Top Private Skiing Experiences Around the World

Canadian Mountain Holidays is known for pioneering the heli-skiing experience, and its Valemount Lodge in Canada’s Cariboo mountain range is among the company’s most lauded offerings. And why not? Your red carpet experience starts with a private jet transfer from Calgary, Kelowna, and Kamloops airports. But buying out this lodge (for no more than 10 people) also means having the terrain around it to yourself.

And because heli-skiing is the name of the game here, it also includes the helicopters and guides that will help you discover some of the area's wildest ski trails, from open glaciers to deep tree runs. Back at the lodge, it’s a different story entirely: gourmet dinners, muscle loosening massages, and hot tub soaks to get you ready to do it all over again the following day. From $197,000/week (all-inclusive); canadianmountainholidays.com.

The experiential travel experts at Eleven Experiences operate a five-suite lodge in Crested Butte, a former mining town that's now a classic American ski resort. For a full buyout, the rustic-chic space—done up with 19th century hardwood floors, a marble kitchen, locally crafted metal works, vintage photography—can host up to ten guests, who will be treated to exclusive use of 1,000 acres of backcountry terrain in Irwin, Colorado.

Ski or sign up for guided snowshoeing treks, dog sledding, and ice climbing, among a slew of bespoke winter adventures. Then, back at the lodge, unwind in the indoor saltwater pool, the sauna, or the Jacuzzi equipped with jets that target ski-weary muscles. From $17,235/night; elevenexperiences.com.

If round-the-clock access to your own slice of winter wonderland is more your speed, spring for a membership at Cimarron Mountain Club, the only private ski resort in Colorado, which also boasts more skiable terrain than Aspen.

Here you can build your own ski-in/ski-out home on a property that includes 1,000 acres of skiable land plus access to 950 acres of adjacent public runs as well as 200 square miles of heli-skiing on the High San Juan Mountains (you’ll get picked up directly at CMC). For a project that only launched in September, nine of the 15 memberships are still available. Memberships from $3,200,000, including a private site for each member to build a cabin if they desire; cimarronmountainclub.com.
 

Leave it to bespoke travel operator Luxury Action to craft the most exclusive adventures in the Arctic, which is desolate enough under normal circumstances. But if you want a truly privatized experience, they have the appropriate connections and resources to make it happen.

Imagine an itinerary that packages a private takeover of trails in the Finnish Lapland for a guided nighttime ski under the Northern Lights, heli-skiing that combines terrains in Finland, Sweden and Norway, fishing for crabs, transfers on dogsleds, and then retreating in hidden cabins in the woods or a fabulous camp of luxury tents purpose-built specifically for your trip. Pricing upon request; luxuryaction.com.

To reach this log-cabin-style retreat from the 1930s in the high alpine mountains of Banff National Park requires a more active disposition: Motorized vehicles aren’t allowed, so you and your 21 closest friends will have to cross-country ski (or hike in the summer) the seven mile track from Lake Louise Ski Resort.

Once you’ve reached the pristine valley on which the property sits, it’s all about intimate seclusion with nothing but snow-blanketed peaks all around you. A full buyout means the surrounding trails will likely be reserved just for your party for all sorts of winter activities, but note that while the amenities are thoughtful, charming, and stylish, this offers a truly rustic experience. There’s no electricity on the property, so you’ll need to rely on ambience-creating fireplaces and candles to light your way. Hey, if William and Kate can do it, so can you. From $12,150 for three nights for 22 people; skoki.com.

Just outside Queenstown, this pristine lakeside hideaway can be wholly booked for a party of up to 32 guests, who will have full run of house. The staff can then prepare customized dinners in the owner’s cottage, jet boating right from the property, special wellness treatments in the quaint two-room spa, wine tastings from nearby wineries, and anything else you and your friends desire.

For ski bums, this also means unfettered access to the Ski Concierge who, among many other things, can arrange for exclusive use of Soho Basin, an untouched high-country mountain located a 60-minute drive from the lodge (or a 10 minute helicopter ride). Soho Basin’s 650-acre expanse might be big enough for more skiers, but in fact, its open slopes and gorgeous vistas will only accommodate 24 people a day. From $28,000/night; roberstonlodges.com.

While Utah has plenty of exceptional ski destinations to check into, a full buyout of Whisper Ridge is unlike anything you would get at your typical ski resort. First, there’s the 60,000 private acres of skiable terrain at your ski boots. Think: an exciting combo of wide open bowls, tight chutes, pillow lines, and beautiful glades. With a day of cat-skiing, you can expect to take on up to 15 runs for a total of up to 12,000 vertical feet, so you’ll want to be an expert at traversing mountains. For accommodations, you’ll be tucked into a beautifully decorated luxury yurt perched atop one of the area’s highest ridges.

The village, which when bought out can accommodate up to 40 people, is equipped with hot tubs, an ice bar, and award-winning chefs to whip up delicious dinners. But if that’s not enough, the yurt captains even bring nightly live music and the kind of massage therapists that will get you in tip-top shape to conquer those trails in the morning. From $37,200/day; whisperridgeutah.com.
 

Known for sparking the buy-a-luxury-home-right-on-the-slopes trend, this members-only property in Big Sky, Montana is known as the first private club to own a mountain. Membership is capped at 864 households, which might sound like a lot of people, but Yellowstone Club’s entire expanse stretches over 15,200 acres—2,700 of them skiable (this number went up by 500 acres for this coming ski season and is bigger than Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and just slightly smaller than Breckenridge)—so you’re still escaping the crowds here. And there are a ton of other amenities, too, including Rainbow Lodge, which houses a pool, spa, restaurant, and more. Homes from $6,250,000; yellowstoneclub.com.