Epic Pass vs Ikon Pass 2026/2027: Full Comparison

Vail Resorts opened Epic Pass 2026 2027 price sales on March 3 2026 at $1089. This was a $38 increase over last year. That represents a 3.6% increase. It was the smallest jump since before the pandemic. Prices moved again on May 27 2026. The Epic Pass rose to $1119. The Epic Local Pass rose to $829. Expect further price increases in September and November. Treat every figure as a snapshot. Expect further increases in September and November, so treat every figure as a snapshot. Verify the live price on Epic Pass official site (this article was fact-checked on July 20, 2026).

There is a major change for the 26/27 season. Skiers aged 13 to 30 get a flat 20 percent discount. This drops the full Epic Pass price to $869. The Epic Local pass price drops to $649. Savings can reach up to $220 per pass. This age window is wider than most youth deals. The youth category used to be much narrower. Now the discount applies all the way through age 30.

• Kids 5-12: $555 total
• Epic Day Pass: $673
• Epic Local College Pass: discontinued
• Returning guests: up to $175 off

What epic covers?

Epic covers over 90 resorts worldwide. It includes 37 resorts in North America. Pass holders get unlimited access at 42 of those locations. In Colorado a full Epic Pass grants unlimited days at Vail. It provides unlimited access at Beaver Creek and Breckenridge. It also offers unlimited days at Keystone and Crested Butte. Pass holders get seven total days at Telluride. There are no blackout dates on the unlimited resorts. This forms the core of the Epic Pass Colorado lineup. It offers a deep bench if your ski life happens along I-70.

• Epic Friend Tickets: 10 vouchers
• 50% off, for early buyers
• Epic Coverage: built-in insurance
• Refunds for injury or closures

One distinction worth nailing down: Epic Local Pass vs Epic Pass isn’t just a cheaper version of the same thing. Epic Local trades away peak-date access and a few marquee resorts: no Telluride, limited days at Vail and Beaver Creek: for a lower price. It’s built for locals who ski often but skip holiday crowds, not out-of-state destination skiers.

Ikon Pass 2026/2027: Price, Access and What’s New

Alterra opened Ikon Pass 2026 2027 price sales on March 12, 2026, at $1,399: up $70 (5.7%) year over year, with a $1,349 renewal rate. Ikon Base Pass starts at $949 ($924 renewal), and Ikon Session Pass, a bundle of day tickets, starts at $299. Kids 5-12 run $399. More increases come in fall, and sales close in early December: confirm the current number on Ikon Pass official site before you buy.

The big structural news is the refundable pass. For a 20% premium, an Ikon Pass or Ikon Base Pass becomes fully refundable: 100% back if unscanned before January 15, 2027, or 50% back after one scan. It’s Alterra’s first real refund option, directly answering Epic Coverage, which only pays out for injury, illness, job loss, or a resort closure.

The Squad Peak

The Squad Pack is a new pass option. It targets the 23 to 28 age group. Five friends can buy five Ikon Base Passes together. They must complete the purchase in a single transaction. The price per pass drops to $750. This gives each person a $199 discount. It is Alterra’s version of Epic’s simple 20 percent discount for everyone. Renewal perks changed as well. The old flat discount was $100 for the full pass. The old flat discount was $50 for the Base pass. That discount shrank to $50 and $25 instead. It was replaced by monthly mountain credits. The credits are worth up to $25 per month. The maximum credit value is $300.

Two changes matter most in Colorado. Arapahoe Basin is now unlimited on the Ikon Base Pass. It has no blackout dates. This is up from last season’s five day cap. This is thanks to Alterra buying A-Basin in 2024. Snowmass is back on the Ikon Base Pass for the first time since 2019-20. It offers five days with blackouts. Aspen Mountain and Highlands and Buttermilk still require the full Ikon Pass.

The Ikon Base Pass

The Ikon Base Pass and Session Pass are blacked out December 26 to 30 2026. They are blacked out January 16 to 17 2027. They are blacked out February 13 to 14 2027. The full Ikon Pass carries no blackout dates anywhere. This is the biggest functional difference between the Ikon products.

That distinction: Ikon Base Pass vs Ikon Pass: trips people up constantly: not the same product wearing different price tags. Ikon Pass gives unlimited days at 18 resorts and seven days at 41 more, zero blackouts anywhere. Ikon Base gives unlimited days at 14-18 resorts and five days at 39 more, holiday blackouts included. Internationally, Ikon covers 76 destinations, over 50 in North America, spanning Japan, Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, Chile, Australia, and New Zealand.

Colorado Resorts: How the Two Passes Split the State

This is the part most Epic Pass vs Ikon Pass comparisons skip. It matters if you fly into Denver. The two passes split Colorado’s mountains into non-overlapping groups. Which group your resort falls into decides your road-trip logic.

Epic Pass Colorado resorts skew toward classic destination mountains. These include Vail and Breckenridge and Beaver Creek. They are the kind of place you fly in for a week. You do not drive to them for an afternoon. This is why a car service to Vail makes more sense than a rental car. Ikon Pass Colorado resorts cluster close to the metro area. Eldora and Winter Park and Arapahoe Basin are all realistic day-trip distances from Denver. Ikon geography favors you if your season looks like leave Friday and ski Saturday and drive home Sunday. Epic geography does not.

Eagle County Airport sits about 35 miles from Vail and Beaver Creek. This distance is a fraction of the drive from Denver International Airport. It offers a great option for skiers headed to both resorts. Aspen Snowmass may be on your itinerary. A car service to Aspen from Denver covers the roughly 160 mile run in about three hours.

Price Comparison and Buying Deadlines

The gap at launch was $310. The launch prices were $1,089 vs $1,399. Epic increased its price in late May. The gap settled closer to $280. That is the number most shoppers care about. Price alone does not answer which ski pass Colorado skiers should buy. The gap is easy to justify either way. Epic offers value through extra Colorado resorts. Ikon offers value through Aspen Snowmass plus a refund option.

On timing: both passes are cheapest the day they launch, then get pricier every six to eight weeks. Both stop selling by early winter. The case for buying early is simple: the pass only gets more expensive from here.

Who Should Choose Epic, Who Should Choose Ikon

Neither company hands out trophies. Here’s a rough sort based on how people actually ski.

• Opt for Epic if you plan to ski mostly in Colorado.
• Pick Ikon if skiing Aspen Snowmass is essential.
• Select Epic when you want access to the maximum number of resorts.
• Prioritize Ikon if you want refund flexibility.
• Consider Epic if you are under 30 years old.
• Lean towards Ikon when you have international trips planned.
• Go with Epic if you prioritize budget over prestige.
• Grab Ikon if premium terrain matters most to you.

Honestly, best ski pass for Denver skiers comes down to drive time as much as price. If your weekends are built around short trips, Ikon’s Front Range cluster wins on convenience. If you’re planning one big destination week, Epic’s classic resorts still make the stronger case.

Getting to Your Resort from Denver

Whichever pass wins, you still have to get from the airport to the mountain. Denver Airport to ski resorts transportation isn’t one trip: it’s two different trips, depending on which pass you’re holding.

If you bought Epic and head to Vail or Breckenridge or Beaver Creek, you face a two-hour-plus drive on I-70. Weather turns two hours into who knows. A reliable Denver Airport car service takes that variable off your plate.

Worth mentioning honestly. Epic Pass holders get 20% off transfers from DEN through Vail Resorts’ shuttle partner. An Eagle Airport transfer cuts that drive to about 35 minutes if you fly into Vail or Beaver Creek instead.

The case for a private transfer: no schedule to match, door-to-door pickup, live flight tracking if you’re delayed, and one van for your whole crew plus the ski bags. If you’re skiing Ikon’s Colorado resorts, the same logic applies to a car service to Aspen or the shorter runs to Eldora and Winter Park; groups traveling together tend to do best in a private van for ski groups rather than splitting into separate rideshares.