New Year Ski Holiday in Turkey: Erciyes 2026/27

A ski trip over Christmas or New Year is a great way to use the holiday, but in most of Europe it is also the most expensive week of the season. Erciyes, Turkey's largest ski resort near the city of Kayseri, is a less obvious option. This guide covers the questions that matter: will there be snow, which dates work, how to get there and what to do if winter starts late.

Is there snow at New Year?

No resort can promise snow in late December, and Erciyes is no exception. The last three seasons give a fair picture:

2024/25: The resort opened on 30 November 2024, which officials called the earliest start in 20 years.
2025/26: The season opened on 18 December 2025. In its first 20 days, including the New Year holiday, around 550,000 people visited.
2023/24: Natural snow was scarce, and on 22 December 2023 the season opened only on the slopes by the Tekir gate, on artificial snow.

So in recent years you could ski on Erciyes over New Year every season, but in a low-snow year only part of the pistes was open. Altitude helps: the highest lifts reach about 3,400 metres. The resort also has more than 150 snow cannons and its own reservoir to feed them, although they only work when it is cold enough.

Our guide to when ski resorts in Turkey open explains what decides the opening date.

Departures over Christmas and New Year

Our Erciyes packages start on fixed days: the 2-night packages every Friday and the 4-night packages every Monday. Over the festive period that gives you:

21–25 December 2026 (4 nights): Skiing in the week before Christmas.
25–27 December 2026 (2 nights): Christmas weekend on the slopes.
28 December 2026 – 1 January 2027 (4 nights): You see in the New Year in Kayseri.
1–3 January 2027 (2 nights): The first weekend of the new year.
4–8 January 2027 (4 nights): Quieter pistes once the holiday rush is over.

In Turkey, 31 December is a normal working day and 1 January is a public holiday. In 2027 New Year's Day falls on a Friday, so many Turkish families head to the mountains for a long weekend and the first days of January are busy on the slopes.

Getting there

Kayseri Erkilet Airport (ASR) has frequent flights from both Istanbul airports, so most international visitors fly via Istanbul. Flights to Kayseri sell out quickly over the holidays, so book yours as soon as your package is confirmed. Our guide on how to get to Erciyes covers coaches and trains too.

Transfers: Our packages include free transfers from Kayseri airport or bus station to the hotel, and from the hotel to the slopes every day.
Your flight home: You ski on the last day too, so book a flight at 19:00 or later.
Entry rules: Visa requirements depend on your passport. Check your government's travel advice before you book.

Where you stay and how New Year feels

On our packages you stay at the five-star Wyndham Grand Kayseri in the city centre, 6 km from the airport. The hotel has a heated indoor pool, a sauna and a spa. Breakfast, lunch on the mountain and dinner are included, and a coach takes you to the lifts, about 25 km away, every morning.

Kayseri is a calm and fairly conservative city. Don't expect big street parties like in Istanbul; people see in the New Year at restaurants and hotels. After a full day on the slopes, a warm pool and a good dinner are usually exactly what you want anyway.

If the snow is thin: a back-up plan

Cappadocia is about an hour's drive from Kayseri. In winter it is quieter, and the sunrise balloon flights go ahead when the weather allows. If only part of the pistes is open early in the season, spend a day there instead. Our guide to Cappadocia in winter shows how to combine the two.

What it costs

Early-booking prices for the 2026/27 season, per person:

2-night Experienced package: $356
2-night First Steps package for beginners: $417
4-night Experienced package: $540
4-night First Steps package: $622

Prices include the hotel, an unlimited lift pass, ski or snowboard rental, helmet and goggles, a ski jacket, trousers and gloves, meals and transfers, plus a lesson on the beginner packages. Flights to Kayseri are not included. Early-booking prices can change as places fill up, so check the package page for the current price. More detail is in Erciyes ski holiday prices.

You pay a $100 deposit per person when you book and the rest on arrival. Up to 8 days before your holiday you can get a full refund or change your dates. You can secure your place now and decide once you know how much snow has fallen.

Tips for a festive ski trip

Insurance: Many standard travel policies exclude skiing. Make sure yours covers winter sports.
Sun and cold: The sun is stronger at altitude than it feels. Read our tips on staying healthy on a ski holiday.
What to pack: Thermal layers and ski socks matter most, as the jacket, trousers and gloves are provided. See the ski holiday packing list.
First time on skis? Our Erciyes ski season guide explains which weeks are quieter for learning.

If you have never skied, the 4-night First Steps package gives you the most time to learn. If you already ski, look at the 2-night Experienced package.