High-Altitude Football Camp in Türkiye: Erciyes and Palandöken Compared

Football clubs in Türkiye go to two places for a high-altitude training camp: Mount Erciyes above Kayseri and Palandöken on the edge of Erzurum. Local press has reported more than twenty teams in a single summer at each of them in recent years. Before picking one, know what altitude does to a squad and where the centres actually differ.

What altitude changes on a camp

The higher you go, the lower the pressure of oxygen in the air. Players run the same drill at a higher heart rate, and recovery between sprints takes longer. A 2013 expert position statement on altitude training in team sports puts the drop in maximal aerobic power at around 7 per cent for every 1,000 metres, with large differences between players.

The same statement separates two goals. One is acclimatising for a match at altitude, typically with a week or two at that height. The other is living high for a few weeks in pre-season to play better back at sea level. It classes 500 to 2,000 metres as low altitude and 2,000 to 3,000 metres as moderate. Most altitude venues equipped for team sports are between 1,800 and 2,500 metres. Erciyes (1,850 m) and Palandöken (about 2,000 m) sit at the lower end, on the line between low and moderate.

The statement is also candid that four decades of research have produced no consensus on the best altitude strategy for team sports. Treat an altitude camp as one tool in the medical staff's plan.

The first days: load, sleep and water

Altitude makes an injury, illness or fatigue harder to carry. The statement recommends checking players for all three before the ascent, along with iron and hydration status.

The pattern we see on camps is simple. Most coaching staff keep the first two or three days light and save the heavy sessions for later in the week. Kayseri is very dry in July: the Meteorological Service average is 10.3 mm of rain over just over two rainy days. Fluid loss rises without players noticing, so water and weigh-ins at the pitch are worth the effort. Broken sleep in the first nights is normal and settles as players adapt. When to raise the load is a decision for the club's medical team. How water, ice and kit are set out at the pitch before each session is covered on our training camps page.

The Erciyes camp centre near Kayseri

According to Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, the Erciyes High Altitude Camp Centre is at 1,850 metres. It has eight football pitches, all 105 by 68 metres, with 14 changing rooms. There is also a 50-metre swimming pool and an indoor sports hall.

Where you sleep changes the plan here. Kayseri itself is at about 1,050 metres, so staying in the city and training at 1,850 metres means train high, sleep low. Staying in the mountain hotels means living at altitude. Agree which one your medical staff want before choosing a hotel.

Palandöken and Erzurum

Erzurum Spor A.Ş., which runs the facility, gives its altitude as around 2,000 metres. Its page lists five pitches, four built to UEFA standards and one to FIFA standards, plus changing rooms, massage rooms and a gym. We use the operator's figures, not the varying numbers in news reports.

What sets Erzurum apart is that the city itself is above 1,800 metres. The camp centre is on the southern edge of town, a few minutes from the city centre. A squad based here lives high and trains high.

Side by side: altitude, pitches, flights

Distances and drive times come from OSRM road routing without traffic, so allow longer at busy times. Temperatures are from the city weather stations. Both camp centres are higher than those stations, Erciyes by a long way, so the pitch is cooler than the table suggests. Both cities have scheduled direct flights from Istanbul, and frequency changes with the season.

Friendlies with teams in the same week

Palandöken can host many teams in the same week. Local press (Yeni Birlik, 1 August 2026) listed Erzurumspor FK, Alanyaspor, Vanspor FK and Erzincanspor in camp at Palandöken that week, alongside Persepolis from Iran, Al Arabi SC from Kuwait and Pyramids FC from Egypt. How many friendlies to play and how to pick opponents is covered in our guide to arranging friendlies on camp.

Frequently asked questions

How long should a high-altitude camp be?

There is no single right length. The expert statement's general advice is 3 to 7 days to acclimatise at low altitude (500 to 2,000 metres) and one to two weeks at moderate altitude (2,000 to 3,000 metres). Both centres are at or below 2,000 metres, so plan on 3 to 7 days. The statement's examples of living high in pre-season run to two or three weeks. Your coaching plan and the league calendar decide.

What altitude is the Erciyes camp centre at?

1,850 metres, according to Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality.

Which airport serves Palandöken?

Erzurum Airport. The drive to the camp centre is about 20 minutes without traffic.

Can youth teams train at altitude?

That is for the club's medical staff to decide.

Can an altitude camp be combined with a coastal camp in the same season?

Yes, and many teams do it. Rize on the Black Sea is about 240 km by road from Erzurum. For a winter stage on the coast, see our Antalya winter camp guide. How long to leave between coming down and the first competitive match is still being researched, so plan that gap with your medical staff.

What is the weather like in Erzurum in July?

The long-term July average is 19.2°C, with highs of 26.6°C and lows of 11.1°C. Evenings call for a warm layer.

If what you need is cooler air rather than altitude, we compare Istanbul, Bolu and Rize in our guide to cooler summer camp regions. Settled on one of the two mountain centres? Tell us whether your medical staff want the squad sleeping in the city or on the mountain, and we will build the hotel and pitch options around that. All the regions we work in are on our camp locations page.