Routes5 Stop

A Nature Day at Eymir, Mogan and Tulumtaş

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The south of Ankara is not steppe but two lakes and a cave, and you are there in half an hour from the centre. Spend the morning cycling Eymir's 8-km loop, have lunch at the fish restaurants on Mogan's shore and walk among the cool stalactites of Tulumtaş in the afternoon. Back in town, catch your breath in Seğmenler Park and watch the sunset from Atakule. Without a car, skip Tulumtaş; the day is still full to the brim.

Gölbaşı / Ankara, Ankara

Routes

5 Stop

~4 h 45 min at places

Travel ~38.2 km · 1 h 23 min

Total ~6 h 8 min

September 3, 2026

Route Stops

Eymir Lake.

~1 h here

ODTÜ arazisi, Yaylabağ Mahallesi, Gölbaşı

Rent a bike at the gate at nine; the full loop takes 45–60 minutes, then a well-earned table at the breakfast places.

Protected by METU, Eymir is the outdoor spot Ankara people love most, and you understand why on the first lap. There is an asphalt cycling and walking loop of about 8 km around the lake, a rowing club, breakfast places and birdwatching in the reeds. Entry on foot or by bike is free, while driving in needs a METU card, so even at weekends you hear no engines. Photographers prize its autumn colours and winter mist.

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Mogan Lake and Mogan Park.

~1 h here

Gölbaşı merkez, Haymana yolu kıyı şeridi

Come in fifteen minutes by bus or car. Walk the boardwalk and have lunch on the lake shore; the fish is fresh and the portions generous.

Twenty kilometres south of Ankara, the large shallow lake in the middle of Gölbaşı is both a wetland and a recreation area. Mogan Park along the shore offers boardwalks, viewing terraces, a cycle path and cafes. Come for migrating birds in spring and autumn, sunsets in summer and the lakeside fish restaurants all year round. It fits into the same day as Eymir, and if you have a car Tulumtaş Cave is fifteen minutes away.

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Tulumtaş Cave.

~1 h here

Tulumtaş Mahallesi, Ankara Çevre Yolu kenarı, Gölbaşı

Twenty minutes by car; a 45-minute lit trail, cool inside. Do not leave your cardigan in the car.

Discovered by chance during ring-road construction in 2005 and opened to visitors in 2023 after long preparation, the cave has lit walkways winding between stalactites and stalagmites. It is the only show cave this close to Ankara and stays cool inside on the hottest summer day. A cafe, gift shop and information hall stand at the entrance; the tour takes about 45 minutes. Ideal for the afternoon after Mogan.

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Seğmenler Park.

~1 h here

Çankaya Mahallesi, Kuğulu Park'ın güneyi, Çankaya

Back in Çankaya on the return; rest among the amphitheatre and trees while children run to the playground.

A valley-shaped park on the slopes of Çankaya, with an amphitheatre, playgrounds, sports courts and big trees; it works like the neighbourhood's living room. Summer evenings bring open-air concerts and Sundays bring family picnic blankets. It is a ten-minute uphill walk from Kuğulu Park, and Atakule is another fifteen on foot, which puts it right in the middle of a Çankaya tour.

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Atakule.

~45 min here

Çankaya Caddesi No:1, Çankaya

Fifteen minutes on foot; sunset from the deck, look for the lakes to the south, they show on a clear day.

Opened in 1989, the 125-metre tower defined Ankara's skyline single-handedly for years; the revolving restaurant and observation deck at the top show the city in 360 degrees. The shopping centre beneath was rebuilt in the 2010s, the tower itself charges a separate fee that is not cheap, but on a clear day the view genuinely pays for it. Within walking distance of the Çankaya Mansion and Seğmenler Park; save it for the end of a Çankaya tour, at sunset.

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Route Map

Route Info

CityGölbaşı / Ankara, Ankara

TypeRoutes

Stop5

DateSeptember 3, 2026

AuthorRadar Türkiye Start Route