Epic vs. Ikon Pass: Differences, Similarities, and How to Pick

As summer winds down into fall, and winter looms on the horizon, skiers and riders all over the world are faced with an annual conundrum: To Epic Pass, or to Ikon Pass? That is the question.

It’s a choice that will define your ski season, who you ski with, where, how much you pay, and what kinds of benefits you get with your ski pass. Both the Epic and Ikon offer a host of different perks, discounts, buddy pass deals, and more. And both access some of the best ski terrain in the world.

You can’t go wrong between the two, but it’s worth understanding exactly what the differences are before you pull the trigger on either one.

Well, fret not, because GearJunkie has done the hard work for you. You don’t have to open multiple tabs and windows, flip back and forth, and take notes to compare these two passes. We’ve already done all that. All you have to do is weigh your options and make a decision.

So, without further ado, here is your complete breakdown and comparison of the Epic Pass versus the Ikon Pass. Let’s dive in.

Side by Side: Epic vs. Ikon

Price

We won’t beat around the bush. Price is always the first variable people want to factor into their season ski pass decision.

Both the Epic and Ikon are offered in two tiers. The top tier is the full Ikon and full Epic Pass. The second, cheaper tier — which offers fewer benefits, more restrictions on destinations, and is subject to blackout dates — is the Epic Local and Ikon Base Pass.

Destinations

Both the Epic and Ikon passes offer access to a lot of different ski resorts around the world. No matter where you are, this is an important consideration. If you live much closer to Epic mountains like Vail or Breckenridge, you’ll likely be inclined to buy that pass. Similarly, if you’re more proximal to Steamboat or Mammoth Mountain, you’ll naturally lean toward the Ikon Pass.

But you should also ask yourself: Where do you want to ski? If you’ve always dreamed of sending it off Corbet’s Couloir in Jackson Hole, the Ikon Pass offers up to 7 days there. Or if you’re planning a winter trip to Switzerland and want to snag a few days on snow while you’re there, you should consider the Epic Pass, for its access to Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis and Crans-Montana.

The different destinations play a big role in most people’s season pass choice year-to-year.

Epic Pass Destinations

The Epic Local Pass gets you 10 days (excluding blackout dates) between Vail, Colo., Beaver Creek, Colo., and Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia; 5 days each at Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis and Crans-Montana in Switzerland, and 5 consecutive days at Verbier 4 Vallées, also in Switzerland.

The full Epic Pass grants pass holders 7 days at Telluride, Colo., and 7 days between Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Kimberley Alpine Resort, Nakiska Ski Area, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Fernie Alpine Resort, and Stoneham resorts in the Canadian Rockies. It also offers limited access to Verbier 4 Vallées in Switzerland, Skirama Dolomiti in Italy, Les 3 Vallées in France, and Ski Arlberg, Saalbach & Zell am See-Kaprun, Mayrhofen & Hintertux, Silvretta Montafon, and Sölden in Austria.

Both the Epic and Epic Local Passes grant holders 5 days each at Hakuba Valley and Rusutsu Resort in Japan.

USA

• Heavenly, Calif.
• Kirkwood, Calif.
• Northstar, Calif.
• Beaver Creek, Colo.*
• Breckenridge, Colo.
• Crested Butte, Colo.
• Keystone, Colo.
• Telluride, Colo.**
• Vail, Colo.*
• Paoli Peaks, Ind.
• Mt. Brighton, Mich.
• Afton Alps, Minn.
• Hidden Valley, Mo.
• Snow Creek, Mo.
• Attitash Mountain Resort, N.H.
• Crotched Mountain, N.H.
• Mount Sunapee, N.H.
• Wildcat Mountain, N.H.
• Hunter Mountain, N.Y.
• Alpine Valley, Ohio
• Boston Mills, Ohio
• Brandywine, Ohio
• Mad River Mountain, Ohio
• Big Boulder, Pa.
• Hidden Valley, Pa.
• Jack Frost, Pa.
• Laurel Mountain, Pa.
• Liberty Mountain Resort, Pa.
• Roundtop Mountain Resort, Pa.
• Seven Springs, Pa.
• Whitetail Resort, Pa.
• Park City, Utah
• Mount Snow, Vt.
• Okemo, Vt.
• Stowe, Vt.
• Stevens Pass, Wash.
• Wilmot, Wis.

Canada

• Fernie Alpine Resort, British Columbia, Canada**
• Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, British Columbia, Canada**
• Kimberley Alpine Resort, British Columbia, Canada**
• Mont-Sainte-Anne, British Columbia, Canada**
• Nakiska Ski Area, British Columbia, Canada**
• Stoneham, British Columbia, Canada**
• Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada*

International

• Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis, Switzerland
• Crans-Montana, Switzerland
• Hakuba Valley, Japan**
• Rusutsu Resort, Japan**
• Perisher, Australia (2026 access)
• Falls Creek, Australia (2026 access)
• Hotham, Australia (2026 access)

* Limited days for Epic Local
** Limited days for both passes

Ikon Pass Destinations

While full Ikon Pass holders have unlimited access to Steamboat, Colo., Arapahoe Basin, Colo., Crystal Mountain, Wash., and Schweitzer, Idaho, Ikon Base Pass holders only get 5 days at each of those resorts.

Ikon Base Pass holders cannot access Aspen Snowmass, Colo., Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyo., Sun Valley, Idaho, Deer Valley Resort, Utah, Alta Ski Area, Utah, or Snowbasin, Utah. Those resorts are only available (7 days each) with the full Ikon Pass.

Full Ikon Pass holders also get access to Wild Mountain, Minn., Buck Hill, Minn., Jiminy Peak, Mass., and Cranmore, N.H. (but are subject to blackout dates at those resorts).

USA

• Alyeska Resort, Alaska**
• Big Bear Mountain Resort, Calif.
• June Mountain, Calif.
• Mammoth Mountain, Calif.
• Palisades Tahoe, Calif.
• Sierra-at-Tahoe, Calif.**
• Snow Valley, Calif.
• Arapahoe Basin, Colo.*
• Aspen Snowmass, Colo.***
• Copper Mountain Resort, Colo.
• Eldora Mountain Resort, Colo.
• Steamboat, Colo.*
• Winter Park Resort, Colo.
• Schweitzer, Idaho*
• Sun Valley, Idaho***
• Jiminy Peak, Mass.**
• Sugarloaf, Maine*
• Sunday River, Maine**
• Boyne Mountain, Mich.**
• The Highlands, Mich.**
• Buck Hill, Minn.**
• Wild Mountain, Minn.**
• Big Sky Resort, Mont.**
• Cranmore, N.H.**
• Loon Mountain, N.H.**
• Taos Ski Valley, N.M.**
• Mt. Bachelor, Ore.**
• Blue Mountain Resort, Penn.**
• Camelback Resort, Penn.**
• Deer Valley Resort, Utah***
• Alta Ski Area, Utah***
• Brighton, Utah**
• Snowbasin, Utah***
• Snowbird, Utah**
• Solitude Mountain Resort, Utah
• Killington-Pico, Vt.**
• Stratton, Vt.
• Sugarbush Resort, Vt.
• Crystal Mountain, Wash.*
• The Summit at Snoqualmie, Wash.**
• Snowshoe, W.Va.
• Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Wyo.***

Canada

• SkiBig3, Alberta, Canada**
• Cypress Mountain, British Columbia, Canada**
• Panorama, British Columbia, Canada**
• Revelstoke Mountain Resort, British Columbia, Canada**
• RED Mountain, British Columbia, Canada**
• Sun Peaks Resort, British Columbia, Canada**
• Blue Mountain, Ontario, Canada
• Le Massif de Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada**
• Tremblant, Quebec, Canada

International

• Grandvalira Resorts, Andorra**
• Mt. Buller, Australia**
• Thredbo, Australia**
• Ischgl, Austria**
• Kitzbühel, Austria**
• Valle Nevado, Chile**
• Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley, France**
• Dolomiti Superski, Italy**
• Valle d’Aosta, Italy**
• St. Moritz, Switzerland
• Zermatt Matterhorn, Switzerland**
• Arai Mountain Resort, Japan**
• Niseko United, Japan
• Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, and Mt. Hutt, New Zealand**

* Limited days for Ikon Base
** Limited days for both Ikon and Ikon Base
*** Unavailable for Ikon Base, limited days for Ikon

Blackout Dates

Both the Epic Local and Ikon Base passes have certain blackout dates, during which skiers are blacked out at all of the unlimited access ski areas. These are typically around holidays and peak visitation times.

Perks & Benefits

And that’s not all! Both Epic and Ikon passes come with a host of perks and benefits to sweeten the deal. Buddy passes, discounts on gear, food, lodging, and more, and even summer offerings. If you’re still on the fence, these might help tip you one way or another.

Buddy Passes

Your pass is expensive (no matter which one you buy), but with it, you can help your friends get discounted lift tickets. That’s a pretty sweet benefit, considering tickets at most Epic and Ikon locations can cost hundreds of dollars. Both passes have their own versions of this perk.

This year, Vail Resorts launched a brand new buddy pass program called Epic Friends. With the purchase of an Epic, Epic Local, or Epic Military Pass, you get between six and 10 day passes for your friends discounted to 50% off. If you bought an Epic Pass before April 14, 2025, you get 10 half-price day tickets. If you bought your Epic Pass after that, it drops to six.

Epic Friend tickets work at any of Vail’s 37 North American ski resorts and offer the same discount at all of them. On top of that, every dollar your friends spend on their discounted Epic Friends tickets can be used as a credit toward buying a 2026/27 Epic Pass.

The Full Ikon Pass comes with 12 buddy passes, offering 25% off lift ticket prices at participating Ikon destinations (they do not apply at Le Massif de Charlevoix, Zermatt, Kitzbühel, Dolomiti Superski, Arai Mountain Resort, Grandvalira Resorts Andorra, Chamonix Mont-Blanc Valley, and Ischgl). The Ikon Base Pass comes with eight buddy passes at 25% off.

Discounts & Rewards

With the purchase of an Epic or Epic Local Pass also comes Vail’s “Epic Mountain Rewards.” You’ll get 20% off food, lodging, equipment rentals, ski and snowboard group lessons, Epic Mountain Express, and Whistler Heli-Skiing packages.

Those are just the winter rewards, too. In summer, you’ll also get 20% off golf, bike rentals, and scenic lift rides at participating Epic resorts. Check out the Epic Pass website for more details on where those discounts apply.

Ikon offers similar discounts. With the full Ikon Pass, customers get 15% off food, beverage, and retail (though it notes that doesn’t apply to hard goods or alcoholic beverages). The Ikon Base Pass offers 10% off the same.

The Ikon and Ikon Base Passes also offer discounts on heli skiing and heli-hiking through CMH Heli Skiing & Summer Adventures and Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing. The full Ikon Pass comes with $400 per day credits for heli skiing days (up to $2,000), and the Ikon Base comes with $200 per day credits (up to $1,000) through both CMH and Mike Wiegele.

The Full Ikon also includes two free bike park days for summer shredding, and the Ikon Base Pass includes one.

Finally, the full Ikon Pass also grants discounts of 20-40% off at brands like The North Face, SIXT, Blenders, White Space, 4FRNT, DB, Gravity Haus, and Prenuvo. You also get a full-year membership to the nonprofit Protect Our Winters (POW).