Erciyes Ski Resort Turkey
Erciyes ski resort is one of Turkey's largest, providing modern ski lifts & extensive alpine terrain on its impressive 1,258m skiable vertical. Located in central Türkiye, close to the city of Kayseri, a ski holiday here could easily be combined with a visit to the amazing sights of Cappadocia including the villages of Göreme and Uçhisar. When the snow is good, the off-piste terrain is deserted & delightful, the views incredible and the Turkish hospitality nothing short of divine.
Pros & Cons for Erciyes Ski Resort
Pros
- Can receive loads of snow in the right weather conditions.
- Long skiable vertical of over 1,250m.
- Modern ski lifts & well-maintained ski trails.
- Quality on-piste trails for all abilities of skier & snowboarder.
- Wonderful cuisine & service at the local hotels.
- Near one of the world’s best travel destinations - Cappadocia (and we know everywhere is better in snow!).
- Affordable ski destination when compared to the Alps & a great alternative to Bansko & Gudauri.
Cons
- Experienced riders will find only enough ski trails to keep one occupied for a few days (unless it pewks snow!)
- Off-piste terrain & snow quality regularly impacted by wind.
- Limited to no public transport to the resort.
- Very slow linking chairlifts between the Hisarci & Hacilar sectors.
- Ottoman chairlift runs irregularly.
Pro or Con (depending on your perspective!)
- Treeless, high-alpine terrain with nowhere to hide in bad weather.
- Unless staying at the resort, a rental car or taxi is required to get around.
- Resort 'villages' not pedestrain friendly.
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lift & Terrain
The Erciyes skiing & snowboarding terrain includes 55km of trails in treeless, alpine terrain on the flanks of an extinct volcano, the 3,917m Mt Erciyes (or Erciyes Dağı). The highest lifted point of 3,346m sits several hundred metres below the summit, which towers above with its rocky spires encased in ice. Mt Erciyes is the highest prominence in the local area, so cops the full brunt of any winter weather systems rolling through. The mountain slopes range from relatively flat in the lower reaches (perfect for novices & beginners), rising through to steep, advanced terrain in the upper sector.
Check out the ski trail map below.
The ski lifts at Erciyes are all modern and installed since 2010. All the terrain is served by gondolas and chairlifts. Gondolas move skiers & snowboarders away from two base areas (Tekir Kapi & Hacilar Kapi), whilst the central base at Hisarcik Kapi has multiple chairlifts. The total of eleven chairlifts includes eight quads and three 6ers. Half a dozen surface tows and conveyors serve novice zones at the Tekir & Hisarcik base areas.
Lift Passes
Lift tickets at Erciyes are incredibly affordable, but we have had trouble deciphering how they are actually charged. Upon visiting it appears to be based on how many lift journeys one uses, rather than by day! The most expensive lift pass from the cash desks includes 200 rides on the lifts. That is usually more than enough for a full week. The price of the pass is about 25% of what might expect for a similar pass in an Alps ski resort. Worth noting that that children above the age of 12-years pay the same rates as adults.
Where is Erciyes Turkey?
The Erciyes ski resort is in central Turkey, Kayseri province, 23km south of the city of Kayseri. The ski resort is close to the Turkish tourist hotspot of Cappadocia in neighbouring Nevşehir province. The splendid town of Goreme in Cappadocia is 72km (1hr) by road west of Kayseri and only 87km (1½hr drive in winter conditions) west of Erciyes ski resort.
The closest gateway airports is Kayseri Erkilet (ASR), only 28km north of the ski area & 5km north of the Kayseri city centre. Kayseri Erkilet is a major hub for visitors to Cappadocia and in winter receives direct flights from several German & Dutch airports [Munich (MUC), Frankfurt (FRA), Cologne/Bonn (CGN), Düsseldorf (DUS), Hannover (HAJ), Rotterdam/The Hague (RTM), and Stuttgart (STR), regional Turkish airports and of course, Istanbul. Ankara is the obvious alternative entry point but requires a rental car & a 3hr road trip to get to the mountain. The Ankara Esenboğa Airport (ESB) unfortunately has only limited international flights in winter from several German origins (Cologne, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin), plus Vienna.
Most international travellers will fly to Kayseri via the new Istanbul (IST) international airport or the Istanbul Sabiha (SAW) airport. Search & book flights.
From the airport, the best way to get to the ski resort (and to get around the captivating local region) is by rental car. Plenty of well-priced small SUVs are regularly available at the Kayseri airport. See here to search & book rental cars. Alternatively, most accommodation providers in the region will provide airport transfers to the hotel, but then getting to the skiing and the sites starts to get difficult in winter! Search & book car rentals.
The ski area has three base areas with day parking. The central Hisarcik Kapi (kapi = door or gate!) is bookended by Hacilar Kapi, (6km as the crow flies to the north), & the Tekir Kapi (2km to the southeast). Tekir Kapi is the easiest to drive to, whilst Hacilar Kapi gives one the best terrain options. From Kayseri city centre, Hacilar Kapi is closest (19km), Hisarcik Kapi is next (23km) and Tekir Kapi furthest (24km). Each can be reached in about 30min by car in winter. The road all the way from Kayseri to Tekir Kapi is dual lane highway.
Erciyes Accommodation
Erciyes has undergone something of a renaissance in the last few years in relation to quality accommodation options. If spending a few days on the slopes of Erciyes, stay at the awesome Hotel DAS 3917 at Devali Kapi. The service is fabulous and the food astounding. Access to the lifts & slopes is via a 30 second shuttle across the road to their après & ski room complex at the base of the Kanis chair. For alternatives try the ski-in ski-out Radisson Blu (also at Devali), or the Hotel Mirada Del Lago (near the lifts and slopes at Tekir Kapi).
Search & book for Erciyes ski accommodation.
The central Anatolian region around Erciyes has some of Turkey’s best & most fascinating accommodation for holiday visitors. Given its relatively close proximity to the ski resort (1½hr drive), we recommend staying in the village of Göreme for at least a few nights and explore the local region. Located in the heart of Cappadocia, Göreme's stunning landscape, incredible history, and multitude of gorgeous Cave Hotels make it an unforgettable experience. And yes, cave hotels literally carved into the soft stone. From our own experience we can recommend staying at the terrific value Sultan Cave Suites or, next door, the even more impressive (& pricier) Kelebek Cave Hotel & Spa (the Presidential Suite is beyond amazing!). In nearby Uchisar, we can also recommend the hard to beat combination of amazing rooms, views, hospitality & price at the Kale Konak Cappadocia Guesthouse.
Search & book for Goreme accommodation.
For city lovers ( or the desperate!), the heart of Kayseri has several superb hotels, the best of which are the highly rated Radisson Blu and Holiday Inn. Kayseri is not the most enchanting place to stay in the region!
Search & book for Kayseri accommodation.
Local Attractions & Activities
Any visitor to the region would be churlish not to combine skiing & snowboarding on a huge extinct volcano (Erciyes) with the delights of nearby Cappadocia. Away from the ski resort there is ssssooooo much to do and see and eat and sleep! Wandering through the fairy chimneys, landscapes & cave houses of Goreme; exploring the underground city of Kaymakli, the looming ‘castles’ at Uchisar & Ortahisar, and the many 9th to 11th century churches & frescoes secretly carved into stone; plus taking a sunrise balloon flight over the region. The journey is topped off by several nights in the most lux cave hotel you can afford - worth every cent! Visiting Cappadocia is one of the best non-ski travel experiences this Powderhound has ever had (and that is saying something). Combining it with skiing (and even some powder) sends the experience into the stratosphere!
Review
The Powderhounds are currently in Erciyes. More information about this European ski resort will come after our visit. Stay tuned for our sparkling repartee, latest photos & insights.
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