Winter at Lake Tahoe is not only about the ski runs. Plenty of people in every cabin never clip into a binding, and even the keenest skiers run out of legs by mid-afternoon. These are the winter plans that work for the whole group, from a sleigh ride on the shore to a full moon walk through the snow, plus the best way we know to spend a cold evening without leaving your rental.
Make one night a mixology class at your cabin
After a day in the snow, the best plan is often the one that comes to you. A professional mixologist arrives at your cabin, Airbnb or vacation rental with all the professional equipment and glassware and walks the whole group through making 3 cocktails each in about an hour and a half, with games along the way. All you sort out beforehand is the spirits, from a simple shopping list we send ahead of time. No driving on icy roads, no waiting for a table and the fire stays lit. Book a South Lake Tahoe mixology class or an Incline Village mixology class and we will come to you wherever your rental sits on the lake. Rather have the drinks made for you? Book a mobile bartender at Lake Tahoe instead.
Ride the Heavenly Gondola for the view
You do not need a lift ticket to see the lake from the top. The Heavenly Gondola climbs 2.4 miles from Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe to an observation deck at over 9,000 feet, one of the best views of the whole basin. In winter, sightseeing rides depend on how busy the mountain is, so check on the day before you head up.
Take a sleigh ride at Sand Harbor
Tahoe Sleigh Ride, run by the same family since the 1960s, takes horse-drawn sleighs through the snow at Sand Harbor State Park near Incline Village, with the lake right alongside. It is slow, quiet and about as wintry as Tahoe gets, which makes it a good morning plan for a group that went hard the night before.
Snowshoe under a full moon
Tahoe Adventure Company leads guided snowshoe tours from November to spring, including full moon treks that set off around moonrise and finish with hot drinks under the stars. No experience is needed and the snowshoes are provided. Tours run around North Lake Tahoe, South Lake Tahoe and Truckee, and the dates follow the moon, so book once you know your trip.
Go snowmobiling above the lake
From Zephyr Cove Resort, a few miles into Nevada from the Stateline casinos, guided snowmobile tours climb through mountain meadows to lookouts around 9,000 feet with the lake far below. There are rides through the day and on full moon nights, and the resort rents the warm gear you need.
Skate by a fire pit
The outdoor rink in the Village at Northstar is ringed with fire pits and heat lamps and stays open into the evening, which makes it as much a place to hang out as to skate. Tahoe City Winter Sports Park has a rink alongside a sledding hill and snowshoe trails, and on the south shore the indoor South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena runs public sessions with skate rentals whatever the weather.
Try cross-country skiing
If downhill is not for everyone, cross-country is a gentler way to get out in the snow. Tahoe XC in Tahoe City grooms around 65 kilometers of trails through the forest with warming huts along the way, and the Tahoe Donner Cross Country Ski Center in Truckee rents gear and runs lessons for complete beginners.
Book a spa afternoon
For the slow day between big days, the Spa at Edgewood Tahoe sits on the shore at Stateline, with fireplaces and views across the lake to the Sierra. It is an easy half-day for a group that wants some warmth without leaving the lake behind.
Practical tips
Check road conditions and chain controls before you drive over Echo Summit, Donner Summit or Mount Rose, and give yourself extra time after a storm. Book rentals, tours and anything that comes to your door as soon as your dates are set, since the holiday weeks fill up first. Rideshare coverage thins out quickly away from the main towns, so plans that come to you take the driving off the table. The lake sits at over 6,000 feet, so drink plenty of water. Both the sun and the cocktails hit harder at altitude.
Lake Tahoe winter questions
What is there to do in Lake Tahoe in winter if you don't ski?
Plenty. Ride the Heavenly Gondola for the view, take a horse-drawn sleigh ride at Sand Harbor, join a guided snowshoe tour or a snowmobile tour, go ice skating at Northstar or the South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena or book a spa afternoon at Edgewood Tahoe. For the evening, a mixology class at your cabin turns a night in into the main event.
Is Lake Tahoe worth visiting in winter?
Yes. The lake stays a deep blue against snowy peaks, the ski resorts are open and the towns are quieter than in summer outside the holiday weeks. Pack for cold, check chain controls before you drive over the passes and plan a few things that work whatever the weather does.
Can you go snowmobiling at Lake Tahoe?
Yes. Zephyr Cove Resort, a few miles from the Stateline casinos, runs guided snowmobile tours up into the mountains above the lake, including rides on full moon nights. Tours run when there is enough snow, so check before you book.
Where can you go ice skating in Lake Tahoe?
Outdoors, the rink in the Village at Northstar has fire pits around it and stays open into the evening, and Tahoe City Winter Sports Park has a rink too. Indoors, the South Lake Tahoe Ice Arena runs public skating sessions all year with skate rentals.
Can a mixology class come to our cabin in winter?
Yes. Our mixologist comes to your cabin, Airbnb or vacation rental anywhere around the lake with all the professional equipment and glassware and teaches the group to make 3 cocktails each in about an hour and a half. You pick up the spirits from a simple shopping list we send ahead of time, so nobody has to drive anywhere after dark. Get an instant quote.
Stuck inside by the weather? See our indoor and rainy day things to do in Lake Tahoe. Planning the evenings? See things to do in Lake Tahoe at night.
Ready to plan the best night of the trip? Get an instant quote for a Tipsy mixology class and we will bring the mixologist to wherever you are staying.