Across Anatolia from End to End
Sign in to like and rate
A route that starts in the carved valleys of Cappadocia, descends to the Mesopotamian plain, climbs to Lake Van and the slopes of Ağrı, and ends in the forests of the Black Sea. Twenty stops across twelve provinces, among them the oldest known group of monumental structures, two UNESCO sites and the lake of an extinct volcano. The stops are listed in geographical order, so reading the list from top to bottom is itself the itinerary.
Route Stops
Göreme Open Air Museum.
~3 h hereThe start of the route and the most compact introduction to Cappadocia, with the valley churches strung along a single walking path.
Uçhisar Castle.
Ten minutes from Göreme. A good place to see the region from above and plan the next day.
Derinkuyu Underground City.
After the surface of Cappadocia, its underside. Two faces of the same soft rock.
Divriği Grand Mosque.
~2 h hereThe stop that breaks the long drive between Cappadocia and the southeast. The stonework is worth the detour.
Mount Nemrut.
~3 h hereThe climb is made early morning or late afternoon, and the road steepens near the top.
Göbeklitepe.
~2 h 30 min hereAfter Nemrut, the oldest of all. More than eight thousand years separate the two.
Balıklıgöl (literally "Fish Lake") is a place name. It could refer to a specific lake or a location containing a lake. Without more context, it's impossible
~1 h 30 min hereCan be combined with Göbeklitepe on the same day. In the city centre, next to the bazaar.
Mardin Old City.
~4 h hereThe longest pause on the route. The town itself is the stop, and a night here is best.
The Ancient City of Dara.
~2 h hereHalf an hour from Mardin. Allow separate time for the underground cistern.
Hasankeyf.
~2 h 30 min hereHeading east along the Tigris. The relocated monuments and the castle area are two separate stops.
Nemrut Crater Lake.
~2 h hereThe last climb before Lake Van. It shares a name with the mountain in Adıyaman but nothing else.
Akdamar Island.
~2 h 30 min hereHalf a day including the crossing. Boat times change with the season, so check ahead.
Van Castle.
~2 h hereIn the city after returning from the island. The whole lake is visible from the top.
Muradiye Waterfall.
~1 h 30 min hereOn the way from Van to Doğubayazıt, only a few kilometres off the road.
Işık Pasha Palace.
~2 h 30 min hereThe easternmost point of the route. On a clear day Mount Ağrı is visible from the palace.
Ani Ancient Site.
~3 h hereThe turn north begins here. The site is wide and shadeless, and the wind rarely stops.
The Madrasa with Two Minarets.
~1 h hereTwo stops side by side in Erzurum, together filling a morning.
Yakupiye Madrasa.
~1 h hereWalking distance from Çifte Minareli, today in use as a museum.
Sümela Monastery.
~3 h hereThe descent from the mountains to the Black Sea. There is an uphill walk after the entrance.
Uzungöl.
~2 h 30 min hereThe final stop. A fitting place to slow down after fourteen days.
