Davos Ski Season: Dates, Sectors and Planning Your Trip

One Destination, Six Separate Ski Seasons

Davos sits in a broad valley with lift bases at Davos Dorf, Davos Platz, Davos Glaris and Klosters Dorf, and the ski terrain spreads across six distinct sectors. Parsenn is split into a Davos side and a Klosters side that share the same upper mountain, while Jakobshorn, Madrisa, Rinerhorn, Pischa and Schatzalp each stand alone.

That layout matters more in the Davos ski season than in most resorts. One sector can be running continuously while another waits for late December, and a storm can close the upper Parsenn while Madrisa's family slopes stay open. Plan your days by sector rather than treating the resort as a single ticket gate. Our Davos ski guide covers how the sectors, passes and transfers fit together across a whole trip.

The second distinction is between the season window and the daily lift hours. The season tells you whether a sector is operating at all in your week; the first and last ascents tell you how to shape each day. Both are published separately, and mixing them up is the most common planning error here.

Season at a Glance: Published Winter Windows

For winter 2026/27, Parsenn Davos is published from 13 November 2026 to 4 April 2027, with weekend operation on 13 to 15 November before continuous running. Parsenn Klosters follows from 27 November 2026 to 4 April 2027, also with a weekend-only start on 27 to 29 November. Jakobshorn opens earliest of the standalone sectors, from 27 November 2026 to 11 April 2027, with weekend operation on 27 to 29 November.

The late-December group is where many trips go wrong. Schatzalpbahn is listed from 28 November 2026 to 21 March 2027, but the Schatzalp ski area itself runs 18 December 2026 to 21 March 2027. Madrisa and Rinerhorn both start on 18 December 2026 and close on 29 March 2027, and Pischa runs 26 December 2026 to 29 March 2027.

Read as a calendar, that gives you a thin November opening, a full mid-December build-out, a long peak block and a staggered April finish where only Jakobshorn and the two Parsenn sides survive into the month. If your dates are fixed, find your sector in that pattern first.

Why Early Season Means Parsenn

Early-season Davos is essentially a Parsenn story, with Jakobshorn as the backup. Parsenn Davos lifts are flagged for 13 to 15 November 2026 and Parsenn Klosters for 27 to 29 November 2026, both as weekend operation. Jakobshorn adds 27 to 29 November 2026 on the same conditional basis.

Weekend operation is exactly what it sounds like. The lift company states that, depending on snow and weather conditions, individual slopes and lifts open on those weekends, so a November trip can mean a handful of runs off the top rather than a full network. Book accommodation with a cancel option and check the live lift report the day before you travel.

From late November and early December, the main sectors switch to continuous operation and the early-season gamble turns into a normal ski holiday. The trade-off is simple: November offers quiet slopes and cheaper beds but partial terrain, while the first week of December usually buys you a working Parsenn and Jakobshorn without the Christmas crowds.

The January-to-April Block

Peak season is the easy part of planning, because almost everything is running. Parsenn, Jakobshorn, Madrisa, Rinerhorn, Pischa and Schatzalp all overlap from late December through to late March, which is when you can move between sectors day by day and pick terrain to suit the weather.

The finish splits into two groups. Madrisa, Rinerhorn and Pischa close on 29 March 2027, while Schatzalp closes on 21 March 2027. Parsenn Davos and Parsenn Klosters run to 4 April 2027, and Jakobshorn goes longest, to 11 April 2027.

That makes the last week of March and the first week of April a Parsenn and Jakobshorn trip rather than a whole-resort one. Spring conditions usually mean firm mornings and soft afternoons on the higher Parsenn runs, so build the day around the Weissfluhjoch lifts and treat the valley sectors as closed.

Sector by Sector: Which Part of Davos Suits You

Parsenn is the long-distance sector. The Davos side climbs by funicular to Höhenweg and gondola to Weissfluhjoch, with a further gondola to the Weissfluhgipfel, while the Klosters side rises from Klosters to Gotschnagrat. The classic day is a top-to-bottom traverse between the two valleys, which is why Parsenn carries intermediates and strong skiers for hours without repeating a run.

Jakobshorn is the freeride-flavoured sector above Davos Platz, reached by a two-section gondola from Davos, with chairlifts spread across the upper bowl and a valley lift at Bolgen. It opens early, closes latest and attracts riders who want open, off-piste-style terrain rather than a linked touring circuit.

Madrisa, above Klosters Dorf, is the family sector, with a gondola to Saaseralp, a six-seater chair to Schaffürggli and a cluster of short lifts and the Madrisa-Land children's area near the top station. Rinerhorn, reached from Davos Glaris, is quieter again, with a gondola to Jatzmeder and a handful of short lifts. Pischa is the smallest: a single cable car from Dörfji serves its terrain.

Schatzalp sits above Davos Platz and is served by its own funicular, with a small ski area on the upper slopes. Its season is the shortest of the group, so it works as an add-on for a day or two rather than the base for a week.

Ability Match Across the Six Sectors

Beginners are best served in the Klosters valley. Madrisa's Madrisa-Land, the Albeina and Heid lifts and the gentle upper slopes give new skiers a self-contained area, and Rinerhorn's short Hubel, Juonli and Nülli lifts do the same job with fewer people. Both, however, only open on 18 December 2026, so early-December beginners should look at Jakobshorn's Bolgen valley lift instead.

Intermediates get the most from Parsenn. The height difference between Weissfluhjoch and the Klosters valley floor produces long, rolling descents that reward mileage, and the Gotschnagrat side adds variety without requiring expert terrain. Jakobshorn's blue and red runs suit confident intermediates who want to build speed.

Strong skiers and freeriders gravitate to Jakobshorn for its open upper faces and to Parsenn for the high Weissfluhgipfel access and spring snow. Pischa's small scale and late opening make it a niche choice, worth a day if you are based in Davos and the snow is good.

Lift Hours in Season and How They Shape Your Day

First ascents differ by sector, and they set the rhythm of a ski day. On Jakobshorn the Davos-Ischalp gondola starts at 08:30 and the second section at 08:40, with the last ascent around 16:30 and 16:40. Parsenn Davos lifts begin at 08:20 from Davos to Höhenweg, with the last ascent at 16:00.

Klosters side, the Parsenn gondola starts at 08:15 and the Gotschnagrat section at 08:25, with the final ascent at 16:30 and 16:38. Madrisa's gondola from Klosters Dorf runs 08:15 to 16:45. Rinerhorn's Glaris gondola runs 08:30 to 16:45. These are the times to work from when you plan a two-valley traverse, because the last connection back matters.

The practical consequence is a short lunch. If you want the full Weissfluhjoch-to-Klosters run and the return, start on the first Parsenn ascent, keep lunch brief at a mid-mountain hut and leave the valley sectors for another day. On Jakobshorn, the 08:30 start gives you roughly eight hours of lift access, enough for a long freeride session with time to spare.

Planning for the Late-December Start

The four sectors that open on or after 18 December 2026 reshape any Christmas booking. Madrisa and Rinerhorn start together on 18 December, Schatzalp's ski area starts the same day, and Pischa waits until 26 December. Anyone arriving before mid-December should base plans on Parsenn and Jakobshorn.

The WEF appears on the published calendar as closures for Rinerhorn and Pischa, marked as closed through the meeting. Both are listed as closed during WEF alongside their normal windows. If your trip overlaps that period, plan those sectors out and lean on Parsenn, Jakobshorn and Madrisa instead.

Christmas week itself is when every sector except Pischa is running and the resort is at its busiest. Book beds and rentals well ahead, and expect the Parsenn funicular and the Klosters gondola to be the most congested first-thing. Late December is also when the late-opening sectors finally join the picture, so a two-week trip can cover both phases.

Ski School, Hire and Passes: What to Lock In

Ski school groups and rental fleets fill first in the Christmas and February holiday weeks, so reserve both once your dates are set. Beginners booking Madrisa or Rinerhorn lessons should confirm the school's start date against the 18 December 2026 sector opening; a lesson booked for the first week of December is likely to run elsewhere even though it is still valid. Our guide to Davos ski lessons sets out the named school formats and what to confirm before you pay.

Hire shops cluster around Davos Dorf, Davos Platz and Klosters, with the closest cluster to each lift base being the sensible pick. Collecting skis the evening before your first day saves a morning queue, and shops near the Parsenn funicular or the Klosters gondola save a walk in boots. The Davos ski hire guide covers equipment tiers and collection checks.

Lift passes are sold as multi-day Davos Klosters products covering the sectors, with shorter options available. No pass prices are published in the operating information, so check the current tariff on the mountain railways' operating pages before you budget, and compare a multi-day pass with single-day tickets if you plan rest days. The Davos Ski Pass Guide breaks down how the mountain and regional tickets differ.

Getting to Davos and Moving Between Sectors

Davos is reached by rail from Zurich via Landquart, with the Rhätische Bahn running into Davos Dorf and Davos Platz, and Klosters served on the same line. Once there, the valley is long and the sectors are spread out: Parsenn Davos from Davos Dorf, Jakobshorn and Schatzalp from Davos Platz, Rinerhorn from Davos Glaris, and Madrisa from Klosters Dorf. The Davos Ski Map and Piste Plans shows how the lift bases line up against the valley.

Local buses and the valley rail line link the bases, and the resort publishes parking availability for the mountain railway car parks. If you drive, parking at the lift base you plan to use saves a transfer, but a car is a liability on powder days when the Parsenn road fills early.

A sensible pattern is to pick one sector per day rather than chase across the valley. Parsenn and Jakobshorn are both reachable from Davos Dorf and Davos Platz, while Madrisa and Rinerhorn need a deliberate trip. Allow a transfer morning if you are switching valleys.

Snow Reliability and Conditional Operation

The published windows tell you when lifts are scheduled, not whether the snow will cooperate. The Davos Klosters lift company marks every date as subject to change, and the November weekend openings are explicitly conditional on snow and weather. A warm autumn can delay the start just as a dry January can thin the lower runs.

Practical hedging is straightforward. Book flexible accommodation for November and early December, keep an eye on the live lift report in the week before travel, and favour the higher Parsenn terrain if lower slopes are marginal. The valley sectors at Madrisa and Rinerhorn are the first to suffer in a thin snow year.

For a comparison of how neighbouring resorts handle the same seasonal uncertainty, the Arosa Ski season dates run through similar early and late phases. It is a useful cross-check if you are choosing between the two valleys for a shoulder-season trip.

Matching Your Dates to the Right Part of the Season

If you want the fullest resort, aim for late December through mid-March, when all six sectors overlap and the WEF closures have passed. If you want long Parsenn runs with quieter slopes, the first half of December works once continuous operation starts on 4 December 2026 for Parsenn Klosters and Jakobshorn.

If you want spring skiing, target late March and early April and accept that Madrisa, Rinerhorn and Pischa will be closed. If you want a cheap early-season break, take the November weekend openings as a bonus rather than a promise.

Your Davos Season Checklist

Start with your travel dates, match them to the published sector windows, and only then choose accommodation and passes. Book rentals, lessons and beds early for Christmas and February, keep November and early-December plans flexible and confirm the current season and daily lift hours on the official Davos Klosters Mountains pages before you commit.

The single most useful habit is to read two numbers separately: the season window for your sector and the first and last ascent for the day. Get both right and the Davos ski season opens up as six different trips in one destination.