Turkey · Eastern Anatolia
Kars
A Russian-built frontier town on the snowy steppe, and the gateway to the ruined cathedrals of Ani.
Kars is a high, windswept frontier city on the steppe of northeastern Turkey, close to the Armenian and Georgian borders. Forty years of Russian rule left a grid of sober stone mansions below an Ottoman castle and a 10th-century Armenian church, and the city is known for its cheese, its goose and its long, snowbound winters. Most visitors come for Ani, the ruined medieval Armenian capital on the border gorge to the east, and many arrive on the Dogu Express sleeper from Ankara.
Suggested stay
2–3 days
Language
Turkish
Currency
TRY
Timezone
UTC+3
Why you'll love Kars
Ani a whole medieval capital of cathedrals, churches and walls standing empty on a grassy plateau above the Arpacay gorge, with Armenia on the far bank
Russian Kars broad, straight streets of Baltic-style stone mansions and a former Orthodox church, built in the forty years the city was part of the Russian Empire
Cheese and goose Kars kasar and gravyer are prized across Turkey, roast goose is the winter speciality, and the plateau's flower honey is famous too
The frontier winter deep snow, frozen lakes and the long train ride east that has made the Dogu Express a Turkish rite of passage
Best time to visit
May-Oct
16-27° days
40.456° N, 42.998° E
UTC+3 · Europe/Istanbul
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Weather & when to go to Kars
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best May-Oct
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Kars
December to March is bitterly cold, with deep snow and nights far below freezing, and walking Ani's exposed plateau is hard going. It is also the Kars most Turks picture: the Dogu Express winter crossing, horse-drawn sleighs on frozen Lake Cildir and skiing at Sarikamis all depend on it. Come prepared for real cold, or come May to October for easy sightseeing.
Top things to do in Kars
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Ani - the ruined medieval Armenian capital
history scenic ⭐ Highly recommendedCapital of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom from 961, Ani was once famed as the city of a thousand and one churches. Today the walls, the cathedral completed in 1001, the frescoed church of St Gregory of Tigran Honents, the half-fallen Church of the Redeemer and the Menucehr Mosque stand scattered across open grassland above the border gorge. Allow half a day, and bring water and sun protection.
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Church of the Holy Apostles - Kars's 10th-century church
history 👍 PopularBuilt in the 930s-940s, when Kars was the Bagratid capital, this compact domed church below the castle carries carved figures of the apostles around its drum. It has been church, mosque and museum over the centuries and is now the Kumbet Mosque, and it is the oldest building in the city.
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Kars Castle - the view over the city and the steppe
history scenic 👍 PopularThe Ottoman fortress on the basalt hill above the river was rebuilt in the late 16th century on much older foundations. Climb up for a view across the Russian-era grid, the old stone quarter along the river and the treeless plateau beyond.
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Russian-era Kars - a walk through the Baltic-style grid
history culture artsBetween 1878 and 1918 the Russians laid out a new town of wide, straight streets lined with solid grey stone mansions, many still in use as offices, shops and hotels. The Fethiye Mosque, built as a Russian Orthodox church, is the most striking of them.
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Tas Kopru and the Ottoman bathhouses - the old riverside quarter
historyBelow the castle, the 18th-century stone bridge crosses the Kars river beside old domed bathhouses and the Church of the Holy Apostles. It is the prettiest corner of the city, with tea gardens along the water in summer.
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Kars cheese, goose and honey - eating in Kars
food 👍 PopularKars gravyer, a hard cheese in the Swiss style, and aged kasar fill the cheese shops on the main streets, alongside tubs of the plateau's flower honey. In winter, roast goose served over bulgur pilaf is the dish to seek out, and hearty stews keep out the cold the rest of the year.
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Dogu Express - the sleeper train from Ankara
scenic ⭐ Highly recommendedThe Dogu Express crosses Anatolia from Ankara to Kars in roughly a day, climbing past Kayseri, Sivas and Erzurum through river valleys and high plateau. It runs all year, but the winter crossing through snowfields has made it one of Turkey's best-loved journeys, and sleeper berths sell out early in the cold months.
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Kars Museum - finds from Ani and the plateau
history culture artsThe city museum holds archaeological finds from the region, including pieces from Ani, alongside ethnographic rooms of carpets, costume and household life from the Kars plateau. A useful hour before or after the trip to Ani.
Best areas to stay in Kars
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Central Kars
First-time visitors $$Russian-era grid of shops and hotels
Explore hotels in Central Kars →
Castle quarter
Old-town atmosphere $Old stone streets below the fortress
Explore hotels in Castle quarter →
Sarikamis
Skiers $$Ski hotels in Scots pine forest
Explore hotels in Sarikamis →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Kars
Getting to & around Kars
Getting there
Fly into Kars Harakani from Istanbul or Ankara, or arrive on the Dogu Express sleeper from Ankara
Flight
Kars Harakani Airport (KSY)
The airport sits just south of the city, about 6 km from the centre, with flights from Istanbul and Ankara. Taxis wait for arriving flights and reach the centre in about 15 minutes.
Train
Kars railway station
The Dogu Express sleeper runs from Ankara in roughly a day via Kayseri, Sivas and Erzurum; book berths well ahead, especially in winter
Coach
Kars bus station
Coaches run from Erzurum in about three hours, whose larger airport is a common alternative, and long-distance overnight coaches come from Ankara and Istanbul
Getting around
Walking
The centre, the castle and the old quarter are all walkable, though pavements are icy in winter
Free
Taxi
Easy to find in the centre and the usual way to reach Ani; agree a return price with waiting time before you go
TBC
Minibus
Dolmus minibuses run to nearby towns such as Sarikamis and Cildir, but there is no reliable public transport to Ani
TBC
Day trips from Kars
Ani
Half dayRuined medieval capital
The ruined Bagratid capital sits on a windswept plateau where the Arpacay gorge marks the border with Armenia. Walk the circuit from the Lion Gate past the cathedral, the frescoed churches and the Menucehr Mosque to the cliff edge; there is little shade and few facilities on site.
Getting there
car | tour
About 45 min east by car, taxi or tour
Lake Cildir
Full dayHigh lake, frozen in winter
A broad highland lake near the Georgian border, known above all for deep winter, when it freezes thick enough for horse-drawn sleigh rides and fishermen pull carp through holes in the ice, fried on the spot in lakeside cafes. The ruined Akcakale castle sits on a small island.
Getting there
car | tour | bus
About 1.5 hr north by car, tour or minibus
Sarikamis
Full daySki resort and pine forest
A small town in rare Scots pine forest, with a ski resort prized in Turkey for its dry, powdery snow. It is also where the Ottoman army suffered a catastrophic winter defeat against Russia in 1914-15, and memorials to the soldiers who froze in the mountains stand around the town.
Getting there
car | bus | train
About 1 hr southwest by car, minibus or train
A little history of Kars
Kars was an Armenian city long before it was a Turkish one. In the 10th century it served as the capital of the Bagratid kings, who built the Church of the Holy Apostles before moving their court to Ani in 961. Seljuk Turks took Ani in 1064, and over the following centuries the region passed between Georgians, Mongols, Persians and Ottomans, who rebuilt the castle as a bulwark against the east.
Russia besieged Kars in 1828, 1855 and 1877, and after the last war held it until 1918, laying out the grid of stone mansions that still defines the centre. After the First World War the city came briefly under the Republic of Armenia before Turkish forces took it in 1920, and the Treaty of Kars fixed the frontier the following year. Orhan Pamuk's novel Snow later made the snowbound city famous far beyond Turkey.
Kars is the capital of the Bagratid Armenian kingdom and the Church of the Holy Apostles is built
Seljuk Turks under Alp Arslan capture Ani
The Ottomans rebuild Kars Castle as a frontier stronghold
Kars falls to a Russian siege during the Crimean War and is handed back the following year
Kars passes to the Russian Empire after the 1877-78 war and a new Russian town is laid out
Turkish forces take Kars from the Republic of Armenia, which had held it since 1918
The Treaty of Kars sets the border between Turkey and the Soviet republics of the Caucasus
Orhan Pamuk publishes Snow, a novel set in Kars
The archaeological site of Ani is added to the UNESCO World Heritage List
Know before you go
Payment
Cards & cash mixed
English
Widely spoken
Wifi
Workable
Power
Type C / F
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+90
The months our climate read flags to avoid: the wettest, lowest-rated weather of the year.
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FAQs about Kars
▸ When is the best time to visit Kars?
May to October is the easy time: mild days, green steppe and comfortable walking at Ani. December to March is bitterly cold and snowy, yet it is also the season Kars is famous for, with the Dogu Express winter crossing, frozen Lake Cildir and skiing at Sarikamis. At around 1,750 metres, nights are cool even in summer, so pack a warm layer.
▸ How do you get to Ani from Kars?
Ani is about 45 minutes east of Kars by road, and there is no reliable public transport. Most people hire a taxi for a return trip with a few hours' waiting time, join a shared tour arranged through a hotel, or drive themselves. Half a day is enough to walk the main circuit of the site.
▸ Is the Dogu Express worth it?
For many travellers the train is half the reason to come. The journey from Ankara takes roughly a day, through the Anatolian plateau and past Erzurum, and a sleeper berth makes it comfortable. It is hugely popular in winter, when the snowy scenery draws crowds of young Turkish travellers, so book as early as you can. Flying back to save time is a common plan.
▸ Can you cross into Armenia from Kars?
No. The land border between Turkey and Armenia has been closed for decades, so although Ani looks straight across the gorge into Armenia, there is no crossing. To reach Armenia overland, travellers go north through Georgia. Check your own government's current advice, as the situation can change.
▸ What should you eat in Kars?
Cheese first: Kars gravyer and aged kasar are sold in shops all over the centre and travel well. Roast goose over bulgur pilaf is the classic winter dish, and the local flower honey is prized across Turkey. Cheese shops will usually let you taste before you buy.
▸ How many days do you need in Kars?
Two days covers the city and Ani comfortably: one for the castle, the Church of the Holy Apostles, the Russian-era streets and the cheese shops, and a half day at Ani. Add a third day for Lake Cildir or Sarikamis, especially in winter.
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