Turkey · Eastern Anatolia · Travel guide
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.
Photo: Yunus Tuğ / Pexels
Adjust the values to your trip: the calculator updates live (EUR, converted from CHF estimates).
Estimates for orientation, not booking prices. Flights and hotels vary strongly by season: current prices are behind the links below.
Money & payment: You pay in Turkish lira (TRY). The exchange rate moves a lot, which is why all prices here are given in francs and euros. Cards are accepted almost everywhere; you need cash for the dolmuş, markets and tips. Flight time: 3 to 4 hours.
Nine options in three price ranges, each among the best-rated on Booking.com.
Budget
A simple hotel right in the centre, used by independent travellers for decades, a few steps from the breakfast street. Rooms are plain but clean and heated, and the staff help with trips to Akdamar and with finding a rental car. A good choice if you would rather spend your money on excursions than on hotel comfort.
A solid city hotel with larger rooms than usual in this price bracket, its own restaurant and parking for rental cars. Centrally located on one of the main roads, with minibuses to the castle and the airport leaving practically outside the door. Breakfast is decent, but you are better off heading to the breakfast street around the corner.
A modern small hotel in the centre with clean, quiet rooms and one of the best value-for-money ratios in town. Consistently well rated on Booking for cleanliness and friendly staff who also help with taxis and excursions. No view, but everything that matters is within walking distance, including the best breakfast places.
Mid-range
A four-star hotel with spacious rooms, hammam, gym and one of the better hotel restaurants in town. Central but on a quiet street, so you do not hear the traffic at night. Popular with business travellers from Istanbul, which ensures a reliable standard. Good breakfast buffet with herb cheese and honey from the region.
A long-established hotel in the centre that has been renovated again and again, with hammam and restaurant. Not modern, but spacious and full of character; the location right on the main road is ideal for exploring on foot. A dependable choice for travellers who like it classic.
A large hotel from a Turkish chain with modern rooms, spa, indoor pool and several restaurants. One of the few hotels in Van with an international standard and a bar that serves alcohol. Slightly impersonal and geared towards business guests, but comfort and service are clearly above average for the region, and the price stays fair.
Luxury
The best hotel in town: Hilton standard with generous rooms, indoor pool, spa and a rooftop restaurant with views over Van to the lake. Breakfast buffet with all the regional specialities, English-speaking staff, reliable service. A luxury hotel by eastern Turkish standards, but priced like a mid-range night in Switzerland.
A resort right on the lakeshore in Edremit, 15 minutes south of the city. Large rooms with lake views, pool, hammam, private beach and a quiet garden looking out to the mountains. The best choice if you want to experience the lake rather than the city. A rental car makes sense.
A modern chain hotel with spa, indoor pool and well-equipped rooms of international standard. Reliable service, English-speaking staff and a lakeshore location in Edremit with parking, around 15 minutes from the centre. No surprises, but a level of comfort that is otherwise hard to find in Van, and a breakfast that holds its own against the breakfast street. Ideal for the first and last night of an Eastern Anatolia road trip.
If you book through these links we earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
The 10th-century Armenian church with biblical reliefs on red tuff, the landmark of Lake Van. Come early in the morning or late in the afternoon when the coaches have gone, and bring your swimming things. Ferry from Gevaş, 45 km west of Van.
Urartian rock fortress with cuneiform inscriptions from the 8th century BC and the best view over the lake, the mountains and the empty field of the old town. Go up for sunset, when it is almost deserted. Dolmuş minibuses run from the centre.
The most elaborate breakfast in Turkey, with herb cheese, kavut, murtuğa and honey with clotted cream, served in 20 to 30 little dishes. Allow two hours; the portions keep you going until the evening. Come early, at weekends everything is full from 9 am.
A 17th-century Kurdish castle above a gorge on the road to Hakkari, combined with the Urartian temple mound of Çavuştepe halfway along. A half-day trip by rental car or through a local travel agency, about 60 km south-east of Van.
The Bendimahi river plunges over a 20-metre step 90 km north of Van. Tremendous in spring during the snowmelt, a picnic spot with tea gardens and a suspension bridge in summer. It lies on the way to Doğubayazıt and makes a good stopover.
The university's breeding centre for the white cats with two differently coloured eyes, with a visitor area behind glass and an outdoor enclosure. A short, cheap visit on the edge of town, especially for families with children. The cats are not always in the mood to play.
Around 430 km of shoreline with lava fields, villages, beaches and views of the Süphan volcano. Doable as one long day by rental car, more relaxed in two stages with a night in Tatvan or Ahlat. Hardly any tourists along the way, but plenty of tea gardens.
Not to be confused with the Nemrut of the statues: a volcanic crater with two lakes at 2,200 metres on the western shore of Lake Van near Tatvan. You can drive right up to the crater rim; ideal for a swim in the cold lake and short hikes. Only accessible from June to October.
Hundreds of richly carved gravestones from the 12th to 15th centuries, on the UNESCO tentative list, on the north-western shore of the lake about 170 km from Van. Together with the kümbet mausoleums on the edge of town, one of the most atmospheric places in the region, especially in the late afternoon.
If you book through these links we earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Van eats breakfast, and that is no figure of speech: the city has its own breakfast street, and the herb cheese otlu peynir matures for months in earth pits. Add the only fish that lives in the soda lake, Kurdish stews and a great deal of butter. Everything is hearty, cheap and honest.
The big breakfast spread with 20 to 30 little dishes: herb cheese, honey with clotted cream, olives, eggs with sucuk, murtuğa, kavut, warm flatbread and endless tea. CHF 8 to 12 (about EUR 9 to 13) per person, and you will not need anything else until evening.
Tip:Arrive before 9 am, order the full spread once for the table and ask the price of extras before you pay.
White sheep cheese with wild mountain herbs, above all sirmo, a kind of wild garlic, matured for months in earth pits; salty, herbal, intense. CHF 8 to 12 (about EUR 9 to 13) per kilo in the shops, vacuum-packed to take home.
Tip:Taste your way through three varieties: the darker the herbs, the stronger the cheese.
Flour roasted in plenty of butter, stirred with egg and served hot; it tastes like a nutty, salty omelette and is the heart of the Van breakfast. CHF 2 to 3 (about EUR 2.20 to 3.20) as an extra.
Tip:Eat it with fresh flatbread straight from the pan, it turns heavy quickly once cold.
Roasted wheat flour with butter, crumbly and slightly sweet, more a side than a dish and a leftover from the days when flour had to be preserved. Part of the spread, about CHF 2 (about EUR 2.20) on its own.
Tip:Mix it with a spoon of honey and clotted cream, the way locals eat it.
The pearl mullet is the only fish that survives in the soda lake; grilled or fried in breadcrumbs, mild in taste and a little bony. A portion with salad costs CHF 6 to 9 (about EUR 6.50 to 9.70).
Tip:Fishing is banned from 15 April to 15 July because of the spawning migration, so in that window it only comes from the freezer.
Kurdish stew of lentils, chickpeas, bulgur, chard and lamb, soured with dried yoghurt (kurut); heavy, tangy and warming. CHF 4 to 6 (about EUR 4.30 to 6.50) in a lokanta.
Tip:A lunch dish, usually sold out by evening.
Honey from the mountains around Van with thick clotted cream, as dessert or at breakfast with flatbread; the honey is pale and floral and costs CHF 8 to 15 (about EUR 9 to 16) per kilo in the jar.
Tip:Buy honey with the comb in it, the simplest protection against diluted honey.
Van sits on the eastern shore of Lake Van, a vast soda lake at over 1,600 metres altitude and seven times the size of Lake Constance. Almost 3,000 years ago the city, then called Tushpa, was the capital of the Kingdom of Urartu, whose kings carved their inscriptions directly into the rock of Van Castle. The Urartians built canals, fortresses and temples, and after them came Medes, Persians, Armenians, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans. For centuries Van was a centre of Armenian life: the 10th-century Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar Island is its best-known legacy, with biblical reliefs on the outer walls. During the First World War the old town at the foot of the castle was completely destroyed and its population driven out or killed. Today's Van was rebuilt a few kilometres further east. In 2011 two severe earthquakes again wrecked large parts of the city, which is why Van looks strikingly modern today. The population is predominantly Kurdish, and the lake shapes the climate, the cuisine and the pace of life. Van is also famous for its white cats with odd-coloured eyes and for the most elaborate breakfast in Turkey.
Van kahvaltısı is a household name across Turkey and almost a religion locally. Twenty to thirty little dishes land on the table: otlu peynir (herb cheese), kavut (roasted wheat flour with butter), murtuğa (flour, egg, butter), honey with clotted cream, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggs with sucuk, fresh flatbread and tea by the litre. The breakfast street (Kahvaltıcılar Sokağı) in the centre is lined with places that barely differ from one another; Sütçü Kenan and Sütçü Fevzi are the classics. Expect to pay CHF 8 to 12 (about EUR 9 to 13) per person, and the portions will keep you going until the evening. Go early: at weekends everything is packed from 9 am, including with Turks from Istanbul who fly in just for this. One tip: do not order per person, order the full spread once for the table and pay for extras only if you really want them.
The Armenian Church of the Holy Cross on Akdamar is the picture everyone knows of Van. The island lies about 45 km west of the city near Gevaş; the ferry costs the equivalent of a few francs and leaves as soon as enough people have gathered. That is exactly the catch: in the afternoon the coaches arrive from Van and the small island gets crowded. Come first thing in the morning or in the late afternoon, when the groups have gone and the light falls on the red tuff of the church. The reliefs on the outer walls (David and Goliath, Jonah and the whale) are the special part; inside, the frescoes have faded. In April and May the almond trees on the island blossom, the most beautiful time of all. Bring swimming gear: the water of the soda lake feels soapy and carries you like the Dead Sea, just without the salty taste.
The rock fortress of Van Kalesi rises like a ship from the plain west of the city. The climb takes a good 20 minutes and the entrance fee is small. At the top you find Urartian cuneiform inscriptions from the 8th century BC carved straight into the rock, the tomb of King Argishti and a view that explains everything: the lake, the mountains, the volcanic massif of Süphan to the north-west. At the southern foot of the castle lies a large empty field with two mosques and a few remnants of walls. This was the old town of Van, home to tens of thousands of people until 1915 to 1918. The fact that nothing stands here any more is part of a history that is spoken about in different ways locally. Go up for sunset, when the rock is almost empty and the light over the lake is the best of the day. Dolmuş minibuses run from the centre to the castle for a few lira.
The sights around Van are spread far apart: Akdamar 45 km to the west, Hoşap Castle 60 km to the south-east, the Muradiye waterfall 90 km to the north. Public transport covers all of it, but slowly, and a taxi for a day tour quickly costs CHF 60 to 90 (about EUR 65 to 95). A rental car from Van airport starts at around CHF 30 per day and gives you the freedom to stop on the lakeshore wherever you like. The roads are good and traffic outside the city is light. Expect police or gendarmerie checkpoints on the country roads; this is routine, so have your passport and rental contract ready, stay friendly and drive on. If you would rather not drive: the local travel agencies on Cumhuriyet Caddesi offer day trips to Akdamar and Hoşap Castle from around CHF 25 per person, often only with a minimum of four participants.
The 17th-century Kurdish castle of Hoşap sits enthroned on a rock above the village of Güzelsu on the road to Hakkari. It is more impressive from outside than inside, but the drive there through the gorge and the mud-brick villages is worth the trip on its own. Combine it with the Urartian mound of Çavuştepe halfway along, where a retired guard often still explains the cuneiform inscriptions in person. North of Van, just before Muradiye, the Bendimahi river plunges over a 20-metre step. In spring, when the snowmelt comes, the waterfall is tremendous; in summer it is more relaxed, with tea gardens and picnic spots where families from Van spend their weekends. Both excursions can be done in one day if you set off early; two half days are more relaxed.
The white Van cats with one blue and one amber eye are the city's emblem. You can see them at the cat house of Yüzüncü Yıl University on the edge of town, a breeding project with a visitor area; entry is cheap, and the cats are not always in the mood to play. In the centre around Cumhuriyet Caddesi you will find shops selling otlu peynir, the herb cheese that matures in clay jars; it is vacuum-packed and survives the flight without any trouble. Also typical: kilim rugs with Kurdish patterns, considerably cheaper than in Istanbul, and honey from the mountain villages. Haggling is customary, but the margin is smaller than on the coast. In the evening Van is quiet, and alcohol is only served in a few restaurants and hotels; the city is conservative without making you feel restricted as a guest.
Three full days are enough for the castle, Akdamar and a trip to Hoşap or Muradiye. With four to five days you have time for the Nemrut volcano near Tatvan with its crater lake and for a loop around the lake. If you want to continue to Doğubayazıt, allow an extra day for the journey.
May to June and September: pleasant 18 to 28 degrees, almond blossom in spring, clear views of the mountains. July and August are hot, but thanks to the altitude not as oppressive as on the coast. From December to March there is snow and many roads become hard going, but the lake with white mountains behind it is spectacular.
With Turkish Airlines or Pegasus via Istanbul, from where there are several flights a day to Van (VAN). Total travel time from Zurich is eight to ten hours. Ferit Melen airport is about 7 km from the centre, and taxis cost the equivalent of a few francs. Train or bus from Istanbul is possible, but it is a journey of more than 24 hours.
Van is a provincial capital with a university and around half a million inhabitants; daily life is relaxed and travellers are welcomed with great hospitality. Foreign ministries advise caution for the provinces on the Iraqi border further south; this does not apply to Van itself or to the excursions described here. Check your foreign ministry's current travel advice before you go, follow instructions at checkpoints and avoid the immediate border zone with Iran and Iraq.
Yes, and it is a special experience: the water is strongly alkaline, feels soft and you float more easily than in the sea. There are beaches at Edremit south of the city and on Akdamar. In July and August the water is a pleasant 20 degrees or so. Shower afterwards, otherwise your skin feels soapy.
Van is one of the cheapest cities in Turkey. The famous breakfast costs CHF 8 to 12 (about EUR 9 to 13), dinner with kebab or fish from the lake (inci kefalı, only in early summer) CHF 8 to 15. Tea costs practically nothing. On CHF 25 a day you eat very well; on CHF 15 you get by comfortably.
What a trip to Kars and the ghost city of Ani really costs, when winter is worth it and how to book the famous train without losing your nerve.
What a ski holiday in Palandöken costs compared with the Alps, which Seljuk buildings you have to see and why the cağ kebab is different here.
What a trip to the foot of Ararat really costs, how to see İshak Pasha Palace without the coaches and what the climb actually involves.
What a trip to Malatya really costs, how to reach Nemrut from the quiet northern side and why the apricots here are more than a souvenir.
