Cappadocia & Erciyes Ski Tour from Istanbul: 3 Days with Flights
Overview
Cappadocia & Erciyes Ski Tour from Istanbul: 3 Days with Flights
No other package we offer combines ski runs on Erciyes with the volcanic valleys of Cappadocia in one short trip. If you have more time in central Turkey, the 4-day Cappadocia and Konya tour continues into the Anatolian interior, and the 4-day Cappadocia, Ephesus and Pamukkale tour adds the Aegean coast.
Most Cappadocia trips end at the fairy chimneys. This one also takes you up a dormant volcano. You get a full day on the slopes of Mount Erciyes, a sightseeing tour of the northern valleys, return domestic flights, nights in a cave or stone hotel and every transfer, so winter sport and an ancient landscape fit into one package from Istanbul.
The arrival day stays free. At the resort, your ski or snowboard gear, boots and helmet are fitted first, then you start on a beginner slope where a lesson is optional, before the cable car opens up longer runs. Sightseeing comes on the final day: Devrent Valley, Pasabag, Zelve and an exterior view of Uchisar Castle on the way to the airport.
Flights, transfers and guiding are arranged for you, so you can concentrate on the snow and the scenery.
Tour Info
Itinerary
Day 1 – Flight to Cappadocia & Free Afternoon
Flight, transfers and accommodation included.
Flexible – Hotel to airport in Istanbul. Our travel team collects you from your Istanbul hotel and drives you to the airport in line with your flight, so you do not have to organise a winter departure yourself. We send the exact pick-up time after booking; it depends on the confirmed airport, which may be IST or SAW according to flight availability.
Flexible – Flight from Istanbul to Cappadocia. A domestic flight takes you to Kayseri or Nevsehir Airport. Flying spares the first day a long road journey and gives you more real time in Cappadocia, which is why this short itinerary works so well. The flight time is confirmed after reservation.
After landing – Meeting and hotel transfer. Our team waits at the airport exit and drives you to your hotel in Cappadocia. The transfer is simple, so you can go straight to check-in and rest, and the trip starts at a relaxed pace.
Rest of the day – Free time. Rest, take a walk around your base town or keep the evening quiet before the ski day. This breathing space keeps arrival day from feeling crowded and lets you enjoy the hotel and the winter mood.
Evening – Night in Cappadocia. You stay in a cave or stone hotel. Sleeping in the region tonight means the ski resort is within easy reach tomorrow, with no extra long transfer. Your winter stay starts here.
Day 2 – Full-Day Skiing on Mount Erciyes
Breakfast, lunch, ski gear and accommodation included.
08:30 – Hotel pick-up and drive to Mount Erciyes. After breakfast our team collects you at your Cappadocia hotel and drives you to the mountain. Because you can reach one of Central Anatolia's main ski areas without changing hotels, the day is easy to manage, and it switches the trip fully to winter after the quiet arrival. Depending on your hotel's location, pick-up may be between 08:30 and 09:00.
The ski day runs in this order: resort arrival, equipment support, beginner slope, cable car slopes, lunch and free skiing.
- Arrival at Erciyes Ski Resort: The scenery changes at once to snow-covered mountains under a wide winter sky. The summit, at 3,916 metres, is the highest point in central Anatolia, and gondolas and chair lifts link the base to the lower ski zones. A short drive takes you from Cappadocia's flat volcanic plateau to this steep snowy world, one of the sharpest contrasts of the three days.
- Equipment Support and Setup: Your ski or snowboard gear is part of the program, with boots, poles and either skis or a board as you prefer. The resort runs the rental service, and the equipment is modern and well kept, so there is no need to bring your own from Istanbul. At the start of the day a guide or resort host helps with sizing and setup, so you can head straight to the slopes.
- Beginner Slope and Optional Lesson: If you are new to skiing or snowboarding, start here: the gradients are gentle and instructors are close by. Erciyes has invested heavily in its facilities over the last decade, and the beginner area is kept well apart from the faster runs, so it is a truly calm place to learn. Many first-timers find that the snow quality and open setting make learning here more enjoyable than at many comparable European resorts.
- Cable Car Access and Longer Runs: Confident skiers can take the cable car higher up to longer runs and harder terrain above the mid-station. Erciyes has about 30 kilometres of marked runs at different levels, and the upper mountain offers wide, high-altitude skiing that many visitors do not expect in Turkey. On clear days the views from the top station across the Cappadocia plateau towards the Taurus range are exceptional.
- Lunch Break and Afternoon Free Ski Time: Lunch is a real pause halfway through the day. The mountain restaurants serve warm food, and the break lets you rest, plan which runs to try in the afternoon and take in the setting before you go back out. After a morning of exercise in cold air, this meal is one of the most satisfying breaks of the whole trip.
17:00 – Drive back to Cappadocia. When the ski session ends, you leave the mountain and return by road. Going back to the same hotel saves you from packing mid-trip and wraps up the snow day neatly.
Evening – Second night in Cappadocia. Staying a second night means you can plan an optional sunrise balloon flight the next morning, and it gives the trip a calmer rhythm than a one-night winter break.
Day 3 – Cappadocia Red Tour & Evening Flight to Istanbul
Breakfast, lunch, flight and entrance fees included.
Optional early-morning add-ons (can be added at the best available price when you book):
- Hot Air Balloon Flight: rated the number one experience in Cappadocia, with classic sunrise views, and our most booked activity.
- Balloon Watching Tour: a visit to the top Cappadocia viewpoints for sunrise photos, with the best viewpoints guaranteed.
09:30 – Breakfast, check-out and hotel pick-up. After breakfast you check out and meet our team for the final day of sightseeing. You tour first and then go directly to the airport, so no hours are wasted between hotel and flight. The pick-up time may change according to the tour organisation.
The North Cappadocia route visits, in this order:
- Devrent Valley (Pink Valley): This stop shows how eruptions of the Erciyes and Hasan volcanoes shaped the whole region.
- Pasabag Open Air Museum: Rough volcanic rock, cool shade and the smell of pine create a mood found at no other stop in Cappadocia.
- Avanos Pottery Workshop: Pottery is still the main industry in Avanos, and buying at a local workshop supports working artisan families directly.
- Goreme Panoramic View: A natural pause in the day to catch your breath, take photos and take in what you have seen so far.
- Zelve Open Air Museum: In autumn the stone corridors are especially atmospheric, as low light falls through carved openings onto empty cave floors.
- Uchisar Castle (exterior view): When there is morning mist, the castle rises out of the valley haze, which explains why early travellers called Cappadocia otherworldly.
17:00 – Transfer to Kayseri or Nevsehir Airport. Once the route ends, you go straight to the airport according to the confirmed flight plan. The timing keeps the return simple, with no extra waiting.
20:45 – Evening flight to Istanbul. Flying back makes the last day practical even after a full program of sightseeing, which is why the tour suits travellers short on time. The departure time may change depending on the airline.
21:55 – Arrival and hotel transfer in Istanbul. Our team meets you at the airport and drives you to your hotel in the city, so the package is complete right to the last stop. Your 3-day winter trip ends at your Istanbul hotel.
Inclusions & Exclusions
- ✓All airport transfers mentioned in the itinerary
- ✓Round-trip domestic flight tickets (luggage allowance: 15kg check-in + 8kg cabin)
- ✓2 nights hotel accommodation in Cappadocia
- ✓Full-day Erciyes ski tour from Cappadocia
- ✓Ski or snowboard equipment with boots and helmet during the Erciyes day
- ✓North Cappadocia sightseeing tour
- ✓2 breakfasts and 2 lunches
- ✓Professional guiding service
- ✓Entrance fees on the sightseeing tour
- ✓Local taxes
- ✓Professional English-speaking licensed tour guide
- ✕Personal expenses
- ✕Drinks at lunch
- ✕Dinners and unmentioned meals
- ✕Hot air balloon flight in Cappadocia
- ✕Optional ski lesson or private instructor
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3-day Cappadocia and Erciyes ski trip from Istanbul: the key facts
This is a winter package from Istanbul that pairs one full ski day on Mount Erciyes with a sightseeing day in Cappadocia. You fly to Kayseri or Nevsehir on Day 1 and have the afternoon free. Day 2 is a full day at the Erciyes ski resort, with ski or snowboard equipment, boots and helmet included. Day 3 is the north Cappadocia tour, then an evening flight back to Istanbul. Both nights are in a cave or stone hotel in Cappadocia, so you don't change rooms.
It suits skiers and snowboarders of any level, including first-timers, who want one day on the snow and a look at the fairy chimneys in a short break. The price is from $588 per person.
| Quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Length | 3 days / 2 nights |
| Route | Istanbul – Cappadocia (with a day at Mount Erciyes) – Istanbul |
| Style | Group tour, English, Spanish or Italian guide |
| Start / end | Pick-up at your Istanbul hotel, timed to your flight / drop-off at your Istanbul hotel after a flight landing about 21:55 on Day 3 |
| Included | Round-trip domestic flights (15 kg checked + 8 kg cabin), 2 nights in Cappadocia, full-day Erciyes ski tour, ski or snowboard gear with boots and helmet, north Cappadocia tour, 2 breakfasts and 2 lunches, transfers, entrance fees |
| Extra | Dinners, drinks at lunch, ski lesson or private instructor, hot air balloon, personal expenses |
When can this ski trip actually run?
Please check your dates with us in writing. The page says the tour leaves daily with no minimum group size, but it gives no season. The Erciyes resort's own rules give the ski season as 1 December to 30 April, and say the dates can move with snowfall and snowmaking. Outside that window there is no ski day to sell, and early or late in the season the higher runs may not all be open. Our Turkey in winter guide explains what to expect in Cappadocia at that time of year.
What exactly is included on the ski day?
The Erciyes day starts with a hotel pick-up between 08:30 and 09:00. At the resort you are fitted for equipment, then you start on a beginner slope before going up by cable car to longer runs. Lunch is at a mountain restaurant, followed by free skiing until the drive back at about 17:00. The inclusions list skis or a snowboard with boots and a helmet. The day description also mentions poles, but not the helmet. A ski lesson or private instructor is not included. Ask us to confirm the full gear list and whether lift passes are covered. If you prefer a single day, there is the Erciyes ski day from Cappadocia from $117 per person.
I have never skied. Is this trip still for me?
Yes, as long as you book a lesson. The page says the beginner area is kept apart from the faster runs and that instructors are nearby, but lessons and private instructors are an extra cost. Tell us your level when you book so we can price a lesson for the morning. If you would rather not ski, ask whether you can spend Day 2 in Cappadocia instead. The page does not offer a non-ski option, so get any change in writing. Bring gloves, warm layers, a hat and sunglasses; the package does not list ski clothing.
What do we see in Cappadocia?
Day 1 has no sightseeing; you land, check in and rest. Day 3 starts at 09:30 with the north route: Devrent Valley, Pasabag, an Avanos pottery workshop, the Goreme viewpoint, Zelve and an outside view of Uchisar Castle. The tour ends at about 17:00 with a transfer to the airport and an evening flight at about 20:45. Our Red Tour guide describes the same stops. You don't see the south Cappadocia valleys or an underground city on this package.
Is the balloon flight included?
No. The hot air balloon is excluded from the price. The page suggests the morning of Day 3, before the 09:30 pick-up, for an optional sunrise balloon flight from $199 per person or a balloon watching tour. Winter mornings in Cappadocia are cold and flights are cancelled in strong wind, so treat the balloon as a hope rather than a fixed plan. Ask what happens to your payment if the flight is cancelled on the day.
Where do we stay and what do we eat?
Both nights are in the same cave or stone hotel in Cappadocia. The page does not name it; the Hotels section of the tour lists options by class, so ask for the name before you pay. Our Cappadocia cave hotels guide explains how these rooms feel in winter. Breakfast is included on Days 2 and 3, and lunch on Days 2 and 3. Dinners and other meals are extra, so budget for two evening meals and lunch on Day 1.
Can we add days or combine it with other places?
Yes. The page says you can add days, change cities or switch hotels. A second ski day or an extra night for the south valleys are the most common requests, but get the price in writing. For a winter trip without skiing, the 4-day Cappadocia and Konya tour is from $778 per person. You can see other options in our Cappadocia packages.
How do I book the Cappadocia and Erciyes ski trip?
Choose your date and number of guests in the booking form on this page and send it, or message us on WhatsApp. Tell us your ski level and shoe size. We check that the resort is open on your date and confirm flights, hotel, equipment and any lesson. Then we send you the full plan in writing, and you pay only after you have read and confirmed it. Get Turkey Tours operates under TÜRSAB licence A-15751.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the tour begin and finish?
How do we get from one city to the next?
Where will we spend the nights?
Is the Cappadocia hot air balloon ride part of the price?
Which languages do the guides speak?
Is there a departure every day?
Can the route be changed or extended?
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