Skiing in Chamonix in April 2027: closing dates, spring snow, prices and what stays open

In April, Chamonix changes face: the February crowds have gone, the days are longer, the snow softens in the sun and lift passes get cheaper. But the valley does not ski as one block: the low ski areas close first, the high areas hold on, and the last one closes in May.

This page tells you who closes when in 2027, what spring skiing costs, what snow to expect, and why we recommend the week of 10 to 17 April. The full lift table is in lift opening dates.

Which ski areas stay open in April 2027?

The valley's general opening ends on 18 April 2027. Behind that date, each ski area has its own calendar:

2 May 2027 is also the end of Chamonix Le Pass's "spring skiing" price. It does not prove that every ski area will run until then: the pass's commercial validity, the area's theoretical opening and the lifts actually running are three different things. Only Les Grands Montets is announced as open in May.

Why aim for the week of 10 to 17 April 2027?

It is our pick for the end of the season, and here is why. Easter falls on 28 March 2027: the holidays around it concentrate demand in late March and early April. The week of 10 to 17 April comes afterwards, and before the general closure on 18 April.

• All of Chamonix's main ski areas are still open, Brévent-Flégère until the 18th and Les Grands Montets well beyond.
• The lift pass switches to spring prices on 10 April, much cheaper than in high season.
• The days are long, with the Aiguille du Midi open until 5pm for an afternoon at altitude.

The downside: Les Houches has already closed, and the further into the month you go, the smaller the offer. It is not a week for beginners counting on the low slopes, it is a week for independent skiers on the high areas.

How much is the lift pass in April?

The Chamonix Le Pass price list switches on 10 April 2027 from high-season prices to "spring skiing" prices, valid until 2 May:

Over six days, an adult saves more than €80, about 22%. The six-day prices come from a pricing source that reproduces the official list: check them on the official ticket site when you buy. The products are detailed in our lift pass guide.

A cheaper pass does not make up for a lost day if the chosen ski area closes or only runs a few lifts. And accommodation prices do not necessarily follow: they can stay high during the Easter holidays and at weekends.

What snow can you expect in April in Chamonix?

No consistent ten-year series of measurements is published, but the spring rule is well known:

• high, north-facing sectors hold the snow best;
• runs that come down to the villages deteriorate quickly during warm spells;
• the best snow is early in the morning, after the overnight refreeze, before it softens;
• in May, everything depends on altitude, recent snowfalls and the overnight freeze.

Les Grands Montets is the obvious candidate for late April: the highest ski area, the last to close. Check each morning which lifts are running: see our page on Les Grands Montets. Le Brévent and La Flégère, more exposed to the sun, are superb in the morning: see Le Brévent and La Flégère.

What time should you ski in April?

The best days are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays outside the holidays; Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays concentrate the queues and full car parks. April skiing is morning skiing: the afternoon is spent elsewhere.

When are the spring holidays?

The French spring school holidays are staggered across three zones between April and early May; check the exact dates on the French Education Ministry's official calendar. In the UK, Easter holidays for schools in England and Wales cluster around early April, with other schools following their own calendar.

Because Chamonix is an international destination, the French, British, Swiss, Belgian and Dutch calendars overlap awkwardly. What is certain: the first weekend of April and Easter week are the most in demand, followed by weekends in the second half of the month. No day-by-day crowd data is published for April 2027.

Which events are on in Chamonix in spring 2027?

The main event identified is the Chamonix Unlimited Festival, from 25 to 29 March 2027. It does not fall in April, but it weighs on arrivals in late March and the first weekend of April.

The official events calendar also lists several tours and activities in April 2027:

• 7 April: guided tour "Mont Blanc, a laboratory in the wild" and the "Voyage en images" activity;
• 14 April: guided tour devoted to the Mer de Glace and the "Dessiner c'est s'amuser" drawing activity;
• 21 April: guided tour on mountaineering equipment;
• 23 April: guided tour of the exhibition "Métamorphoses du regard, les Alpes magnifiées", open from 16 December 2026 to 30 April 2027.

Prices, venues and booking are not all published: do not assume anything is free without checking each listing. For example, the Fête du Brév' brought together mogul skiing, slalom, concerts and gear tests at the top of Le Brévent on 4 April 2026, free apart from the lift pass; nothing yet confirms a 2027 edition.

What can you do in the afternoon, or after the slopes close?

This is Chamonix's advantage over a pure ski resort: when the low slopes lose their snow, the valley keeps on living. Depending on the calendar and the weather, these may be running:

• the Aiguille du Midi, independent of skiing, open until 30 May;
• the Mer de Glace and the Montenvers train, until 30 April;
• the museums, guided tours and the season's exhibition;
• the restaurants, bars and shops of the centre.

The downside: some hotels, seasonal restaurants and shops close between seasons, and no official list of these closures is published. The second half of April offers a lively centre, with fewer places open than in February. Other ideas are in things to do in Chamonix.

Is the Vallée Blanche in April a good or bad idea?

Good for the light and the long days, trickier for the glacier. The melt opens crevasses, weakens snow bridges and lengthens the exit via the Mer de Glace, with more walking and more ladders. It is the guide who decides, on the day.

It is all detailed in our Vallée Blanche guide.

The traps of the end of the season

• Announced snow versus available skiing. An opening period guarantees neither the number of runs nor the number of lifts. Wind, lack of snow or too few visitors can close a lift.
• A cheaper pass, but not necessarily a cheaper stay. Easter accommodation, transfers between ski areas, mountain lunches: not everything comes down.
• Localised crowding. Queues at the Aiguille du Midi, car parks, buses and restaurants in the centre can be packed without the slopes being full.
• A reduced offer when you arrive. A stay booked weeks ahead may find fewer lifts than planned: check the report, the weather, the wind and the return options every morning.

To choose the right month for your plans, see when to go to Chamonix, and to compare ski areas, our guide to skiing in Chamonix. All our skiing coverage is in the Skiing section.

Choosing the village and the type of accommodation is covered in where to stay in Chamonix and our guide to hotels in Chamonix.

Sources

Sources: Chamonix winter 2026-2027 press kit (updated on 11 and 15 September 2026), Chamonix Tourist Office (2026-2027 ski area and lift pages, April 2027 events calendar, Fête du Brév' 2026), Compagnie du Mont-Blanc (Aiguille du Midi and Montenvers calendar), 2026-2027 "spring skiing" price list reproduced by a pricing source, Chamonix Unlimited Festival 2027 announcement.

The closing dates for Balme and Les Houches differ between publications, and we show both. The six-day passes come from a secondary source, to be confirmed on the ticket site.

No ten-year snow data or April crowd data is published. Research carried out on 27 October 2026.