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Whakapapa Ski Resort Guide

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Whakapapa Resort Guide

The Whakapapa resort summary is: Whakapapa has 15 lifts within its 445 Hectares of terrain that is suitable for all levels, including terrain park enthusiasts. Find location, trail maps and piste maps covering the mountains 675m of vertical range and surrounding area. There are 30 trail at Whakapapa.

Video by:Mt Ruapehu

Whakapapa Resort Guide

The Whakapapa resort summary is: Whakapapa has 15 lifts within its 445 Hectares of terrain that is suitable for all levels, including terrain park enthusiasts. Find location, trail maps and piste maps covering the mountains 675m of vertical range and surrounding area. There are 30 trail at Whakapapa.

Vertical:

Top: 2300m
Arrow
675m
Bot: 1625m

Best for:

Beginners level skier
Beginners/
Intermediates

Trails:

30
30%
45%
25%

Hectares of Ski:

445
Snowmaking: 10%

Whakapapa Lifts:

  • drag lift icon7
  • ski lift icon7
  • cablecar icon1
Total lifts = 15
Live in resort, and can update this information? Become a resort manager
Whakapapa Resort GuidePhoto credit: Sarah Milicich

Visiting Whakapapa

Helpful resort information to assist planning your trip to Whakapapa.

  • Season opens
    2 Jun 2023
  • Season closes
    22 Oct 2023
  • Accommodation
    —
  • Restaurants | Bars
    4 | —
  • Nearest Airport
    Taupo
  • Nearest Train Station
    National Park Village
  • Tourist Office Website
    https://www.mtruapehu.com/whakapapa
  • Tourist Office Phone
    +6478924000

Whakapapa Features

The terrain at Whakapapa includes::

  • Halfpipes
    1
  • Terrain Parks
    2
  • X-Country
    —
  • Ski Hire
    —

What's it like at Whakapapa resort?

Whakapapa (New Zealand's largest ski area since joining with Turoa Ski Resort) is part of Tongariro National Park, New Zealand's oldest National Park and a World Heritage area. Whakapapa is operated under a license issued by the Department of Conservation and is owned and run by Ruapehu Alpine Lifts Ltd. There are 43 trails at Whakapapa with terrain for all ability levels, including off-piste expert terrain. The ski area can be broken into three: Happy Valley (a self contained beginners area), the east side (where the majority of lifts and services are located) and the west side (highlighted by the lift accessed back-country terrain). The nearest airport to Whakapapa is in Wellington.

Piste Map

Latest photos from Whakapapa. View all photos at the Whakapapa gallery page.

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    Explore Whakapapa Location Map

    Interactive Whakapapa trail map and piste map. View the piste and trails as well as the surrounding terrain and mountain contours for backcountry action. Find and compare nearby resorts by clicking on the resort markers.

    Whakapapa Live Weather

    ResortSnow DepthTemp. (°C)Wind (km/h)Weather
    Top Lift: 0.0 m
    0
    35
    		part cloud
    Middle Lift: 
    2
    30
    		part cloud
    Bottom Lift: 0.0 m
    3
    25
    		part cloud

    When's the snowiest month to visit Whakapapa?

    AugustAverage: 3.6 snow days per week
    The snowiest week in Whakapapa is week 1 of August. There are typically 3.6 snowy days during this week with 32 cm of snowfall. Check out the Whakapapa Snow History graphs below.

    What's the snow currently like in Whakapapa?

    A summary of the current snow conditions in Whakapapa. View more information on the Whakapapa detailed snow report page.

    Last 7 Days Snow Accumulation
    • Piste Condition
      —
    • Off-piste Condition
      —
    Whakapapa snow depths: updated 30 March 2023
    Upper snow depth:
    		0 cm
    Lower snow depth:
    		0 cm

    Visitor Reviews of Whakapapa

    Overall: 3.3 Based on 40 votes and 56 reviews

    • Snowsure 3.1
    • Variety of pistes 3.9
    • Off-piste 4.1
    • Scenery 4.2
    • Apres-Ski 2.6
    • Vote

    Debbie from New Zealand writes:

    A couple of corrections, Whakapapa ski area is located on the north western side of Mt Ruapehu, not the southern side. Turoa is located on the southern side. The image you're showing labelled Turoa is actually taken at Whakapapa.

    (note from the editor: Debbie, could you write to me at help@snow-forecast.com to tell me here there are errors in the text/images related to Whakapapa and Turoa ski areas. Cheers, Michelle)

    Read 55 more reviews of Whakapapa or submit your own

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    Discover ski resorts near Whakapapa. Click below to view there ski resort guides.

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