پیست اسکی پاپایی, Papaei Ski Resort
Zanjan province's own mountain slope
Papaei is a small, high-altitude mountain ski resort south-west of the city of Zanjan — the main organised ski area in Iran's Zanjan province.
- 2,064 m Base
- 2,175 m Top lift
- 111 m Vertical
- 2 Lifts
Best known for
Après & vibe
Facilities are simple — a cafe and ski hut on the mountain — with the city of Zanjan providing meals and lodging.
The snow centre
Papaei is a genuine outdoor ski resort set high in the mountains roughly to the south-west of Zanjan, and is the principal ski area of that north-western Iranian province. Sitting at a considerable altitude, it holds good, dry winter snow and offers a single main slope served by drag lifts, along with basic on-site facilities such as a ski school, cafe and rental. It is a modest, locally focused area rather than a big destination resort, appealing to skiers from Zanjan and the surrounding region and to travellers curious about Iran's lesser-known slopes. The high elevation gives it a reliable mid-winter season, though the terrain is limited and the atmosphere refreshingly uncommercial.
The slope
The main slope and ski school make it a workable place to learn.
Its pitch offers steady, if short, cruising for improvers.
A steep upper section gives stronger skiers something to work with.
Limited scope for experts beyond the main slope and any nearby off-piste.
High-desert mountain snow
Papaei brings dependable, dry winter snow to the highlands of Zanjan province, a quiet slice of Iranian mountain skiing far from the country's better-known Alborz resorts.
On the map
Legend
Run difficulty
- Novice
- Easy
- Intermediate
- Advanced / Expert
- Freeride / Extreme
- Unknown
Run types
- Downhill — groomed
- Downhill — ungroomed
- Downhill — gladed
- Nordic (groomed)
- Ski tour
- ☾Lit (night)
- △Not patrolled
- →One-way
- ❄Snowmaking
Lifts
- Operating
- Operating (private)
- Non-operating
- Lift station
Slope-gradient grading
Downhill / ski tour
- Flat<3°
- Easy3–14°
- Intermediate14–22°
- Advanced / Expert22–45°
- Freeride / Extreme>45°
Nordic
- Easy<6°
- Intermediate6–9°
- Advanced>9°
Aspect (sun exposure)
- N — least sun
- E — morning
- S — most sun
- W — afternoon
Legend after OpenSkiMap
Stay near پیست اسکی پاپایی, Papaei Ski Resort
Most skiers visit for the day from the city of Zanjan, which offers the nearest hotels and services.
A base in town — the snow centre is a day trip, not a resort stay.
Self-catering flexibility for a family visit or a longer city break.
Handy if the centre is a stopover between flights.
Book access to پیست اسکی پاپایی, Papaei Ski Resort
Snow sessions, lessons and slope passes for پیست اسکی پاپایی, Papaei Ski Resort.
Online access tickets for پیست اسکی پاپایی, Papaei Ski Resort will be bookable here shortly. In the meantime, book direct on the venue's own site.
How to get there
The city of Zanjan is the regional gateway, with Tehran the main international arrival point; the resort lies to its south-west by road.
A mountain road climbs from the Zanjan area up to the resort.
Best time: Best in mid-winter, roughly January to February, when high-altitude snow cover is at its deepest.
Nearby resorts
Other resorts within reach.
Faces north-west © Alireza Javaheri / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) Khor
- Vertical
- 409 m
- Lifts
- 1
Faces north © matin fattahi / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) پیست اسکی دیزین, Dizin Ski Resort
- Vertical
- 944 m
- Lifts
- 16
پیست اسکی دربندسر, Darbandsar Ski Resort
- Vertical
- 885 m
- Lifts
- 6
Getting to پیست اسکی پاپایی, Papaei Ski Resort
Book an airport transfer up to the resort, or pick up a car at Tehran (IKA) — search and compare without leaving the page.
Ski data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via OpenSkiMap & Skimap.org. Basemap © OpenFreeMap / OpenMapTiles. Editorial: mynext.holiday. Accommodation via Stay22; transfers via Kiwitaxi; car hire via Travelpayouts.