Condé Nast Traveller's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards have crowned two very different mountains as the world's favourite ski resorts, and the full rankings make a solid shortlist for anyone planning a winter trip.
In Europe, Zermatt took the top spot with a score of 98.33 — no surprise given the car-free village, the Matterhorn looming over every run and lift-linked skiing that stretches across the border to Cervinia in Italy. Verbier came second on 95.00, with France's Méribel third on 94.17. The Dolomites punched well above their weight: Val Gardena (91.68), Corvara Alta Badia (91.11) and Cortina d'Ampezzo (90.00) all landed in the top seven, good news for skiers who care about scenery and long lunches as much as vertical. Obergurgl, the Austrian high-altitude darling known for reliable snow, was close behind on 91.67. France dominated by volume, with nine resorts in the top 20, including Val d'Isère, Les Arcs La Plagne, Les Deux Alpes and Val Thorens, while St Moritz (85.00), Andermatt (82.47) and Avoriaz (82.14) rounded out the list.
Across the Atlantic, Deer Valley in Utah claimed the number one North American slot with 97.78 — the ski-only, service-obsessed resort near Park City that famously bans snowboards and caps ticket sales. Sun Valley in Idaho was a strong runner-up on 96.67, with Vail third on 95.00. Canada's best performer was Whistler Blackcomb (93.48), the continent's biggest resort, while Silver Star Mountain in British Columbia (93.26) quietly edged it among readers in the know. The US list mixed the big hitters — Jackson Hole, Palisades Tahoe, Telluride — with under-the-radar picks like Solitude, Utah, and Vermont's Killington.
The rankings are based on thousands of reader votes, so they reflect where skiers actually had a great time rather than where the marketing budgets are biggest. That makes the mid-table especially interesting: places like Mount Washington in British Columbia (92.43) and Whiteface Lake Placid in New York (92.57) often mean shorter lift lines and lower prices than the marquee names.
If you're booking a 2026 winter holiday, this list is effectively a peer-reviewed shopping guide. Alpine types chasing the highest scores should look at Zermatt, Verbier or Méribel; value and charm point towards the Dolomites; and North American travellers who like groomed luxury skiing have a clear winner in Deer Valley. Whichever you pick, the consensus is in — and it leans heavily towards Europe's classic names and Utah's immaculately run slopes.
