Snow in Turkey 2027Snow in Turkey 2027: Where and When, Trips from Istanbul
Snow falls in Turkey from December to March, and the closest to Istanbul is at Kartepe and Uludağ. We cover places, months and our trip prices in USD and AED.
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Snow in Turkey falls mostly from December to March, and the closest snow you can rely on from Istanbul is at Uludağ above Bursa and at Kartepe near Lake Sapanca, 1.5 to 2.5 hours away by car, while the deepest snow at Erciyes, Palandöken and Sarıkamış is a flight away. Below we explain which place suits which family, which month to choose and what our day tours from Istanbul cost, and you can ask about availability today or tomorrow on WhatsApp.
We checked the information on 31 October 2026. Snow is never guaranteed, and each section says what happens when it does not fall.
When Does It Snow in Turkey? Month by Month
Bursa Day Trip from Istanbul with Cable Car and Lunch, from $90 per person
The ski season at Turkish resorts usually runs from December to March, and January and February are the most dependable months at Uludağ and Kartepe. The resort's official site (Uludağ Info) lists 18 December 2026 as the planned opening of the 2026-2027 season, but the lifts run only when enough snow lies. The high resorts in the east, such as Palandöken and Sarıkamış, start earlier and finish later.
| Month | What to expect |
|---|---|
| December | Ski season begins; snow in Istanbul is rare (one snowy day on average), and Cappadocia may see its first heavy snow |
| January | The most dependable month at Uludağ and Kartepe; Cappadocia at its coldest (average night low −3.6°C) |
| February | Peak snow in Istanbul (3.5 snowy days on average) and at the resorts; Ramadan begins around 8 February 2027 |
| March | Good snow on high ground; the lower stations at Uludağ turn to slush and mud |
Where Is the Snow in Turkey? Place by Place
Sapanca Day Trip from Istanbul with Lunch, from $70 per person
No single place suits everyone. Uludağ and Kartepe are the only two that work as a day trip from Istanbul, and everything else needs a flight or a full day on the road.
| Place | Where | Getting there from Istanbul | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Uludağ | Bursa, summit 2,543 m | About 2.5 hours by car over the Osmangazi Bridge, or a fast ferry of about 1:35 and then a 25 to 30 minute cable car | The cable car, snow and beginners; the closest fairly reliable snow |
| Kartepe | Kocaeli, about 100 km | 1.5 to 2 hours by car | Playing in the snow and skiing small slopes; Derbent to Kuzuyayla cable car about 14 minutes |
| Kartalkaya | Bolu | About 250 to 263 km from Istanbul, so 3.5 hours or more | Bigger skiing (25 runs and about 75 km, according to Anadolu Agency in 2022) |
| Erciyes | Kayseri, near Cappadocia | A flight, then about 30 to 40 minutes by car from Kayseri airport | Skiing with a view of Cappadocia |
| Palandöken | Erzurum | A flight; runs start at about 2,200 m and reach 3,176 m | Serious skiing and a long season |
| Sarıkamış (Cıbıltepe) | Kars, about 55 km from the city | A flight to Kars, then the car | Deep snow at 2,634 m; for adventurous travellers, not families with small children |
| Uzungöl | Trabzon, about 99 km | A flight to Trabzon, then 1.5 to 2 hours by car | A lake and village under snow; not a place to ski |
Ask any mountain hotel you book about its fire certificate and emergency exits before you pay, because a hotel fire in Kartalkaya on 21 January 2025 killed 78 people.
Does It Snow in Istanbul?
Istanbul tour packages, from $699 per person
Yes, but not much. The Florya station on the European shore records about 8 snowy days a year in the State Meteorological Service (MGM) figures for 1991-2020, mostly between December and March, and February is the snowiest month at 3.5 days, then January with 2.7, December with 1 and March with less than 1.
The northern districts facing the Black Sea get about twice that: Kireçburnu in Sarıyer logged 15.2 snowy days a year and Bahçeköy in Belgrad Forest 16.2. Sultanahmet and the hotels around it sit in the least snowy part of the city.
So do not book a trip to Istanbul for snow alone. A big storm can also disrupt flights, as happened when flights stopped briefly at Istanbul Airport in January 2022. The full detail is in our guide to snow in Istanbul month by month, and the city programme for cold days is in Istanbul in winter.
The Closest Snow to Istanbul: Uludağ and Kartepe in One Day
Bursa Day Trip from Istanbul with Cable Car and Lunch, from $90 per person
Reaching Uludağ from Istanbul means going to Bursa by bridge or ferry and then taking the cable car from Teferrüç station. The Bursa newspaper Bursa Hakimiyet reported that a full-fare return ticket cost 500 TL in 2026, and the cable car normally runs from 10:00 to 18:00 and stops in strong wind.
Our group trip to Bursa includes the ferry, cable car, guide and lunch, but it is not a ski day: the tour page excludes skiing and ATVs, and the cable car takes you up towards the mountain, while the time you spend in the snow depends on the group's schedule. If you want more time in the snow, the private trip is the better choice, and we rearrange the day: mountain first, then the city. Want snow among the forests of Bolu instead? See our Abant and Bolu trip from Istanbul.
| Trip | Length | From | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bursa group trip with cable car and lunch | 8 hours | $90 per person (about 330 AED) | Hotel pick-up, ferry, cable car, guide and lunch; skiing and ATVs not included |
| Bursa private full day | 12 hours | $100 per person (about 367 AED) | Guide and private van; entrance fees, cable car and meals not included |
| Sapanca and Maşukiye | 10 hours | $70 per person (about 257 AED) | Lake, forest, lunch, ATV and zipline; zoo and water park tickets not included |
Bursa Full-Day Private Tour from Istanbul, from $100 per person
Kartepe is closer than Uludağ (1.5 to 2 hours) and suits families with small children better, and our page on a Kartepe trip from Istanbul explains the cable car, the ski centre and lunch in Maşukiye. For Uludağ there is a separate Uludağ day trip guide and a post on winter day trips from Istanbul. Prices vary with the season, the number of people and what you add, so ask us for the price on your date. All our day trips from Istanbul are on one page.
Cappadocia in the Snow and the Balloon
Cappadocia 2-Day Tour from Istanbul with Flights and Cave Hotel, from $599 per person
It snows in Cappadocia in most winters, from November to March and most of all in January and February, and the summit of Mount Erciyes (3,917 m) stays white all winter. The average night low at Nevşehir is −3.6°C in January according to MGM.
The balloon does fly in winter, and flights over snow are among the best of the year, but cancellations are more frequent: the aviation authorities decide each morning, and in the first half of 2026 balloons flew on only 9 days in January and 8 days in February, according to SHGM figures reported by Anadolu Agency. So we suggest three nights if the balloon is the reason for the trip, and booking it for the first morning. If it is cancelled, the booking is moved to the next morning or refunded.
| Option | From | Approx. in AED |
|---|---|---|
| Cappadocia 2 days from Istanbul with flights and cave hotel | $599 per person | 2,200 |
| Standard balloon | $199 per person | 731 |
| Comfort balloon | $275 per person | 1,010 |
| Premium balloon | $399 per person | 1,465 |
The two-day trip includes return flights, one night in a cave hotel, breakfast and transfers, but not the balloon or dinner. You can see every option in Cappadocia tours, and the page on the Cappadocia balloon in winter explains the cancellation plan in detail.
Is There Snow in Uzungöl and Eastern Turkey?
Snow covers Uzungöl near Trabzon in some winters: Turkish newspapers have reported snow depths of 5 to 15 cm around the lake, and part of its surface froze on very cold days, but that does not happen every year. The place is lovely and quiet in winter and is not a ski resort, and the road from Trabzon is about 99 km and takes 1.5 to 2 hours. Summer details and prices are in our post on an Uzungöl tour from Trabzon.
A 5-Day Winter Programme from Istanbul
Private Cappadocia Tour Package, 4 days, from $750 per person
These are two five-day programmes that we arrange day by day according to the weather, swapping days if the mountain has more snow on one day than another. The first is for a family that wants the nearby snow, and the second is for those who add Cappadocia, and you can see more options in Cappadocia trips from Istanbul.
| Day | Programme A: Istanbul and nearby snow | Programme B: Istanbul and Cappadocia |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Sultanahmet: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Topkapı Palace | Flight to Cappadocia, Red Tour, cave hotel |
| 3 | Bursa, Uludağ and the cable car | Balloon morning if the weather allows, Green Tour, flight back |
| 4 | Sapanca and Maşukiye or Kartepe by private car | Bursa and Uludağ, or a free day in Istanbul |
Add up our ready-made tours alone: the Bursa group trip at $90 plus Sapanca at $70 comes to $160 per person, about 588 AED, for two days, and Cappadocia for two days at $599 plus Bursa at $90 comes to $689 per person, about 2,530 AED. These figures exclude international flights and the hotel for your Istanbul nights, and both change with the date. If you want us to bundle hotel, transfers and tours, ask about our Turkey tour packages or Cappadocia packages; our four-day Istanbul package starts at $699 per person.
What to Wear and How to Prepare for Snow
The mountain is much colder than Istanbul, so wear layers, a heavy coat, gloves, a hat and waterproof boots even if Istanbul feels mild when you set off. At Uludağ you can rent skis, boots and snow suits from the shops on the mountain.
On the mountain road the gendarmerie stops cars without winter tyres or chains on snowy days, and the rule can change within hours, so a private car with a driver who knows the road is easier than renting a car and driving yourself.
For families: ask the driver for prayer stops, because a private car lets you stop whenever you like, and most Maşukiye restaurants serve halal food as a matter of course, though some also serve alcohol, so ask if that matters to you. We do not promise an Arabic-speaking driver, since our drivers speak Turkish and a little English, but we confirm a licensed Arabic-speaking guide in writing for your date before you pay.
From the Emirates: Flights, Winter Break and Visa
The flight from Dubai to Istanbul takes about 5 hours according to the Emirates website, and Emirates, flydubai and Turkish Airlines operate between Dubai and Istanbul; for Etihad (Abu Dhabi) and Air Arabia (Sharjah) check their current schedules. Istanbul is one hour behind the Emirates.
The UAE school winter break runs from 14 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, with students back on 4 January, according to the Ministry of Education calendar as reported by Gulf News. The mountains are crowded during the Turkish school holiday in late January and early February, and Ramadan begins around 8 February 2027 according to Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs, so many families travel before it.
On the visa, UAE citizens are exempt from a visa for tourism for up to 90 days in any 180-day period according to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs website (checked in October 2026). For residents with other nationalities, nationality decides, so open the official e-Visa website before you book. For more on travelling from the Emirates read a Turkey trip from the UAE in 2027.
To book, send your dates, the number of adults and children and your hotel in Istanbul on WhatsApp or through our contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does it snow in Turkey?
Snow falls in Turkey mostly from December to March, and January and February are the most dependable months at Uludağ and Kartepe near Istanbul, while the season at high eastern resorts such as Palandöken and Sarıkamış runs into April, and resorts open only when enough snow lies.
Is there snow in Istanbul?
Yes, but only a little and it rarely lasts: the Florya station records about 8 snowy days a year in MGM figures for 1991-2020, mostly between December and March and most of all in February, roughly double that in the northern Black Sea districts, while in Sultanahmet snow usually melts before noon.
What is the closest place to Istanbul for snow?
The closest snow to Istanbul is at Kartepe, 1.5 to 2 hours away by car, and at Uludağ above Bursa, about 2.5 hours away, and both suit one day; Kartepe is better for small children, while Uludağ is higher and its snow is more dependable in January and February.
What is the best city for snow in Turkey?
No single city suits every family: Uludağ in Bursa is the best option near Istanbul for the cable car and beginners, Cappadocia is best for snow on the fairy chimneys and the balloon, and Erzurum and Kars are best for serious skiing and the longest season, though they need a flight.
Is there snow in Uzungöl in winter?
Yes in some winters: Turkish newspapers have reported snow depths of 5 to 15 cm around Uzungöl lake and part of its surface freezing on very cold days, but that does not happen every year, so ask about the weather the day before, because the place is for photos and quiet, not skiing.
How much is an Uludağ trip from Istanbul?
Our group trip to Bursa and Uludağ is from $90 per person (about 330 AED) and includes the ferry, cable car, guide and lunch, and the private full day is from $100 per person (about 367 AED) without entrance fees, cable car and meals; prices vary with the season, so ask for your date.
Is Turkey beautiful in winter?
Yes for people who like sightseeing, snow and smaller crowds: the queues at Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace are much shorter than in summer, snow covers Cappadocia and the mountains above Bursa, and cave hotels are cheaper in January and February, but days are short and balloon flights may be cancelled.
Private tours in Istanbul
Bursa Day Trip from Istanbul: Cable Car & Lunch Included
A full-day trip to Bursa with a Marmara ferry crossing, cable car to Uludag, the Green Mosque and Green Tomb, lunch and free time.
Sapanca Day Trip from Istanbul: ATV, Zipline & Lunch Included
A full day out of Istanbul at Sapanca Lake and Masukiye, with lunch, hotel transfers and optional ATV, zipline and cable car rides.
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