Let's take a look at hot Turkey from the side of ski resorts and find out where to go skiing in Turkey this winter. The cold season is coming, which means that the main population of Russia begins to engage in winter sports, including alpine skiing, which is why I decided to write about the Turkish resorts to which the Russians will go this winter. By the way, for those who did not guess what is shown in the photo above - Mount Ararat.
What are the best ski resorts in Turkey for skiing?
In the winter season, several ski resorts open here, so I will list all the main directions where you can ski this winter, moreover, the list of names of Turkish resorts will go from top to bottom in terms of attendance and so-called popularity among tourists.
- Uludag
- Palandoken
- Ararat (Adri dagi)
- Eojiyas
- Kartalkaya
- Davras
- Hasan
- Zigana
- Cop
As you might have guessed, the most popular ski resorts where to go to Turkey to have a rest are Uludag and Palandoken. The main contingent of skiers from Russia comes in exactly two of these directions. Actually, if you don't like skiing on the first two variants of winter resorts, then you don't even have to go to the other slopes listed below.
In fact, the resorts of Uludag and Palandoken have medium difficulty tracks, you will not find anything extreme here, most of the tracks are categorized as ‘for beginners’. If you decide to ride with children, then I advise you only one option - Uuldag, children here will not only quickly get up on skis, but also have good fun at entertainment during school holidays.
Why is it worth going for a drive to Turkey? I will not advertise, but the quality of service and affordability of prices make this direction more than economical for Russians. In addition, the all-inclusive service very well captivates many vacationers. As for the instructor and other staff, everyone here understands the Russian language well and even jokes.
Now about the service and quality of the slopes in all ski resorts of the country, although they are not very difficult, it is still worth noting the worthy maintenance of the slopes, all modern-type lifts, there are both gondola, chair, and drag lifts. Ski equipment and equipment rental is available on absolutely all slopes.
Book a room at the foot of the Turkish mountains
Ski resort of Turkey - Uludag
Now briefly about each destination for skiing this winter in Turkey. The Uludag ski resort is located on the Kushaklikai mountain (the approximate altitude of the resort is 2060 meters above sea level), the distance from Bursa (a city in the north-west of Anatolia) is 40 kilometers. If you like to spend time in nature, among conifers, then skiing from the slopes of Uludag will suit you very well.
The skiing season here begins in mid-December and lasts until mid-March. The amount of snow reaches up to 3 meters of snow cover, as for the quality of the snow, it is loose, on such a route it is especially easy to manage at high speed. All trails are surrounded by trees, so there is almost no wind here and snow can lie even longer depending on weather conditions.
In terms of difficulty, the tracks here differ in color:
- Green (10 slopes)
- Blue (8 runs)
- Reds (6 runs)
- Black (1 track)
There are 13 chair lifts (8 chair lifts and 4 drag lifts). A huge number of places for tourists in hotels right near the ski resort, which can be booked right now on my website on the page for booking cheap hotels. If you decide to stay in the city of Bursa, then it's okay, you can get from the city to the resort in 40 minutes along good roads.
The cost of skiing in the Uludag ski resort
I want to point out, but this place is the most expensive of all the slopes for skiing in Turkey. Nobody on the Internet will tell you the exact cost, prices here often change not only depending on the holiday season, but also on the conditions in the country's politics, so I will give the prices for the last year.
The cost of a lift for a week of skiing costs 115 dollars, if you rest for 3 days, then the price of a subscription will cost you 85 dollars, for 1 day you will give 40 dollars and half a day costs 25 dollars. For many hotels there are discounts and, as a rule, the prices for skiing from the slopes are already included in the price of accommodation. If you decide to hire an instructor, then one hour of training starts from $ 10 (the price depends on the number of people in the training group).
The cost of renting ski equipment for the whole day will cost from $ 20. If you suddenly want to eat, there are several cafes at the top with picturesque views of the slopes. Have you decided to save on skiing? Take a subscription for as many days as possible and go here to relax on any day except for the period from Thursday to Sunday, for this period the prices rise slightly.
Palandoken ski resort
To ride from the Palandoken clones, I recommend that you stay in the city of Erzurum, the distance from the city is about 10 kilometers along a mountain serpentine. In my opinion, and in the opinion of a huge number of skiers, this is the most luxurious ski resort in Turkey. The entire Palandoken consists of a network of small slopes, which are located at an altitude of 2130 to 3250 meters above sea level, here is where to accelerate and have a great time!
Trails Palandoken - Dedeman
All slopes are of medium difficulty, there are very few tracks for beginners, but you can find them. Basically, the resort is intended for the professional training of skiers and hone their skills. The total number of Palandoken tracks is 22 directions, all tracks intersect. There are places for freeriding.
- Blue (7 runs)
- Reds (8 runs)
- Black (2 tracks)
- Number of lifts (7) - includes telecabins and children's drag lifts.
- There are slopes for snowboarders
As for hotel accommodation, all hotels and other apartments are located both on the slopes and in the city of Erzurum. You can book cheap seats using the link that I gave a little higher. If we consider the city of Erzurum as accommodation, then after skiing there is something to do in the evening, unlike hotels in the highlands.
Let's move on to the quality of the snow. The snow here has a grainy structure, it is called here 'dry powder', this snow consists of small ice crystals and is very hard when skating, sometimes it feels like you are eating on ice. Particularly poor handling will be felt when snowboarding at low speeds. Regarding the wind, here it blows constantly, although it does not strongly affect the rest, but the discomfort is felt.
The ski season in the ski resort of Turkey - Palandoken starts from the end of November and ends in March, during the high season you can ski and sunbathe here, often, after a week of skiing, you can come with a sunburnt face.
Recommended hotels for accommodation
I recommend staying at the Ski Lodge with a good sauna, massage room and great activities to keep you busy. Getting to the slopes from the hotel is very easy and quick.
The cost of a subscription and rental of equipment
The cost of a ski pass for a week is $ 120, three days of skiing will cost you $ 85, a pass for one day costs $ 34 and a half day costs $ 27. An hour of training with an instructor as part of a group will cost from $ 20 to $ 40. All prices can be both discounted and included in the price of staying at the hotel located at the foot.
The cost of renting ski equipment will cost you from $ 17 for one day, renting a snowboard will cost you from $ 25 for one day. Equipment rental will be significantly cheaper at the beginning of the season (mid-October) and at the end (end of March).
How to get to the ski resorts of Turkey?
You can get there by plane, having previously booked plane tickets to Turkey. The flight time from Moscow is 2 hours 40 minutes, from the airport of Erzurum by bus, which departs every half hour from the main station, we go 20 minutes.
Here is another list of destinations that are not very developed among Russians, but will find their fans among freeriders and tourists who are tired of already hackneyed resorts:
- Mount Ararat (Adri Dagi)
- Bitlis (near the city of Tatvan located on Lake Van)
- Zigan (12 kilometers from the city of Artvin)
Hopefully this article has solved your question ‘where to ski in Turkey’, now you know which ski resorts in Turkey are worth visiting during your vacation or for the new year. If you decide to share your experience of visiting these places, then the comment form below, I will be glad to any criticism or advice.
