Five ski days and 20 ski days call for very different pass decisions. Here’s how the 2026–27 Epic and Ikon options compare—and the question to answer before looking at the price.
The most expensive ski pass is the one you barely use. If you expect to ski five days this winter, buying unlimited access may make little sense. If you expect to ski 20, the cost of each day can drop dramatically.
For 2026–27, the advertised adult starting prices are $1,145 for the Epic Pass, $849 for the Epic Local Pass, $1,449 for the Ikon Pass, and $1,019 for the Ikon Base Pass. Epic’s prices shown here are for ages 31 and older; the Ikon prices are for ages 23 and older. Both companies also sell shorter duration products, and the mountain you actually plan to ski matters more than the number of destinations on a pass. Check current prices before buying: Epic says prices rise October 7, and Ikon says prices rise October 8.
The quick answer
- Skiing around five days? Start with an Epic Day Pass, an Ikon Session Pass, or advance tickets at the specific resort you want to visit. Epic Day Passes cover one to seven days; Ikon Session Passes offer two, three, or four days total at participating destinations. Compare the exact resort and dates before choosing.
- Skiing around 10 days? An Epic Local or Ikon Base Pass becomes more compelling, especially if most of those days are at an included mountain near home.
- Skiing around 20 days? A season pass is likely worth a serious look. Choose the pass that covers the mountains you’ll actually ski, then decide whether you need its unrestricted version.
What each pass costs per ski day
These figures divide the advertised starting pass price by the number of days you actually ski. They are not a comparison with lift ticket prices, and they do not account for taxes, travel, parking, or pass perks.
| 2026–27 pass | Advertised adult starting price | If you ski 5 days | If you ski 10 days | If you ski 20 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epic Pass | $1,145 | $229/day | $114.50/day | $57.25/day |
| Epic Local Pass | $849 | $169.80/day | $84.90/day | $42.45/day |
| Ikon Pass | $1,449 | $289.80/day | $144.90/day | $72.45/day |
| Ikon Base Pass | $1,019 | $203.80/day | $101.90/day | $50.95/day |
Prices checked September 28, 2026. Starting prices apply to different adult age brackets across the two companies and can change.
The table shows why counting ski days helps, but it cannot pick a winner on its own. Twenty days at a mountain you love is valuable. Twenty days of theoretical access to mountains you cannot reasonably reach is not.
If you ski five days: Look at limited day passes first
A five day skier should price out the exact trip before buying a full season pass. Epic sells configurable Epic Day Passes for one to seven days, with resort access and peak date options that affect the price. Ikon’s Session Pass offers two, three, or four total days at select destinations, so a five day trip would require another ticket or pass option.
Here’s the comparison to make: price the pass that covers your specific five dates and resort, then compare it with the resort’s advance lift tickets. A cheaper pass does you no good if your planned mountain or holiday week is excluded.
That point matters this winter. Restricted Epic Day Passes exclude several peak periods, including December 26–31, 2026, unless you choose an option that includes peak access. Ikon Base and Session products also have blackout dates at applicable destinations. Read the access terms for the product you select.
If you ski 10 days: Your home mountain can settle the debate
At 10 days, the advertised starting price works out to $84.90 per day for Epic Local or $101.90 per day for Ikon Base. That makes both worth comparing with the tickets you would otherwise buy. But first, write down where those 10 days are likely to happen.
If your regular weekends are at an Epic mountain, an Epic product may be the natural fit. If they’re at an Ikon mountain, the reverse may be true. Then check the pass’s access at that particular resort: “on the pass” can mean unlimited days, a fixed number of days, restricted dates, or reservation requirements.
The Ikon Base Pass, for example, lists unlimited access at some destinations and up to five days at others. Ikon also says lift reservations are required at Jackson Hole, Deer Valley, and Loon Mountain for 2026–27. Epic Local has peak date restrictions at certain resorts, including Park City, Stowe, Vail, and Whistler Blackcomb.
If you split your season between several mountains, map out the trips you would realistically take. Our guide to the real cost of skiing explains why the lift ticket is only one part of that calculation.
If you ski 20 days: Think about access before upgrading
At 20 days, the advertised starting price falls to $42.45 per day for Epic Local and $50.95 per day for Ikon Base. Even the full passes work out to $57.25 per day for Epic and $72.45 per day for Ikon. Those figures make a season pass appealing if you use it that often.
The next question is whether the full pass gives you something you need. Epic markets its full pass around unrestricted access at its major owned destinations, while Epic Local limits access on specified peak dates at certain resorts. Ikon says its full pass has no blackout dates; Ikon Base has limited blackout dates and different access at some destinations.
An upgrade could make sense if your only available vacation falls during a restricted period or if it unlocks a destination central to your plans. Otherwise, spending more for access you never use raises your effective cost per day.
So, Epic or Ikon?
Choose based on the days you can actually ski, at the mountains you can actually reach. Then compare the least expensive product that covers those days.
For a short trip, that may be a day or session pass. For a season of local weekends, it may be Epic Local or Ikon Base. For frequent skiing and a specific need for broader access or fewer date restrictions, the full Epic or Ikon Pass may justify its higher price.
Before checkout, confirm four things: your mountain, your dates, your number of usable days, and whether reservations are required. That five minute check is more useful than counting how many resorts appear in a pass advertisement.
Planning your winter destinations? See what’s new across Ikon mountains for 2026–27 and the ski resorts with announced 2026–27 opening dates.
