Why Nendaz
Big Mountain, Small Village.
Nendaz sits on a sunny plateau above the Rhône valley, right in the middle of the 4 Vallées. It's relaxed and friendly, and the gondola from the village takes you into one of the biggest ski areas in Europe. You spend the whole winter here, training, teaching and living by the lifts.
Size
410km
Of pistes in the 4 Vallées
The largest linked ski area in Switzerland
Height
3,330m
At the top of Mont Fort
Up from Siviez, the top of the 4 Vallées
Vertical
1,930m
Of vertical
From the top of Mont Fort down to the village
Paid work
CHF 25
An hour, teaching
Paid ski school work on the internship, for EU passport holders
Teaching
2,200m
Tracouet
The sunny bowl above the village where you teach
Getting here
2 hrs
From Geneva airport
And about half an hour from Sion
The Friendly Side Of The 4 Vallées.
A Swiss village on a sunny plateau, with the same 410km on your lift pass as Verbier next door.
And the people who train with us
Ski area figures from the Nendaz and 4 Vallées resort listings. Pay rate for the 2026/27 season. Checked October 2026.
In the press
What They Say.
Less famous than Verbier next door, and that's part of the appeal. Here's what the ski guides, and the skiers, say about it.
Snow Magazine
“One of the finest all-round resorts in the Alps.”
Ski Line
“An excellent value alternative to Verbier, with quick and easy access to the 4 Valleys circuit.”
Ski Club of Great Britain
“Direct access to Switzerland's largest linked ski area and some of the world's finest off piste terrain.”
Ultimate-Ski
“The 4 Valleys has some of the gnarliest terrain anywhere.”
Snow-Forecast
“You are skiing Verbier but at Nendaz prices.”
01The mountain
One Village, In The Middle Of 410km.
Nendaz sits at about 1,400m on a sunny plateau above the Rhône valley, 15km from Sion. It's in the middle of the 4 Vallées, the largest linked ski area in Switzerland. Verbier is one way, Veysonnaz and Thyon the other, and Mont Fort, at 3,330m, is straight up from Siviez.
For a trainee instructor, that's the point. You teach on the gentle, sunny slopes at Tracouet, and you train on everything else: wide reds, bumps, steeps and the ungroomed run from Mont Fort down to Tortin.
Rated Excellent By Past Interns.
02The numbers
1,930 Metres, From Glacier To Village.
From the top of Mont Fort down to Nendaz village, with Siviez and Tracouet in between. Here's how it fits together.
Side on
Simplified, side on, to scale for height but not for distance.
One pass
Five Resorts, Four Valleys.
Nendaz is where you live, train and teach. The rest of the 4 Vallées is on the same lift pass, for your days off and your free skiing.
01
Nendaz
Home for the winter, in the middle of the 4 Vallées.
02
Verbier
The famous one, on the same pass, through Siviez.
03
La Tzoumaz
Over the ridge from Verbier, through Savoleyres.
04
Veysonnaz
Next door, home of the Piste de l'Ours.
05
Thyon
The far end of the 4 Vallées, past Veysonnaz.
From above
Five Areas, One Pass.
Nendaz's side of the 4 Vallées, grouped into five areas and shaded as a rough guide to the colour of the pistes. Tap one to see what's there.
Choose an area, or tap one on the map.
The area
Tracouet And The Village.
The sunny side above Haute-Nendaz. The gondola from the village takes you up to Tracouet, with its frozen lake and wide, easy slopes.
For you
Where you'll teach, and where your first days on snow happen.
Best for teaching practice. Gentle, sunny slopes with room for a class, and another beginner area down in the village.
Key figures
- Tracouet
- 2,200mTop of the gondola from the village
- Nendaz
- 1,400mThe village, and the lowest pistes
- Beginner areas
- 2In the village and at Tracouet
Terrain
Beginner to intermediate.
Blues around Tracouet and the lake, gentle runs like Prarion and Jean-Pierre, and the runs back down to the village.
Good to know
It's sunny, it's close to home, and early in the season, when only a few lifts are open, this is where training starts.
The runs back down to the village are steeper than the slopes up top, so beginners often take the gondola down.
Lifts: The gondola from Haute-Nendaz up to Tracouet, and the beginner lifts in the village and at the top.
Heights from resort webcams and public resort listings. The map is simplified and not to scale, with Nendaz's side of the 4 Vallées grouped into five areas. On the hill, use the resort's own piste map.
- 410km
- of pistes across the 4 Vallées
- 3,330m
- at the top of Mont Fort
- 2,200m
- Tracouet, where you teach
- 1,730m
- Siviez, the hub
- 1,400m
- Nendaz village
Snow
Most of the pistes are above 1,700m and the runs home have snowmaking, so the season runs from December to April.
Getting here
Fly into Geneva, about 2 hours away. Sion, the nearest town, is about half an hour down the hill.
Your lift pass
A 4 Vallées season pass is included. If you're over 24, there's a CHF 600 supplement.
Ready for a course?
You need to ski a red run confidently. Check yours with our skiing ability guide.
Heights from resort webcams and public resort listings. Ski area figures from the 4 Vallées. Checked October 2026.
03Your winter
A Nendaz Winter, Month By Month.
The internship runs the whole season. The 10-week course starts in late November or in February. Here's where each one sits, from your first week to your last exam.
Ski, Level 1 and 2 with paid work
The Full Season Internship.
Late November to April. A prep week, Level 1 as the lifts open, then Level 2 training in blocks between paid work in the ski school. For EU passport holders.
Full Season InternshipLate November 2026 to April 2027.
Prep weekFirst aid, child protection, fitness, technique and how the ski school runs, before you get on snow.
TrainingLevel 1 as the lifts open. Then Level 2 in blocks: technique, teaching, mountain safety, freestyle and an introduction to racing.
ExamsLevel 1 in December, before Christmas. Level 2 in March, after two weeks of exam prep.
Ski schoolShadow lessons from Christmas, then teach from New Year at CHF 25 an hour. February half-term is the busiest stretch.
How much you teach depends on the snow and on bookings, and your first shadowed lessons are unpaid. Teaching needs an EU passport. Orange is training, grey is ski school, and the dark blocks are your exams. The bars are approximate.
Ski, Level 1 and 2, no job
The 10-Week Course, Two Start Dates.
Level 1 and 2 in ten weeks, with no work attached. Start in late November or in February. A good fit on a UK passport.
December start, 10 weeks28 November 2026 to 6 February 2027.
February start, 10 weeksStarts 8 February 2027, for ten weeks to mid-April.
ArriveMove in and settle before training starts.
TrainingAbout 165 hours of coaching across the ten weeks.
ExamsLevel 1 part way through. Level 2 at the end, which on the December start is the end of January or early February.
Same coaching, a shorter winter and no job, so it works on any passport. The December and February groups train separately from the internship. The bars are approximate.
Before you book
You need to be 18 or over, and able to ski a red run confidently. There's no upper age limit. Not sure about your skiing? Send us a video and we'll tell you honestly.
Getting here
Fly into Geneva, about 2 hours away, or take the train to Sion, about half an hour below the village. Getting to the resort isn't included.
04Your apartment
Ski In, Ski Out, Three Housemates.
You live in a shared apartment in Haute-Nendaz, right by the lifts, and ski-in, ski-out once the snow is down. Four of you share an apartment built for six, so there's room to breathe, and the kitchen is fully equipped for cooking your own meals.
- Apartments
- Shared, in Haute-Nendaz, by the lifts
- Housemates
- 4 to an apartment built for 6
- Kitchen
- Fully equipped. You cook for yourselves
- Bathrooms
- 1 for every 4 people
- Cost
- Included on the 10-week course. On the internship, you pay rent from your ski school wages.
“Out of the door, skis on, and you're on the hill.”
Included on the internship
- Training
- Level 1 and 2 exams
- 4 Vallées season pass
- First aid course
- Child protection training
- Fitness sessions
- Mountain safety
- Freestyle sessions
- An introduction to racing
- Ski school induction
05Days off
The Valais On Your Days Off.
Nendaz looks straight across the Rhône valley, with Sion below and the big peaks of the Valais all around. On your days off, a castle, a lake or another famous resort is never far away.
Sion.
The capital of the Valais, about half an hour away, with two castles on the hills above the old town.
Verbier.
On the same lift pass, through Siviez, for a day on the famous side.
Montreux and Lake Geneva.
Château de Chillon on the water, and the Christmas market in December.
Zermatt.
A day trip by train, to see the Matterhorn up close after spotting it from Mont Fort.
The thermal baths.
Hot pools in the Valais, for tired legs on a day off.
Also in Nendaz
- Snowshoeing
- Cross-country
- Ski touring
- Tandem paragliding
- The Mont Fort zipline
- Ice skating
Worth knowing
Switzerland Isn't Cheap.
Prices are in Swiss francs, and a lunch or a drink on the hill costs more than at home. Cooking for yourselves in the apartment is the way to keep it under control.
The Pros And Cons.
A Nendaz ski instructor internship is brilliant for the right person, and not for everyone. Here's the honest picture.
Why Nendaz works
- Paid to teachOn the internship you teach in the ski school at CHF 25 an hour, from New Year to April.
- The 4 Vallées410km of pistes on one pass, from Tracouet to the top of Mont Fort.
- A friendly villageRelaxed and sunny, with Verbier next door when you want it.
- Coaches who run the schoolLevel 4 and Swiss federal instructors, who also run the ski school you teach in.
Worth knowing
- The job needs an EU passportTeaching in the ski school needs an EU passport. On a UK passport, the 10-week course gives you the same coaching and exams, without the job.
- Hours depend on the snowHow much you teach depends on snow and bookings, and February half-term is the busiest stretch.
- Switzerland isn't cheapPrices are in Swiss francs, and so is everything on the hill.
- 18 and overThere's no upper age limit, but you need to be 18 to join.
06Your course
Your Nendaz Ski Instructor Internship.
Our Nendaz ski instructor internship: an internationally recognised Level 1 and 2 and a paid winter in the ski school. Or the 10-week course, with two start dates and no job.
Ski, Level 1 and 2 with paid work
Ski Instructor Internship, Nendaz
A full winter in Nendaz. A prep week, Level 1 as the lifts open, shadowing and teaching in the ski school from Christmas, Level 2 training between work, and your Level 2 exam in March. Your training, exams, first aid course and 4 Vallées season pass are included.
- Starts
- Late November 2026
- Ends
- April 2027
- You leave with
- Level 1 and 2
- Work
- Paid, CHF 25 an hour
- Price
- To be confirmed
Every course, every price
Full Season Internship
Late November 2026 to April 2027. Level 1 and 2, with paid ski school work. Needs an EU passport.
Ask us about this course ›Price to be confirmed
Hold my place10-week course, December start
28 November 2026 to 6 February 2027. Level 1 and 2, no job. Apartment included.
Ask us about this course ›Price to be confirmed
Hold my place10-week course, February start
Starts 8 February 2027, for ten weeks to mid-April. Level 1 and 2, no job. Apartment included.
Ask us about this course ›Price to be confirmed
Hold my place2026/27 prices are to be confirmed, and will be in Swiss francs (CHF), as invoiced. Message us and we'll send them as soon as they're set. The 10-week course includes your apartment for the ten weeks, a 4 Vallées season pass, about 165 hours of training, your Level 1 and 2 exam fees and a first aid course. Not included: travel, your instructor association membership, a CHF 600 lift pass supplement if you're over 24, and a CHF 5 a night tourist tax on the 10-week course or a CHF 95 local registration fee on the internship. Staying on after the December course costs CHF 250 a month if you pay before 28 November, or CHF 450 after.
On a UK passport
Same Coaching, Same Exams.
Teaching in the ski school needs an EU passport. On a UK passport, the 10-week course gives you the same coaching, exams and apartment, without the job. Visitors from outside the EU can stay in Switzerland for up to 90 days, and ten weeks fits inside that.
Not sure Nendaz is the one? You can compare our ski instructor courses, in one place.
Rather have a catered chalet? Have a look at Verbier, next door.
What Past Interns Say.
Read Before You Choose.
Free guides, written by us for people in exactly your position. Start with the skiing ability guide, to check you're ready for Nendaz.
Skiing Ability Guide
Are you good enough yet? The standard, in plain words, with a way to check.
Read the guide ›
Resort Comparison Guide
The resorts we work with, side by side. Size, snow, housing and who each one suits.
Read the guide ›
The Real Cost Of A Canadian Season
The whole sum, from flights and insurance to food and kit.
Read the guide ›
How To Book Our Courses And Internships
From first chat to first chairlift, step by step.
Read the guide ›
Insurance Guide
What cover you need, and what to check before you buy it.
Read the guide ›
Travel And Flights Guide
Flights, transfers and getting to the mountain without stress.
Read the guide ›
Fitness Guide
Turn up fit. The plan that gets your legs ready before you fly.
Read the guide ›
What To Take
The packing list for a winter in the mountains.
Read the guide ›
Clothing Essentials
Layers, gloves and what is worth spending money on.
Read the guide ›
Girls On Tour
For women heading out on a season, by women who have done it.
Read the guide ›
