At the foot of the Chamonix valley, Les Houches offers forested, family-friendly skiing under Mont Blanc and the famous Kandahar World Cup downhill. It is calmer and greener than Chamonix itself.
Les Houches is a ski resort in France, in the French Alps. The village sits at 1010 m and the lifts top out at 1900 m, with 55 km of pistes and 16 lifts. Its BestSnowHotels snow score is 82/100, and the season usually runs Dec 14 → Apr 14.
How we score and classify resortsRun counts and piste kilometres are indicative. Green runs only exist in France, Spain, Andorra, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Japan, the United States, Morocco, Algeria, Lesotho, South Africa, Egypt, Canada, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Chile; Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Germany start at blue. Indicative average snow depth near the top of the resort, in cm.
A handful of well-rated hotels in and around the resort. Pick one, then compare live prices across Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Excellent · 2.7k reviews
Strong value for Les Houches, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Guests rate this hotel as excellent (4.6/5 from 2,741 reviews). It sits about 1.4 km from the slopes. A mid-range option for Les Houches, with live nightly rates shown for your exact dates so you always see the best price.
Very good · 764 reviews
Strong value for Les Houches, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Very good · 700 reviews
Strong value for Les Houches, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Very good · 460 reviews
Strong value for Les Houches, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Very good · 504 reviews
A dependable, well-reviewed choice for a stay in Les Houches.
Excellent · 154 reviews
Strong value for Les Houches, with a high guest rating that punches above its nightly price.
Ratings from Google, prices indicative per night. Live availability and rates via our booking partners.
Les Houches is a spread-out valley village with lifts at each end; some chalets and hotels near the Prarion and Bellevue lifts are within easy reach of the snow.
Les Houches guards the entrance to the Chamonix valley, a green, forested ski area that feels a world away from the high drama of the Aiguille du Midi up the road. Its 55 km of mostly tree-lined piste are sheltered and family-friendly, but they also include the Verte des Houches, the fearsome Kandahar World Cup downhill course. With grandstand views of Mont Blanc and a calmer village feel, it is the Chamonix valley's most relaxed and family-oriented mountain.
Hotels and apartments around the lifts. Compare prices on Booking, Expedia and Hotels.com.
Everything on our site connected to Les Houches: its area, the lists it makes, head-to-heads and trip guides.
Les Houches offers 55 km of pistes across 16 lifts, from 1010 m to 1900 m. Whether it suits beginners depends on the dedicated learner zones at the base of the slopes, so check the local ski-school options for green and blue run access.
The season runs from Dec 14 to Apr 14, with a snow score of 82/100. The best conditions are usually from late January through February, while spring skiing in March and April brings longer days and softer afternoons.
Les Houches is a spread-out valley village with lifts at each end; some chalets and hotels near the Prarion and Bellevue lifts are within easy reach of the snow.
Les Houches has 55 km of marked pistes served by 16 lifts, between 1010 m and 1900 m of altitude.
Les Houches counts about 42 marked runs in total. The colour breakdown above shows how they split by difficulty, a good guide to whether the resort fits your level.
The closest alternatives, an easy switch if dates or hotels are tight.
French Alps
French Alps
French Alps
French Alps
Resorts with a similar feel, snow record and size.
Austrian Alps
Swiss Alps
Austrian Alps
Italian Alps