How to travel around Eastern Turkey in winter

Eastern Turkey 2023-2024 part 1

Turkey is one of the most visited countries in the world. Destinations like Istanbul and the west coast can be overcrowded with tourists. The country is full with hidden gems though, especially in the east. If you’d like to enjoy the culture and history of Turkey without the crowds, I’d recommend travelling to Eastern Turkey in winter. Nicole and I did this twice: first from east to west on a journey from Azerbaijan to Istanbul, a year later from south to north going from Iraq to the Black Sea. Here’s how to travel here independently in wintertime, and what it’s like.

What’s the weather like?

A big part of Eastern Turkey is high above sea level. The major cities Van, Kars and Erzurum are located at over 1700 meters altitude. Therefore temperatures can drop way below zero, though we had many days here when it wasn’t freezing. Because locals are used to this life goes on despite the cold, and some tourists actually go here to enjoy winter. Visiting during winter is fine with the right clothes. Obviously you need a winter-coat, gloves, hat and a scarf, but bring thermal layers and water-resistant shoe wear (against the snow) too. The Black Sea Coast in the north is warmer, and south towards the Mesopotamian Plain temperatures are more mild too. In Trabzon at the coast and Mardin near the Syrian border you sometimes don’t even need a coat on a sunny winter’s day, but usually you still do.

What to see?

The historical heritage in the region is immense: ancient madrassas, monasteries, mosques, churches, old cities and castles. The city of Mardin is basically an open air museum, but Van, Kars, Erzurum and Trabzon have a lot of history too. There is also plenty to see in the mountains, like the Ishak Pasha palace near the famous mount Ararat or the massive and well-preserved archaeological site Ani, once the capital of the Armenian Kingdom. The landscapes are varied and often spectacular, including semi-desert, subtropical coast lines and high mountains. Though hiking options are limited in winter, it’s still possible to visit remote sights and do short walks.

Is there enough happening?

Beforehand I wondered whether this region might be too quiet in winter. But in Eastern Turkey many hotels, restaurants, museums and tourist sites stay open in winter. We also met a lot of people this time of year, both other travellers and people who live here. It helps that people in Eastern Turkey are very welcoming to others. In bars and restaurants, we occasionally would be invited by others to join their table for example, so we made friends along the way.

Can you still travel around in winter?

It’s still possible to travel around Eastern Turkey in winter by public transport. Travelling by bus between cities is simple, and the ‘’Dogu Express’’ train from Kars to Ankara is even popular in winter (check www.obilet.com for buses and the TCDD website for trains). Travelling by local bus between Van, Ararat and Kars was also possible (buy tickets at the bus station). More remote tourist sites might close sometimes due to snowfall. For example, we visited the famous Ishak Pasha palace near Mount Ararat in January, but heard the road to the palace had been closed down a week earlier because of snowfall.

Where to go?

In the next posts, I write where we went in winter and what it was like, following the way we travelled on our second trip from south to north: from the beautiful city of Mardin (part 2) to interesting Van at Van Lake (part 3), Doğubayazıt and the Ishak Pasha Palace next to Mount Ararat (part 4), Kars and the ancient ruins of Ani (part 5), the Silk Road hub of Erzurum and its surroundings (part 6) and the coastal city of Trabzon including the Sumela Monastery (part 7).

Central AsiaArjan MookFebruary 11, 2024