Ararat and Caucasus
Turkey's remote far east - Lake Van's Armenian church-island, volcanic Mount Ararat at the Iran border, the abandoned medieval city of Ani on the closed Armenian frontier, Seljuk Erzurum, and the alpine Georgian-border valleys of Artvin - ending on the Black Sea at Trabzon.
9–16 days · Point-to-point
When to go
- WeatherHigh mountain passes and the Artvin/Kackar valleys (Nov - Apr) — Snow closes minor roads and the Ani/Kars/Erzurum plateau turns brutally cold; this route only really works Jun - Sep, with May and Oct as narrow, unreliable shoulders
Ararat and Caucasus is the trip for travelers who've already done Istanbul, Cappadocia or the coast and want to see the Turkey most visitors never reach: a volcanic, high-plateau borderland where Armenian, Kurdish, Georgian, Seljuk and Ottoman layers sit on top of each other, right up against the closed Armenia frontier and the foothills of the Caucasus. It's a demanding route - long highland drives, a real winter, and towns with limited tourist infrastructure - but nothing else in Turkey looks or feels like it.
This route's vibe
What you get across the whole trip, blended from each stop's strengths.
Stop by stop
The route
Adjust trip length, budget, and travel style — the stops, transport, and cost update to match.
- 1
Van & Lake Van
2 nightsTurkey's largest lake, alkaline and improbably turquoise, with the 10th-century Armenian Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island reachable by boat. Van itself has the old citadel and a genuinely distinct Kurdish east-Anatolian food scene (otlu peynir, Van kahvaltisi breakfast spreads).
Skip / overrated: The reconstructed Old Van city walls below the citadel are a short add-on, not worth a dedicated half-day - see them on the way up to the fortress, not as a separate trip.
View Van & Lake Van guide→Getting there· ~133 kmBusRecommendedRegular minibuses (dolmus) and intercity coaches, ~3h via Muradiye and Caldiran.
Book: local otogar (bus station) — buy same-day at the otogar - online booking for these smaller routes is unreliable
Book busesCarSelf-drive or private car, ~3h; gives you flexibility to detour to the Muradiye Waterfalls en route.
- 2
Dogubayazit & Mount Ararat
2 nightsIshak Pasha Palace, a half-ruined 17th/18th-century Ottoman-Kurdish palace on a desert ridge, is one of eastern Turkey's genuine architectural highlights - and it sits directly under snow-capped Mount Ararat (5,137m), visible from town on a clear day. The base for anyone doing a multi-day Ararat trek.
View Dogubayazit & Mount Ararat guide→Getting there· ~145 kmCarRecommendedPrivate car or self-drive, ~3h across open highland plateau.
BusInfrequent direct coaches; more common to go via Igdir with a change.
Book: local otogar — few direct departures - check the day before, don't assume an evening bus exists
Book buses - 3
Kars & Ani
2 nightsKars mixes a Russian-era grid of stone buildings with a hilltop Seljuk-Armenian fortress, but the real reason to come is Ani, 45km east on the closed Armenian border: the abandoned medieval Armenian capital, once a city of 100,000, now empty ruined churches on a windswept plateau above a gorge. A half-day trip from Kars, not a separate overnight.
Full guide coming soon for this stop.
Getting there· ~174 kmCarSelf-drive or private car, ~3h.
- 4
Erzurum
1 nightThe historic gateway between eastern Anatolia and the coast: the twin-minaret Cifte Minareli Medrese and Seljuk-era Ulu Cami are worth a half-day, and cag kebabi (skewered lamb grilled horizontally) here is one of Turkey's best regional dishes.
Skip / overrated: Palandoken's ski infrastructure is irrelevant outside winter - don't build extra time around it on a summer trip.
Full guide coming soon for this stop.
Getting there· ~150 kmCarRecommendedSelf-drive or private car, ~3.5-4h through mountain terrain via the Coruh valley; the scenery is a large part of the point of this leg.
BusCoaches run but less frequently than the plateau legs; expect ~4.5h with a possible change.
Book: local otogar — confirm the route goes via Yusufeli, not the longer Ardahan detour
Book buses - 5
Artvin & the Kackar Valleys
2 nightsThe genuinely alpine, 'Turkish Caucasus' stretch near the Georgian border: the Coruh river canyon, Karagol (Black Lake) in dense spruce forest, and scattered 9th-11th century Georgian Tao-Klarjeti stone churches in the Yusufeli valleys - a landscape and architecture unlike anywhere else on this route.
Full guide coming soon for this stop.
Getting there· ~177 kmCarRecommendedSelf-drive or private car down to the coast, ~3.5-4h.
- 6
Trabzon & Sumela Monastery
2 nightsBack down to the Black Sea coast: Sumela Monastery clings to a cliff face in the forest above the city, Trabzon's old town has a Byzantine Hagia Sophia and Ottoman bazaars, and there's a domestic airport for the flight out.
View Trabzon & Sumela Monastery guide→
Lodging + daily spend only — excludes flights & intercity transport. Partial: some stops lack cost data.
What to skip
Don't try to bolt this onto a Cappadocia or Aegean coast trip - the distances and road quality mean it needs its own dedicated week-plus, not a rushed add-on.
Practical tips
Carry cash - card acceptance thins out fast east of Erzurum. Mobile signal is patchy in the Artvin valleys. Bring warm layers even in July; the plateau nights are cold, and Ani's plateau is exposed and windy year-round.
Best for
Common questions
Do I need a permit to visit this part of Turkey?
No special permit is needed for Van, Dogubayazit, Kars, Ani, Erzurum or Artvin - this is different from the far southeast near Hakkari, which does have military-zone restrictions.
Is it safe to travel here?
Yes for the towns on this route - it's a normal, if under-touristed, part of Turkey. Check current government travel advisories for the immediate Iran and Iraq border areas, which this route doesn't approach.
What's the best way to get to Van to start the route?
Fly into Van Ferit Melen Airport from Istanbul or Ankara - it's the practical starting point; overland from western Turkey is a very long haul.