Skiing in Turkey

Fun on the slopes in Turkey? Facilities and terrain are not equal to the great ski centers of Europe or the southwestern USA or western Canada, but skiing can be an enjoyable part of a winter vacation here.

Turkey’s main ski centers:

Uludağ (Bursa)

Reachable by cable car or road from this interesting city only 1-1/2 hours south of Istanbul by ferry and bus, the ski center is at 2453 meters (8000 feet), with nearly twenty hotels and lodges. Very popular. Efendi Travel runs one-day, overnight and multi-day ski tours right from Istanbul. More…

Kartepe (Sapanca)

Overlooking Sapanca Lake 131 km (81 miles) east of Sultanahmet, Istanbul (map), Kartepe (“Snow Hill”) is a good beginner’s and intermediate skiers’ hill with three chair lifts and a 1700-meter (5577-foot) summit. Efendi Travel runs one-day ski tours right from Istanbul. More…

Kartalkaya (Bolu)

40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Bolu off the Istanbul-Ankara expressway, the slopes at 2221 meters’ (7300 feet) altitude are popular with sportifskiers who crowd in on weekends. More…

Ilgaz (Kastamonu)

210 km (130 miles) north of Ankara in Kastamonu province, the ski center is at 2000 meters (6600 feet). More…

Bozdağ (İzmir)

Thanks to Elina Belija for the tip on this small, simple ski and snowboard area 114 km (71 miles) east of İzmir, 24 km (15 mile) south of Salihli. Bozdağ has potential to be a more interesting downhill area, and it already has the advantage of being relatively close to İzmir. More…

Sarıkamış (Kars)

Fly from Istanbul or Ankara to Erzurum or Kars and take a short drive to Sarıkamış at 2120 meters (7000 feet). The powder is good, but hotels are few and fairly basic.

Palandöken (Erzurum)

On the outskirts of Erzurum, this is Turkey’s coldest and highest (3150 meters/ 10,300 feet), with good hotels, good conditions, good facilities, and Colorado-type powder. More…