCOUNTRY ADVENTURE
7 Nights | 8 Days | 6 Days Skiing/Riding
Ability: Advanced to Expert
Get away from the crowded Hakuba ski hills & explore the renowned backcountry. Lift assisted backcountry trip where the lifts will be utilised to gain some ascent, but expect to also ascend via ski touring/ splitboarding 1,500 to 2,500 metres per day.
Price p/p Price is per person based on twin or triple-share rooms
Base/invoice currency is CAD
Displayed price may vary slightly to actual due to exchange rate fluctuations
USD 4,288
View Details
 
Hakuba Backcountry Adventure
GUIDED LIFT ASSISTED BACKCOUNTRY TOUR
8 Nights | 9 Days
Ability: Advanced to Expert
This is the ultimate lift assisted backcountry tour in Hakuba for advanced to expert backcountry skiers and split boarders. Hakuba Valley will be your base to some of the best ski and snowboard terrain in Japan. Join as a solo, couple or small group; max 6 guests per tour & guaranteed departures.
Price p/p Based on 2025 tours
USD 4,699
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See all Single-Base, Multi-Ski-Area tours that visit Hakuba Goryu here

Backcountry Skiing Tours

Hakuba Backcountry Day Tours
HAKUBA BACKCOUNTRY DAY TOURS
Private Groups Only - Max 5 In Group
Ability: Strong Intermediate to Expert
Reach out above and beyond the boundaries of the Hakuba ski resorts & be guided to the sheer expanse of backcountry with touring gear. Daily rate is 99,000 yen for 1 person up to 5 people (ie solo can't join a mixed group). Day guiding or multi-day guiding.
Price p/p Price is based on a private group of 5 for 2023-24 season
base/invoice currency is JPY (Japanese Yen)
displayed price may vary due to exchange rate fluctuations.
USD 133
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See all Backcountry Skiing tours that visit Hakuba Goryu here
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