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As Australia's highest alpine resort, Mt Hotham is paradise for skiers and snowboarders seeking a powder-filled adventure, particularly as it boasts 320 hectares of skiable terrain and mountain views of the Victorian Alps that are destined to take your breath away.
To get you on the front foot of your trip, we've laid out everything you need to know about Mount Hotham – from the best deals on accommodation right on top of the mountain to where to buy lift passes.
Season: Will consider reopening after 19 August when restrictions are lifted
Distance from Sydney: 8 hours
Distance from Melbourne: 4.5 hours
Number of chair lifts: 13
Number of magic carpets: 2
Chair lift opening hours: Most open at 8:30am and close between 4 and 5pm. During peak season, if weather conditions permit, the Heavenly Valley (peak) lift opens at 7:30am.
Mount Hotham has 13 lifts leading to trails of varying levels. To help plan your trip, here's a map of the slopes.
Mount Hotham lift passes
Multi-day and annual passes are both available for Mount Hotham. Your pass comes in the form of a reusable RFID-enabled card that you can reload with more days either during your stay or on future trips.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, only skiers and snowboarders with pre-purchased passes and lift tickets may access the resorts this year. There will be no on-the-day tickets. Social distancing is also in place.
The 2020 Epic Australia Pass, which is a full season pass that gives you access to Perisher, Falls Creek and Hotham, now includes Epic Coverage. It's on sale until 5 July 2020. Prices are $889 for adults, $499 for students and $685 for students.
Otherwise, single and multi-day passes are available to purchase. Prices start at $155 per day for adults, $87 for children and $93 for seniors.
Mount Hotham weather
The snow season in Mount Hotham generally runs from mid-June to early October. This gives you plenty of time to get to the slopes.
You can keep up to date with the weather and snowfall by downloading the Hotham app here.
Top Mount Hotham accommodation
There's everything from chalets on the top of Mt Hotham with ski-in/ski-out to family-friendly cabins in the nearby town of Dinner Plain to stay in.
We've outlined some of the best accommodation on Mt Hotham based on customer reviews on HotelsCombined. For more options, including cheap stays and pet-friendly accommodation, visit our Mount Hotham accommmodation guide.
Absollut, Mt Hotham from Finder Hotels
Want to wake up to views of snow-capped mountains from the window of your abode? Yeah, you do. Absollut provides you just that and more. These cosy apartments are a mere eight minutes from Mount Hotham Alpine Resort, but you'll feel miles away in your cosy little nook of the world.
Star rating: 4 stars.
Features: Spa baths, storage, lessons and free airport shuttle service.
Why do we love it? It's super exclusive and cosy with only five apartments available.
Mountain Dreaming Apartments, Mt Hotham from Finder Hotels
Mountain Dreaming is just as its name suggests – a DREAM to stay in (pun intended). It features self-contained studio apartments and offers unparalleled vistas of the mountain from your private balcony or patio.
Star rating: 4 stars.
Features: Free Wi-Fi, luggage storage, garden, private balconies and an in-house pub.
Why do we love it? Guests rave about the bar and restaurant for its food and atmosphere.
After a hard day melting powder, retire to Schnapps for a more than relaxing afternoon/evening complete with stunning mountain views, late night check-in (until 3am) and private balconies.
Star rating: 4 stars.
Features: Ski-in/ski-out, airport shuttle, tour desk and snow sports.
Why do we love it? Its apartments are super spacious and serve up the most incredible views. You'll never want to leave.
Make this the view from your abode when you book a room at Alpine Heights. This specialty lodging has one of TripAdvisor's highest ratings for a resort, and with good reason. On top of its dreamy landscape views and indoor heated pool, it is literally luxury on the doorsteps of the mountain.
Star rating: 3 stars
Features: On-site ski hire, hot tub, sauna, indoor pool and Wi-Fi (surcharge may apply).
Why do we love it? The rooms might look and feel standard, but the service is not, with staff being super accommodating.
White Crystal Apartments, Mt Hotham from Finder Hotels
You'll be hard pressed to nab an apartment more central than White Crystal. It literally sits in the Hotham Central building opposite the day car park, making it uber convenient to everything including a ski-hire store, restaurant, supermarket and more. As for the fields? You're literally staying opposite the Summit training area, so you tell us whether it's central or not.
Star rating: 4 stars
Features: Free shuttle service to the slopes, ski-to-door access, in-house spa and luggage storage
Why do we love it? If luxury is what you're after, you can't do better than White Crystal. On top of its in-house spa complete with beauty treatments, every room has a spa bath.
By air: Mount Hotham Airport is a 30-minute drive from the ski resort. It's a regional airport with services to and from Lilydale, Essendon, Moorabbin, Albury, Canberra and Sydney.
By car: Mount Hotham is approximately 4.5 hours from Melbourne CBD and 8 hours from Sydney. If you're travelling by car, you'll be subject to a resort entry fee, which you can purchase online or pay for when you arrive. When driving during winter, it's mandatory for you to carry snow chains.
By public bus: Omeo-Bright Alps Link is a government bus service that runs from Bright to Omeo via Harrietville, Mount Hotham, Dinner Plain and Cobungra. It operates on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
By coach: Various coach companies that offer transport from Melbourne Airport, Melbourne CBD, Albury, Adelaide, Harrietville and Sydney to Mt Hotham village and Dinner Plain. Brands include Alpine Spirit Snowball Express, Hotham Bus and Alpine Spirit Coaches.
Mount Hotham ski hire and gear hire
Equipment hire facilities abound in Mt Hotham and in neighbouring townships such as Dinner Plain. These allow you to rent skis, poles, binders, snowboards and boots as well as gear such as helmets, goggles, snow pants and snow jackets.
Many rental companies give you the option to pre-purchase or pre-book your equipment and gear online. This ensures they'll have items saved for you when you arrive, which is recommended during peak season when certain items may sell out.
You'll still have to arrive with ample time to be fitted for all your equipment and gear.
Popular rental companies in Mt Hotham and a sample of their prices for adult hires are below.
Hotham Sports: Located in Dinner Plain, Hotham Central and The Big D. 2020 prices TBC.
Happy Valley Hub: Located in Ovens. Skis, boots and poles or snowboard and boots start from $66 per day.
Alpine Heights Ski & Board Rentals: Located in Hotham. Skis, boots and poles or snowboard and boots start from $70 per day.
Omeo Ski Hire and Service Station: Located in Omeo. Skis, boots and poles or snowboard and boots start from $66 per day.
Hoys Dinner Plain: Located in Dinner Plain. Skis, boots and poles or snowboard and boots start from $61 per day.
Ski travel insurance
While you might be travelling domestically, you can still insure yourself for incidental costs should they occur. This includes the loss or damage of equipment, including rental equipment, as well as lift passes if you happen to fall ill while on the slopes and can't make the most of your trip. You can learn more here.
Stephanie Yip is the travel editor at Finder and has been writing about travel and lifestyle for over a decade. She has written for Travel Weekly, Escape, Showpo, The Nibbler and Hostelworld. She was also the editor of kids magazine DMAG. Stephanie has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Technology Sydney and has visited 55 countries (and counting).
Hit the hay after a long day on the slopes at one of these popular Mt Buller accommodations. We've done all of the research for your Mt Buller ski trip this winter.
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