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Home to Australia's longest ski runs, Thredbo is a picturesque alpine valley that's shrouded in powder during the winter months and covered with hiking trails to explore the rest of the year. The village and snow resort can be found in the heart of Kosciuszko National Park at between 1,365m and 1,930m above sea level, where the white stuff falls between June and October. Its cosy village is full of hillside chalets, homely restaurants and a more than a pub or two to keep busy in while not on the slopes.
If you're staying within Thredbo village, getting around on foot is the easiest as the village is small. There is also a free shuttle that operates from 7:30am to 9pm daily. During July and August, a special service runs until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.
All the main destinations, primarily the ski lifts, restaurants and accommodation, are accessible on foot or using the shuttle service.
Types of transport: The free Thredbo Village shuttle operates along three routes. Snowy Mountains Shuttles and Snowlink Shuttle provide transfers between Thredbo and Jindabyne, which is another ski resort in the Snowy Mountains region.
Paying for transport: While the Thredbo Village shuttle is provided free of charge, shuttles between Thredbo and Jindabyne start at $51.45 each way.
Getting to and from the airport: There is no public transport to or from Cooma or Canberra airports, but there are shuttle services. You can book these in Thredbo Village, at the airport or online prior to arrival.
Get on the front foot of your snow trip by sussing out the runs, lift pass options and prices and equipment hire and schools in Thredbo Vilage.
Lift pass pricesIf you're planning ahead for the snow season, you can buy your passes online on Wednesday, 10 June. Due to the revised operating model of Thredbo, there will be no season passes for 2020.
Thredbo's lift passes 2020 pricing are as follows, this year there will be no discounts for multi-day passes.
| Day passes | 5-12 years | 13-17 years | 18-21 years | 22-64 years | 65-69 years | 70+ years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-day lift pass | From $85 | From $95 | From $149 | From $159 | From $85 | From $40 |
Thredbo offers a wide range of ski schools for all skill levels that will have you looking like a pro on the slopes with the help of professional and qualified instructors.
| Program | Who can participate? | What is involved? |
|---|---|---|
| Thredboland | Kids aged 3-6 | Teaching children the basics of how to ski in a fun and safe environment in a small group |
| Burton Riglets | Kids aged 4-6 | Children will learn the basics of snowboarding in a safe and fun environment while building their skills in small groups |
| Freeriders | Kids aged 7-12 | Improving skiing and snowboarding skills, confidence and technique. Kids will be encouraged to progress as skiers/boarders and navigate their way around the mountain |
| Teen Shredders | Kids aged 13-17 | Hit the slopes in the new full-day program that has been introduced in 2019 for teens to progress their ski/snowboarding skills in a fun and safe environment with other teens of a similar skill level |
| First Timer Lessons | New skiers and snowboarders | Learning the basics of skiing/boarding. Qualified instructors will encourage participants to improve their skills at a relaxed pace in the designated beginners area |
| Group Lessons | All skill levels | Small group lessons where skiers/boarders will build their confidence and technique while practising and advancing their skills |
| Private Lessons | All skill levels | Ideal for skiers/boarders who want to work on their style, skills and confidence with a professional instructor without distractions. You can also form groups of up to three people who are of a similar skill level for private lessons |
You have the option to hire equipment and clothing online before you arrive. Otherwise, there are two rental locations at Thredbo, conveniently located at the bottom of the mountain.
It is a great idea to take out ski travel insurance as a precaution on your ski/snowboarding trip. If you have an accident while skiing or snowboarding, your belongings are stolen or you become ill on the trip, ski insurance may cover you.
While the slopes may be the main draw of the resort, there's plenty of other snow-based activities and things to do at Thredbo for those not keen to ski or snowboard.
Tobogganing, snowshoeing and horseback riding are all popular activities. You can also purchase a lift ticket as a non-skier to go up to the chalets where there's more snow - the perfect spot to sip a hot chocolate and take in the surrounds.
The resort is open year round and hiking and mountain biking tracks available nearby.
The latest big addition to the Thredbo experience is the Merritts Gondola. It launched just in time for the COVID hit 2020 season, but Finder travel writer Chris Stead was still able to give it a go. Here are his thoughts:
One of my goals when travelling to Thredbo in 2020 was for my three young children, not yet snowboarding or skiing, to experience snow. Not to just see it, but to roll around in it. To throw it at each other. To watch the steam rise from a hot chocolate as flakes of snow fall onto its surface. We arrived at Thredbo with no lift passes; so, turned to the new Gondola.
You can book in a day and buy a Scenic Pass, granting you access to the Gondola, but none of the other lifts.
Shiny and new, comfortable, and walled on all sides by glass, the eight-seat Merritts Gondola is an oasis from the cold wind outside. It's not necessarily for day trippers; indeed, you can ride it with your standard lift pass. As a result, skiers and snowboarders – and mountain bikers in summer – use it as a handy route from the village centre across the face to the far right of the fields.
As a connecting route between the left and right edges of Thredbo's fields it's fantastic. And for families, a mid-station that grants you access to the Friday Flat region – where lessons are held - is very handy indeed.
For my family, it got us above the tree line and into the deep snow. The view below traverses several runs, lifts and forested areas, with a Where's Wally-like criss-crossing of humans split by natural wonders and wildlife. The lift ultimately taking you from 1370m to 1665m.
It's not a very long ride at around six minutes, however, and at the top there isn't a heck of a lot to do in winter. There is a restaurant, some tables and chairs and some little gullies, trees and flats where the kids can play. But it is above the tree line, with thick banks of snow to build snowmen. We scored a magic, windless moment with big flakes falling from the sky – quite magical.
While the experience itself was a lot of fun, I did feel like it was overpriced in its inaugural year. At least, when you need to buy for a whole family. It's such a short trip and there's not much in the way of activities at the top to help justify the cost. Hopefully, we'll see better family-focused pricing and a more fleshed out experience in the Cruiser area as the Merritts Gondola finds its feet in coming years.
Images: Thredbo
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