Gay Ski Weeks 2026/27: Arosa and the queer winter weeks in the Alps

The calendar: five weeks between January and March

For the 2026/27 season, the dates of five queer ski weeks in the Alps are fixed, two of them in Graubünden. Arosa Gay Ski Week opens the season from 16 to 23 January 2027 and is the biggest week of its kind in Switzerland. In March, the small GaySki Lenzerheide comes first, from 7 to 14 March 2027. Then it gets busy: European Gay Ski Week in Val Thorens and Winter Pride Sölden in Tyrol's Ötztal valley both run from 13 to 20 March 2027, and European Snow Pride in Tignes follows straight after, from 20 to 27 March 2027.

That order works well if you are planning from Switzerland. You can reach Arosa from Zurich in roughly two and a half hours by train, with no flight and no car. Lenzerheide is in the same ski area, on the other side of the Urdenbahn. The two French weeks take place in Savoie, practically on the doorstep of Geneva and Romandy. Sölden is a manageable trip into Tyrol from eastern Switzerland. If you want to combine two weeks, pair Arosa in January with one of the March weeks. Val Thorens and Sölden, on the other hand, rule each other out because they fall on the same days.

One thing up front: so far only Winter Pride Sölden has put a full 2027 programme online, with a note that it may still change. What we say below about parties and evenings in Arosa and Tignes therefore comes from the 2026 edition, and we flag it as such. Dates, passes and prices come from the official websites, as of 7 October 2026.

Arosa Gay Ski Week: a week in Graubünden in the depths of winter

Arosa Gay Ski Week has been running since 2005. It is organised by the non-profit Arosa Gay Ski Week association, based in Arosa. According to the organisers, more than 900 guests from over 30 countries take part; Graubünden Ferien, the cantonal tourist board, also puts the figure at more than 900. So Arosa is no small insiders' week but a meeting point for the European scene, right in the middle of a mountain village.

The skiing takes place in the Arosa Lenzerheide area, whose two resorts are linked by the Urdenbahn cable car. The organisers quote 225 kilometres of pistes, 50 kilometres of freeride terrain and snow parks. During the day there are guided groups for skiers and snowboarders, split by ability, which according to the organisers are only for confident skiers and riders on red and black runs; beginners are referred to the partner ski school. There are also daily meet-ups for lunch on the mountain. That is the real heart of the week: you don't need to know anyone to end up on the slopes with others.

In the evening the programme alternates between parties, culture and shared meals. In 2026 it ranged from the "Break the Ice" welcome party and the "Disco Avalanche" to a pool party, a schlager night in a mountain hut and a classical concert with harp, piano and countertenor, all the way to the Drag Race and the "White SnowBall" closing party. Add to that fondue with night sledging, an evening on the ice and the Friendship Dinners, where small groups mix in restaurants around the village. The organisers say the 2027 line-up will be announced in autumn 2026, so it is not yet certain which formats will return.

Even if you don't ski, Arosa works for you. The organisers point to pedestrian passes for the lifts, sledging, winter walking, snowshoeing, spa options and the full evening programme. If you are travelling with friends who would rather sit on a sunny terrace than on a chairlift, everyone is catered for.

Passes and packages: what Arosa costs in 2027

Access to the programme comes through an event pass. The official shop currently offers three tiers: Gold for the whole week, 16 to 22 January, at CHF 250 instead of the regular CHF 290; Silver from 18 to 22 January at CHF 150 instead of 180; and Bronze for the opening weekend, 16 to 18 January, at CHF 100 instead of 120. The pass opens the shared events and parties and, according to the organisers, brings discounts with partners.

If you want to ski as well, go for the combination with a lift pass. Gold with a six-day ski pass currently costs CHF 550 (regularly 600), Silver with four ski days CHF 370 (instead of 400) and Bronze with two ski days CHF 230 (instead of 250). The lift keycard costs an extra CHF 10. Lift passes on their own are sold by the Arosa Lenzerheide ski area in its online shop; the organisers note that booking early pays off there too.

The most convenient option is a package with accommodation. There are seven nights (16 to 23 January), five nights (18 to 23 January) and three nights (15 to 18 January), each with breakfast, ski pass, event pass and welcome bag. The price depends on the hotel and group size, from one to six people. The organisers advertise savings of up to 30 per cent; actual package prices only appear at the booking stage.

Two points in the small print are worth knowing. First, according to the organisers, all tickets and passes are final and non-refundable. Second, the ski pass includes no insurance; additional cover from Europ Assistance costs CHF 6 per day. Reservations for the Friendship Dinners open online on 1 January, and on site from the arrival Saturday at the Welcome Desk at Arosa Tourism.

By train to Arosa: from Zurich and from Geneva

You don't need a car for Arosa. In the current SBB timetable, an Intercity leaves Zurich HB for Chur every hour. There you board the red train of the Rhaetian Railway, which according to Graubünden Ferien runs hourly and takes about an hour to Arosa. Altogether the journey from Zurich takes roughly 2 hours 30 minutes with one change. From Geneva, allow about 5 hours 30 minutes and two changes, in Zurich and in Chur. From every other part of the country, the route also goes through Chur.

The Rhaetian Railway line climbs from Chur through the Schanfigg valley to Arosa, crossing the Langwies viaduct on the way. Grab a window seat: the ride is the first part of the holiday.

Once there, you can still do without a car. Arosa has a free local bus. According to Arosa Lenzerheide, many winter ski passes, such as day and multi-day passes marked "inkl. ÖV", are also valid on the Rhaetian Railway and PostBus between Arosa, Chur, Lenzerheide and Tiefencastel; Early Bird passes are excluded. Some hotels pick guests up from the station. If you do drive: for the roughly 45 minutes of mountain road from Chur, the organisers list winter tyres as mandatory and snow chains as recommended; current road conditions are published at strassen.gr.ch.

To save money, SBB sells saver tickets and, according to Arosa Lenzerheide, there are seasonal Snow'n'Rail deals that bundle train travel and a ski pass. Check sbb.ch to see whether a suitable offer can be booked for January 2027. Because the timetable changes in December, double-check your connection shortly before you travel.

GaySki Lenzerheide: small and friendly, in March

On the other side of the Arosa Lenzerheide ski area, GaySki Lenzerheide, which its website also calls Gay Ski Week Lenzerheide, runs from 7 to 14 March 2027. According to its organisers, it was founded in 1992 at the suggestion of gay sports clubs in Switzerland and abroad and has been held at the Hotel Schweizerhof Lenzerheide since the very first edition. It is run by a group of volunteers rather than a tour operator, and it deliberately sees itself as a personal, human-scale alternative to large commercial events.

So far the programme has included guided ski groups, lunches in mountain huts, après-ski, a cheese fondue night, a wine tasting, a pool party and a farewell evening with a traditional-costume dress code; the website says the 2027 programme is still in progress. In a double room, a night costs from CHF 220 per person, including breakfast buffet and dinner, usually a four-course menu. The seven-night package with a six-day ski pass starts at CHF 1,801 per person, plus a tourist tax of CHF 3.30 per night.

From Zurich you can reach Lenzerheide in about two hours by Intercity to Chur and then PostBus. If Arosa feels too big in January, this is the same ski area in a completely different format.

Tignes: European Snow Pride at the end of March

European Snow Pride takes place from 20 to 27 March 2027 in Tignes, in Savoie. The skiing is in the Tignes–Val d'Isère area, for which the organisers quote more than 300 kilometres of pistes, 90 lifts and altitudes of up to 3,450 metres on the Grande Motte glacier. At the end of March that is a real argument: the altitude gives the snow some reserves when spring has already arrived lower down.

The core of the offer is the event pass. According to the website, the standard pass cost 200 euros until 30 September if you book your accommodation through the organisers, 230 euros otherwise. Since 1 October it has gone up by 10 euros on the first of every month, so 210 or 240 euros in October; on site, subject to availability, it costs 290 euros. It includes a welcome cocktail with two drinks, free entry to the week's parties, priority access to après-ski and 10 per cent off lunch in mountain restaurants. For 95 euros more, the premium pass adds access to the giant pool party, guided ski and snowboard groups from Sunday to Thursday and the VIP lounge at the Pride party; for each premium pass, 10 euros also go to the French organisation AIDES, and the organisers match that amount. Lift and event pass together were available from 525 euros until 30 September; that price has also been rising by 10 euros a month since. Accommodation booked through the organisers starts at 216 euros per person in apartments; the most expensive hotel starts at 1,949 euros per person.

The organisers plan to publish the 2027 programme in October. In 2026 it included a Black and White party, pool parties, karaoke, a Pride ball, the "Casino Royale" closing party and, on the Thursday, a Pride march through Tignes.

Getting there: the nearest station is Bourg-Saint-Maurice. From there, and from Geneva airport, public shuttles run to Tignes roughly once an hour, according to the organisers. By train from Geneva, the current timetable puts the journey to Bourg-Saint-Maurice at about four hours, changing in Chambéry. If you drive, the organisers warn against following your satnav over mountain passes that are closed in winter.

Val Thorens and Sölden: the same March week, two styles

From 13 to 20 March 2027 you will have to choose. Val Thorens, in the heart of Les Trois Vallées, hosts the 19th European Gay Ski Week. The organiser, EGSW Events, expects more than 2,000 guests from almost 50 countries and promotes 600 kilometres of pistes in the world's largest connected ski area. There is a dedicated ski school, guided groups, evening parties with international DJs, cabaret and themed dinners from fondue to raclette. Bookings have been open since 1 July 2026, and early booking discounts apply, according to the website.

From Switzerland, Geneva is the starting point. On 13 March 2027, according to the organisers, eight transfers leave Geneva airport between 12:00 and 18:00; the journey takes just under three hours and costs 62.50 euros per person each way. By train, the current timetable gets you to Moûtiers via Chambéry in about three and a half hours, followed by a bus ride of around 45 minutes up to the resort.

Winter Pride Sölden in the Ötztal describes itself as the highest Pride ski week in Europe. It is presented by the travel agency Rainbow Travel. The event pass comes in three-, four- or seven-day versions and gives access to all shared events; check-in and the Welcome Desk are at the Freizeit Arena. Unlike the other organisers, Sölden already has its 2027 programme online, subject to change: it opens on 13 March with the Opening Night and includes guided skiing in three groups, a karaoke party against the drag queens and a Brewery Clubbing night. In 2027 the week celebrates its fifth birthday. Booking your ski pass early saves up to 22 per cent, according to the organisers. On the official website, seven-night packages including the event pass start at 549 euros in apartments in Habichen, 25 minutes from Sölden; in Sölden itself they start at 874 euros in an apartment and 832 euros in a B&B. Check when booking whether the price is per person or per unit.

To reach Sölden, take the train to Ötztal Bahnhof at the mouth of the valley. From there, according to Sölden's tourist office, buses run up to the village every half hour. From Zurich the train heads towards Innsbruck; you'll find the exact connection on the SBB or ÖBB websites. If you would rather fly, Innsbruck airport is about 50 kilometres from the valley entrance, according to the tourist office.

Booking smart: what you can do right now

Booking early pays off for all four big weeks. In Arosa the passes are currently below their regular price, in Tignes they go up month by month, in Sölden there is a discount on ski passes booked early, and Val Thorens offers early booking discounts. At the same time, tickets are often non-refundable, and in Arosa that is spelled out in black and white. So before you pay, check that your travel insurance covers cancellation and ski accidents.

First decide how much programme you want. A full week with a Gold or seven-day pass is worth it if you go out every night. For a long weekend in Arosa, the Bronze pass for the opening from 16 to 18 January, with or without two ski days, is enough, together with the matching three-night package.

Plan the journey before the hotel. Arosa works entirely without a car. For Tignes and Val Thorens, the shuttles from Geneva are the most comfortable solution, especially if you are coming from Romandy. For Sölden, look at the rail connections towards Innsbruck before you settle on a hotel at the far end of the village.

Think about the evenings. Arosa's Friendship Dinners can be booked from 1 January; dinner shows and hut nights have their own tickets. If you are travelling as a group, agree on the same pass early so that everyone can go to the same parties.

And your health: if you take PrEP or want to get tested around your trip, sort it out beforehand with your Checkpoint or through SwissPrEPared. In Graubünden, the cantonal hospital in Chur is a point of contact.

The programmes for Arosa and Tignes are due this autumn. We will update this guide as soon as they are online. All dates and prices: as of 7 October 2026.

Last checked: 7 October 2026