Skiing in June in The Alps

Can you actually ski in the Alps in June?

Yes, but only on the glaciers. By June every regular winter resort in the Alps has shut its lifts, and the season survives only at the small group of high summer glacier areas that sit above roughly 2,900 meters. The map shrinks from hundreds of resorts to a short list you can count on two hands, and the skiing itself becomes a morning activity rather than an all day one. Think a few well groomed glacier pistes open from first lift, firm and fast in the cold dawn, going soft and heavy by late morning as the summer sun gets to work.

This is a completely different trip from a winter week. You are not booking a snowy village with apres ski and a full mountain. You are booking a green summer valley, often warm enough for shorts at lunch, with a cable car that lifts you to a white world high above. Most people who ski the Alps in June are racers in summer training, season pass holders chasing turns, or families combining a few morning runs with hiking, biking and lake swimming in the afternoon. If that mix appeals, June works. If you want a classic ski holiday, it does not.

Which Alps resorts are open for skiing in June?

The reliable June options are the dedicated summer glaciers. Hintertux in Austria is the standout, open all year round and usually offering the most varied summer terrain in the Alps, with around 20km of pistes when conditions are good. Zermatt in Switzerland skis its high glacier under the Matterhorn through the summer, with a top station near 3,900 meters and gentle, mostly cruising terrain. Les Deux Alpes in France runs a large glacier area between roughly 2,900 and 3,600 meters and typically opens for its summer season in the second half of June.

A few others come and go depending on snow and operator plans, including Tignes on the Grande Motte glacier in France and Cervinia on the Italian side of the Matterhorn, which shares the Zermatt glacier. Opening dates move year to year and some areas take a short break in late spring before the summer season, so the single most important step is to check the official lift status for your exact dates before you book flights. A glacier listed as open in a guide can still be closed for maintenance the week you arrive.

What are the snow and conditions like in June?

June glacier snow is a morning game. Overnight the surface refreezes hard, so the first runs from opening are firm, grippy and genuinely good, especially for carving and for race training. As the sun climbs the snow softens quickly, turning to slush by late morning, which is why the summer glaciers open early and often close their lifts by early afternoon. The honest version is that you get two to four quality hours a day, then the skiing turns heavy and tiring and most people are happy to be done.

Coverage shrinks as the month goes on. Early June usually has more terrain open than late June, when warm spells can thin the snow and close the lower glacier runs. Altitude is everything now: the highest areas hold up best, while anything below about 3,000 meters is vulnerable to a hot week. Bring winter gloves and a warm layer for the cold top station, then sunglasses, strong sun cream and light clothing for the valley, because you can go from freezing on the glacier to warm enough for a lake swim within an hour.

How much does a June ski trip to the Alps cost, and who is it for?

June is firmly off season for the mountains, so lodging is cheap by ski standards and most trips land in the under $2,000 per person band for a week once you strip out a full winter lift pass and ski school. Summer glacier lift tickets are sold as limited day or morning passes rather than a six day winter pass, so your on snow cost is lower, but it buys fewer hours. Budget the savings toward the other half of the day: bikes, guided hikes, spa time and good food in a quiet valley.

June suits a specific traveler. It is ideal for ski racers and instructors in summer training, for pass holders who simply want turns in the off season, and for active families who want a few morning runs bolted onto a green mountain holiday of hiking, biking and swimming. It is the wrong month for anyone whose heart is set on a real ski holiday, for nervous beginners who need long gentle days, or for anyone wanting apres ski and a buzzing resort. Those travelers should wait for the core winter, or look to the Southern Hemisphere where June is the start of the season.

June in The Alps: the case for and against

Where to ski in the Alps in June

For June we would point you first at these, each with our full review:

• Hintertux. Open all year round and usually the most varied summer glacier in the Alps, it is the single most reliable place to ski in June.
• Zermatt. High summer glacier skiing under the Matterhorn with a top station near 3,900 meters, gentle and dependable through the warm months.
• Les Deux Alpes. A large French summer glacier between roughly 2,900 and 3,600 meters that typically opens in the second half of June.
• Tignes. The Grande Motte glacier offers high June turns when its summer season is running, paired with a lively summer lake village below.

Common questions