ankara sea salt tour

VISITING TUZ GOLU – THE ICONIC TURKISH SALT FLATS

• Travel Guides
• September 9, 2023 November 30, 2023
• by sarah buchanan

Tuz Golu, also known as Lake Tuz, is one of Turkey’s most remarkable natural wonders. It’s the second-largest lake in Turkey and one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world. The lake is a crucial habitat for various bird species, particularly flamingos, making it an important area for birdwatching. Additionally, Tuz Golu has been a historically significant source of salt production for the region.

This unique and enchanting destination is famous for its mesmerizing salt flats, serene beauty, and diverse bird species. Tuz Golu is a must visit if you’re going through the Anatolia region of Turkey!

HOW TO GET THERE

Tuz Gölü is located about 150 kilometers southwest of Ankara and can be easily accessed by car or public transportation. The nearest city is Aksaray, which serves as a gateway to the lake.

• By Car: The most convenient way to reach Tuz Golu is by car. You can rent a vehicle in Ankara or another major city and drive south on the D650 highway. The journey should take around 2-3 hours, depending on your starting point.
• By Bus: There are intercity buses that connect Ankara and surrounding cities to Aksaray, a nearby city. From Aksaray, you can take a local bus or taxi to Tuz Golu.
• By Train: You can take a train to Konya, and from there, you can hire a taxi or use local transportation to reach Tuz Golu. The train journey offers scenic views of the Turkish countryside.
• There are also tour options from Istanbul, but be aware that the drive from Istanbul to Pamukkale can take 6-8 hours, so much of the 15 hour tour day will be spent on the road.

You might find it more worthwhile to do a 2-day tour , which includes a trip to the incredible ancient city of Ephesus.

WHEN TO VISIT

The best time to visit Tuz Golu is during the spring and autumn when the weather is mild and the birdlife is abundant. Summer can be scorching, so be prepared for high temperatures if you visit during this time!

The salt flats are beautiful, and you can take a leisurely stroll on the vast salt flats that stretch as far as the eye can see. The unique texture and patterns of the salt crystals under your feet create a really cool experience.These vast white plains extend as far seemingly infinitely, and they create a surreal landscape.

SEE AMAZING WILDLIFE

Tuz Golu is a crucial resting point for migratory birds, including flamingos, herons, and many other species. Enter your birdwatching era at Tuz Golu and you’ll find plenty of opportunities to observe and photograph these beautiful creatures.

Don’t forget your binoculars to spot flamingos, avocets, and other feathered visitors!

SUNSET AT TUZ GOLU

Witness a breathtaking sunset over the salt flats. The reflection of the sun on the salt creates an awe-inspiring visual display.

EXPERIENCE THE LOCAL CULTURE

Visit nearby villages and interact with local communities to learn about their traditional salt extraction methods and way of life. You can even purchase locally harvested salt and salt scrubs as a unique souvenir.

ACCOMODATION IN THE AREA

While there are limited accommodation options directly at Tuz Gölü, nearby towns like Aksaray offer a range of hotels and guesthouses to suit various budgets.

NEED TO KNOW TIPS

• Beware of sharp salt crystals! The salt can be sharp, so wear sturdy shoes when walking on the flats.
• Protect yourself from the sun with sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses.
• Stay hydrated, especially if you’re visiting during the warmer months.

Tuz Golu offers a unique travel experience that combines the beauty of nature with the opportunity to immerse yourself in Turkish culture. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, a photographer, or simply looking for a tranquil escape, Tuz Golu has something to offer everyone.

To check out our full Anatolia gallery, click here ! 

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Lake Tuz Pink Salt Lake Near Cappadocia, Turkey: Complete Guide

Jackson Groves

Posted on Last updated: June 24, 2023

Categories TURKEY

Lake Tuz is an incredible salt lake in Turkey, near Aksaray but also only just over an hour’s drive away from Cappadocia. The lake is remarkable because of its vibrant pink color. Despite how unique this location is, it’s not very popular, and when I visited I enjoyed the entire lake to myself for as far as I could see. This pink, salt lake is known as Lake Tuz or Tuz Gölü.

Table of Contents

LAKE TUZ: THE PINK, SALT LAKE

In this blog post, I will share everything you need to know about Pink Lake Tuz, a salt lake near Cappadocia, Turkey.

WHERE IS LAKE TUZ (THE SALT LAKE)

Lake Tuz is actually not directly in Cappadocia, but I did visit it while staying in Cappadocia. This is why I thought it would be valuable to share that with other travelers who are staying in Goreme or the nearby towns of Uchisar or Orthahisar. We drove 1.5 hours from Goreme to reach Lake Tuz, which I have pinned on the map below.

There is a tour that takes you to salt lake for sunset, which is quite handy because we had to rent a car and figure it all out on our own. Book your tour: Salt Lake Sunset Tour

Once you arrive at Lake Tuz on the map you will realize it is huge. We picked a side that seemed pretty nice and there was no one else there but who knows what you will find on all of the different sides of the lake.

We hired a car for $30 Euros in Goreme town at one of the travel agencies, which split by two people was a pretty cheap way to get around. On this day we first visited Derinkuyu Underground City , Ihlara Valley , and then ended the day at Lake Tuz.

BEST RENTAL CAR COMPANY IN TURKEY

When you book your Turkey Rental Car online, I personally recommend and always use  Discover Cars . They search for both local and international companies, so you get the best deal!

THE 3 MOST POPULAR CAPPADOCIA TOURS

• Sunrise Hot Air Balloon : My number one recommendation is to do a sunrise hot air balloon flight and be blown away by this magical experience.
• Cappadocia Sunset ATV Tour : The best way to spend sunset in Cappadocia is on the ATV tour amongst the amazing rock formations.
• Cappadocia Red Tour & Goreme Open-Air Museum : All of the best tourist sites in one day!

BOOKING A SUNSET TOUR OF LAKE TUZ

There is a tour that takes you to salt lake for sunset, which is good value as it is a fixed price for your entire group of up to five people. The tour offers hotel pick-up and drop-off as well as taking you to the best spots to view the sunset on Lake Tuz.

Book your tour: Salt Lake Sunset Tour

Lake Tuz Sunset Tour

• Hotel Pick-up & Drop-off
• Fixed group price
• They know the best spots

MY EXPERIENCE AT LAKE TUZ

After a long drive from Cappadocia, we started to get near Lake Tuz according to the map. We had originally aimed to keep driving to the top of the lake but passed a stretch along the side of the lake that looked beautiful and empty. Not knowing if our intended destination would be busy or look as nice we decided to park the car next to a field beside the highway and walk into the Lake.

We crossed the highway and then reached the area where the bushes end and they meet the beginning of the salt flats. It was at this point that we decided we needed to take off our shoes and leave our bags because the salt sinks a little and would ruin everything. It is incredibly dense and hard to remove. The issue with this decision is that the salt flats can be very sharp in areas. It’s a trade-off you will appreciate later.

*I’ve since been told that further north there is the main entrance with a cafe and other structures.

It was an hour before sunset when we arrived so we were able to enjoy the vibrancy of the pink lake in full sunshine as well as the pastel sunset reflections later on. It’s definitely the best pink salt lake in Turkey! I highly recommend doing the same as the lake is great in both lighting types although you won’t be able to swim in Lake Tuz. It is incredibly salty and where we were it was only 1 ft deep and very sharp because of the salt on the floor. Other parts of the lake may be different, and that will be for you to discover.

The most interesting part about the lake is the density of the salt formations. It seems that you are walking on pure salt. I actually picked up a few snowball-sized balls of salt, which I instantly regretted as my hands were now covered in a never-ending layer of salt. This is a dangerous place for cameras. You’ve been warned.

As the sunset came we were treated to some beautiful purples and oranges that reflected on the shallow lake, which lay perfectly still at only a few inches deep. 

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT LAKE TUZ IN TURKEY

• Tuz Golu means Salt Lake in Turkish
• Lake Tuz is the second largest lake in Turkey
• The lake occupies a ‘tectonic depression’ and is fed water by two major streams but has no outlet at all. 
• Lake Tuz was declared a protected area in 2001 as there are a colony of ‘Greater Flamingo’ callin the region home as well as Great White-Fronted Goose in addition to the Lesser Kestrel.

I hope you enjoyed this guide about this salt lake in Turkey called Lake Tuz. Just a 1.5-hour drive from Cappadocia it is worth the journey!

WHERE TO STAY IN GOREME, CAPPADOCIA

Where I stayed: Design Cave Suites Cappadocia – I was lucky enough to stay at the Design Cave Suites in Goreme. The location was great and I walked to all attractions. The rooftop garden was awesome for sunrise balloon watching. The buffet breakfast spread was amazing as were the cave-style room designs.

Best Cave Hotel with Pool:   Local Cave House Hotel – This cave hotel rose to fame because of its incredible pool. Make sure you click the link and check out how epic the pool backdrop is, with those classic Cappadocia rock formations in the background and traditional cave rooms it is a top pick.

Cave Hotel with Best Roof View (and dogs): Sultan Cave Suites – This cave hotel became famous because of its epic rooftop area for sunrise viewing. Guests can lay out on traditional pillows and carpets while watching the hot-air balloons flying above. The hotel dog might also join you for a photoshoot on the roof!

HAVE YOU CHECKED OUT THE REST OF MY CAPPADOCIA BLOG POSTS?

Click on one of the articles below to check out all of the places you should visit while in Cappadocia!

The big guide! This post has all of my favorite activities, which I personally did while in Cappadocia for ten days:  24 AWESOME THINGS TO DO IN CAPPADOCIA

The hiking guide!  Find out about all of the best hikes in Cappadocia with details, directions and lots of photos:  8 AWESOME HIKES IN CAPPADOCIA

Thinking about flying in a hot air balloon in Cappadocia? Read this first:  CAPPADOCIA HOT AIR BALLOONS: THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU FLY

Have you heard about the castles in Cappadocia? Check these out:

THE UCHISAR CASTLE VIEWPOINT

ORTAHISAR CASTLE VIEWPOINT

CAVUSIN CHURCH, VALLEY & CASTLE

Not sure where is the best region to stay? Wondering which hotel provides the best value? Check out this guide that will help you decide:  WHERE TO STAY IN CAPPADOCIA: THE BEST HOTELS & HOSTELS

OR… I write a post about the 12 BEST CAVE HOTELS IN CAPPADOCIA that you might find interesting.

I’ve written a blog post for almost all of the places I’ve visited while in Cappadocia. You can find every single one of these articles right here: CAPPADOCIA ARCHIVES

Monday 17th of April 2023

Where is this spot that you visited the lake? Is it always this color? We will be there in July.

Lourdes Gonzalez

Saturday 11th of June 2022

Great article! What time did you visit the lake?

Thursday 11th of March 2021

I can't believe I missed Tuz Golu on my first trip to Kapadokya two years ago. Luckily I'm headed back in 3 weeks. Thanks for the tips, inspiration, and photos!

Monday 15th of March 2021

A great spot with not many tourists!

Suman Narang

Friday 27th of November 2020

Lovely article. Thank you. In which month did you visit the lake? Please let me know. Thank you :)

@Ilu Narang, Any reply on when he visited? I keep hearing it's dried up in August and it doesn't look like a pink lake but white.

TUZ GOLU (SALT LAKE) IN TURKEY

As you approach Sereflikochisar southeast of Ankara, glinting light to the west tells you that the Tuz Golu (Lake Salt) is approaching. The intense whiteness and sparkle of the salt crystals look deceptively like snow and ice. Even when you reach the edge, you still brace yourself for a freezing sensation as you take off your shoes and socks. The first step is a surprise, at the second you adjust your expectations, and at the third, you become convinced that it is really salt beneath your feet. And you start to think about salt, one of life’s most essential ingredients. Salt makes up 3.5 percent of the human body, which is an extraordinary testimony to the balance of nature because the proportion of salt in the world’s seas is also 3.5 percent!

Wearing high rubber boots you can take a long walk across the lake if you do not mind sinking occasionally into patches of mud. The water varies from a few centimeters to half a meter in depth most of the time, but when the overflow from Lake Beysehir pours through channels into Tuz Golu, the depth increases by 30-40 centimeters. When the water level rises, the ecological balance of the lake is disturbed. Evaporation diminishes, and the circulation of the water between the atmosphere and ground becomes erratic.

Tuz Golu is fed by the Melendiz River, several small streams, and underground saltwater springs. Three salt pans in the lake produce one million tons of salt a year, or 64% of Turkey’s total requirements. Saturated salt water is allowed to pour into the Kaldirim, Kayacik and Yavsan salt pans, and when the salt has precipitated the water is drained off again. Then the salt is shoveled into wagons that travel along with an extensive network of rails to warehouses on the lakeshore. From here the salt is taken by truck to several privately owned salt processing plants, mainly situated in Sereflikochisar. Here the salt is washed several times, dried, and packed into sacks for distribution to factories all over Turkey.

In Ottoman times, the blocks of salt which formed naturally around the lake were broken up and sold to traders there on the lakeshore. The salt was loaded onto camels and carried off in every direction. In later years warehouses were built, and then a narrow-gauge railway was constructed to the lake, enabling salt to be gathered from different parts of it each year. This continued until the 1970s when the more efficient salt pans in use today were constructed.

With an area of 1500 square kilometers, Salt Lake is Turkey’s second-largest lake, after Lake Van. There are several new villages around the lake settled by people from different parts of the country. Stock farming and agriculture are practiced here, and around the shores, you are particularly struck by the fields of melons and watermelons. Despite the fact that any object submerged in the lake waters for even a short time become covered with a crust of salt, the melons grown close to the lake shores are wonderfully sweet.

Numerous potteries here produce water jars which the craftsmen claim are made nowhere else in Turkey or the rest of the world. Known as salt jars, they are made of clay mixed with salt, The high level of evaporation which results causes the jars to act like refrigerators, and water kept in them remains cold in the hottest weather. Sufficient clay for 200 water jars is mixed with around 10 kilos of salt. If too much salt is added the jars crack during firing, and if the proportion is too low the jars do not allow sufficient evaporation and will not keep the water cool. While water stored in an ordinary pottery jar remains fresh and sweet for just five or six months, when stored in a salt jar it can apparently be kept without any deterioration of quality for four or five years.

A paved road, thought to date from Roman times, crosses the northern arm of the lake from east to west, linking Sereflikochisar to Kulu near Haymana. Many of the marble columns erected along each side of the submerged road to prevent the caravans from straying off and getting stuck in the mud is still standing. Today, however, soil piled on the road has raised it about one meter above the surface. On Buyukada Island in the lake is a small church dating from late Roman times, and the remains of a guardhouse that offered protection for travelers along the road and is thought to date from the same period. Red standing stones scattered through the area are said by local people to mark the graves of those killed during the First World War. There are also many ancient burial mounds in the vicinity.

Visitors touring Cappadocia often include Salt Lake in their itinerary. It is indeed worth coming to see the strange sight of the salt gleaming like silver beneath the clear lake water. When the coachloads of tourists stop on the lakeside, no one can resist paddling on the salt bottom. Disregarding the splashes of water on their skirts and trousers, they enjoy the sensation of wading through this unearthly white world. And when the water splashes dry, a fine layer of salt is left behind as a reminder of the Salt Lake.

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The Best of Cappadocia-to-Istanbul Road Trip: Ankara and Lake Tuz

Lake tuz – a salt flat in turkey.

We were on our way to Ankara, en route to Istanbul from Cappadocia , and surprisingly enough, we went past an amazing salt flat in Turkey where the sky and ground merge into one to create wonderful images.

The lake is very shallow, though, with 0.5 to 1.5 feet in depth, the water dries up in summer with only a thin layer of water or even no water left in the Lake, people could walk on the lake and the reflection creates dreamy and magnificent images.

Bird lovers can come to Lake Tuz for flamingo viewing. It is the only natural nesting ground for flamingos in Turkey and they flocked to the lake to feed and nest.

Lake Tuz is a protected area with a significant impact on the flora and fauna of the region. With intensified and more frequent droughts in recent years, water sources of the lake become scarcer, and the future of the lake is yet to be known.

Formation of Salt Flats Salt flats are dried-up desert lakes. They form in closed hollows where rainfall can’t drain away. In a wet climate, a lake would form but, in a desert, the water is heated and evaporates into vapour faster than it is replenished by rain. The salt and minerals dissolved in the water are left behind as a solid layer. Some salt flats are massive. Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA, were formed by the evaporation of an ancient lake as large as present-day Lake Michigan. They are flat enough to be used as a raceway for setting land-speed records. Other notable salt flats include: Etosha Pan, Namibia Cono De Arita, Argentina Salar de Arizaro, Argentina Devil’s Golf Course, Death Valley, California, USA Chott el Djerid, Tunisia Makgadikgadi Pan, Botswana Namak Lake, Iran

Ankara – the capital of Turkey

If you are interested in the history of Anatolian culture, the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations showcases artifacts dated back to the Palaeolithic Age from 8000 BC to the Hittite Period (1750-1200 BC), Phrygian Period (1200-700 BC), Late Hittite Period (1200-700 BC), Urartian Period (1200-600 BC), Lydian Period (1200-546 BC) to the Classical Period and Ankara through the ages.

Highlights of Ankara

Ankara Citadel: The castle and citadel were built by the Galatians with a long history from the Roman Period. The citadel is featured in various Turkish banknotes from 1927 to 1952 and 1983 to 1989.

Roman Theater: The remains, the state, and the backstage of the Roman theater can be seen outside the castle. The statues found here are on display in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations.

Temple of Augustus and Rome: the Augusteum now known as the Temple of Augustus and Rome, was built in 25 BC, followed by the conquest of Central Anatolia by the Roman Empire.

Roman Baths: The site features all the typical features of a classical Roman bath and it was built during the reign of the Roman Emporer Caracalla in the early 3rd century to honor Asclepios.

Column of Julian: Or, the Column of Julianus is located in the Ulus district and it was erected in honor of the Roman Emporer Julian the Apostate’s visit to Ancyra in 362.

There are a few things that you should visit while you are in the city. Like the Victory Monument, the Statue of Ataturk, the Monument of Secure, Confident Future, the Hatti Monument, and more.

For a more modern “option” in the city, check out the Atakule , a communications and observation tower on a hill, standing 125 meters tall, and completed in the year 1989. The tower offers an open terrace and a revolving restaurant at the top – but not only that, it has shops, cafes, and more in the cupola.

Anıtkabir – a national monument

The main monument of the site is one symmetrical, cut-stone-clad building manifested by its detailing and workmanship in construction; it is a fine example of Turkish architecture, and the building acts as a centerpiece of Anıtkabir as it faces a ceremonial plaza of over 10,000 square meters. There are signs and memorials that showcase the history of Turkey that we know today.

Of course, there is an Anıtkabir Atatürk Museum as it exhibits important artifacts with great historical value, including stories of Turkey’s most significant figure, and many of his personal belongings

While there, admire the artwork through the Road of Lions, pay respect to Atatürk’s tomb in the Hall of Honor, and take a walk in the Peace Park; For those with more time, explore the many towers around the site, and the back of the mausoleum offers a panoramic view of the city.

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33 comments.

• Pingback: 25 Natural wonders in the Middle-East – travel drafts

Really great pictures of your trip! Sounds and looks like an incredible place!

Thanks and I am happy that you enjoy the pictures. Have you been to some place like this before?

Wow!!!! These places look amazing and i dont think I’ll be able to visit them myself so it was great reading and learning about them here!

Thanks and hope you enjoyed it through the pictures.

That lake though? Looks absolutely amazing!!!

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

LAKE TUZ: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

• Balloon Tour
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Salt Lake – Turkey

Salt Lake, where the first-time visitors say “Was there such a place in the country?” or describe as “Here is something else” while waiting for a huge lake with boats roaming on it, is the second largest lake in terms of surface area after the Van Lake. The Lake also is one of the saltiest lakes in the world containing over 32% of salt content.

The Salt Lake, one of the must-see places of heavenly beautiful country Turkey ( Turkey travel packages ), meets 40% of the country’s salt needs.

The Salt Lake is like a entrance gate of the beautiful geography that you will see before arriving Cappadocia, lands of miracles. When the gate opened a cyrstal white heaven welcomes you inside. And it is up to you to leave your shoes on the threshold, sorry on the shore of the lake and accept the invitation with bare feet.

Salt Lake , located in the deepest part of a tectonic trough and surrounded by plateaus, is also known as ‘Koçhisar Lake’. This hollow region, which was formed by tectonic ground movements in the Neogene phase, is surrounded by active faults in the southeast and west directions. Meteorological waters flowing underground dissolve the salt domes at the bottom of the lake and carry the salty waters to the surface through tectonic lines. After this process, which is the description of the salt formation of the lake, the salt at the bottom is collected and processed and comes to our tables as sodium chloride, salt.

The lake, which is 80 km in the north-south direction and 60 km in the east-west direction, covers an area of 7414 square kilometers. While the water level rises in winter, in the summer  the water accumulated evaporates and turns the lake into a dry area. Despite being large, The Salt Lake, which is one of the shallowest lakes in the Turkey, expands to 164.000 hectares in the spring months.

Salt Lake is a class A wetland in international assessments, but it is a closed basin that does not flow out, so feeding resources are very few. Because, the region receives insufficient rainfall and the waters of Melendiz, Peçenek, Kırkdelik, Karasu, and İnsuyu streams that carry water to the lake are almost non-existent. When rainfall increases in spring, the average water level decreases to 40 cm in the lake where the deepest part of is 1.5 meters. Drying areas are covered with approximately 30 cm layers of salt . In other words, the lake is a rare blessing not for swimming or sailing, but for walking from shore to shore and taking lots of pictures .

Salt Lake, which is part of a large ecosystem with smaller lakes such as Tersakan, Bolluk, Düden and Akgöl, is an important area for the continuation of its biological diversity where many bird species breed . It is also protected as a First Degree Natural Site Area. Around 85 species of birds, 15 species of mammals, 129 species of insects and around 40 endemic plants live in and around the lake. In the photographs where you will feel the calm atmosphere of the lake, you can also see golden plowers flying in groups, sword-billed hummingbird, wild geese, flamingos, ruddy shelducks and demoiselle cranes. The lake, whose shores are mostly desolate, is also a paradise for birds. They can swim as they wish in the lake, which does not freeze even in the harshest cold of winter, and incubate on the islands in the lake in the spring. In the lake, which is the habitat of flamingos that are endangered in Europe, you can come across brood colonies, each consisting of thousands of nests.

Reminders About The Salt Lake

As we mentioned earlier, walk barefoot on the lake. Minerals under your feet will make your soles soft. There are also points where you can wash your feet at the entrance of the lake. Barefoot is freedom and health…

Don’t forget to wear sunglasses as the white and shiny lake will disturb your eyes.

Be prepared for long walks , as if trekking in a white valley. You can get wet up to the level of your ankles at the point you meet with the water, and you can carry the experience of long walking on the lake to photo frames with a selfie. Rather, prepare yourselves to take pictures on every point of the lake.

Algae are the reason for the off-white and tile-colored mixtures you will encounter on the surface of the lake. The algae you will see on the ice blue color of the lake are actually a seaweed called dunaliella salina, the size of one thousandth of the head of a pin. On the shores of the lake, there is a thick layer of salt, a mixture of algae, which you can liken to a clay layer. Do not confuse this with a layer of dirt.

Watch the sunset from Salt Lake. Wait beforehand to enjoy the magnificent colors and a different atmosphere. It will be worth your wait.

How is Salt Obtained from The Salt Lake?

If you are one of those who wonder how the salt that comes to your table and sweetens your food is collected from this white lake surface and what processes it goes through, let’s not go without saying that there is a lot of human effort, even though the resource is abundant.

Production is carried out by the evaporation technique based on the collection of the salt layer that crystallizes with the evaporation of lake water in hot weather. There are 3 saltworks named Kaşdırım, Yavşan and Kayacık in the lake and these saltworks form the lifeblood of the production.

What to Buy Around The Salt Lake?

It is certain that you will enjoy great pleasure when you stand by the magnificent view of the lake, or when you walk in the shallow water that soaks your feet and ankles. But the beauty it offers is not limited to its scenery. Salt Lake is rich in minerals that are good for health and nourish the skin in combination with cosmetic products. At the entrance of the lake, you see small shops selling these products and you can buy creams produced with lake minerals. Creams with natural softening effect for hands and feet, moreover, are not very expensive.

The Salt Lake Legend

According to legend, everything actually started with a curse. Where there is Salt Lake, there was a fertile vineyard shaded by grapes hanging from branches in very, very old times. The owner of the vineyard was a bad old woman. One day, a great dervish, tired of walking, parched with thirst, passed from the vineyard. He asked the old woman who was sitting at the sweep in the hut in the vineyard for a bunch of grapes. Although the woman said, “I did not harvest any grapes this year, my vineyard has dried up”, the dervish did not believe in this lie. He was so angry that a curse poured out of his mouth saying ‘let it be salt and ice’. The woman and her sweep turned into ice, that fertile garden turned into salt… The stones thrown by those who go to the Hala Sultan Tekke near the lake are still out of anger towards this bad old woman.

Where is The Salt Lake and How to Go?

Salt Lake, which is located at the confluence of Konya and Aksaray borders in the Central Anatolia Region, is mostly close to Aksaray. It is 1 hour away from Aksaray and 2 hours away from Ankara. Western Cappadocia province Aksaray brings you together with the heart of Anatolia with Lake Salt.

You can go to Salt Lake by your own vehicle or by bus. If you will come with your private vehicle, when you follow the Konya State Road from Ankara direction, you will reach Şerefli Koçhisar and climb to the shores of Tuz Gölü. If you are coming from Konya, you have to proceed to Cihanbeyli route. If you prefer bus transportation, minibuses depart from Cihanbeyli to the lake area. It doesn’t matter when your path falls. It is possible to enter the lake area at any time you want without any charge.

We wish you have a good time…

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• Salt Lake (Tuz Golu) Photography
• Cappadocia Photo Tours

Looking for a Landscape and reflection photography workshop? You should take place in our Salt Lake photography tours!

Tuz Golu in Turkish, as understands from its name it is also a mineral source of salt. The second biggest lake of Turkey, occupying a huge area in the arid central plateau of Turkey, one and a half hours far away from Cappadocia. Despite its huge area (580 sq miles or 1500 sq kilometers) for most of the year is very shallow (between 0,5-1 meters), especially during dry summer months when the water evaporates in huge quantities leaving a thick crust of salt on the surface up to 30 centimeters. This salt is extracted, worked, refined, and sold in the local market, thus making this the biggest industry for small towns’ economy in the area. It’s not only the biggest Salt Lake in Turkey but one of the biggest in the world as well.

Photography Workshops at the Heart of Anatolia

 At the sunset, you can find peace while you are watching the lake. Endless water merges with the skyline with a perfect reflection of the sky on the lake. It is dazzling! A very good place to shoot some reflection photos of subjects. The subjects could change according to your desire! A model, a ballerina, a horse, or horseman is some of the options! When to get together all of those components, the perfects conditions and environment for photographers who are looking for experience in techniques such as reflection photography and landscape photography.

You Will Learn Different Photography Methods

Because of the brilliant surface of the lake, the skyline of the sky and the lake look endless. This endless zone creates an amazing photographic view for photographers. Also the reflection of the salty water pretty shiny, even like a mirror! So it is the most suitable place you have ever seen to take reflection photos. A beautiful Anatolian horse on the water, with a shiny sunset in the background, is a really good photo concept to add to your portfolio! In our Salt lake photography tours, you can experience those terms listed below:

• Reflection Photography
• Nature Photography
• Landscape Photography
• Equine Photography

Instead of horses, we can put some models, ballerinas, or any other different subject. That should change according to what you want, just say it!

Attend Salt Lake Photography Tours with Us!   For romantic hours with your partner or some fun times with your friends! And also to get very good landscape photos with our photography tours. Here the list of contents of our Salt lake photograph tours at the heart of Anatolia:

• Cultural and geographical experience with amazing natural beauties of Anatolia.
• Practices with our expert photographers creative techniques like landscape and reflection photography.

LEARN DIFFERENT PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES WITH OUR SALT LAKE PHOTOGRAPHY TOURS

Salt lake photography tours package includes different workshops for photographers that focus on nature, landscape, and nature photography .

Reach Magnificent Views with Salt Lake

Salt Lake , so much that words cannot fit, that sentences cannot express. It is a beauty that you can greet with its unique, different, interesting and magnificent views.

Salt Lake is a Treasure of Rare Gems

You know, there are gem deposits that only exist in one or two places on earth? Salt Lake is also one of the most decent jewels with its rarity. It blows your mind by going white, sometimes blue, and eventually pink, red, and orange.

Salt Lake is the Mirror of Eternity

Tuz Gölü is actually still not discovered. Because Salt Lake is th e mirror of eternity.

Salt Lake offers you extraordinary visual gifts by adding a few varieties of the existing to your view.

Salt Lake Blows Your Mind

You will see the Salt Lake and the magnificent beauties you see around you, and you will be amazed.

You think that you are looking at a mirror, not a water basin, a white beach with foaming waves and boats on it.

You Can't Hear or See the Waves in Salt Lake

On Salt Lake; you can't hear or see waves like sailing boats, adrenaline addicts surfing, speedboats squirting behind them, fishermen , musicians and artists playing and performing songs without stopping and colorful ships.

What you see in Salt Lake is really a second state of being.

Salt Lake Is The Biggest Mirror You've Ever Seen

Salt Lake is the biggest mirror you see on earth and in your life. Don't ask how? You really see a mirror from the lake, or a lake from a mirror: a lake with a variety of mirrors with flat mirror , concave in some places , and convex in a small part .

Salt Lake Unframed Painting

Salt Lake , you see that everything on earth and in the sky is standing on the lake like a frameless painting . There is an image of clouds, birds , planes standing on the lake, not in the sky.

Salt Lake, Bride in a White Wedding Dress

Salt Lake presents a very interesting and extraordinarily impressive painting with the image of a bride in a white wedding dress . This is such an amazing natural wonder event.

You Can Fly Wings Over Salt Lake

That is, you feel on the Salt Lake in a nothingness, an eternity and at the same time in between everything that exists. You get the feeling of flying over Salt Lake with wings on.

You Will Be Extraordinarily Surprised On Salt Lake (Pink Salt Lake Cappadocia)

On Salt Lake , you will enjoy the magnificent scenery, the silence and the peace, as well as experiencing the amazement of the extraordinary.

Salt Lake, Spectacular Habitat

Salt Lake is a treasure filled with precious jewels for everyone, especially photographers, with its magnificent habitat and visual feasts it offers.

Salt Lake Offers Spectacular Views

Salt Lake offers magnificent images of the most beautiful wedding dresses in the world for those who want to take pictures with its white appearance: In winter, she wears an ice blue wedding dress during the day, and an enormous pink and red wedding dress with a sunset view towards the evening.

You Can Be a Poet on Salt Lake

Salt Lake and its magnificent reflection on the water at sunset, you can even become a poet and gain the emotionality to write wonderful poems.

Earth and Sky Mix Over Salt Lake

Salt Lake and the sky, when they embrace and hug each other with the longing for a day, the sky and the earth blend together. You don't know where the earth or the sky is. You get the feeling that you are looking into infinity, lost in eternity.

Wonderful Moon View on the Lake Follows You

As you drive south at night, the wonderful moonscape, both in the sky and on the lake, faithfully follows you. You seem to be in an astonishing, inexplicable void.

A Night Painting Welcomes You

As your vehicle turns from one side to the other along the curves of the road, suddenly a night painting greets you in the distance between pink and white, an indistinguishable mirror, reflection, illusion and reality.

Salt Lake A Vast Studio for Photographers

Salt Lake; With its wonderful landscapes, magnificent and unique beauties, it is a must-see studio and natural beauty for those who love to take pictures, selfie takers and professional photographers.

Take Unique Photos

Take off your shoes and walk on salt water to take unique photos and experience the rich scenery. Keep stumbling forward like a baby. Salt Lake gives a delicious massage to your feet, which are tired of years, thanks to its minerals, your feet will be soft.

Salt Lake Sunset Photos Are the Peak of Art

The shallow and still Salt Lake provides the opportunity to take the world's most interesting reflection photos from the peaks of art along with sunset photos.

You Take Reflection Photos You Wouldn't Believe

After opening and going further from the shore where people enter the Salt Lake, you come to the sections where there are no waves, albeit small. Here you can take incredible reflection photos.

No Time Limit to Take a Photograph

There is no time limit for you to take pictures while walking around Salt Lake. You can enter the day and time you want and stay as long as you want.

Salt Lake Colors Change Over Time

Salt Lake colors change in some time periods. Although it is blue in color with other lakes on the map, it turns turquoise blue in winter and white in summer due to its high salt content and ability to reflect light from algae species. Asli is a white geographical formation that differs up to various colors.

Salt Lake; White Ice Blue, Pink, Red and Orange

Salt Lake , which we are accustomed to white and ice blue colors and images , sometimes looks like pink, red and orange, is the tiny Dunaliella that causes color change. Salina describes it as algae.

Dunaliella, an algae that lives in salty areas in late spring Its color shifts towards red and pink due to the seaweed, which is the size of a pencil tip called salina .

Pink Salt Lake astonishes those who see it. Dunaliella It reproduces in Salina Salt Lake. Therefore, Salt Lake becomes pink and red . The transitions from pink to white, from white to pink and red create an incredibly beautiful image.

Always Encountered With Different Tones, Colors and Aspects

Whenever you go, you will encounter different tones, colors and aspects of magnificent landscapes.

You can take photos until sunset in the evening

Since the noon light is too harsh to take pictures, you can skip the noon light and take pictures early in the morning or in the evening until sunset.

Now let's talk a little bit about Salt Lake . Let's give information.  

It’s located in the northeast of the pit surrounded by the Kızılırmak on the east, Obruk on the south, Cihanbeyli on the west and Haymana on the north, at the point where Ankara, Konya and Aksaray provinces meet in Central Anatolia.

Geologically Tectonic Salt Lake

Geologically, the tectonic Salt Lake is the second largest lake in Turkey after Lake Van. Its depth is generally less than 50 cm. Despite its size, it is a shallow lake.

Salt Lake Was Formed by Tectonic Movements

Tuz Gölü is the lower part of the pit formed by tectonic movements in the tectonic Neogene between the surrounding plateaus, surrounded by faults.

Salt Lake is a Closed Basin

Salt Lake is a closed basin with a large precipitation area of 11,900 km² and poor nutritional resources.

It is in the Region with the Least Rainfall in Turkey

Tuz Gölü is in one of the regions with the lowest precipitation in Turkey, with an average annual precipitation of 324 mm/m².

Streams that bring water to the lake, Peçenek Stream, Melendiz Stream, İnsuyu , Karasu, Kırkdelik Streams decrease and dry up in summer.

In August, the lake is desert because it dries up

It is a desert as the lake dries up in August. In fact, local residents say that there is a natural road connecting Konya and Ankara in the middle of the lake, and that you can go on the lake surface when the salt layer remains on the surface.

Excess salt content deposits 30 cm of salt in the lake each year by evaporation.

Towards the end of summer, the salinity rate rises to 329 per thousand. Its chemical composition is that of kitchen salt. Sodium chloride is greater than the ratio of magnesium chloride and sodium sulfate.

Oligocene, which contains gypsum and salt layers, the shallowness of the lake and intense evaporation are effective in salinization and are among the causes of salt accumulation.

An Altitude of 905 meters

The lake, which is 905 meters above sea level, has an average water level of approximately 110 cm in May and 40 cm. Its length is 80 km, its width is 50 km. Its surface area is 1664 km2, its catchment area is 18630 km2, and its coastline is 522 km.

Salt Lake Winter for Waterfowl

Salt Lake is the second largest main breeding ground of flamingo colonies and Sakarca goose. In winter, it forms a winter shelter for waterfowl with its large water area.

Salt Lake Doesn't Freeze in Winter

Flamingo, aardvark, stucco , plovers, cranes, wild geese, wild ducks live together in this lake, where they adapt to the salty environment. They feed in puddles, pastures, cultivated areas, and swim in the frozen lake in winter.

Birds Hatch in Spring

Angıt, Çamurcun, Kılıçgaga, Biggöz and seagulls brood on the islands and marshes in the lake in spring.

The lake is home to salty steppe and endemic species and ecologically sensitive plant communities.

Salt Lake is a Home for Flamingos and Many Bird Species

Salt Lake; Along with Tersakan, Düden, Bolluk, Eşmekaya , Dog, Akgöl, it is a home for endangered flamingos and many bird species in Europe.

Salt Lake is a Rich Lake for Natural Life

Salt Lake is a very rich lake in terms of natural life. This is a region where many bird species are seen, as well as the fact that the plant life is almost zero due to the salt content. It is the largest incubation and habitat of Flamingo birds, especially in Turkey. How wonderful isn't it?

Giant Hatching Colonies of Flamingos

Salt Lake , the most important hatching area of flamingos, embraces giant brood colonies, each of which consists of 10 thousand nests, in the middle parts.

It is one of the most important breeding grounds of the Flamingo in the world, although it is difficult for life other than single-celled organisms.

On the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Especially with its visual shows, it meets the needs of shelter, wetland and breeding areas for flamingos, cranes, wild ducks, migratory geese, sword beak and angut birds. Due to these extraordinary differences, it has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.

Largest Flamingo Breeding Colony

The lake is also the most important breeding ground for flamingos in Anatolia. In 2012, the Nature Association determined that 20,275 flamingo chicks hatched from the air. This was the largest known flamingo breeding colony in Turkey to date.

Salt Lake is Important for the Continuation of its Biodiversity

Salt Lake , which is part of a large ecosystem with smaller lakes such as Tersakan , Bolluk, Düden and Akgöl, is an important area for the continuation of its biological diversity, where many bird species breed. It is also protected as a 1st Deree Natural Protected Area. Nearly 85 bird species, 15 mammal species, 130 insect species and nearly 40 endemic plants live in and around the lake.

A Paradise for Birdsg

Also see golden plows, sword-billed hummingbirds, wild geese, flamingos, red bowers and pike cranes flying in groups. The lake, whose shores are mostly uninhabited, is also a paradise for birds.

Habitat of Endangered Flamingos in Europe

They can swim as they wish in the lake, which does not freeze even in the harshest cold of winter, and they can incubate on the islands in the lake in spring. In the lake, which is the habitat of endangered flamingos in Europe, you can come across brood colonies, each of which consists of thousands of nests.

Salt Lake Is Getting Smaller Every Day

Tuz Lake is getting smaller every day, the ecosystem here is one step closer to extinction.

Salt Lake, which has a unique geological structure, has 1,000 meters of continuous salt layers. This layer provides continuity in salt production.

Salt Lake (Cappadocia Pink Lake) Class A Wetland in International Criteria

Salt Lake , which has an importance and duty in protecting biological diversity, is a class A wetland in terms of international criteria. It is a tremendous difference that Tuz Gölü provides a habitat for approximately 90 bird species, 4 endemic, nearly 130 insects, 15 mammals and 40 endemic plant species.

The Unique Ecosystem Around Salt Lake Should Be Conserved

Contributing with the Specially Protected Areas Authority ( ASPA ), the World Wildlife Found ( WWF ) aims to protect and improve the unique ecosystem around Salt Lake .

First Degree Natural Site

In the spring when precipitation is abundant, the lake area expands to 165 thousand hectares. Salt Lake, registered as a First Degree Natural Protected Area, is also a Special Environmental Protection Area.

The Salt Rate in the lake Was Measured as 32.4 %

The salt rate in Tuz Gölü, which is the second saltiest lake in the world, was measured as 32.4 %. Therefore, the high level of salt gives life to weak saline flora and a small amount of salt-resistant vegetation.

The most important economic activity in the surrounding area is agriculture and animal husbandry.

Salt Production with Solar Energy

In addition to the crystallization of salt by evaporation, the pooling system is also preferred in the production of salt with solar energy.

Salt Lake has an interestingness unlike any other lake.

Salt Lake More than Half of Turkey's Salt Need

Located 120 km south of Ankara on the way to Cappadocia and also called Tatta in ancient times, Salt Lake is a salty lake that covers a large area in Turkey's arid central plateau and provides more than 60% of the country's salt needs.

Salt Harvest Takes 3 Months

As the lake dries up in the summer, salt is harvested here. The harvest season lasts approximately 3 months. During this period, the salinity rate in the water-covered part of the lake in a very small part reaches up to 33%.

Second after the Dead Sea

In terms of salinity, it is in the second place after the Dead Sea in the world.

Salt Shining White under the Sun

Since there is no water in the lake in summer, you can see the white shining salt under the sun. While the hot steppe summers of Central Anatolia turn the region into straw yellow with wheat fields, Salt Lake stretches to the south on your right with a pink and white color.

The lake occupies a "tectonic depression" and is fed by two main streams, but has no outlets.

Salt Lake is Important for Health Tourism

Salt Lake is of great importance especially in terms of health tourism. It also responds to the needs of many people who want to find healing because of the minerals it contains. It is known that with more than thirty health and cosmetic materials such as mud masks and cream obtained from these minerals, skin problems such as acne, eczema and fungus can be prevented, and good results are obtained in problems such as headaches and hair loss.

Source for Those Who Walk Barefoot on Salt Lake

More than 20 kinds of minerals in the lake, mainly sodium chloride, iodine, potassium, magnesium, calcium, bromine, hydrogen and iron, are a source of healing for those walking barefoot on Salt Lake . There are scientific explanations that it benefits the treatment process for foot odor, eczema, fungus, rheumatism and joint pain.

Mask, Acne and Massage from Salt Lake Minerals

Salt Lake minerals, especially masks made of lake mud, acne and massage creams , medicines against headaches, shampoos to prevent hair loss, have become one of the frequent destinations of visitors.

Olive Oil Sun Cream that Removes Sunspots

The salt of the Salt Lake, which is made of various health materials from its water, salt and minarets, removes dead cells from the body and revitalizes them. Sun cream with olive oil, which removes blackheads and acne, enriched with lake water and minerals, with snail extract, removes wrinkles on the skin and removes sun spots, is produced.

The Demand for Health Products Originated from Salt Lake is Constantly Increasing

It removes bad odor, eczema and cracks on the feet, as well as treats joint pain, cramps and occult; massage cream, shampoo that prevents hair loss, bath soap and bath salts that relax the body in the shower are produced and take their places on the shelves of the sellers. Local vendors say the demand for health products produced from Salt Lake sources is constantly increasing.

You can see that natural products make your hands and feet soft in a very short time.

Salt Lake is also one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world.

Salt Lake(Pink Lake Turkey) Legends

Two legends about why the lake is made of salt have survived to this day and are not lost on the tongues:

• Nasreddin Hodja, the wise trainer of Anatolia who makes people think, gives lessons and guides with jokes and jokes . Nasreddin Hodja dropped his salt shaker into the lake here. After that, it became Salt Lake. it is clearly known that Nasreddin Hodja lived in the 13th century and that the lake is a part of the Tethys Sea that has survived about 500 million years ago, this could be a Nasreddin Hodja joke. Could it be that Nasreddin Hodja said "count 500 million years if you don't believe it"?
• According to this legend, there was a vineyard belonging to an old woman in ancient times in the area where Salt Lake is located. One day, a dervish who passed by the vineyard and envied the grapes asked the owner of the vineyard for a bunch of grapes from the stingy old woman. In order not to give grapes, the old and stingy woman said, "My vineyard has dried up this year, I did not buy grapes" and did not give grapes to the dervish. The dervish, who did not believe the words of the stingy woman and was upset, cursed "let your vineyard be salt". The stingy woman's entire bond immediately turned into salt.

There is a Salt Museum

There is also a Salt Museum in the area. Even if you go by private car, it is possible to reach the “Salt Museum” by following the signs for Şereflikoçhisar.

Salt Museum sign is located, there is no "museum" as we know it. In the shops arranged to sell mostly souvenirs ; Numerous products made from salt minerals are sold, such as salt, salt lamps, creams, shampoos.

Alternatives to Go to Salt Lake (Lake Tuz Cappadocia)

You can go to Salt Lake by buses from Ankara AŞTİ to Aksaray. Salt Lake is also known as Salt Lake Ankara .

The Distance Between Ankara and Tuz Gölü is 150 Km

The distance between Ankara and Tuz Gölü is 150 km. Ankara Esenboğa You can arrive at the airport or the center in approximately 1.5 hours by your private car or by renting a car.

Ankara-Konya road , you should follow the D750 highway on the Konya, Adana, Gölbaşı side . You can go to Şereflikoçhisar and from there to Salt Lake with the direction of the signs.

The Distance Between Konya and Salt Lake is 170 Km

Konya and Salt Lake is 170 km. From Konya Airport, you can reach Cihanbeyli by turning right at the Konya junction with a private car , and following the signs, you can arrive in 2 hours.

Must See Salt Lake While You're in Cappadocia

Visitors, guests, travelers, tourists, photographers, painters, filmmakers, nature lovers and others coming to Cappadocia, one of the most magnificent geographies of the world, we have a very valuable advice for you: When you come to Cappadocia, you should definitely see another magnificent geography of the earth very close to here. . Otherwise you will really regret it.

Salt Lake The Starting Point of a Wonderful Geography

Salt Lake , which is said by those who see it for the first time, 'Is there such a place in Turkey', is like the starting point of a wonderful geography that you should see before coming or going to Cappadocia. When you open the Salt Lake Gate, a crystal, white, salt realm welcomes you.

Salt Lake from Cappadocia, Only 1.5 Hours by Car (Salt Lake Near Cappadocia)

Salt Lake is just a little over an hour's drive from Cappadocia . When you leave Göreme to reach Salt Lake, you will reach it with a comfortable 1.5-hour journey. Those who come to Cappadocia should definitely see Salt Lake.

Even if there is no Cappadocia-Salt Lake tour, you can rent a car from travel agencies in Göreme and follow Derinkuyu Underground City, Ihlara Valley to arrive at Salt Lake.

As you get closer, you will see the beauty of the lake. Park your car anywhere you want on the edge of the quiet lake area.

Go Towards the Sunset

Walk into the lake at the beginning of the salt flats. If you set your time to go towards the sunset, you will see that the lake, which was white in full sunlight, turns pink. After a while, enjoy the reflections of pastel vitality in the sunset.

You will watch with interest the beautiful play of purple and orange colors reflected in the shallow, motionless lake a few inches deep.

You will walk on a salt with the character of pure salt, kitchen salt.

Dead Sea and come to Cappadocia should definitely visit Salt Lake. He knows that the products they buy in the Dead Sea and the products here are the same and they heal.

Tourists come to see Salt Lake, take a walk on the lake, watch the sunset, take pictures and buy health products.

Attention Professional Photographers

If you are looking for workspaces for landscape and reflection photography, Salt Lake is the perfect studio for you.

You Work and Rest

Watching the lake at sunset, the endless water, the reflection of the sky on the lake, the meeting on the horizon, while dazzling your eyes, relaxes your soul and gives you peace. You both work and rest.

Salt Lake Reflection Photos

You can take reflection photos on all kinds of subjects in Salt Lake, and you can bring your models and place the subjects you imagine in the photo frame.

You Can Learn Different Photography Techniques

You can work with photographers who are experienced in reflection photography techniques and learn different photography techniques.

Great Photo Opportunities for Photographers

On the bright surface of the lake, the sky and the endless silhouette of the lake offer great photo opportunities for you photographers. The mirror-like reflection of the salt water is a unique place to take reflection photos on water, especially at sunset.

You can enrich your photography activities with Salt Lake.

Salt Lake ; You can also enrich your reflection photography, nature photography, landscape photography and equine photography activities.

You Can Even Film On Salt

In fact, the best activity to do here is to walk barefoot in the endless whiteness. Even if you walk for miles, the depth does not go above your knees. Maybe even clip on salt.

The lake is a rare blessing, not for swimming or sailing, but for walking from shore to shore and taking lots of pictures.

Salt Lake Attracts Bird Watchers and Nature Photographers

Salt Lake, located on bird migration routes, has managed to attract bird watchers and nature photographers.

Prefer When Flamingos Hatch

If you want to do bird watching; Take the necessary and appropriate equipment such as binoculars and a telephoto camera with you, and choose the time when flamingos come and brood.

Home to Many Animals

Due to its beauty and being on the migration route, it is home to many animals, especially birds.

Salt Lake Flamingo Paradise

Also known as flamingo paradise. If taking bird photos is your hobby, Salt Lake is one of the most beautiful landscapes for you.

Bring slippers when you come, salt masses can hurt your bare feet. Bring sunglasses. You can get burned right away by the sun's rays, apply sunscreen. If you want to protect your clothes, go with shorts, take spare clothes with you.

Tag: local life, photo tours, nuri çorbacıoğlu, wild horses, cappadocia photo tour, fairy chimneys, walking on the water, aerial view, young woman, lake tuz golu, beautiful young, aksaray turkey, 40 of turkey, salt lake tuz

We are hosting our guests from all over the world for Salt Lake Photo Tours. Some of these countries include  

•  Indonesia,
• United States of America,
• Philippines,
• South Africa

The Salt Lake is just a little over an hour's drive from Cappadocia. When you leave Göreme to reach Salt Lake, you will reach it with a comfortable 1.5-hour journey.

You can rent a car from travel agencies in Göreme and follow Derinkuyu Underground City, Ihlara Valley to reach Salt Lake.

As a matter of fact, the original name of that lake is not Cappadocia Lake (or pink lake cappadocia). Since Salt Lake is right next to Cappadocia, foreign tourists who come here have started to refer to it with this name. Salt Lake is located in the northeast of the pit surrounded by the Kızılırmak on the east, Obruk on the south, Cihanbeyli on the west and Haymana on the north, at the point where Ankara, Konya and Aksaray provinces meet in Central Anatolia. 

No, actually the lake is not Cappadocia Lake. Salt Lake is also named this way because it is very close to Cappadocia. So there are two names for the same lake. 

Yes it is the same place. Its color shifts towards red and pink due to the algae, which is the size of a pencil tip called Dunaliella Salina . Pink Salt Lake astonishes those who see it. Dunaliella Salina reproduces in Salt Lake. Therefore, the lake turns pink and red. The transitions from pink to white, from white to pink and red create an incredibly beautiful image. For this reason, it is sometimes called the pink lake .

There is no lake called Nar Lake in Cappadocia. Salt Lake's color becomes red due to Dunaliella Salina algae . Transitions from white to pink and red create a different beauty look reminiscent of pomegranate. Hence it may have been named like that. 

The Salt Lake is the ultimate studio for professional photographers. The shallow and still Salt Lake provides the opportunity to take the world's most interesting reflection photos from the peaks of art along with sunset photos. You come to the parts where there are no waves. Here you take incredible reflection photos. There is no time limit for taking photos in Salt Lake. You can enter the day any time you want, stay as long as you want and take photos. 

Since the noon light is too harsh to take pictures, you can skip the noon light and take pictures early in the morning or until sunset in the evening. Whenever you go, you will encounter different tones, colors and aspects of magnificent landscapes. In the spring when precipitation is abundant, the lake area expands to 165 thousand hectares.

If you want to do bird watching, take the necessary and appropriate equipment such as binoculars and a telephoto camera, and choose when the flamingos come and hatch.  

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Salt Lake Tour

Salt Lake, Turkey’s second largest lake, is located around 200 km from Göreme.

An experience you will never forget; Salt Lake

Salt Lake, Turkey’s second largest lake, is located around 200 km from Göreme. This lake is a kind of source of healing; It is known that there are many minerals good for health problems such as eczema, rheumatism, and joint pain. This tour is good choice for mud and salt bath experience. Travelers are interested in seeing Salt Lake. We provide transportation to the Salt Lake.

EXPERIENCES AND ACTIVITIES

Other tours.

Cappadocia is a region in central Turkey, famous for its natural beauty. The most prominent features of the region include fairy chimneys, underground cities, rock churches and valleys. Dating back to 3000 BC, Cappadocia bears the traces of various civilizations such as Persians, Romans, Byzantines and Seljuks. Our tours that smell of culture and history will make your vacation unforgettable.

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Cappadocia tours from Ankara 3 days and 2 nights in private. The distance from Ankara to Cappadocia is 280 kilometers and it takes 4 hours to drive. You will enjoy the pleasant scenery of the Anatolian plateau and Salt Lake during the journey. Arrive at Cappadocia ‘Land of the beautiful horses’. You will visit and explore the most known part of Turkey.  The major city in Cappadocia is Nevsehir and towns are Goreme, Urgup, Avanos. For instance, Derinkuyu, Kaymakli underground cities, Zelve, Goreme open-air museums, Pasabag, Monks Valley are the highlights.

Private Cappadocia Experience

Firstly, you will enjoy the unique landscape of volcanic rock formations as a result of wind and rain erosion. Secondly, you will tour the amazing  cave churches  and  underground cities  carved into the rocks during the early Christian period. Going off the tourist track so you will have wonderful strolls where you visit small villages and also discover the unknown parts of  Cappadocia . You will stay in a cave hotel or 5-star hotel in Urgup and enjoy the real Cappadocian and  Turkish cuisine .

You will be guided by a private English speaking licensed tour guide during the visit to important tourist sites and museums. All entrance fees are and private latest model comfortable touring vehicle included. There is no extra or hidden cost in our packages.

• Amaze at the surreal land formation of Cappadocia.
• Visit Goreme Open Air Museum with a private English speaking licensed tour guide.
• The Zelve Open Air Museum, witness the traditional Cappadocia lifestyle in a former cave town.
• Explore Cappadocian underground cities such as Kaymakli, Derinkuyu or Ozkonak.
• Take incredible photos in the Magic Valley, the Pasabag Valley, and the Love Valley.
• See local handcrafts in Avanos, Uchisar and Ortahisar villages.
• Enjoy the real Cappadocian and Turkish cuisine.
• Above all spectacular hot air balloon ride.

Tour Details

Departure & return location, departure time, price includes.

• Transportation between Ankara and Cappadocia.
• Fast track museum pass to all sites in Turkey
• 2 Nights Accommodation in a Cave Hotel.
• 2 Breakfast, 2 Lunch, 1 Dinner
• Private Licensed Tour Guide
• All Entrance Fees
• All transportation in latest model private tour van

Price Excludes

• Beverages With Meals
• Gratuities for Guide and Driver
• Hot Air Balloon in Cappadocia
• Any Private Expenses

Complementaries

• Bottled Water

What to Expect

• Hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia.
• Unique landscape and volcanic rock formations.
• Zelve and Goreme open air museums.
• Hike in Rose Valley, Love Valley and Monks Valley.
• Visit Uchisar Rock Castle and the Pigeon Valley.
• Explore cave churches in Ihlara Canyon.

Day 1 ANKARA - CAPPADOCIA (World Heritage Site)

This morning we will drive to Cappadocia. On the way, we will drive along the Salt Lake, visit the Ihlara Canyon and hike to explore cave churches along the Melendiz River. we will also visit Kaymakli underground city and visit Uchisar Rock Fortress. Meal: Lunch. Overnight is in a Cave hotel in Cappadocia.

Day 2 CAPPADOCIA (World Heritage Site)

Today we will visit Magic Valley to see incredible red-colored rock formations, followed by Zelve Open Air Museum, which was once an amazing cave town. Lunch is in potters town of Avanos. We will also visit the Pasabag Valley with unique conical rock formations and the White Valley, also known as Akvadi, to see how the rock formations geologically formed in Cappadocia. Meal: Breakfast and Lunch. Overnight is in a Cave hotel in Cappadocia.

Day 3 CAPPADOCIA (World Heritage Site) - ANKARA

Today, we will visit the Goreme Open Air Museum to see the best-preserved ancient Christian frescoes in rock churches and monasteries, Cavusin village to see historical cave houses. We will drive back to Ankara in the afternoon. Meal: Breakfast and Lunch.

Related Tours

Treasures of ancient turkey tour, best of turkey tour.

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15 Top-Rated Attractions & Things to Do in Ankara

Written by Jess Lee Updated May 11, 2023

Author Jess Lee lives in Turkey and has been visiting and writing about Ankara regularly for guidebooks for over a decade.

Ankara sometimes gets left off people's travel itineraries, which is a shame because Turkey's capital has more to offer than most visitors realize. If one of your prime travel goals is to discover the vast breadth of Turkey's history, Ankara is a great place to visit.

Both the country's top museum and Atatürk's mausoleum, two of the country's most important historic tourist attractions , are found here, plus a sightseeing stroll around Ankara's citadel district offers a glimpse of the city's past, before it was promoted to capital status.

With its central location, Ankara is also an excellent base from which to jump off on further forays into the Anatolian heartland, where you'll find many archaeological sites and other historical things to do within day-tripping distance.

While you're in town, planning whether to head east to Cappadocia , south to Konya , or west to Safranbolu , use our list to help find the top attractions and things to do in Ankara.

1. Visit the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations

2. pay your respects at the anitkabir (atatürk mausoleum), 3. walk the citadel neighborhood, 4. see the collection inside erimtan archaeology & art museum, 5. discover ulus' roman remnants, 6. visit the haci bayram i-veli cami, 7. explore ankara's art galleries, 8. day trip to hattuşa, 9. visit the archaeological site of alacahöyük, 10. check out the cultural scene at ankara state opera house, 11. day trip to gordion, 12. feast on local flavors in beypazarı, 13. relax in gençlik park, 14. shop for local crafts in the hamamönü neighborhood, 15. stroll around eymir lake, ankara, turkey - climate chart.

Highlights: Neolithic wall paintings, Bronze Age stonework, Hittite clay cuneiform tablets, and Phrygian gold

The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is reason enough to include Ankara on your Turkey itinerary. It's the only place in the country where you can grasp the full scope of Anatolia's pre-Classical-era human history.

The most important finds from the Neolithic village site of Çatalhöyük , near Konya, including the wall painting thought by some archaeologists to be the world's first town map and the famed fertility goddess statue, are displayed here in the first hall.

Farther on, halls are devoted to the Hittite Empire of the Bronze Age that had their capital at Hattuşa (192 kilometers to the east) and the Phrygian and Urartian Empires, which thrived on the Anatolian steppe during the Iron Age.

The central Stone Hall exhibits the most important stone reliefs and statuary from across the eras.

Here, you'll find numerous finely detailed orthostat reliefs from the Hittite site of Carchemish (70 kilometers southwest of Gaziantep ), renowned, long before its actual discovery, as the site of the Battle of Carchemish between Egypt and Babylonia relayed in the Old Testament.

Address: 2 Gözcü Sokak, Ulus, Ankara

Highlights: Sprawling city views from the plaza and a monumental mausoleum

Ankara's most visited tourist attraction is also Turkey's most important modern pilgrimage site. Sitting on a hilltop, just to the west of the city center, is the mausoleum of Atatürk (Mustafa Kemal), the founder of the state of Turkey.

As well as the actual mausoleum, with its lavish use of marble, the site, centered round a vast plaza, contains a large museum complex.

It contains both exhibits on the War of Independence, led by Atatürk, which resulted in the birth of Turkey as a modern nation, and displays focused on Atatürk's life.

Outside, there are excellent views across Ankara from the arcade that edges the plaza. The mausoleum itself is decorated with gilded inscriptions of Atatürk's speeches.

Inside, a cenotaph stands above the placement of Atatürk's tomb. Visitors entering the mausoleum should respect the atmosphere of somber reverence inside as Turks pay their respect to the founder and first president of their modern nation.

Address: Yücetepe, 31 Akdeniz Caddesi, Çankaya, Ankara

Highlights: A historic district of cobblestone alleys enclosed within ancient walls

A wander through this neighborhood is one of the most atmospheric things to do in Ankara. The citadel (Kale) area dates from the Byzantine era and is ringed by, still immense in places, fortifications raised in the 9th century.

Inside, narrow cobblestone alleyways are rimmed by creaky Ottoman-era houses, some of which have been painstakingly restored in recent years, though others are slowly slipping into various levels of dilapidation.

The main attraction inside the inner walls is the Eastern Tower (Sark Kulesi), which offers vistas that span across modern Ankara from its crenelated ramparts.

Heading downhill from the inner citadel area's main gate, known as Parmak Kapısı, the winding lanes are crammed with traditional craft workshops, antique stores, and cafés. This is a great place to hunt for souvenirs.

While here, make sure to stop in and see the Aslanhane Cami, one of Ankara's most interesting mosques. The interior of the mosque, with its prayer hall lined with wooden pillars topped by Roman stone capitals and its ornate ceramic tile mihrab (wall niche), is well worth a visit.

Address: Gözcü Sokak, Kale, Altindag, Ankara

Highlight: Ankara's premier collection of Graeco-Roman artifacts from sites throughout Turkey

The Erimtan Museum's collection mostly focuses on the Classical era, so it works as an excellent addition to the city's main Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. As they both sit on the road leading up to the citadel neighborhood, they're easily viewed together in one morning or afternoon.

Eschewing traditional museum curation, the Erimtan's contemporary storytelling displays bring the exhibits of this private collection to life, allowing you to understand more about daily life during the Greek and Roman periods.

As well as the permanent collection, the Erimtan also hosts regular temporary exhibitions in its lower hall, which often focus on specific archaeological sites or Turkish culture. The museum grounds also host a periodic program of evening classical music concerts.

Address: 10 Gözcü Sokak, Kale, Altindag, Ankara

Highlights: Delving into Ankara's Roman period amid the ruins of Ulus

Ankara is often thought of as a modern city – the nation's planned new capital after the modern state of Turkey was formed.

There has been a settlement on this spot, though, since the Bronze Age. In the Roman period, this settlement gained prominence when it became known as Ankyra, and Emperor Augustus made it capital of the Roman province of Galatia.

The remaining Roman ruins of this era are all in the downtown district of Ulus.

To understand the importance of ancient Ankyra, pay a quick visit to the sparse remnants of the Temple of Augustus and Rome on Haci Bayram Veli Caddesi. Just some partial ruins of the temple's once impressive walls remain, next door to the Haci Bayram i-Veli Cami.

The most extensive set of ruins left over from Ancient Ankyra are the Roman baths on Çankiri Caddesi. The foundations, along with plenty of stone reliefs and some remaining intact arched ruins, of this sprawling imperial baths complex can be easily viewed, though you'll have to stomp through the weeds to see them.

If you're walking from Ulus up Hisarparki Caddesi to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and the citadel neighborhood, peer over the northern side of the road to take in the ruins of the Roman theater.

It's currently under restoration, so you can only view the remains of this theater, which once accommodated between 3,000 and 4,000 spectators, from above.

Highlights: Major local pilgrimage site and historic mosque amid a landscaped garden area

Built in honor of the Muslim holy man and Bayramiye dervish founder, Haci Bayram Veli, this 15th-century mosque is a major pilgrimage center. For non-pilgrim visitors, a stop here is more interesting for the surrounding area than for the mosque's interior.

The area around the mosque, with its gardens and restored Ottoman-era mansions, has been prettily landscaped and is a popular spot for local families in the early evening.

It includes a plaza with a pond, fountains, and shops selling religious paraphernalia for pilgrims, as well as the remaining walls of the Temple of Augustus and Rome, which rub up against the mosque (and were once used to house the mosque's madrassa).

There are also brilliant views up to the citadel neighborhood from here.

Address: Haci Bayram Veli Caddesi, Ulus, Ankara

Highlights: The major names in Turkish modern art, from its birth to the artists working today

Ankara may not have the modern art scene of Istanbul, but there are two galleries, both in the central city, that are well worth a visit.

The most important is the Ankara Painting & Sculpture Museum (Türkocagi Sokak, Hacettepe), which has a large permanent collection of Turkish art from the 19th and 20th centuries. All the major names of the Turkish art scene have works on display here.

For completely contemporary art, the CerModern (3 Altinsoy Caddesi, Sihhiye) is Ankara's best site. This gallery, based in a disused train depot building, near Ankara's train station, hosts a regular program of temporary exhibitions focused on both local and international artists.

Highlights: Exploring Hattuşa's city gates before admiring the rock reliefs of Yazılıkaya

The ruins of Hattuşa , the capital of Anatolia's Bronze Age Hittite empire, sit on the edge of the sleepy village of Boğazkale, 192 kilometers east of Ankara. If you don't want to stay the night in Boğazkale itself, Ankara is the best place to base yourself to day trip to the ruins.

During the Bronze Age, the Hittites controlled a vast tract of land that encompassed much of modern-day Turkey and into Syria. Today, the rugged hillside that rises above Boğazkale contains the remnants of their most important city.

The most distinctive ruins that have survived are Hattuşa's fortifications, which ring the hillside. In particular, the Yer Kapı's (Earth Gate's) earthen mound, with its 70-meter-long tunnel entrance; the Sphinx Gate, atop the mound; and the Aslanlı Kapı (Lion's Gate), with its stone lions are impressive remnants of the city's vast defensive structures.

Just two kilometers from the main ruins is the site of Yazılıkaya, which was Hattuşa's religious sanctuary. The rocks here hold finely carved, well-preserved reliefs showing images of the major Hittite kings giving offerings to their gods.

Highlight: Walking the rampart pathway around this important Hattian culture site

If you start off from Ankara early enough in the day, you can fit a visit to Alacahöyük into a day trip to Hattuşa.

This archaeological site dates back to the Chalcolithic era, and during the early Bronze Age became a center of Anatolia's Hattian culture, which was later absorbed into the Hittite Empire.

Alacahöyük is chiefly famous for its royal shaft graves, from which a dazzling cache of decorative gold objects and jewelry was excavated by archaeologists. Most of the grave goods are now on display in Ankara's Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, but the skeletons themselves and a selection of grave goods have been left in situ on-site.

The site's fortifications, with a monumental gate entrance decorated with reliefs, and the corbeled tunnel entrance at the back of the site, both dating from Alacahöyük's later Hittite period, are also worth visiting.

Alacahöyük is 28 kilometers north of Hattuşa and 196 kilometers east of Ankara.

Highlights: Turkey's most important venue for ballet, opera, and theater performances

If you want to add a bit of evening culture to your trip, the Ankara State Opera House is the top venue in town. This theater is the central hub for catching performances of the Turkish State Opera, Turkish State Ballet, or Turkish State Theater companies.

The site hosts a regular and varied program of concerts and events from September to June, ranging from contemporary theater productions to classical ballet.

As well as being home base for all the national theater and arts companies, the theater is also used to host big name international classical music performances and is a major venue for local festivals.

Address: 20 Atatürk Bulvari, Ankara

Highlights: Delving deep inside the Midas Tumulus and then exploring the hilltop ruins

Ankara is the best base for a day trip to the Iron Age Phrygian capital of Gordion . This was the site once home to the legendary King Midas and the location where Alexander the Great cut the Gordion knot.

Today, the remnants of this Phrygian city sit amid the fields of the sleepy farming hamlet of Yassihöyük (96 kilometers southwest of Ankara).

There are two main sites in the village. The most famous is the Midas Tumulus – an artificial earthen mound over 50 meters high that contains the tomb of a Phrygian king.

Despite its name, there is no evidence that the king buried here was actually the Midas of legend. You can walk through a tunnel in the tumulus up to the tomb, though the burial goods found here are in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, not on-site.

There's a small museum across the road from the tumulus, which holds some finds unearthed from the archaeological work here as well.

At the other end of the village is the citadel mound, which is home to ruins from a range of eras.

Although the ruin layout of various walls, arches, and foundations is rather confusing to non-experts, there are plentiful information panels on the citadel mound, which explain both the site and Gordion's history .

Address: Yassihöyük, Polatli

Highlights: Preserved Ottoman-era architecture, cobblestone lanes, and local foodie treats

The town of Beypazarı, 102 kilometers west of Ankara, is hugely popular with Ankara locals as a day-trip destination on sunny weekends. This is due to both the glut of finely restored Ottoman-era buildings in its small historic center and for its culinary reputation.

The town sits in the heartland of Turkey's carrot-growing region, and people flock here to munch on the town's carrot baklava and carrot Turkish delight, and drink their local carrot juice.

The town's non-carrot cuisine includes many other regional specialties produced only in the local area, so the cafés and restaurants here are jam-packed during the warmer months with Turkish foodies, who've come here solely to feast on Beypazarı's flavors.

After lunch, weave your way through the lanes of the old town to admire the red-roofed, timber framed mansions, and make sure to call into some of Beypazarı's small specialist museums, all in converted Ottoman houses, dedicated to Turkish folk heritage and local culture.

Highlights: Popular, central city green space with pretty garden-side walkways for strolling

This is Ankara's most central green space. Hugely popular with local families for evening strolls and weekend picnics, Gençlik Park is a good place to visit to take a breather from the capital's hustle.

The park has a large lake and various promenades lined by fountains and manicured gardens.

The southeast corner of the park is home to Ankara's Luna Park, which holds a number of amusement park rides, including a Ferris wheel, two roller coasters, and plenty of gentler rides such as carousels and bumper cars suitable for younger children.

If you're traveling with tots, it's a good place to keep the kids distracted for an hour or two.

Address: 50 Atatürk Bulvari

Highlight: Craft shopping and café-life amid a central district of restored Ottoman architecture

This small area of traditional, wooden-beamed Ottoman-period mansions in central Ankara has been fully restored and has become a popular weekend destination for café life and arts and crafts.

Hamamönü is one of the few areas in the central city that has managed to preserve its architecture, so a stroll here is a taster of what the city looked like before the modern era.

It's a good place to browse for traditional Turkish crafts, with market stalls set up just off the cobblestone alleys.

For foodies, many of the cafés and restaurants set within the old houses here specialize in local Anatolian cooking.

Address: Talatpasa Bulvari 126, Hacettepe, Ankara

Highlights: Nature break on the edge of the city with opportunities for hiking and cycling

Eymir Lake (17 kilometers south of the central city) and its surrounding pine tree forest is one of Ankara's most popular spots for a nature break from the big city bustle. On sunny weekends, the lakeside area can get packed with locals out for a picnic, but on weekdays, it's much more peaceful.

For a long stroll, run, or cycle, the road that loops for 10.5 kilometers around the lake is Ankara's nearest outdoor destination. For cyclists, bicycles can be rented on-site while keen walkers wanting to head farther into nature can tackle the various walking trails that head into the forest.

The southern side of the lake has plenty of restaurants and cafés, which are hugely popular with locals for long and lazy breakfast feasts on weekends.

Address: Oran-Eymir Yolu, Oran, Ankara

The best time to visit Turkey's capital, Ankara, is during the months of June, July, August, and September. This is when the weather is at its warmest and most dependably pleasant.

In July and August, temperatures range on average between 20 and 28 degrees Celsius, and the summer weather brings plenty of sunny blue skies that are perfect for city strolls and sightseeing.

June and September tend to be milder, with average temperatures normally peaking at 25 degrees but dropping as low as 9 degrees at night. Even in August, bring along a warmer layer to throw on during the evenings, as Ankara sits at 938 meters above sea level and temperatures do drop after dark. If you're out late enjoying Ankara's many streetside or terrace dining options, it can get chilly in short sleeves.

Rainy weather isn't unheard of even midsummer, but July, August, and September tend to be the driest months, with an average of four to five days of rain each month. June has damper weather with an average of nine days of rain.

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Ankara Tours & Travel Packages 2024/2025

Our 29 most popular ankara trips. compare tour itineraries from 23 tour companies. 242 reviews. 4.9/5 avg rating., popular ankara tours.

Turkey in Depth

• Explore Turkey's highlights on this comprehensive two week trip
• Visit famous Greco-Roman sites, enjoy vibrant cities and relax on the stunning coastline
• Discover Cappadocia's unusual landscape, underground cities and rock-cut churches

Best of Turkey Small Group Tour

• Hippodrome: Step into the grandeur of ancient entertainment at this colossal arena, where iconic monuments like the Egyptian Obelisk and the Bronze Serpentine Column stand as silent witnesses to centuries of spectacle.
• Blue Mosque: Marvel at the timeless elegance of this architectural masterpiece, its azure tiles shimmering under the Istanbul sun, casting a spell of enchantment over the skyline.
• Hagia Sophia: Immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring magnificence of Byzantine architecture at this timeless symbol of divine wisdom. Adorned with breathtaking mosaics, it stands as a testament to the ingenuity of human craftsmanship.
• Basilica Cistern: Descend into the depths of history at this subterranean marvel, where ancient whispers echo amidst ornate columns and tranquil waters, offering a glimpse into Byzantine engineering genius.
• Grand Bazaar: Lose yourself in the labyrinthine alleys of this bustling marketplace, where the aroma of exotic spices mingles with the vibrant tapestry of goods, beckoning adventurers and treasure seekers alike.

Classic Turkey with Antalya Beach Time

• Step back in time to the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque
• Awaken your inner historian at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
• Let your imagination roam free in the whimsical landscapes of Cappadocia
• Visit the Mevlâna Museum, a poetry-filled sanctuary in Konya
• Enjoy the laid-back beach time in Antalya

Turkey Explored

• Explore the continent-straddling metropolis of Istanbul, and step back in time to when it was Constantinople with the backstreets of the Grand Bazaar and at the Hagia Sophia.
• Reflect on battles fought and lives lost with a moving visit to the Gallipoli Peninsula, a serene stretch of coastline where it's now hard to picture the horrors of war.
• Spend two days exploring the cliffside waterfalls, cobblestone alleyways and ancient ruins of Antalya, a city on the Mediterranean Coast.
• You'll dig into local Turkish delicacies like the famous wet burgers, enjoy a local lunch at a traditional Aspava and get your taste buds tingling with a borek tasting.
• Discover UNESCO world heritage site - Hattusas Ancient Site - known for its well-preserved temples and royal residences.

Turkey Backroads

• Explore Turkey's capital of Ankara during a guided orientation walk that will lead you to the Mausoleum of Atatürk, founder, and first president of the Turkish Republic.
• Be mesmerised by the picturesque streets of Eskişehir and enjoy a gondola ride on the city's Porsuk river.
• Wander the continent-straddling metropolis of Istanbul, strutting your stuff with the locals on a popular street, sipping rich coffee and discovering the secret corners of the city.

Istanbul – Ankara – Cappadocia 6-Day Trip

• - Fully escorted tour - Explore only Istanbul and Cappadocia Regions - Whirling Dervishes Ceremony in Cappadocia

Turkey in 11 days - Treasures of Anatolia - Superior

Flavours of Turkey and Greece Tour -III-

• Best of Turkey with Athens city visits
• In-between country flights included
• Whirling Dervishes Ceremony in Cappadocia Cave Lodge
• Full day Saronic Islands Cruise from Athens
• Free WIFI on the bus (between days 3-7)

All Ankara , expedition cruises, self guided adventures and vacation packages. Find the best guided and expert planned vacation and holiday packages. Read more about Ankara

Small Group Ankara Tours

Christmas Turkey - 12 days

• Istanbul - Tour historic Istanbul, taking in the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia, Topkapi Palace, and more
• Gallipoli Peninsula - Pay your respects at the WWI battlefields and cemeteries including ANZAC Cove
• Troy - See the replica Trojan Horse in the ancient city, the setting of one of Ancient Greece's most famous tales
• Ephesus - Marvel at the Library of Celsus in Roman Ephesus and explore the Ancient Greek city of Pergamum
• Pamukkale - Take a dip in the thermal pools and walk along the beautiful white cotton castles, known as travertines

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Our group leader, Mehmet, was excellent. Apart from his knowledge of the pla...

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Explore leader, Zarfer was very knowledgeable especially about archeological sit...

I booked this trip because I wanted something that fitted in between other trips I had already booked and Turkey sort of jumped out at me from the website. Turkey w...

Two weeks, eight explorers and one amazing country. As with all these trips the group and the guide can make or break the experience. I was fortunate on both counts,...

Fascinating country with so much to see and to learn. Natural wonders like Cappadocia and Pamukkale. Ancient cities like Aphrodisias and Ephesus. Pivotal historic si...

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Ankara Tours & Trips

Find the right tour for you through Ankara. We've got 161 adventures going to Ankara, starting from just 5 days in length, and the longest tour is 22 days. The most popular month to go is September, which has the largest number of tour departures.

161 Ankara tour packages with 1,036 reviews

Explorer Family Historical Christmas & New Year +1

Turkey Classics Tour

"This is a short break but has completely covered western part of Türkiye. Hotels are good location. Cave hotel is magnificent, good for photo and selfie." Kanya, traveled in April 2024

In-depth Cultural Family Coach / Bus Historical Christmas & New Year +3

Magic Carpet Tour

"The cave hotel in Capadosia was unbelievablely luxurious. The tour also included breakfast which was always the choice of a great variety of foods." Pamela, traveled in February 2024

In-depth Cultural Family Christmas & New Year +1

Timeless Cities in Modern Transportation: Turkey Unleashed 10 Day Tour

"The chosen hotels, meals and transportation were always 1st. Class. Is really a bang for the price." Juan, traveled in May 2024

Anatolian Civilizations | 10 Days

"All the hotels were very comfortable. Our vegetarian food was ordered." Kittur, traveled in September 2023

Absolutely Turkey

"The upgrade to the Cave Hotel was the highlight! And the tour wouldn't have been the same without Eray!" Amber, traveled in August 2022

Turkey in a Nutshell 7 Day Tour

"The entire trip was perfectly coordinated and organized. Definitely worth every penny!" Betsy, traveled in September 2023

In-depth Cultural Active Historical +1

Absolute Turkey

"tour was fine food soso im american so not much choices hotels were ok tour guide was great" Paul, traveled in September 2023

In-depth Cultural Family Explorer Sightseeing Christmas & New Year +3

Turkish Secrets

"We are satisfied with the arrangement s. But we requested some extra coverage but not given." POULOSE, traveled in April 2022

Explorer Family Coach / Bus Sightseeing Historical Christmas & New Year +3

Turkish Colours ( 8 days )

"Accommodations, meals, couch were excellent. A very good tour to remember." MOHAMMAD, traveled in November 2023

In-depth Cultural Active Family Explorer Christmas & New Year +3

Turkey Group Discovery 10D/9N

"It was a very good experience. Cappadocia in the snow was an unexpected highlight" Michelle-Rose, traveled in April 2019

• 10% deposit on some dates

Impressive Turkey by train - 8 days

In-depth Cultural Explorer Coach / Bus Sightseeing Historical +3

Turkey Unplugged - 10 Days

"Interesting and diverse tour. Super accomodation and will recommend it to anybody interested to visit Turkey!" Anneliese, traveled in August 2019

In-depth Cultural Active Explorer +1

Turkey Explored

"It was an excellent trip with an excellent guide. The Museum card was not the money saver we had expected it to be." Keith, traveled in April 2023

Explorer Historical

Highlights of Turkey Luxury Tour

"We were happy with our hotel accommodations and meals were definitely satisfactory." David, traveled in September 2023

• €150 deposit on some dates

In-depth Cultural Explorer Historical +1

Turkey Backroads

What people love about ankara tours.

We went on the 2024 ANZAC day Colonial Tour with Ege Ertas as our guide over 13 days. Türkiye far exceeded our expectations in the ancient sites we visited, the people we met and the delicious food we had daily. The knowledge that Ege imparted in each of the places we visited was very impressive. He has been the best tour guide we’ve experienced. Fez travel were very easy to work with and we look forward to returning to do another tour with them

Fez Travel packed in lots of sights and things to see and do. I liked the variety in our stops and sights. Well planned except for the last couple of days. Somehow, they need to be tweaked so there are not so many unreasonable night departures. I would have rather paid a bit more and had the meals ordered when we sat down. Buffet meals were luke warm, over cooked, and meats were so dry from heating for long periods. The meals we sat down and was served were much better, tastier, better variety of foods.

It was okay in general. I liked the fact thst it was a small group. We got along really well. Yaser was very kind and pleasing to everybody. He was prompt to address our concerns in a timely manner.

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The Capitol city of Ankara has a population of over 5 and a half million people and with so much to see and do let us here at Farout organise your fantastic package and day tours giving you time to just enjoy your time here stress-free. Day Tours: whilst staying in the amazing capital city, we have day tours that will show you the most important sites in the heart of Ankara, you might also want to venture a little further afield and see other places such as Hattusa, Yazilikaya and Alacahoyuk. Package Tours: Ankara is also the perfect starting point due to its central location for many great package tours. Ankara has so much to see but is also the gateway to the rest of Turkey. from here a multitude of different destinations are available for you to discover, whether by plane, overnight bus, private transfer or tour bus our nationwide travel services will get you there. If you would like to explore more of Turkey, we have a wide range of extensive Turkey Package Tours available.

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5-Day Istanbul and Ankara Tour

$ 1,015.00   per person

This 5-Day Istanbul and Ankara Tour offers a unique blend of rich history, vibrant culture, and stunning landscapes. You’ll journey through time, witnessing the grandeur of Istanbul’s Byzantine and Ottoman relics, including the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. Marvel at the beauty of Istanbul from the Bosphorus and immerse yourself in the lively atmosphere of the Grand Bazaar. Then, fly to the capital, Ankara, where you will explore the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and Ataturk Mausoleum, key markers of Turkey’s historic past. This tour is designed to provide an unforgettable experience encompassing the best of these two significant Turkish cities.

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• Detailed Itinerary
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Day 1: Arrival in Istanbul – Welcome to Turkey

Upon your arrival at Istanbul New Airport(IST) or Sabiha Gökcen Airport(SAW), our team will be waiting for you at the exit of the international line of the Airport, holding a sign with your name written on it. After which, you will be transferred to your hotel. The afternoon is free for you to spend at leisure. Alternatively, you can join the Night Cruise on the  Bosphorus with Dinner & Show .

• Overnight in Istanbul
• Included Meal(s): No meals are included on this day
• Accommodation: Muyan Suites OR Antea Hotel OR Ayasultan Hotel OR Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 2: Istanbul Byzantine and Ottoman Relics Tour

After your breakfast, around 8:30 am, we will pick you up from your hotel to begin a full-day tour of Istanbul’s most famous historical sites. The guided tour will include visits to the stunning Hagia Sophia Museum , the beautiful Blue Mosque , and the fascinating Hippodrome . After lunch, our journey continues with the exploration of the Topkapi Palace , an incredible example of Ottoman architecture. The final stop of the day will be at the Grand Bazaar , a shoppers’ paradise where you can find everything from precious jewelry to aromatic spices After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel at approximately 5:00 pm. The rest of the day will be at leisure.

• Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Lunch
• Accommodation: Antea Hotel OR Ayasultan Hotel OR Deluxe Golden Horn Hotel or similar (Standard quality)

Day 3: Bosphorus Cruise – Fly from Istanbul to Ankara – Transfer to Hotel

After breakfast at around 8:30 am, you will join the Half-day Morning  Bosphorus Cruise . At the start of this tour, you will enjoy a drive to the pier in Eminonu for a short visit to the historical  Spice Market  (Egyptian Bazaar). Following this, you will join a shared boat tour and cruise along the Bosphorus which is a narrow strait between the continents of Europe and Asia connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara. You will be able to view the  Dolmabahce Palace ,  Beylerbeyi Palace ,  Bosphorus Bridge , citadels, centuries-old mansions, and the European and Asian shorelines while onboard the boat. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel to pick up your luggage. Then, you will be transferred to the Istanbul airport for your flight to Ankara , which is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes in duration. Upon arrival in Ankara, you will be met and transferred to your hotel. Check in to your hotel in Ankara, and the rest of the day is free.

• Overnight in Ankara
• Included Meal(s): Breakfast
• Accommodation: Best Western Plus Center Hotel OR Holiday Inn Ankara or similar (Standard quality)

Day 4: Ankara Tour – Fly back to Istanbul

After breakfast, you will be picked up from your hotel at around 9:00 am to begin your Ankara tour. The tour includes a visit to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations , which houses artifacts from up to 7,500 years old, including a comprehensive and striking collection of Hittite artifacts. You will also visit the Mausoleum of Ataturk , the final resting place of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey. At the end of the tour, you will be driven to Ankara Airport for your flight to Istanbul. Upon your arrival in Istanbul, you will be met by our airport representative and transferred to your hotel.

Day 5: Departure from Istanbul – End of Tour Service

After breakfast, you will check out from your hotel in Istanbul (hotel check-out is before 12:00 noon) and will then be transferred to the Istanbul International Airport according to your flight details. This will be the end of our tour and services.

INCLUDED in the Tour Price:

• All transfers mentioned in this itinerary, including arrivals and departures.
• Domestic flight tickets (from Istanbul to Ankara, and Ankara to Istanbul) as specified in the itinerary.
• Tours and activities as outlined in the itinerary.
• Accommodation for 3 nights in Istanbul at Special Class or 4-Star Hotels, inclusive of breakfast.
• Accommodation for 1 night in Ankara at a 4-Star hotel, inclusive of breakfast.
• Professional licensed English-speaking guide during the tours.
• Meals as specified in the itinerary (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch).
• All entrance fees are as indicated in the itinerary.
• Local taxes and service charges.

NOT INCLUDED:

• International Flight Tickets.
• Visa to enter Turkey .
• Optional tours mentioned in the program, they will be provided at an additional cost.
• Services not mentioned in the program.
• Dinner and Drinks
• Travel insurance (recommended).

IMPORTANT INFO:

• The order of the itinerary is indicative and subject to change, but all visits described will take place.
• This is a regular group tour, but if requested at cost can be provided as a private tour.
• The regular group tour has shopping stops included in the tour.
• Vegetarian lunch option available upon request.
• For 1 traveler: 1 Single Room Accommodation
• For 2 travelers: 1 Double/Twin Room Accommodation
• For 3 travelers: 1 Triple Room Accommodation
• For 4 travelers: 2 Double/Twin Rooms Accommodation
• For 5 travelers: 1 Double/Twin Room and 1 Triple Room Accommodation
• Please note that the Blue Mosque is not open for visitation on Fridays as it is closed for religious prayer services. You will only be able to visit the outside of the Blue Mosque area on tours operated on Fridays. No visitation will be allowed inside the Blue Mosque for tourists on Fridays.
• Topkapi Palace is closed on Tuesday, it will be replaced with the  Basilica Cistern  (Yerebatan Sarnici).
• Grand Bazaar is closed on Sunday.
• During religious holidays, the spice market and Grand Bazaar are closed.
• On flights luggage allowance is 15 kg per person for checked in luggage. For carry-on, you can take up to 8 kg per person. One carry-on is allowed per person.

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