Where is Cortina Ski Resort?

Cortina is the most northern of the Hakuba Valley ski resorts, just a few kilometres from route 148 and 6km from the village of Otari and the JR Minami Otari Train Station (Oito line). Cortina is located 14km from the town of Hakuba and 16km from the Happo One ski resort, a drive that takes 20 to 30 minutes.

Hakuba Cortina is 58km by road northwest of Nagano City in the Nagano Prefecture on the main island of Japan (Honshu).

Travel Between Hakuba & Cortina

If you’re not on a Hakuba ski or snowboard tour or don’t have a car, here are a few options for getting between Cortina and central Hakuba areas.

Day Trips to Cortina:

If you’re staying in central Hakuba accommodation in villages such as Wadano or Happo, it’s possible to get a free bus service to Cortina but it can take a bit more effort compared to getting to some of the other Hakuba ski resorts, and it’s the furthest away so it takes more time. Buses depart from the Happo bus terminal so you’ll need to get there first. Get a bus schedule from your accommodation or the info centre. There is usually only one bus that gets to Cortina before lifts open, and this bus gets packed on a powder day. There are also a few Hakuba hotels that provide private shuttles to and from Cortina for day trips.

Or premium private ski/snowboard lessons can include transport to Cortina.

Day Trips From Cortina:

If you want to use the Cortina Green Plaza Hotel as a base and do day trips to other Hakuba ski resorts, there are a couple of free buses in the morning that head to Tsugaike and Happo, and a few that return to Cortina in the late afternoon. Note that the first bus in the morning won’t arrive to Tsugaike before the gondola starts operating, and you won’t get to Happo in time for first lifts either.

Or if you're staying at other Cortina accommodation, some hosts provide private shuttles to the other Hakuba ski resorts.

Overnight Guests:

For guests arriving at or departing from the Green Plaza Hotel, complimentary transfers can be organised between the hotel and the local Minami-Otari train station (about 7-8 schedules per day), Hakuba train station, Happo information centre, Hakuba Base Camp or any other Hakuba accommodation (these can be organised as part of the hotel booking process). There is also a shuttle from Nagano train station to the Green Plaza Hotel once a day (if pre-booked).

Travel to Cortina from Tokyo Airports

There are various options for getting to Cortina from Narita Airport or Haneda Airport. If your flight arrives into Narita Airport after 7pm you may need to get a taxi for part or all the journey, or overnight at a Narita airport hotel, Haneda Airport hotel, or a Nagano hotel.

Option 1: Taxi/Shared Taxi

Travel via chartered Chuo taxi from Narita or Haneda Airport – 5 hours, good if you have a group and/or your flight arrives late in the day. Chuo also offers shared taxis.

Option 2: Travel to Hakuba Cortina via bus from Narita Airport or Haneda Airport 

You can travel to Hakuba Basecamp Travel to Hakuba Basecamp via a shuttle bus transfer from Narita Airport (or Haneda Airport) with Nagano Snow Shuttle. The late night bus will do hotel drop-offs. The bus transfer takes longer than the train/train/bus combo, about 5-6 hours, but it provides the advantage of not having to lug your bags around the train stations and on and off trains. The late night bus will do hotel drop-offs. The bus transfer takes longer than the train/train/bus combo, about 5-6 hours, but it provides the advantage of not having to lug your bags around the train stations and on and off trains.

Option 3: Train to Nagano 

Catch a train from Narita Airport to Tokyo or Ueno, then a bullet train (Shinkansen) to Nagano. From Nagano, arrange for an inexpensive Green Plaza Hotel transfer from Nagano to Cortina (set time only). Nagano Snow Shuttle also offers a train/bus combo.

Option 4: Train to Miami Otari

Catch a train to Minami Otari Station (see Navitime for train routes, timetables and fares) and from there, arrange for a free Green Plaza Hotel transfer or transport with other Cortina accommodation (or taxi). 

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Cortina Night Bus

If you’ve had one too many buffet meals in a row at the Green Plaza Hotel, you might want to escape to the town of Otari, Tsugaike or Happo to visit one of the restaurants.

The Cortina night bus run by Otari town has been pared back in recent years, but check with your accommodation for the latest timetable. At a minimum there is usually an early evening bus to Minami-Otari, Tsugaike or Happo and then you can get a taxi back.

Or some of the other Cortina accommodation providers offer evening restaurant shuttles to Tsugaike.

Driving to Hakuba Cortina

Having a car is ideal if you want to chase powder at the northern Hakuba ski resorts, including Cortina, Norikura and Tsugaike. You won’t be restricted by bus timetables or have the risk of the bus being full, and you’ll have the flexibility to drive to nice onsen or restaurants.

You can rent a car in Nagano where most cars have snow tyres as standard, or if you rent a car near Haneda or Narita airports, you’ll want to specifically request snow tyres (see general tips on driving around Japan).

The phone number of Hakuba Cortina for GPS navigation is 0261-82-2236. Cortina is about 1.5 hours drive from the Nagano Expressway AZUMINO Interchange and 1.5 hours from the Joshinetsu Expressway Nagano Interchange.

Hakuba Cortina has an abundance of free parking at the base area.

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Other Hakuba Ski Resorts Nearby

There are various other Hakuba Valley ski resorts near Cortina:

• Norikura is interconnected via the slopes and about 3km to the village by road
• Tsuigake Kogen is further south again and 5.6km by road
• The next one along the valley is Iwatake (13km by road)
• The most popular of the Hakuba ski resorts is Happo One ski resort (16km away)
• Further south again is Hakuba 47 (19km) which is interconnected with Goryu.

The Hakuba ski resorts are connected via a bus system that travels along the valley.

Other Nagano Ski Resorts & Niigata Ski Areas Nearby

Hakuba Cortina is ideal for a 3 – 5 day visit in combination with a longer stay at another Nagano ski resort such as Nozawa Onsen or Myoko Kogen. There are shuttle buses between Hakuba and Nozawa Onsen, Myoko Kogen, Madarao, and Shiga Kogen with Nagano Snow Shuttle. The inter-resort transfers arrive and depart from the Hakuba Base Camp in Echoland. Alternatively you can use Chuo Taxi or train/bus combos to get between the areas.

Or from Hakuba Cortina, you could do a day trip to Charmant Hiuchi (73km by road to the northeast).