Piste maps · Kocaeli
At about 135 km from Istanbul (~1 hr 15 min by car), Kartepe is the closest ski resort to Istanbul; it lies in Kocaeli's Kartepe district, on the slopes of the 1,602 m summit of the Samanlı Mountains. According to the development agency's report, there are 3 chairlifts (Kartepe, Geyik Alanı, Kadı Konağı) and 2 drag lifts (Kadı Konağı, Karlıktepe); from the Kartepe chairlift you can ski an uninterrupted 3.2 km descent. Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality's Derbent – Kuzuyayla cable car makes getting up the mountain easier. The lifts have historically belonged to the The Green Park Kartepe hotel.
At about 135 km from Istanbul (~1 hr 15 min by car), Kartepe is the closest ski resort to Istanbul; it lies in Kocaeli's Kartepe district, on the slopes of the 1,602 m summit of the Samanlı Mountains. According to the development agency's report, there are 3 chairlifts (Kartepe, Geyik Alanı, Kadı Konağı) and 2 drag lifts (Kadı Konağı, Karlıktepe); from the Kartepe chairlift you can ski an uninterrupted 3.2 km descent. Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality's Derbent – Kuzuyayla cable car makes getting up the mountain easier. The lifts have historically belonged to the The Green Park Kartepe hotel.
Data note: Depending on the source, the number of runs varies between 12 and 21, the total length of runs between 21 and 42 km, and the number of lifts between 4 and 5. The ski facilities have historically belonged to The Green Park Kartepe hotel (Kartepe Turizm A.Ş.); the hotel's licence was revoked and the building sealed in January 2026, and it is not yet clear who will operate the lifts in the 2026–27 season. Check the current situation before you go. The cable car's top station (Kuzuyayla Nature Park) is not the ski area itself.
Last updated: · Sources at the end of the page
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Kartepe, Maşukiye, Kocaeli, Türkiye
40.6509° N, 30.0959° E
Kartepe's runs are read by lift area:
| Lift | Type | Area | Bottom – top | Length | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kartepe chairlift | Chairlift (3-seater) | Summit line | — | 1,200 m | — |
| Geyik Alanı chairlift | Chairlift | Geyik Alanı | — | 1,125 m | — |
| Kadı Konağı chairlift | Chairlift | Kadı Konağı | — | 400 m | — |
| Kadı Konağı drag lift | Drag lift | Kadı Konağı | — | 400 m | — |
| Karlıktepe drag lift | Drag lift | Karlıktepe | — | 675 m | — |
| Derbent – Kuzuyayla cable car | Gondola (10-person cabins) | Access | 331 m – 1,421 m | 4,695 m | 1,500 people/hour |
Lift lengths are from the East Marmara Development Agency report (the same report also gives different figures in places); the cable car details are from news reports.
Kartepe in Kocaeli is the closest ski resort to Istanbul, at about 135 km (~1 hr 15 min by car).
According to the development agency's report, there are 3 chairlifts (Kartepe, Geyik Alanı, Kadı Konağı) and 2 drag lifts (Kadı Konağı, Karlıktepe); in addition, the Derbent – Kuzuyayla cable car is used for access.
The cable car runs from Derbent up to Kuzuyayla Nature Park (~1,421 m); the top station is not the ski area itself, but it makes getting to the ski resort easier.
BeginnerLearningSkiing · KIS-001
You start skiing with a beginner lesson with an instructor, rental equipment and easy (beginner) slopes. On day one you put on your skis, glide on flat ground, learn to stop with the snowplough and ride the magic carpet; on day two you come down an easy slope under control with snowplough turns. For an adult who has never skied, this stage usually takes 2 days.
Read the guide →BeginnerLearningSnowboarding · KIS-021
You start snowboarding by finding your stance (regular or goofy), with a beginner lesson with an instructor and with rental equipment. On day one you learn to push with one foot and to side-slip on your heel edge (heelside) and your toe edge (toeside); then you change direction with the falling leaf, and usually on day 2–3 you make your first linked turns.
Read the guide →Doğadayız social adventure holiday
An activity holiday puts a sport at the heart of your trip: transport, accommodation and meals are planned, so you can focus on learning on the slopes. On Doğadayız winter activity holidays, accommodation, ski pass and ski or snowboard equipment are included in every package; course packages include basic lessons with instructors affiliated with the Turkish Ski Federation, while experience packages let you practise on the slopes at your own level.
What makes the programme different is the group: sharing the slopes with people at a similar level, dinners and nights out together, and a group leader by your side at all times. Solo travellers become part of this social adventure holiday from day one. That is why we describe our programmes as a social adventure holiday.
Doğadayız programmes run at these resorts: Erciyes, Sarıkamış, Bansko.
Bursa2,322 m
43 runs · 22 lifts + cable car
Uludağ, 36 km from Bursa, is Türkiye’s longest-established ski resort. The runs are split into two zones: the 1st Development Zone (Hotels Area), where the cable car arrives, and the 2nd Development Zone, which has the longer runs. According to the Uludağ information site there are 43 runs (including link paths) and 22 lifts; according to the development agency the runs total ~25 km. Most of the lifts belong to the hotels. The longest descents are from the Tutyeli (1,300 m), Kuşaklıkaya (1,500 m) and Maden chairlifts. You can go up from Bursa by cable car (Teferrüç – Sarıalan – Oteller).
Piste guide →Bolu2,200 m
~38 km of runs · 17 lifts · 2 piste systems
Kartalkaya is a ski resort in the Köroğlu Mountains, about 38 km south-east of Bolu and close to Istanbul (~280 km) and Ankara (~170 km). The ski area lies between 1,850 and 2,200 m and is split into two separate piste systems: the Kartal side and the Dorukkaya side. The lifts and runs are operated by hotels; according to skiresort.info, the two sides have about 38 km of runs and 17 lifts in total. The Dorukkaya side, with its wide, easy runs, suits beginners; the Kartal side, with longer and steeper descents, suits intermediate to advanced skiers. Ski passes for one side may not be valid on the other.
Piste guide →Karabük1,735 m
5 runs · chairlift + drag lift + baby lift
Keltepe Ski Resort lies about 23 km from Karabük city centre on Keltepe (1,999 m), which is regarded as the highest point of the Western Black Sea region. It was opened by the Ministry of Youth and Sports in January 2020. The ski area lies at roughly 1,485–1,735 m; there is a 4-seater chairlift (873 m), a drag lift and a baby lift. According to Anadolu Agency (AA), 5 runs descend through pine forests; the baby lift and training slopes are for beginners.
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