Activities

Camping and Vanlife

Through Turkey with a tent or camper: more freedom than in most of Europe, cheaper than any hotel, and a few rules you should know.

Best months: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Wild camping: what is allowed and what is not

There is no general ban. Wild camping is largely tolerated outside national parks, military zones and urban areas; on private land you ask the owner, who almost always says yes and often brings tea. It is banned or policed on many beaches in national parks (Ölüdeniz, Patara, parts of Kekova, for instance), near military installations (watch for signs, especially on the coast and near borders) and in archaeological zones. The Jandarma (rural police) checks occasionally, usually in a friendly way; keep your passport and vehicle papers handy. Fires must be strictly avoided in summer because of the wildfire risk; violations are expensive. Take all your rubbish with you. Do not pitch right next to villages, mosques or cultivated fields, but at a distance and out of sight. At petrol stations you can stay overnight almost everywhere, often with a toilet and water. A friendly word with the staff and a tea in the morning are part of the deal.

Campsites on the Mediterranean coast

Between Fethiye and Antalya you find the highest density of campsites. The classics: Kabak bay south of Ölüdeniz with terraced camps above the sea, Patara with pitches behind the beach, Kaş with small sites on the peninsula and near Çukurbağ, Çıralı with a site right on the beach next to the ruins of Olympos, and Adrasan. A tent pitch costs CHF 8 to 20 (about EUR 9 to 21) per night for two people, camper pitches CHF 15 to 30 with electricity. Sanitary facilities range from basic to good; hot water is usually available, showers sometimes only solar heated. Many sites have a restaurant and also rent bungalows for CHF 30 to 60. You only need to book in July and August, when the coastal sites are full of Turkish families. In May, June and September you have space and pleasant temperatures; in winter many sites are closed.

Olympos and the treehouses

Olympos is a myth of its own: a valley with ancient ruins, a pebble beach and dozens of guesthouses that call their accommodation treehouses. Most are wooden cabins on stilts between orange trees, rarely real treehouses. The concept dates from the 1990s, when backpackers got stuck here, and it has held on. A night in a basic cabin costs CHF 20 to 35 (about EUR 21 to 37) per person with breakfast and dinner, bungalows with bathroom CHF 50 to 90. Camping is also possible at some sites. At night life happens in the garden bars, by day on the beach, which you reach through the ruins (entrance a few francs; a multi-day ticket makes sense). In the evening the walk to the Chimaera flames, which burn out of the rock above Çıralı, is worth it. Olympos is young and loud; Çıralı on the other side of the beach is quiet and family-oriented.

Mountains and the east: Ayder, Kaçkar and Lake Van

In the Kaçkar Mountains you camp on alpine meadows (yayla) above Ayder, near Kavrun for instance or higher up towards the glacial lakes. There are no official sites, but there are shepherds who will show you water. At night it cools to five degrees even in July, and it rains often; a good tent is essential. Ayder itself has basic camping at guesthouses for CHF 5 to 10 (about EUR 5 to 11). At Lake Van, in the far east, you are practically alone. On the north shore near Adilcevaz and Ahlat there are stretches of beach, on the south shore near Akdamar island. Campsites in the Western sense are largely absent; you camp wild or on the grounds of a guesthouse. The Jandarma is more present in the east and more likely to approach you, usually to ask whether everything is all right. Supplies in Van and Tatvan, little in between.

Vanlife: vehicle, costs and practicalities

With your own camper from Western Europe you need around five driving days via Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria, or the ferry from Italy to Greece and on across the border at Ipsala. The vehicle is entered in your passport at the Turkish border and may stay in the country for a maximum of 730 days. Your green card insurance must cover Turkey; otherwise you buy third-party cover at the border. Diesel costs about CHF 1.30 to 1.50 (about EUR 1.40 to 1.60) per litre. You can rent campers in Antalya, Izmir and Istanbul for CHF 80 to 150 per day; the choice is smaller than in Western Europe. Supply and disposal is the weak point: dump stations are rare, and you empty toilet cassettes at campsites or petrol station toilets. Gas comes as a bottle exchange, and European bottles often do not fit; an adapter or a Turkish bottle solves the problem. Budget CHF 40 to 70 per day for two people all in.

Tours worth booking

Chimaera flames at night from Olympos or Çıralı

Evening walk to the eternal flames on Mount Chimaera with guide and head torch. Short, steep climb; at the top you sit among flames that have burned since antiquity. Around two hours.

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Kekova boat trip with snorkelling from Kaş

Day trip over the sunken city of Kekova, with swim stops and lunch on board. From the campsites in Kaş, this is the classic excursion for a rest day.

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Saklıkent Gorge and Tlos from Fethiye

Day trip to the 18 kilometre gorge with a wade through the river, plus the ruins of Tlos and lunch by the water. Easy to reach from the sites in Kabak or Patara.

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Akdamar Island and Lake Van boat trip

Boat trip to Akdamar island with its 10th-century Armenian church, including transfer from Van. The one excursion at Lake Van you should not skip.

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Ayder and Kaçkar highlands jeep tour

Day tour by 4x4 from Ayder to the high pastures and glacial lakes, with a picnic. A good way to scout the area before you pitch your tent on one of the yaylas.

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Where

Flights approx. 268 EUR

Mediterranean

Antalya

Direct flights from Zurich, turquoise water, a 2,000-year-old old town, and far more than the all-inclusive resort most people book.

Flights approx. 332 EUR

Mediterranean

Fethiye

Turquoise lagoons, ancient Lycian rock tombs and one of the wildest gorges in Turkey: Fethiye is more than the most famous paragliding spot in the country.

Flights approx. 375 EUR

Mediterranean

Kaş

What a week in the most relaxed town on the Turkish Mediterranean costs, why no package-tour buses stop here and which experiences are really worth it.

Flights approx. 321 EUR

Mediterranean

Alanya

What a week in Alanya really costs, why the castle and the Dim River are more than a resort add-on and how to combine all-inclusive and city cleverly.

Flights approx. 385 EUR

Black Sea

Rize

What a week between tea plantations and high pastures costs, when Ayder is empty and how to experience the Fırtına valley without a tour bus.

Flights approx. 407 EUR

Eastern Anatolia

Van

What a week on Lake Van really costs, why breakfast here is a full-day programme and which corners beyond Akdamar Island are worth the trip.

Frequently asked questions

Is wild camping legal in Turkey?

There is no general ban. Outside national parks, military zones, ruins and cities it is tolerated. On private land you ask the owner. The Jandarma checks occasionally, usually without problems if you camp cleanly and respectfully.

What does a campsite cost?

A tent for two people CHF 8 to 20 (about EUR 9 to 21) per night, a camper pitch with electricity CHF 15 to 30. Bungalows on campsites CHF 30 to 60. Treehouses in Olympos CHF 20 to 35 per person with two meals.

Can I enter Turkey with my own camper?

Yes. The vehicle is entered in your passport and may stay for up to 730 days. Your green card must cover Turkey; otherwise you buy insurance at the border. The registered owner and the driver should be the same person or you need a power of attorney.

When is the best time to camp?

On the coast May, June, September and October. In July and August it is hot and crowded. You camp in the north-eastern mountains in July and August. At Lake Van, June to September is pleasant; before and after it is cold.

How safe is wild camping?

Theft and harassment are very rare. The real issues are shepherd dogs, wildfire risk in summer and military zones, which you avoid. In our experience, if you do not park right next to the road in the evening and zip up your tent, you have no problems.