Best Places to visit Turkey this Winter (Mountain Hiking, Skiing and more)

Turkey may be renowned for its sizzling summer shores, but its winters are equally intoxicating. If you favour the magic of ice, snow and silence, the colder months open up fresh activities and adventures across Turkey. From Cappadocia’s snow-blanketed wonderland to epic skiing opportunities, here are the 10 best places to visit in Turkey in winter.

Cappadocia

Cappadocia’s alien landscape is a bucket-list destination, no matter the season. However, winter sees the fabled fairy chimney formations dusted with snow and ice, adding extra magic to its visual allure. While pleasant on land, the best way to experience Cappadocia’s sinewy valley formations is by a hot air balloon trip. As long as the weather is suitably calm, these balloons soar up early in the morning for sunrise views. Remember to wrap up extra warm as the temperatures plummet to sub-zero figures.

Skiing Mt. Erciyes

Easily complemented with a trip to Cappadocia, Mt. Erciyes is one of the best ski destinations in Turkey. In winter, its pillowy slopes are well-serviced by ski lifts, rentals and other convenient facilities for a fun and well-fuelled trip. Expect some 55 km (34 miles) of treeless skiing trails along typical alpine terrain. The slope-side restaurants are particularly welcoming after a day of snowboarding or skiing down Erciyes. Other top ski spots in Turkey include Sarikamis and Palandöken.

Sleighing Frozen Lake Çıldır

Lake Çıldır is a dazzling natural region of Ardahan in northeast Turkey. Flanked by mountain scenery and the castle ruins of Şeytan, it’s beautiful all year round for hiking or lake sailing. However, winter sees this lake transformed into a frozen wonderland. This brings a wide range of tourist activities, like sleighing and ice fishing. The whole experience is like something out of a fairytale with clinking chains and pattering hooves. Troika-style excursions usually include a traditional ice-fishing demonstration from a villager, but you can also get involved yourself.

Istanbul

Turkey’s cultural capital is a great base for winter holidays in Turkey. While snow is rarely heavy, you’re likely to see the white stuff in January. The effect is magical; iconic and colourful attractions like Hagia Sophia take on muted, pastel colour schemes under the snow. What’s more, museums remain open and quiet – a perfect chance to soak in all the culture Istanbul has to offer. When your day of sightseeing is finished, a warming Turkish bath experience awaits at a hotel hammam or heated pool.

Hiking Kaçkar Mountains

The Kaçkar Mountains provide some of the best mountain hiking in Turkey. Situated close to the Black Sea in northern Turkey, the highest peak (Kaçkar) reaches 3,937 m (12,917 ft). While serious alpine hiking experience is required to tackle these towering mountains in winter, the region has plenty of scenic valley views to hike. Pretty villages like Ayder and Pokut dot the region and are usually encased by piles of glittering snow. Luxury activities include pricey heliskiing packages.

Explore Ephesus

The ancient ruins of Ephesus are among Turkey’s most visited tourist sites. This once mighty trading city has an astonishing and storied history that remains remarkably preserved and displayed both in the ancient ruins and at the adjacent Ephesus Archaeological Museum. It makes one of the finer alternative Turkey winter destinations because it swells in summer with non-stop tourist groups. Avoid both the mega crowds and sizzling heat to freely wander the ruins of the Library of Celsus and Temple of Artemis, once an ancient wonder of the world.

Doğu Ekspresi to Kars

Kars is one of Turkey’s most bitterly cold regions. Located in Turkey’s far east, Kars is famed for the ruined medieval city of Ani. This evocative area is breathtaking in winter, with the ancient church of Saint Gregory of Abumarents popping out from white blanketed fields. Kars itself has plenty of eye-catching sights, too, from the 12th-century Kars Castle to the Evliya Camii mosque. However, it’s how you get here that matters. Take the Doğu Ekspresi (Eastern Express) from Ankara to soak in the wintry scenes from the comfort of a train seat.

Ishak Pasha Palace

This gorgeous, partially-ruined palace is situated in Doğubayazıt, close to Turkey’s Iranian border. A foundational site in many historic events in the region, many come to visit the magical Ishak Pasha Palace. In winter, the sunsets are breathtaking when the sky and land blend into one amorphous blank slate. The palace rests on a hill and boasts impressive panoramic vistas with many charming interiors to explore.

Fethiye or Antalya

Turkey’s Mediterranean Coast makes a welcoming alternative to the country’s harsher, colder hinterlands. Absent from crowds, the coast thrives with hiking opportunities in cool 53ºF (12ºC) temperatures. Explore the Lycian Way and its romantic ruins in the crisp winter sun with hikes to Tlos, Pinara, Termessos and Perge. While many smaller sun-and-sand resorts close for the winter, Fethiye and Antalya offer plenty of hotel choices during the winter season.

Uludağ Mountains

The Uludağ Mountains are located in Bursa, the birthplace of the Ottoman Empire. Today, Uludağ is one of the best places to ski in Turkey, with 28 km (13 miles) of powdery slopes. While not as exhaustive as Mt. Erciyes, Uludağ is still favoured by many. There’s also more to the region than just skiing or snowboarding. Alluring snow safaris are a great means to explore the mountain territory, and you can rest in the pretty village of Cumalıkızık with its winding, cobblestone streets and colourful, early-Ottoman buildings.