California Ski Safari

USA

Palisades Tahoe - Powder Day © Alterra Mountain Company

Our California Ski Safari is a sunny and snowy road trip like no other. Self-drive between the state's two famous cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles, stopping off at Palisades Tahoe and Mammoth Mountain for a powder fix en route.

Non-Ski Activities
Powder
Once-in-a-Lifetime
Culture
Honeymoons

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

Enviable sunshine, laidback culture and spectacular desert scenery: skiing in California is truly unique. Make the most of unlimited skiing on the Ikon Base Pass by staying in North Lake Tahoe's Palisades Tahoe before a scenic drive to Mammoth Mountain. You can even spend a day or two at the undiscovered gem of June Mountain, which is also featured on your pass.

Palisades Tahoe is one of North America's largest ski resorts, with Palisades and Alpine now connected by the state-of-the-art Base to Base Gondola, providing 6,000 acres of iconic terrain. There are runs for all abilities, but upper intermediate to advanced skiers will get the most out of these mountains.

High up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, with unique views out over the desert below, Mammoth Mountain lives up to its name with big terrain and bigger snowfall. It's not unusual to see more than 10 metres of snowfall in a single season. If you're not after steep and deep thrills, from Mammoth it's a 20-30 minute drive to June Mountain, where you'll find uncrowded and more beginner-friendly terrain.

It's easy to sandwich the skiing with two slices of culture. Flying into San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz are obvious reasons to stay a night or two, and we can’t recommend Chinatown enough - it’s the largest one outside Asia. Self-driving your way south through California, you could finish your adventure either with Los Angeles’ city beaches and the Hollywood Hills or with the glitzy shows and 24-hour casinos in Las Vegas.

Andy Knights

Sales Manager / Japan Product Manager

"This trip not only has fabulous skiing in two resorts, it also takes in the unique scenery of Lake Tahoe and the High Sierra Mountains, as well as a chance to experience the USA's most vibrant cities."

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Suggested itinerary

This sample itinerary is our suggestion of how you could divide your time between skiing, travelling and sightseeing. All our ski safaris are completely tailor-made and can be adjusted to suit your preferences.

Days 1 to 2

Arrive into San Francisco airport, collect your car and drive 20 minutes to the city. The two-night stay gives you one and a half days to explore the city before heading up to Tahoe early afternoon. The more time you spend in the city, the more you'll be able to explore, though be aware San Francisco hotels are very expensive and generally more reasonable on Fri/Sat/Sun nights.

Days 3 to 7

In the afternoon, drive three hours to Palisades Tahoe, featured on the Ikon Pass. Palisades has some great advanced tree skiing and steep chutes through the red-rock palisades, but plenty of groomers too, with easy runs from the top of the mountain. Cross over to Alpine on the Base to Base Gondola for the best views across Lake Tahoe and quieter runs at weekends.

Days 8 to 13

We suggest skiing Lake Tahoe in the morning if you don't want to take a day off, then take the stunning three-hour drive down to Mammoth in the early afternoon. It's an easy drive with lots of scenic stops, but we always suggest checking the weather and road conditions before departing, as snow can increase the drive time. Mammoth Mountain and June Mountain are both on the Ikon Pass. Mammoth offers huge mountain ski terrain with a lot of above-tree-line powder bowls and miles of groomers. June Mountain is small and very pretty, being off the back of Yosemite National Park, so definitely worth at least a morning's skiing - even if it's just to avoid the crowds on Saturday mornings in Mammoth.

Days 14 to 15

It's an attractive six-hour drive (including stops and traffic) to Los Angeles - with the Sierras on one side and White Mountains on the other, travelling through great Route 66-style towns, before driving through the Mojave Desert. Stay one night (or more) anywhere in Los Angeles, though you'll find Santa Monica is easy to find and a nice base to explore Beverly Hills and Hollywood before your evening flight the next day. Alternatively, you could drive to Death Valley and have your last night in Las Vegas.

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What's included?

Learn more about the resorts and cities featured on this ski safari.

Our Prices

Every holiday is tailor-made, just for you.

To give you the most choice and best value, we create every holiday from scratch. This means that the quotation you receive is unique, based on your preferred departure dates, group size and holiday preferences.

We save you time and get the most for your money.

We sift through the prices and promotions for every airline, hotel and resort, exploring all options. We don’t publish all our prices online. Instead, we give personal quotations within 1-2 days of receiving your request.

British Travel Awards 2025 - Best Small Travel Company for Ski/Winter Sports Holidays

Enquire now or call 01273 224060

Customer Reviews

What our customers say about California Ski Safari.

Went like clockwork. Had a fabulously great time. Encouraged by the diligence put in by Sarah when we indicated a concern at the ability to make the internal US transfer. As we arrived in the US we had numerous messages giving us advice on the best way of making the transfer expeditious.

Craig Jennings

30th January 2020

We had a great time - the scenery was stunning!

Simon Elliott

4th April 2019

Fantastic trip around North California - well planned by Ski Safari

Serena Green

15th April 2018

Fantastic trip that incorporated San Francisco, skiing in Squaw, Alpine Meadows & Mammoth, ending in Las Vegas. Have skied Lake Tahoe resorts before, but adding the two city breaks makes sense & is a must! Thanks to James & team for tweaking our itinerary & getting the best out of it. Squaw offers good skiing, Alpine is smaller, less commercialised & great for a few days. Mammoth - BIG mountain &…

Rick Barnes

10th April 2018

Excellent as with previous Safari's with Ski Safari

Roger Gliddon

3rd May 2017

It was great, we really enjoyed it.

Gary Davis

16th March 2017

Travelled around Lake Tahoe, Mammoth Mountain and Las Vegas. I absolutely loved it!!!

Junior Lamont

22nd February 2017

We are regular skiers but wanted to do something different to celebrate a big birthday. Ski Safari provided excellent advice and with their California Safari provided an excellent itinerary. The holiday was excellent, with the companies in resorts used by Ski Safari all providing excellent service, exceeding what we expected. I happily recommend Ski Safari and their California Safari.

Justin Tidmarsh

26th April 2016

Had a great time on this trip and loved every part of it.

John Glen

16th March 2015

My husband and I have just returned from our ski safari around Lake Tahoe / Mammoth Mountain and had a wonderful time despite the low snow levels. The accommodation which you recommended was fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed all the space at the Forest Suites Resort in our one bedroom apartment. Across the 13 days of skiing we skied at nine different resorts, with Sugar Bowl and Mammoth the best…

Cheryl Holder

9th February 2015

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Every holiday is tailor-made, just for you. Our ski specialists will look at your enquiry and will be in touch within a day or two. We promise it's worth the wait!