What Is a Social Ski Holiday? Lessons, Fun and New Friendships
A social ski holiday is a winter social adventure holiday where you learn and enjoy skiing or snowboarding as a group, spending the day on the slopes and the evening with the same group. Three things set it apart from a classic ski holiday: groups formed by level, a group leader who is with you at all times and a shared social programme after the slopes (dinner, nightlife, après-ski). It is also an activity holiday: accommodation, ski pass and equipment are planned, so all you have to do is focus on the slopes and the group. It is especially well suited to people travelling solo.
Transport, hotel, ski pass and equipment all separate
In a single programme, planned in advance
For solo travellers
Difficult
A natural part of the programme
How does it work? A typical day
Morning: After breakfast the group heads to the slopes; beginners go to their basic course with an instructor, those who can ski go to slopes that suit their level.
Midday: Lunch as a group; you talk about what you learned in the morning.
Afternoon: Groups are re-formed by level and practise on different slopes. The group leader sets the meeting points and the time to head back.
Evening: Shared dinner, followed by an evening programme for those who want it: live music, hotel activities, a stroll around town.
The most important thing about this routine is that nobody is left on their own: whether you are falling and getting up on day one or sitting at dinner, you are with the same people.
What is après-ski?
Après-ski is French for “after skiing”. The Oxford dictionary defines it as “social activities and entertainment that take place in hotels and restaurants after a day’s skiing”. On a social ski holiday, après-ski is part of the programme, but it is not compulsory; if you want to rest, you rest. For details, see the après-ski entry in our glossary.
The benefit of learning as a group
How moving in the presence of others affects performance is one of the oldest topics in sports psychology. A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis combining 82 studies spanning 100 years (7,008 participants) found that the presence of others generally improves performance in tasks that demand fitness, while results for tasks that demand coordination are mixed. Skiing is a technical skill; a group does not, by itself, teach it faster. The group’s real contribution is to motivation: not giving up during the falling-and-getting-up phase, seeing someone at the same level fall too and sharing the nerves of the first day.
Who is it for?
People who want to go on a ski holiday on their own: according to Doğadayız booking records, the share of participants joining winter programmes with a single booking rose from 26% in the 2022–23 season to 39% in 2025–26. For details, see our guide Can you go on a ski holiday on your own?.
People whose group of friends is at different levels: everyone skis in a group at their own level, and you all meet up in the evening.
People about to start skiing: because lessons and the social programme come together, the first experience is easier.
People who want to meet new people: the programme itself is designed for exactly that.
Doğadayız social ski holidays
Doğadayız designs its winter programmes as a social adventure holiday. Every programme includes accommodation, ski pass, ski or snowboard equipment, a group leader and nights out; the atmosphere varies by resort:
Erciyes: accommodation in cave hotels in Cappadocia (Ürgüp); lessons or practice in Erciyes during the day, live music and nightlife in Cappadocia in the evening. For those who have never skied, there are basic course packages.
Sarıkamış: full board at a ski-in/ski-out hotel right next to the slopes; hotel activities and a Caucasian night in the evenings. The programme is for people who can already ski.
Bansko: a group coach journey from Istanbul, a ski town in Europe and guided evenings with live music. The programme is for people who can already ski.
Solo participants share 2- or 3-person rooms with other solo participants of the same gender; anyone who prefers can choose a single room for an extra charge. To compare the three resorts, see our comparison of Erciyes, Sarıkamış and Bansko; for all programmes, see the winter activity holidays page.
Doğadayız Packages
Doğadayız packages for your level
Winter activity holidays with accommodation, ski pass and equipment included, shared with a group.
The easiest way to learn to ski: a winter activity 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.
It is a winter social adventure holiday where you learn and enjoy skiing or snowboarding as a group, spending the day on the slopes and the evening with the same group. It includes groups formed by level, a group leader and a shared social programme after the slopes.
Can I join a social ski holiday on my own?
Yes, these holidays are especially well suited to people travelling solo. According to Doğadayız records, around 39% of participants in the 2025–26 winter season joined with a single booking. Solo participants share 2- or 3-person rooms with other solo participants of the same gender.
What is après-ski?
It is French for “after skiing”. It refers to the social activities and entertainment that take place in hotels, restaurants and venues after a day’s skiing.
Do I need to know how to ski for a social ski holiday?
No. For those who have never skied, there are basic course packages with an instructor, and groups are formed by level. Doğadayız Sarıkamış and Bansko programmes, however, are for people who can already ski on their own.
Yes, you can go on a ski holiday on your own, and more and more people are doing so. According to Doğadayız booking records, the share of participants who joined the winter programmes on a solo booking rose from 26% in the 2022–23 season to 39% in 2025–26. For someone travelling alone, the easiest way is to join a group programme with groups by level, a group leader and a shared evening programme: you find a circle of people from day one, rooms are planned in advance and you are never on your own on the slopes. Programmes like this are designed as a social adventure holiday.
A winter social adventure holiday has three parts: lessons (tuition or practice that suits your level), experience (the resort, the slopes and the region) and social programme (the group, the group leader and the evenings). Choosing well means balancing these three according to your own priorities: if you have never skied, choose a programme focused on lessons; if you can ski, focus on the slopes and the resort experience; if meeting new people is your priority, choose a strong social programme. What they all share is the structure of an activity holiday, where transport, accommodation, ski pass and equipment are planned.
Each of the three appeals to a different kind of skier. Erciyes (Kayseri) has the largest slope network (41 runs) and the highest ski area (3,346 m); with its training areas and accommodation in Cappadocia, it is the best option for those who have never skied. Sarıkamış (Kars) is known for runs through Scots pine forest and dry, light snow; the Doğadayız programme there is an experience package at a ski-in/ski-out mountain hotel for those who can already ski. Bansko (Bulgaria) is a European resort reached by gondola, with a World Cup run; it is for those who can ski on their own and want a winter activity holiday abroad, and holders of a burgundy passport need a Schengen visa.
