Thredbo, AU

Thredbo's most celebrated on-mountain restaurant — ski-in ski-out off the Supertrail at 1,810 metres, serving European classics like German rye bread boards, cheese fondue and braised pork knuckle since 1959. The 'Feed Me' set menu is the format most locals swear by: five courses matched to wines, eaten while ski boots dry by the fire. Winter only and reservations fill weeks out.

Thredbo's most enduring village dining room — an Austrian-influenced lodge restaurant that has been serving cheese fondue and Jagerschnitzel for over 50 years. The chalet interior with open fire, checked tablecloths and flickering candles is a genuine alpine throwback rather than a staged theme. Open year-round for dinner from 5pm, and the bar from 4:30pm for afternoon drinks.

A Tokyo-style izakaya dropped into Keller Plaza — ramen, hand-rolled sushi, karaage chicken and gyoza served in a casual, low-key room that fills with ski instructors and snowboarders by late afternoon. One of Thredbo's most popular recent additions, it handles the après-ski crowd and a proper sit-down dinner equally well. Open daily for lunch and dinner in winter.

A Brazilian-influenced steakhouse on Mowamba Mall serving char-grilled meats, Wagyu and Black Angus cuts alongside chorizo starters and pork ribs. The mood is lively without being chaotic — proper table service, a decent wine list and portions that acknowledge you've probably burned 2,000 calories on the slopes. Open year-round for dinner.

The village's most reliable year-round option — hand-stretched pizzas fired in a proper oven, with a short menu that focuses on doing a few things well. The Truffle Veg and 3 Cheese are the locals' picks. Open daily and accepts walk-ins, which makes it the default choice when every other restaurant is booked solid during peak winter weeks.

Thredbo's social hub — a proper mountain pub with a deck overlooking Friday Flat, classic pub fare done generously (schnitzels, burgers, chips), live sport on the screens and a family section for groups with kids. It operates year-round, unlike most of the village's fancier dining rooms, and the vibe after a big day on the mountain or trails is genuinely good.

The family-favourite on-mountain pit stop at the top of the Merritts Gondola — a warm refuge serving European pastries, pies, the famous deluxe hot chocolate, and Glühwein in winter. Kids with a play area outside, a sun-catching deck with ridge views, and a menu that works equally well for a 10am break or a slow mountain lunch.

A compact village bakery and coffee stop producing fresh-baked pies, croissants, eclairs and salad rolls — the kind of place you visit twice a day without meaning to. Open early enough to catch the first gondola crowd and affordable by Thredbo standards, it's the right call for a quick breakfast before a long hiking day or a mid-afternoon sweet fix.

A destination farmhouse restaurant on a historic Crackenback property between Jindabyne and Thredbo — seasonal modern Australian plates built around the farm's own produce and regional seafood. The setting is legitimately beautiful: eucalypt-framed views, stone walls, and a fireplace. Open for dinner Wednesday to Saturday year-round, with lunch available for groups.

A casual café-bar at the base of the beginner slopes — the right place to watch first-timers take their snowplow steps while nursing a flat white or a craft beer. The menu is simple: burgers, hot chips, sandwiches and drinks, all at prices slightly below the village average. Families with young skiers end up here by default and the vibe is genuinely relaxed.

The 13-kilometre return walk from the top of the Kosciuszko Chairlift to Australia's highest point — a genuine alpine traverse crossing the Ramshead Range, the Snowy River headwaters and Lake Cootapatamba before the final rocky climb to the 2,228-metre summit. In summer it's a wildflower-lined boardwalk trip; in winter it's a snowbound wilderness requiring poles and experience.

A 10-kilometre circuit from Thredbo village through snow gum woodland and subalpine heath to the 1,582-metre saddle — the area's best self-guided walk that requires no chairlift access or advance booking. The track follows the Thredbo River for stretches before climbing through the gap, where wombats are routinely seen and lyrebirds are heard if not spotted. Grade 3, about 3 hours return.

A 4-kilometre downhill walk from the top of the Merritts Gondola back to the Thredbo Valley — all downhill, through alpine ash forest with interpretive signage explaining the high-country ecosystem. It's the walk locals choose when they want scenery without the summit effort: the views open up across the Crackenback Valley and the forest itself changes noticeably with altitude as you descend.

A 4-kilometre loop along the Thredbo River through native bush and past the village golf course — the flattest and most accessible walk in the area, suitable for any fitness level and perfect for those who want nature without elevation gain. The river corridor holds platypus (early morning or evening sightings) and the birdlife is consistently good year-round.

Australia's only lift-accessed mountain bike park, with 40-plus kilometres of purpose-built gravity trails from beginner-friendly green runs to the double-black downhill lines only expert riders attempt. The Merritts Gondola runs the full summer season (November to late April) and two pump tracks keep younger riders busy without the elevation. A legitimate destination for bikers from across the country.

The Southern Hemisphere's first year-round alpine coaster — a 1.5-kilometre track that weaves through the alpine environment via tunnels, bridges and banked circles, with riders controlling their own speed up to 40km/h. The fact that it operates in all weather and all seasons makes it the single entertainment option in the village with no conditions attached, and the views from the upper sections are legitimately good.

Australia's premier ski resort and the country's only village with skiable terrain directly from accommodation — 481 hectares of runs spread across three mountain areas, with the country's largest vertical drop of 672 metres. The June to October season brings packed conditions, night skiing, and a social scene that runs until the lifts stop. Outside Australia, you'd call this a mid-sized European resort.

A 20-acre alpine distillery and working raspberry farm between Thredbo and Jindabyne, producing award-winning schnapps, gin and vodka from organically grown fruit and snowmelt water. The tasting paddle introduces six or more expressions with accompanying food; the surrounding sculpture garden and mountain views make the stop feel like more than just a cellar door. Open daily for tastings.

An annual January blues festival that fills the Thredbo village with live music across multiple venues — outdoor stages, pub sessions and restaurant sets run over one long weekend. The midsummer timing brings warm evenings and the full summer buzz of the village, and the lineup leans toward Australian and international blues, roots and soul. One of regional NSW's most distinctive music weekends.

The Thredbo and Crackenback rivers hold some of Australia's best wild brown and rainbow trout fishing, within a national park system that manages catch-and-release stretches with genuine care. The season runs October to June and the fish are large, educated and wildly satisfying to catch. Guided half-days are the right entry point for anyone who hasn't fished a mountain river before.

The village's all-weather indoor sports complex on Friday Drive — a 25-metre heated pool with a waterslide and seasonal inflatable obstacle course, a full gym, squash court, indoor sports hall and bouldering wall. The single best rainy-day or rest-day option in the valley, walkable from any village accommodation. Open year-round.

The open village green at the centre of Thredbo — outdoor stage, pump track, skate park, trampolines, a children's playground and BBQ-equipped grass area. Free, always open, and the social heart of the village when the lifts aren't running. The summer live music programme uses the outdoor stage on weekends.

A 9-hole alpine course along the Thredbo River — one of Australia's highest golf courses, with mountain views from every fairway and the river itself in play on several holes. The summer green-fees are accessible and clubs can be hired at the pro shop. A genuine novelty for any visiting golfer and an easy 90 minutes for non-skiers in the valley.

A ridgeline platform at 1,937 metres — Australia's highest outdoor dining and viewing point — perched at the top of the Kosciuszko Express Chairlift. The 270-degree sweep takes in the Main Range, the Ramshead peaks and, on clear days, the distant plains. Even if you're not skiing or hiking, the 15-minute chairlift ride alone is worth the park fee.

The gateway to Australia's alpine high country — a 15-minute chairlift ride rising 560 vertical metres above the Thredbo Valley to the start of the Kosciuszko Walk. From the top, boardwalk trails lead through snowfields in winter and wildflower meadows from December to February. The combination of effortless access and genuine alpine scenery makes it the single best value experience in the Snowies.

A subalpine saddle at 1,582 metres where the Alpine Way winds through snow gum woodland thick with wildlife. Wombats graze roadside at dusk, lyrebirds scratch through the leaf litter in summer, and in winter the gap catches dramatic snow conditions separate from the main resort. The short 10-kilometre circuit from Thredbo village is one of the area's most complete half-day walks.

Australia's highest peak at 2,228 metres — a broad, rocky summit accessible to any reasonably fit walker via the 13-kilometre return walk from the chairlift top station. The summit plateau holds alpine meadows, glacial lakes and the Snowy River headwaters; nothing in Australia compares for high-altitude scale. In summer, wildflowers carpet the slopes; in winter, the summit ridge is a snowbound wilderness.

Australia's highest distillery, tucked on a 20-acre raspberry farm between Jindabyne and Thredbo, producing award-winning schnapps, gin and vodka from alpine water and organically grown fruit. The outdoor sculpture garden overlooking the Crackenback Valley is a genuinely lovely place to spend an afternoon — the schnapps tasting flights come with small food pairings and the Stillhouse Kitchen serves lunch Thursday to Monday.