Sun Valley, Idaho
Best of all he loved the fall, the leaves yellow on the cottonwoods, leaves floating on the trout streams, and above the hills the high blue windless skies. Ernest Hemingway, Idaho, 1939.”
- More about your Oliver Guide: Beth Sheffner Scheer
- Trip type: Family, Mountains
- Activity level: high
- Ideal length of trip: WINTER 7-10 DAYS. SUMMER - AS LONG AS YOU CAN!
to & from
Direct flights in peak times from LA, SF, and Seattle in Winter (Alaska and United). You can fly to Boise and drive 2.5 hours. Fly through Salt Lake on Delta as another other option. Driving from SF can take 11-13 hours depending on weather.
Where to Stay
- Sun Valley Lodge – newly remodeled. Great spa, bowling alley, ice skating rink. The Duchin Room bar is a must. Note the SV Lodge is in the actual resort town of SV (not Ketchum where the town/main ski mountain is). They have free shuttles to town and the mountain. Dollar Ski mountain (kids mountain) is located in SV. Great place to stay for your first visit to SV.
- The Limelight – brand new. Right on main street. Close to River Run entrance to the mountain. Great lobby/bar.
- The Knob Hill Inn – located in Ketchum. Old world chalet charm. Wonderful restaurant.
- House/condo rentals: Highly recommend renting in town if you are going to be in SV for longer than a week with kids. Airbnb and VRBO are good places to look.
Sun Valley, Idaho (Corre Larkin)
Sun Valley is where the whole world comes together....No one cares who you are in the real world, in Sun Valley everyone is treated the same.
- More about your Oliver Guide: Corre Larkin
- Trip type: Adult, Family, Group getaway, Mountains
- Activity level: moderate
- Ideal length of trip: 7-10 DAYS IN WINTER, 2 WEEKS PLUS IN SUMMER --IN THE SUMMER THERE ARE SO MANY
to & from
Sun Valley is notoriously hard to get to. (I think on purpose.)
- The private airport in SV is huge but if you aren't flying direct on Wheels Up/private plane, be prepared for a few flights, delays, possibly a bus and who knows what else. This is true especially in the winter when your chances of getting bused in on a Sun Valley Coach from Boise or Twin Falls is over 50%.
- Alternatively, you can pack up the car and drive... but it will likely be a long one depending on where you are coming from.
Where to Stay
- While the Sun Valley Lodge has just been renovated and there is a new Limelight Hotel, most people who frequent SV own a home, stay with friends or rent a house. High season is Christmas, ski week, the Allen conference and a few weeks in the summer. Aside from these times, you should be able to find a decent deal on a rental. The Elkhorn neighborhood is about 15 minutes outside Sun Valley and is very reasonably priced.
- While the Lodge is newly done and gorgeous, many people still prefer the Sun Valley Inn, which is also in the resort and still has its old world charm.
- If you are a family, look into renting a 2-3 bedroom condo in Sun Valley. The Resort handles it, you have access to all the amenities are the hotel, but you have your own space. They are also very reasonably priced, due to the fact that they needed a remodel at least 10 years ago.
Sun Valley, Idaho (Megan Harvey)
The Sun Valley Lodge puts on a free performance of the Nutcracker on Christmas Eve. Its a fun festive evening, just make sure to dress warm.
- More about your Oliver Guide: Megan Harvey
- Trip type: Family, Mountains
- Activity level: high
- Ideal length of trip: LONG WEEKEND - 10 DAYS
to & from
Flights directly into Sun Valley are often diverted due to bad weather and can be limited depending on the season. More reliable are flights into Boise which is a 2.5/3 hour drive to Sun Valley.
Where to Stay
- VRBO or Airbnb in Ketchum or Elkhorn
- Limelight
- Sun Valley Lodge
- Sun Valley Inn