Ikon vs Epic 2025-26: Pass Comparison
Here in North America, the ski industry offers up some of the most impressive ski resorts in the world. Winter enthusiasts flock to the continent's biggest and best to experience real big mountain terrain and some of the best snow conditions on the planet.
North American ski resorts have noticed this trend and capitalized on their increasing winter popularity.
As a result, lift ticket prices have skyrocketed. Showing up to the ticket windows at major ski resorts can be a real shock as you try to understand how a day of skiing can now set you back more than $300!
However, there is hope. If you’re an occasional skier, a frequent winter vacationer, or you spend more time on the slopes than at work, pre-planning can save you thousands.
Enter the multi-resort season pass. In North America, it's the Ikon vs Epic Pass.
Both passes offer access to a large network of ski resorts worldwide, but there are some key differences between them. Planned usage, specific mountain access, and your budget all come into play.
So let’s dig deep into a ski pass comparison, highlight the difference between Ikon and Epic, and determine which pass product is best for you.
Ikon Pass
The Ikon Pass is a multi-resort ski pass with access to 60+ ski resorts spread across North America, Europe, and Japan. The Alterra Mountain Company manages it.
Its main focus is on exclusive ski destinations. These include Aspen, Deer Valley, Fairmont Properties, Sun Valley, and Zermatt Matterhorn.
While they have exclusive resorts, the pass offers a good mix of terrain and experiences at many other places.
The Ikon Pass is a ski pass for travelers. It focuses mainly on the Rockies, the West Coast, and parts of the East Coast.
If you ski at many different resorts and love to travel, Ikon offers unlimited days at several places. You also get 5 or 7 days at popular destination ski resorts.
As such, the perks offered with this pass aim to satisfy destination travel.
Ikon Pass Tier Breakdown
The Ikon Pass has three types: Ikon Pass, Ikon Base Pass, and Ikon Session. Each pass offering has different uses, benefits, discounts, and blackout dates.
The following information and prices are quoted as of Oct 1, 2025 and in USD. Prices will always be cheaper in the Spring and Summer, with small increases seen in Fall.
Ikon pass products go on sale until they reach a set number rather than an end-of-sale date. Once a quota is reached, Ikon goes off-sale.
Ikon Pass
This is the top-level pass you can purchase from Ikon. The Ikon Pass is $1,429 and grants you unlimited access to 18 destinations with zero blackout dates. Additionally, the Ikon Pass offers up to 7 days each at 43 mountain resorts worldwide.
Premier resorts like Aspen, Snowmass, Deer Valley, Jackson Hole, Sun Valley, Snowbasin, Alta, and Snowbird offer up luxury, world-class terrain, and prestige.
As day tickets at these resorts cost more, the full Ikon Pass is more valuable for these destinations.
The perks included with the Ikon Pass are substantial:
- 25% off 12 lift tickets for family and friends
- Affirm 0% APR payment plans
- Ikon Pass travel deals
- 15% off food, beverage, and retail
- Free First Tracks once per month
- 2 free bike park days
- Discounted heli-skiing and heli hiking
- Partner discounts (car rental, gear, lodging, etc.)
- Unused pass deferral
- Stoke Events
Ikon Base Pass
Coming in at $1,009, the Ikon Base pass grants you unlimited access to 14 destinations with blackout dates of Dec 21 - 31, Jan 17 - 18, Feb 14 - 15.
Additionally, Ikon Base allocates up to 5 days each at 41 resorts worldwide with additional blackout dates of July 4 - 19.
The six ski resorts not included on the Ikon Base Pass are Alta, Aspen, Snowmass, Deer Valley Resort, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Snowbasin, and Sun Valley.
Perks included with the Ikon Base Pass are quite similar to the Ikon Pass with a slight decrease in lift tickets.
- 25% off 8 lift tickets for family and friends
- Affirm 0% APR payment plans
- Ikon Pass Travel deals
- 10% off food, beverage, and retail
- Free First Tracks once per month
- 1 free bike park day
- Discounted heli-skiing and heli hiking
- Unused pass deferral
- Stoke Events
Ikon Session
With this pass, you can ski or snowboard 2, 3, or 4 days at 44 destinations around the world.
A 2-Day is $329, 3-Day is $409 and 4-Day is $489.
Again, there are blackout dates Dec 21 - 31, Jan 17 - 18, Feb 14 - 15 and July 4 - 19.
The perks included with the Ikon Session are very limited.
- Affirm 0% APR payment plans
- Ikon Pass Travel deals
- Unused pass deferral
- Stoke Events
Epic Pass
The Epic Pass is a multi-resort season pass that connects skiers and snowboarders to an extensive portfolio of destinations worldwide. Vail Resorts manages Epic Pass.
Pass holders gain access to more than 90 ski resorts, including 42 that offer unlimited, unrestricted skiing and riding.
Designed to cover a wider range of major destinations across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, the Epic Pass is especially appealing for those based near ski-rich regions like British Columbia, Colorado, Utah, California, and the Northeast, where unlimited access is plentiful.
Notable destinations within the Epic Pass network include Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Telluride, Keystone, Park City, Whistler Blackcomb, Fernie, Verbier, Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis and more.
Epic Pass Tier Breakdown
The Epic Pass is available in three tiers: Epic Pass, Epic Local Pass, and Epic Day Pass. Each offers different levels of access, regional availability, and blackout dates.
The following information and prices reflect the quotes as of October 1, 2025, and in USD.
Prices will always be cheaper in the Spring and Summer, with hefty increases rolling out in the Fall.
All pass sales end around December 1. You can compare ski resort access for the three pass options here.
Epic Pass
Vail Resort’s unlimited and unrestricted season pass costs $1,097. The Epic Pass grants you unlimited, unrestricted access to 42 ski resorts across the globe.
Additionally, another 50+ partner resorts offer anywhere from 2 - 7 days per season.
This pass is for skiers who live near Vail resorts. It is great for those who ski often and want to take short trips to different ski areas.
Perks that come with this pass are hefty and cater to those who spend a lot of time on snow. Epic Pass Benefits include:
- 20% off food, lodging, lessons, rentals
- 20% off heli-skiing
- Discounted airport transportation
- 50% off tune-ups and one free wax
- Six 50% off friend and family tickets
- Summer benefits like scenic lift rides
- Epic FlexPay 0% APR payment plans
Epic Local Pass
The Epic Local Pass is designed for those who live near a Vail Resort mountain.
It provides unlimited access to more than 30 resorts. There are some peak-date restrictions at places like Park City Resort, Heavenly, NorthStar, Kirkwood, and Stowe.
In addition, passholders receive 3–10 days at more than 20 other resorts, including Vail Resort, Beaver Creek, and Whistler Blackcomb.
This pass is great for locals who can avoid busy holiday times. It is perfect for those who enjoy skiing at different places and offers big savings.
- Epic Local Pass perks include:
- 20% off food, lodging, lessons, rentals
- 20% off heli-skiing
- Discounted airport transportation
- 50% off tune-ups and one free wax
- Six 50% off friend and family tickets
- Epic FlexPay 0% APR payment plans
Epic Day Pass
This pass product allows for maximum flexibility. You can select 1 - 7 days, add peak dates, choose all resorts, or limit your resort selection for maximum savings.
Prices range from $125 for a single day up to $723 for seven days.
This type of pass is best for Epic customers who want to hit the slopes for a few days but dodge paying over $300 for a day lift ticket.
Epic Day Pass perks are fairly basic compared with other pass products, but include:
- 20% off food, rentals, lodging
- Epic FlexPay 0% APR payment plans
Ikon or Epic: Which Pass is Better For You?
With all that information, how do you choose between the Ikon Pass and the Epic Pass? Here are some points to consider.
Where you live or where you plan to visit plays a huge role in which pass product you purchase.
If you ski often and like luxury places like Aspen Snowmass, Deer Valley, and Sun Valley, the Ikon Pass is a great choice.
This is because these locations have some of the most expensive lift ticket prices in the world. This adds up for week long trips and investing in an Ikon pass can save families thousands.
If you ski often and live near many ski resorts, Epic could be a good choice. It offers a wide network and unlimited access at a lower price than Ikon.
Ski resorts like Whistler Blackcomb, Crested Butte, Kirkwood, and Telluride Resort offer experts unlimited access to expansive mountain terrain.
What's your tolerance for Peak Days and Holidays?
No getting around the fact that skiing during the holidays can be absolute chaos. Opting out of top-tier passes can save you some money and likely some headaches. If maximum flexibility is important, then this consideration comes down to which resorts you wish to visit.
Is the overall cost a major consideration for Ikon and Epic?
All tiers of the Epic Pass will come out to be cheaper than the Ikon. Again, it’s important to consider what destinations you want to ski at and how sensitive you are to blackout dates.
Conclusion
When it comes to choosing between the Ikon and Epic Pass, there’s no universal answer. It really depends on how and where you like to ski.
If you plan to travel to a few iconic destinations each season, Ikon’s curated resort list often delivers the best value.
But if you tend to ski closer to home, take weekend trips, or prefer a wider regional selection, Epic’s expansive network usually comes out ahead.
If price is your deciding factor, compare the specific resorts you plan to visit. Both brands are closely matched in their mid-tier options.
And if you want to avoid blackout dates or ski during holidays, pay close attention to each pass tier’s access levels.
Whatever you choose, buy early to lock in the best price and maximize your time on the slopes. Still unsure which pass is right for you? Let The Lodging Company ski travel experts help you decide and secure your pass through us today.
Originally from Northern Ontario, Anthony now calls Whistler, Canada, home. As an outdoor enthusiast with a passion for science and tourism writing, he chases excitement and communicates his experiences through his written work. Anthony holds CASI 2 and CSIA 1 certifications. He has over eight years of teaching and coaching experience as a snowsports instructor and 20+ seasons of skiing and snowboarding under his belt. He also proudly holds a B.Sc in Nanoscience and Engineering from the University of Guelph and gets impressively excited about anything science related.
When away from the office, Anthony celebrates his freedom by being immersed in mountain culture, playing instruments and travelling internationally. Skiing, snowboarding, hiking and mountain biking take up his free time, often complimented by sailing and the occasional backpacking adventure.