Sarikamis Ski Resort Turkey
Sarıkamış ski resort is a little gem in the east of Turkey, not far from the ancient city of Kars and its famous citadel. With some long pistes, excellent tree skiing potential, modern lifts and a lift pass price that is practically free, if in Turkey, why wouldn't you come here for a slide?
Skiing & Snowboarding, Lift & Terrain
Sarikamis has around 23km of trails on north-east aspect slopes, ranging from long flat highways for novices, easy pitched intermediate & mellow advanced runs, plus a cheeky ski route as well. The terrain is served by 5 chairlifts, and perhaps surprisingly, most are high-speed detactables and even include a six-seater with a bubble (constructed in 2019). Providing a fast, uphill conveyance is always a great way to impress, particularly if the lift pass for a day is in the realms of only about €6 ..... yes 6 - that's not a typo. Even though seemingly just a bump on a broad plain, Sarikamis has a respectable vertical drop of over 500m, and highest lifted altitude of 2,635m. The resort has been described as being kind of Japanese in nature - snowy, compact, forested, and with just enough pitch to make it interesting.
Whilst we add more info to this overview, check out the ski trail map for Sarikamis below.
Where is Sarikamis Turkey?
The Sarikamis ski resort is in eastern Turkey about 55km by road south-west of the city of Kars and 1,150km as the crow flies east of Istanbul. The town of Sarikamis is 3km from the ski area.
The closest gateway airport is at Kars (KSY) which has good links with Istanbul (IST) and Tbilisi (TBS) in Georgia. Most travellers flying into Turkey will come via Istanbul.
A railway runs from Kars to Sarikamis (and we think all the way to Ankara - a 25hr+ journey!), but finding a schedule is difficult. Hopefully we will work out a POW (Protect Our Winters) friendly way of getting there when we visit. For the moment it looks like a long taxi ride....
Sarikamis Accommodation
Slopeside accommodation is available in Sarikamis at a small village near the base of the chairlifts. A good option is the highly rated, Sarikamis Habitat Hotel. Alternatives include a 5-star hotel (the Ekinata Grand Toprak Hotel), numerous other hotels (including the fun sounding Snowflake Dag Hotel!) plus some guesthouse apartments.
Search & book here for all Sarikamis ski accommodation.
Review
The Powderhounds will review Sarikamis next season. More information about this Turkish ski resort will come after our visit. Stay tuned for our sparkling repartee, new photos & insights.
See how the European ski resorts compare on the Europe ski resort ratings page.
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