Planning a trip to the Snowy Mountains? But you can’t decide which snow resort might be right for you?
Lucky for you, I’ve been heading down to both Thredbo and Perisher for years. So, I know both resorts extremely well. Let’s have a look at the unique benefits of each and work out which might be better suited for your snow trip.
Perisher
Out of the two resorts, Perisher is arguably the more popular. With a larger ski-able area and more diverse terrain, it’s easy to see the appeal of Perisher to both skiers and snowboarders.
Thredbo
But what makes Thredbo stand out is the steeper terrain and longer runs backing onto some of the highest mountain peaks in Australia.
Again, I’ve gone into all the details about Thredbo in this blog post.
Are The Accommodation Options Better At Perisher Or Thredbo?
In terms of accommodation right at the resort, it’s hard to go past Thredbo. While Perisher does feature some on-snow accommodation options, Thredbo offers an entire village to choose from right at the base of the resort.
That said, the accommodation at Perisher is all but guaranteed to be ski-in/ski-out with the resort’s higher elevation and consistent snowfall, but it is quite limited and very expensive for what it is.
Whereas Thredbo, you can easily walk to and from the resort, but it is very rare (and also all uphill) to have snow coverage to be able to strap in before you get to the lifts.
Check out these posts to see my recommendations for accommodation options at Perisher and Thredbo.
Does Perisher Or Thredbo Offer More As A Resort?
If we are talking strictly about ski-able terrain, then as I mentioned in the intro, Perisher has more to offer. But there is more to it than just that.
Yes, Perisher is definitely the larger of the two resorts, with four of its own resort areas. Offering ample space to be able to ski and/or snowboard a vast amount of terrain and find the right runs to suit your ability.
When Front Valley is busy, typically on the weekends, you can always find your own space else where across the resort.
However, the bulk of the facilities at Perisher are in the main village and and Blue Cow terminal and there is very little else to do in Perisher without leaving the resort and heading back to Jindabyne.
Thredbo, being a fully-fledged village in its own right, offers much more away from the slopes with a much more diverse range of facilities and restaurants.
That said, the steep terrain that Thredbo is most famous for also tends to cater to the more experienced skiers and snowboarders, so there are fewer beginners, particularly at the higher elevations, to have to try and avoid while making your way down the mountain.
How About Visiting Both Perisher and Thredbo?
Visiting both Perisher and Thredbo on the same trip to the Snowy Mountains is a very real option, especially if you are staying for a week or longer.
If you’ve been to the snow a few times, it’s always good to mix up your experiences and spending a couple of days at both resorts is a great way to do it.
That said, if you are looking to visit both resorts, I would recommend that you stay in Jindabyne. That will give you the most flexibility to be able to access both resorts.
Unfortunately, unlike international snow resorts, there isn’t a combined lift ticket that allows you to visit both Perisher and Thredbo with the same pass. In fact, they are in very stern competition with each other. But you can buy individual day passes on defined days to experience both resorts.
How Much Time At Either Perisher Or Thredbo
For Perisher, you could easily spend up to a week (4-5 days) at the resort and not run out of new areas of the resort to explore. With the lifts and runs scattered throughout four resort areas, you could find little untouched areas to explore, especially after a fresh snowfall.
Whereas I find, that 2-3 days is often enough at Thredbo. The combination of the steeper runs and the more confined area means that after a couple of days, my legs are cooked, and I physically need a break from snowboarding. But also, in that time, I’ve done all the runs that the mountain has to offer, so I don’t feel like I’ve missed out on anything.
If I’m staying in the Snowy Mountains region for a week or more, what I tend to do is spend the first 3-4 days at Perisher and then give myself a break to explore what else the region has to offer before rounding out my trip with 2-3 days at Thredbo.
However, not all my trips to the snow are a week or longer, so if you are planning a trip for the weekend, either resort is a very good option. Although I would tend to steer you more towards Perisher if you are just learning to ski or snowboard.
If you’d like to get more information to help plan your trip to and around Australia… Check out the rest of my blog posts.
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