Restaurants, food and drink
Les Arcs is an excellent ski resort for eating out with a wide choice of restaurants both on and off the mountain. Up in Arc 2000, the rustic Chalet de L’Arc is one of our favourite mountain restaurants. The prices can be expensive but the traditional atmosphere is highly recommended – especially the strong smell of reblochon and other French cheeses.
The French flavours continue off the mountain. In the centre of Arc 1950 the popular Le Mazot restaurant specialises in traditional Savoyard cuisine, such as fondue and tartiflette. Tables book-up quickly and we suggest booking in advance for your evening meal.
Just around the corner from Le Mazot, Le Vache Rouge is also highly recommended. This quirky restaurant greets outside visitors with a large red cow and the cow theme continues inside, both with the funky interior and on the menu. Beef steaks and burgers abound, but again it is the fondue (with meat platter) that makes us want to go back!
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Arc 2000, the delightful Au Refuge Gourmand is as cozy as it is charming. A very small restaurant – what it lacks in size it makes up for in friendly service and delicious food and drink.
Finally, if you’re looking for a quick snack in Arc 2000, it’s hard to find many better restaurants than the Bois de L’Ours, which specialises in delicious sandwiches, burgers and cakes. The chicken kebab is easily our favourite sandwich, and we’re a fan of the BMD and Les Meillures burgers. We hear the Pulled Pork burger is a fine choice too!
Lower down the mountain, in Arc 1800, there are 3 new restaurants (opening winter 19 / 20) to welcome skiers including: La Fruitiere (delicious local and authentic food), La Petite Cuisine (serving friendly, relaxed gourmet meals) and the Butcher (high quality snacking).
Après, bars, clubs and nightlife
There are plenty of bars dotted around Les Arcs. The main après scene is in Arc 1800 and revellers head to either the *new Folie Douce (opening winter 19 / 20) or the Bar King Mad (known as BKM) at the end of the ski day. We recommend first stopping off at the Igloo ice bar in Arc 2000 for a cheeky vin chaud blanc. The pounding dance music and neon clad ravers will certainly get you in the mood for a party!
Later in the evening partygoers head from BKM to Red Hot Saloon. Just a few doors down in the Arc 1800 village, this bar has a large terrace, which is an excellent place for chilling out on a bluebird day. Live music inspires crazy dancing until late into the evening.
At the top of resort, Arc 2000 has a great variety of après destinations. One of our favourites is the Bowling Arc 2000 – a fabulous mixture of bowling lanes, pool tables, arcade machines and, of course, a cocktail bar. The expert mixologists will even deliver your drinks to your bowling game – we love it!
Also in Arc 2000 is the popular Whistlers bar, a welcome retreat for many off-duty seasonaires. Whistlers has a charmingly grungy vibe and has a tendency to get very loud and lively in the evenings.
Clubbers are also welcomed in Arc 2000. Latino Loco is the go to destination for late night dance music and DJ sets.
Arc 1950 has a much quieter après scene, but we’ve had loads of fun at Les Belles Pintes Irish pub, dancing to cheesy eighties pop music until late into the evening. The piste side terrace of Chalet de Luigi Bar is frequently heaving at the end of the ski day and George’s Wine Bar is an excellent, friendly spot for a chilled après session.
Shopping
Shoppers should head to Arc 1950. There is a strong variety of sports equipment shops – from upmarket boutiques to specialised children’s sports retailers like Les Petits Troubadours.
Amongst the many equipment shops there are also a several places to buy gifts. Cascade Sucre, as the name implies, sells anything sweet, and has an excellent range of chocolates. There is even a little stall where you can buy ice cream.
You can also buy traditional Savoyard products, from ornaments to fine cheeses and liquors, at regional produce shops in both Arc 1950 and 2000. They make an excellent gift for friends and family who sadly couldn’t join you on your holiday.
Supermarkets are easily found across the resort, with one of the largest located in Arc 1950.
Spas and relaxation
Les Arcs has a fabulous range of spas and leisure facilities. The Cinq Mondes spa in Arc 1950 is a luxurious swimming pool complex and wellness centre. The indoor swimming pool is particularly impressive with grand chandeliers and rock features.
In Arc 1800 both the Hotel Eden and the Hotel du Golf have their own spa and relaxation facilities. And the state of the art Mille 8 complex has a stunning aquatic centre, just off the slopes and overlooking Mont Blanc. The exciting slides and water features are perfect for children.
Visitors to Arc 2000 have a fine choice of spas too. The Paradiski’s first ever 5 star hotel, the luxury Taj I Mah has a large spa area and indoor pool complex. Guests have access to saunas, steam baths, sensory showers and a solarium. Massages and beauty treatments are also available to buy locally. It’s the perfect place to unwind after a long day spent skiing.
Arts, culture and events
The winter season begins in Les Arcs with the yearly Les Arcs European Film Festival. Ten feature films go head-to-head to try to win the coveted Crystal Arrow – awarded by a prestigious jury of filmmakers.
Festive celebrations run throughout mid-December into the New Year, including a torch lit descent, fireworks and dancing at the Place Olympique on New Years Eve. A few days into January, the ‘nocturnal ski touring race’ La Pierre Blanche departs from Arc 1950 and races to Arc 1600. This one’s for fans of gruelling physical exertion in the dark.
Freeride Week takes place in Arc 1950 towards the end of January and offers a week of competitions to freeriding skiers and snowboarders from across the globe. The event includes the Freeride World Qualifier and the Freeride Junior Tour as well as talks on skiing safely off-piste.
Finally, Les Arcs turns into a home-away-from-home on the last week of March when The Great British Celebration arrives in resort. The whole resort is decked in Union Jack bunting and a series of events are hosted to celebrate all things British.
Resort Activities
Paradiski is renowned amongst Alpine resorts for its outstanding skiing and it certainly deserves its reputation as a skier’s paradise! However, while you could ski from the crack of dawn until the last lift every day of your ski holiday, and will never tire of the incredible slopes here, Les Arcs has so much more to offer both on and off the piste.
First Tracks
Join the pisteurs to be the first skiers on the mountain where they will point out the main peaks and accompany you as you enjoy the freshly-pisted slopes before sharing breakfast as the sun comes up!
Trips take place on Thursdays at 7.45am from the TSD Bois de l’Ours and costs around €11 with an active local lift pass. You will need to reserve your place with the lift pass office by 12pm on the Wednesday before.
Igloo Village and Ice Grotto
The Les Arcs Ice Grotto is open from 10am-4pm and the standard entry fee is about €5 per person. Here you can admire the incredible ice sculpture exhibition which features all sorts of stunning, hand-carved figures. Your Inghams representative can help you to organise this fun activity.
You can also dine at the Igloo Village between 7pm-11pm with a reservation. Make time to enjoy a vin chaud and canapés in the famous Igloo Bar before sitting down to a traditional Savoyard fondue, pudding and wine in the spectacular ice restaurant. It’s a truly unforgettable evening! Dinner costs around €75 per person or around €35 for aperitif and canapés only.
The ‘Paradiski Warrior’ challenge
Complete the ‘Paradiski Warrior’ challenge on the Yuge app by travelling between the two highest peaks of the Paradiski Area in one day. Ski from the top of the Aiguille Rouge cable car in Les Arcs right over to the Chiaupe Glacier in La Plagne, at 3250m, the highest peak in the ski area.
By taking the Vanoise Express cable car across the valley you can experience the highlights of both Les Arcs and La Plagne. It’s an intense ski day where you’ll need to keep one eye on the clock to make sure you’re back in time for the last lift!
The experience is free with an active Paradiski lift pass and you can download the Yuge app free from the App Store.
The Rodeo Park Luge
Every Wednesday afternoon this adrenaline-packed, three-kilometre toboggan ride from the top of the Arcabulle lift in Arc 2000 stays open after the pistes close so you can sledge after sundown.
Sledges and helmets are provided, and a hot drink is included to warm you up after the thrilling descent! The nocturnal descent is bookable by reservation only but the run is also open every day from 10am-4pm. Minimum ages and heights apply and your Inghams representative can help you to book this activity locally.
Feast on the Piste
Every Wednesday, L’Arpette bar hosts Les Arcs’ biggest après-ski event with a live DJ on their outdoor terrace until late in the afternoon and lots of dancing on the tables! To make a night of it guests can head for dinner in the adjoining L’Arpette restaurant on the edge of the piste, just below the Apocalypse Snow Park, then join a torch-lit procession at 9pm led by pisteurs and a snowmobile down to Arc 1800.
Parapenting
Like hang-gliding, but with skis on! Strap a parachute on and join a guide in an adrenaline-filled jump off the edge of the mountain, where you will soar through the skies above the pistes before coming to a gentle landing above either Arc 1600 or 1800. Speak to your local representative for advice on how to book this adrenaline rush of an experience.
Night skiing in Arc 2000
Every Tuesday and Thursday the Marmottes lift stays open until 6.30pm, and the Marmottes piste is floodlit so you can keep skiing long past sundown! To round off the evening why not ski into Arc 1950 and enjoy live acoustic music and some warming happy hour drinks at Irish bar Les Belles Pintes?
Husky sledding
Come and experience the slopes at night as you have never experienced them before. Husky sledding in the moonlight is an incredible experience which also lets you admire the talents of these incredible animals!
Snuggle up under a blanket in a traditional artisanal sledge and take in the stunning surroundings under the stars. Your Inghams representative will help you to book this truly special excursion.
Dinner in a yurt
Join local expert Yourtine for a Savoyard evening by the fire in an authentic Mongolian yurt! After snowshoeing from Arc 1950 or riding there by snake gliss, you’ll walk to the yurts along a torch-lit pathway. The aperitifs will be served by the fireplace: mulled wine and canapés.
A traditional Savoyard meal of seasonal vegetable soup, tartiflette and other Alpine specialities is served by the wooden stove. Dinner is accompanied by organic Savoyard wines and the famous local Genepi! Speak to your Inghams representative for assistance booking this trip.
Ice climbing in Champagny-en-Vanoise
In the Champagny-en-Vanoise valley, natural waterfalls freeze over because of the intense cold, making it a favourite playground for climbers. Here you will find the famous Ice Tower, a completely unique man-made ice structure!
At twenty-four metres high, it has multiple routes to the top with different angles and reliefs, meaning climbers of all levels can enjoy an amazing ascent. The experienced instructors will provide your equipment and give complete beginners an introduction to the world of ice climbing.
Tobogganing
Fun and thrills are guaranteed with the new toboggan run! Launch into the air on a rubber ring and land safely on a big Airbag! Located next to the Snowpark in Arc 1600, this area is equipped with a video set up so you can download and share your experience on social media!
