If you love the hustle and bustle, then look for accommodation in the main tourist hub around Hakuba Village and Happo One cause that’s usually where the party is at. Driving distance from Hakuba 47 and Goryu to Hakuba Village is roughly the same at 3 mi. For accommodation closer to the slopes, you’ve got a few options.
Hakuba 47
There’s no accommodation located directly at the base of Hakuba 47, so going a little further afield is necessary. For young couples and groups looking for something a bit more upbeat then check out Echoland about a 4 mi drive north. Echoland is a lively district with plenty to keep you occupied off the slopes, including cafes, bars, and shopping. It’s a hit with the younger crowd and groups, plus it’s also not too far from Happo Village, where you’ll find even more of the same.
If you’re staying here, our pick here is the Echo Hotel, a stylish hotel well-equipped for skiers and snowboarders, with a drying room for your gear, its own hire shop, and a secure ski and board storage room. Rooms and apartments are available, some with awesome views of the mountains. For self-catered accommodation, look no further than Echoland Apartments, offering modern 1, 2 and 4 bedroom apartments. These apartments can even be combined through a linked common area to create a massive 7 bedroom and 6 bathroom holiday home, perfect for groups!
Goryu
Over in Goryu, there are a couple of excellent mid-range hotels conveniently close to the lifts that will connect you to Hakuba 47. The hotels, lodges, and chalets at Goryu are all clustered within an area wedged between the Escal Plaza base centre and Kamishiro train station. This little district is still developing, with far fewer restaurants and bars compared to its altogether bigger neighbour Happo One, but Goryu does have one big advantage: The majority of accommodation here is a short walk to the slopes! You won't find a public onsen, lots of shopping options, or raucous nightlife here, but all of that is just a short bus ride or drive away at Happo One.
Goryu offers accommodation options to suit everyone, whether you’re visiting alone, as a couple, a family, or large group. Our recommendation for singles and couples is a lodge, particularly if you want to make new friends, while families will find the hotels here often have facilities to keep the kids entertained. Friends on vacation together should enjoy communal accommodation at a chalet, it’s a great way to keep your group together! Here’s a quick rundown of our favourite spots to stay in Goryu, all of which are on the free shuttle bus route.
Starting with accommodation on the high end of the scale, our top pick is the Aqua Alpine Hotel, complete with its own private onsen, theatre room, and cosy lounge with an open log fireplace. Choose from comfy rooms and suites with all mod cons for couples, or go for one of the classic wooden chalets that can sleep up to six people, perfect for families or groups!
For couples looking for a mid-range option try the Snowbird Pension, where you can take a traditional Japanese room furnished with a tatami mat and futon beds or a more familiar looking Western room, the choice is yours! This place offers straightforward bed and breakfast style accommodation, but you can also enjoy a three-course dinner here too if you book ahead.
For singles and groups on a budget looking for lodging that covers just the bare essentials, then K’s House is the place for you. It’s a lodge with both dormitories and private rooms to stay in, along with a communal lounge and kitchen where you can cook up a meal and chat to other guests. You’ll also find ski storage and a laundry room here, but that’s about it!
Getting Around
Walk
If you plan on just staying within Goryu then you’ll find it easy enough to get around in the resort. It’s quite a small place with most hotels, restaurants, and other amenities all clustered together, and it’s close to the Escal Plaza base area. An easy stroll from one side of Goryu to the other shouldn’t take you more than 25 minutes.
Drive & Parking
Having your own hire car is the most convenient way of getting around if you want to go beyond the resort to sample all the peaks of Hakuba Valley. Car parking at the Euclid base area of Hakuba 47 is always cleared of snow each day and it’s free to use. The worse case scenario is having to walk 275 yd from the car park to the lifts, but if you're lucky it’ll be only 55 yd!
In Goryu, there is plenty of free parking at Escal Plaza and also a smaller carpark by the entrance to the Goryu Express Gondola. Depending on how busy the car parks is that day, you could find yourself as close as 33 ft from the lifts, or as far as 985 ft away! Just remember that if you do drive you won’t be able to enjoy any alcohol during your day on the mountain as there’s a zero tolerance policy for drinking and driving in Japan.
Free Daytime Shuttle Bus
To leave the driving to someone else you should take advantage of the free ski shuttle buses operating throughout the Hakuba Valley, connecting Hakuba 47, Goryu and Happo One with the rest of the Valley from mid-December to end-of-March. Generally, there will be one that stops next to or near where you stay, as most major hotels have designated shuttle bus stops and each stop just a few minutes’ apart. The first buses start running around 8:00am and continue throughout the day until roughly 5:00pm, with no more than an hour wait between each one. Getting to Hakuba 47 from Goryu and Echoland shouldn’t take longer than 5 to 10 minutes unless traffic or weather conditions are particularly bad. Shuttle buses are handy, but all your ski or snowboard gear goes inside with you, so when the buses are busy, things can get a little cramped!
Check out our Hakuba Valley page for more information on getting around the whole valley.
Genki-Go Night Shuttle
If you’re heading out for a big night in town or heading home from night skiing at Goryu, the Genki-Go night bus runs between 6:00pm and 9:30pm, with a one way fare costing ¥300 JPY (£2 GBP). Be sure to have the correct amount as the driver does not give change.
Taxi
A more comfortable, yet more expensive choice for getting home after a long day on the slopes is by taxi. Expect to pay around ¥1,400 JPY (£9 GBP) per mile travelled. To give you a guide, getting to and from your accommodation in Goryu and around the resort area will cost you around ¥1,000 JPY (£6 GBP). The taxi rank close to the lifts is a great place to find a ride home, but it’s also easy to get a taxi from wherever you are in the resort. It’s as simple as popping into a shop, restaurant or the information desk at Escal Plaza in Goryu and asking the friendly staff to order you one! Most cabs will have ski racks so you can strap your equipment to the roof. Cabs keep running until around 2:00am, but expect a short wait around dinner time when Hakuba taxi services are at their busiest. You might be tempted to walk home from the Hakuba 47 base area, but brace yourself because it’s longer than you think!
