Discover Christmas in the mountains, done the Courchevel way
There are few places that lean into Christmas quite like Courchevel. By December, the villages are illuminated, the chalets disappear beneath fresh snow and the festive season takes over both on and off the slopes.
Days begin on the mountain and can end with champagne by the fire, a Michelin-starred dinner or Christmas Eve in the privacy of your chalet. For families, there are festive events and visits from Father Christmas; for everyone else, there is excellent skiing, long lunches and plenty of reasons to stay out after the final lift.
If you are spending Christmas in Courchevel, here is how to make the most of it.
Christmas Skiing in Courchevel
Christmas falls right at the beginning of Courchevel’s main winter season. For winter 2026/27, Courchevel is scheduled to open on 4 December, with the interconnected Les 3 Vallées ski area opening from 5 December.
From Courchevel, skiers have access to the wider 600 km Three Valleys domain, making it possible to spend one day exploring the local pistes and another crossing towards Méribel or Val Thorens.
December is also when the resort begins to feel unmistakably festive. The villages are decorated and illuminated, while Christmas and New Year bring a programme of entertainment across the resort.
Christmas Eve in Courchevel
Christmas Eve is one of the most atmospheric evenings of the season.
Courchevel traditionally celebrates with festive entertainment across its villages, including torchlight descents, fireworks and appearances from Father Christmas.
The exact programme changes each season, so it is worth checking the resort calendar closer to your stay rather than planning around a previous year’s schedule.
For families, this is the evening to spend some time in the village before retreating to the chalet for Christmas dinner. For adults, it can just as easily become the beginning of a longer evening.
Christmas Dinner: Restaurant or Private Chalet?
This is Courchevel, so Christmas dinner does not have to follow many rules.
One option is to reserve one of the resort’s exceptional restaurants. Courchevel has an unusually strong gastronomic scene for a ski destination, making Christmas an opportunity to turn dinner into an occasion of its own.
For something more private, arrange a chef at the chalet instead. Dinner by the fire, children already at home, no transfer back afterwards and a menu created around your group can be difficult to beat.
For larger families in particular, Christmas dinner in a private chalet may be the ultimate Courchevel luxury: nowhere else you need to be.
Christmas in Courchevel 1850
If you want to be at the centre of the festive atmosphere, Courchevel 1850 is the obvious choice.
It combines direct access to the ski area with the resort’s greatest concentration of luxury hotels, restaurants, boutiques and evening venues. During Christmas week, it also becomes one of the liveliest parts of Courchevel.
It is best suited to guests who want skiing to be only one part of the holiday — with long lunches, shopping, dining and après-ski filling the rest of the day..
Choosing a Chalet for Christmas in Courchevel
For Christmas week, the chalet becomes more important than it might during a normal ski trip.
You are likely to spend more time together at the property, so look beyond bedrooms and location.
For families, a pool, cinema or games room can be invaluable. For adults, a spa, fireplace and generous entertaining spaces can matter more. Ski-in ski-out access makes Christmas mornings particularly effortless, while a catered or serviced chalet removes much of the organisation that comes with travelling as a large group.
And if Christmas dinner at home is part of the plan, consider the dining and kitchen spaces as carefully as the bedrooms.
Spend Christmas in Courchevel
A Christmas in Courchevel can be as traditional or as indulgent as you make it: mornings on the mountain, afternoons around the table and evenings spent between the resort and your chalet.
Our collection includes luxury chalets across Courchevel 1850, Moriond, Village and Le Praz, from ski-in ski-out residences to private homes with pools, spas and dedicated staff.
Our concierge team can also assist with restaurant reservations, private chefs, transfers and arrangements throughout the festive period.