Turkey · Eastern Anatolia
Van
An Urartian citadel, an island church carved with Bible stories and the best breakfast in Turkey, all on one huge blue lake.
Van is the big city of Turkey's far east, spread along the shore of Lake Van, a vast, bright blue soda lake ringed by mountains at around 1,700 metres. Above it rises the Rock of Van, citadel of the Urartian kingdom nearly three thousand years ago, and out on the water the 10th-century Armenian Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island is one of the finest carved churches anywhere. The city itself is famous across Turkey for its lavish breakfasts and its odd-eyed swimming cats.
Suggested stay
2–4 days
Language
Turkish
Currency
TRY
Timezone
UTC+3
Why you'll love Van
Akdamar a 10th-century Armenian church on a small island, its walls wrapped in carved reliefs of Adam and Eve, Jonah and David and Goliath
The Rock of Van the Urartian capital of Tushpa on a long limestone ridge, with rock-cut tombs, a Persian inscription and the ruins of old Van below
Van breakfast tables crowded with herb cheese, honey and cream, murtuga, kavut and fresh bread, an institution the whole country knows
The lake an enormous soda lake at altitude, turquoise against bare mountains, with Mount Suphan and Nemrut's crater on its far shores
Best time to visit
Apr-Oct
13-29° days
38.495° N, 43.383° E
UTC+3 · Europe/Istanbul
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Weather & when to go to Van
Month by month: typical highs and lows, rainfall and rain days.
✓ Best Apr-Oct
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
When to avoid Van
December to February is harsh at this altitude, with heavy snow, hard frosts and short grey days, and boats to Akdamar run less reliably out of season. April to October is the easy window, with warm, dry summer days kept comfortable by the height.
Top things to do in Van
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Akdamar Island - the Church of the Holy Cross
history culture arts ⭐ Highly recommendedBuilt between 915 and 921 for King Gagik of Vaspurakan, the red sandstone church is covered outside in carved friezes of biblical scenes, animals and vines. Boats cross from the jetty near Gevas in about 20 minutes, and the island's almond trees and rocky shore make it worth lingering.
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Van Fortress - the Rock of Van and ancient Tushpa
history scenic ⭐ Highly recommendedClimb the long ridge above the lake past Urartian walls, rock-cut royal tombs and the trilingual inscription of the Persian king Xerxes. Below the south face lie the ruins of the old walled city, with a few restored mosques among the grassy mounds. Go at sunset for the view over the lake.
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Van breakfast - the city's great institution
food 👍 PopularBreakfast in Van is an event: dozens of small plates of otlu peynir herb cheese, honeycomb with thick cream, murtuga fried in butter, kavut, olives and eggs, with endless tea. A whole street of breakfast salons in the centre is dedicated to it.
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Van cats - the odd-eyed swimmers
nature wildlife 👍 PopularThe pure white Van cat, often with one blue eye and one amber, is the city's mascot and famously likes water. A cat house at Yuzuncu Yil University breeds and protects them, and you will see them on statues and souvenirs all over town.
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Hosap Castle and Cavustepe - fortresses southeast of the city
historyCavustepe is an Urartian hilltop palace-fortress with inscribed stones and temple foundations. Further on, Hosap is a dramatic 17th-century Kurdish castle on a rocky spur above a village and an old stone bridge. Both fit into one half-day drive.
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Van Museum - Urartian gold and bronze
history culture artsThe city museum is the place to see what Urartu left behind: fine gold jewellery, bronze belts, helmets and cauldron fittings, and cuneiform inscriptions, alongside later finds and regional carpets and costume.
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Lake Van shore - swimming in soda water
scenic 👍 PopularThe lake is so alkaline that the water feels soft and slightly soapy, and few fish live in it. In summer the beaches and tea gardens along the Edremit shore fill with families, and a swim here is a local ritual.
Best areas to stay in Van
$ Budget $$ Mid-range $$$ Premium
Van city centre
First-time visitors $$Busy shopping streets and breakfast salons
Explore hotels in Van city centre →
Edremit
Lake views $$Lakeshore hotels and summer tea gardens
Explore hotels in Edremit →
Tatvan
Western shore $Plain lakeside town on the western shore
Explore hotels in Tatvan →
Live nightly prices from Booking.com, Agoda and others, centred on Van
Getting to & around Van
Getting there
Fly into Van Ferit Melen from Istanbul or Ankara, or arrive by long-distance coach
Flight
Van Ferit Melen Airport (VAN)
The airport lies just south of the city, about 6 km from the centre, with direct flights from Istanbul and Ankara. Taxis meet arriving flights and reach the centre in around 15 minutes.
Coach
Van bus station
Coaches run from Dogubayazit, Erzurum and Diyarbakir, and overnight from Ankara and Istanbul
Train
Tatvan
The rail line from Ankara ends at Tatvan on the western shore, where train ferries cross the lake; passenger services have been irregular, so check before planning around it
Getting around
Minibus
Dolmus minibuses link the centre with the fortress, Edremit, Gevas and outlying towns
TBC
Taxi
Plentiful in the city; hire one with waiting time for Hosap, Cavustepe or Muradiye
TBC
Walking
The centre is walkable, but the fortress and lakeshore need a ride
Free
Day trips from Van
Akdamar Island
Half dayIsland church
The unmissable trip from Van: a short boat ride to the island church of the Holy Cross, whose carved walls are among the great works of medieval Armenian art. Bring a picnic and time for the shoreline.
Getting there
car | bus | ferry
About 45 min southwest to the Gevas jetty by car or minibus, then 20 min by boat
Hosap Castle and Cavustepe
Half dayCastles and Urartian ruins
An Urartian palace-fortress on a ridge, then a towering Kurdish castle above the village of Hosap and its old bridge, on the road toward Hakkari.
Getting there
car | tour
About 1 hr southeast by car, taxi or tour
Muradiye Falls
Half dayWaterfall
A broad waterfall on the Bendimahi river, with a suspension bridge and riverside tea gardens. It is a popular stop on the road north to Dogubayazit.
Getting there
car | bus
About 1 hr northeast by car or minibus
Nemrut crater lake and Ahlat
Full dayCrater lake and Seljuk tombs
Nemrut above Tatvan is a vast volcanic caldera holding a cold lake and a warm one, reachable only in the warmer months. Nearby Ahlat has a sprawling Seljuk cemetery of carved tombstones and domed tombs.
Getting there
car | tour
About 2.5 hr west to Tatvan by car or tour
Dogubayazit and Ishak Pasa Palace
1-2 daysClifftop palace, Ararat views
An 18th-century palace mixing Ottoman, Persian and Armenian styles on a ledge above the town, with Mount Ararat filling the view to the north. Best done overnight or on the way onward.
Getting there
car | bus
About 3 hr north by car or coach
A little history of Van
Van was the heart of Urartu, the Iron Age kingdom that rivalled Assyria. Its kings built their capital, Tushpa, on the great rock by the lake in the 9th century BC, and later the Persian king Xerxes carved his inscription into its face. In the Middle Ages this was Vaspurakan, an Armenian kingdom whose King Gagik built the church on Akdamar in the early 10th century.
The Seljuks' victory at Manzikert, north of the lake, opened the region to Turkish rule, and the Ottomans took Van in 1548. The old walled city beneath the rock was ruined during the First World War, and the modern city grew up on new ground to the east. In 2011 a strong earthquake caused heavy damage in Van and Ercis.
Urartian kings make Tushpa, on the Rock of Van, the capital of their kingdom
Xerxes I of Persia has a trilingual inscription carved into the rock
King Gagik of Vaspurakan builds the Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island
The Seljuk victory at Manzikert, north of the lake, opens eastern Anatolia to Turkish rule
Ottoman forces under Suleiman the Magnificent take Van
Hosap Castle is built by a local Kurdish ruler southeast of the city
Wartime fighting, Russian occupation and the killing and deportation of Van's Armenian population leave the old walled city in ruins
The Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar reopens as a museum after restoration
A major earthquake strikes Van and Ercis, causing widespread damage
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.
Mobile network & SIM card
Get an eSIM before you fly
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FAQs about Van
▸ When is the best time to visit Van?
April to October is the easy window: warm, dry summers kept comfortable by the altitude, green hills in spring and clear light in autumn. December to February is harsh, with heavy snow and hard frosts, and Akdamar boats and the road up Nemrut are less dependable in the cold months.
▸ How do you get to Akdamar Island?
Drive or take a minibus southwest along the shore toward Gevas, about 45 minutes from the city, to the Akdamar jetty. Boats cross to the island in around 20 minutes and leave when they fill, so they run most often in summer. Allow two to three hours for the crossing, the church and the island.
▸ What is a Van breakfast?
A spread of many small dishes rather than a single plate: otlu peynir cheese flavoured with wild herbs, honeycomb with thick cream, murtuga (flour fried in butter with egg), kavut, olives, eggs, fresh bread and endless tea. It is served all morning in the salons of the centre and is worth building a slow morning around.
▸ Where can you see a Van cat?
The cat house at Yuzuncu Yil University keeps and breeds the pure white Van cats, many with one blue and one amber eye, and visitors can see them there. The breed is the city's symbol, so you will also spot cat statues around town.
▸ Is Van safe to visit?
Van is a large, busy provincial city used to Turkish tourists. The wider region near the Iranian and Iraqi borders is covered by some governments' travel advisories, and you may pass police or military checkpoints on regional roads, so carry your passport and check your own government's current advice before you go.
▸ How many days do you need in Van?
Two days covers the essentials: the fortress, the museum and a proper Van breakfast on one, and Akdamar plus Hosap and Cavustepe on the other. Add a day or two for Muradiye Falls, Nemrut's crater and Ahlat, or an overnight at Dogubayazit.
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