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Kars & Ani

8 places · 1 route · Eastern Anatolia

A frontier town of basalt and Baltic-style stone houses on a high plateau, with the ghost city of Ani forty minutes away.

Today in Kars & Ani: sunrise 06:26 · sunset 17:17 (calculated)

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Kars old town and castle½ day · 1 stops

Open / closed: Istanbul time, Thu 03:15. Ticket = foreign-visitor price. Visit times are our estimates.

  1. Culture · 700 m ~9 min walk

    Kümbet Mosque (Church of the Holy Apostles)

    Hours not verified Not verified ~20–30 min

  2. Culture · 900 m ~12 min walk

    Kars Stone Bridge

    Open space Free ~15–20 min

  3. Culture · 1000 m ~13 min walk

    Kars Castle

    Hours not verified Not verified ~30 min–1 h

  4. Culture · 1.4 km ~19 min walk

    Kars Museum

    Closed now Free ~45 min–1.3 h

  5. Culture · 42 km ~1.2 h by road

    Ani

    Closed now €8

  6. Nature · 48 km ~1.3 h by road

    Çıldır Lake

    Open space Free

  7. Nature · 52 km ~1.4 h by road

    Sarıkamış ski resort

    Hours not verified Not verified

  8. Nature · 53 km ~1.5 h by road

    Sarıkamış Scots pine forest

    Hours not verified Not verified

Also in this area

On this map and in our themes: Ani (hidden gem, viewpoint)

Local food with a registered name: Kars Kaşarı · Kars Balı

Caves & waterfallsHidden gemsViewpointsAdventureRegional food

Climate: when to go

Monthly averages for Kars province: warmest in August (average high 27.3 °C), coldest in January (average low -14.8 °C). Averages hide heat waves and cold snaps — check the forecast before you travel.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Average high-3°-1°5°12°17°22°26°27°23°16°8°0°
Average low-15°-13°-6°0°4°7°11°11°6°2°-5°-11°
Sunshine, hours a day3.44.75.36.17.39.110.29.88.36.24.93.3
Rainy days76813181311971067

Source: Turkish State Meteorological Service (MGM), 1991–2020 climate normals for Kars province (this month is highlighted). Values are averages for the whole province as MGM publishes them, not for one beach or hill.

Watch

  • Kars Winter Travel Guide: History, Winter Thrills & Local Flavours

    Go Türkiye · Watch on YouTube (new tab) ↗

Videos by independent creators on YouTube; we don't endorse tours or offers in them. The player loads from youtube-nocookie.com only when you press play.

About Kars

Kars changed hands several times between the Ottoman and Russian empires, and the centre still shows it: a regular grid of solid stone houses, public buildings in a Baltic style and wide streets, below a medieval castle on a basalt rock. It is known across Türkiye for its cheese, its honey and its goose dishes.

The great sight is Ani, about 45 km east: the ruins of a medieval Armenian capital, with cathedrals, churches and a mosque scattered over a grassy plateau above the gorge that forms the border with Armenia. North of Kars lies Çıldır Lake, frozen and crossed by horse sleighs in winter; south-west, the pine forests and ski slopes of Sarıkamış.

Is Kars worth visiting?

Yes, above all for Ani, which is one of the most atmospheric ruined cities in the world, and for the unusual stone architecture of Kars itself. In winter the Eastern Express journey and frozen Çıldır Lake add a second reason to come.

Two full days cover Kars and Ani; three or four let you add Çıldır and Sarıkamış. It suits history lovers and winter travellers; there is little nightlife.

Best for
History and architecture lovers, rail travellers, winter travellers, photographers.
How long
2–4 days.
Getting there
Kars Harakani airport has flights from Istanbul and Ankara. The Eastern Express and the winter Touristic Eastern Express run from Ankara. Ani is reached by car, taxi or tour from Kars. General directions, not checked against timetables.

Best time to go Jun–Sep · Dec–Feb for snow

Summer is mild and green, ideal for walking around Ani. From December the plateau is under snow: the season for the Eastern Express, Çıldır on the ice and skiing at Sarıkamış, but days are short and very cold.

Safety: what government travel advice says

A plain summary of two governments' advice, as published when we checked. We do not rate safety ourselves; read the full pages before you go and check again close to your trip.

UK government (FCDO) — Turkey travel advice ↗

  • Advises against all travel within 10 km of the Turkey–Syria border, because of fighting in Syria near the border and a heightened risk of terrorism. Roads towards the border in Hatay province can close at short notice.
  • Mount Ararat (Ağrı province) is a special military zone: climbing needs a permit from the Doğubayazıt government office and a fee.
  • In Hakkari province, visits near the borders with Iraq and Iran need permission from the local Governor's Office.
  • Nationwide: terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Turkey, and most attacks have been in the south-east, Ankara and Istanbul. Avoid demonstrations and follow local authorities.
  • The FCDO does not advise against travel to the rest of Turkey; read its full page before you go.

Page dated 21 Sep 2026 · read by us on 30 Sep 2026.

German Federal Foreign Office — Türkei: Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise ↗

  • Advises against all non-essential travel to the immediate border areas with Syria (the provinces of Şanlıurfa and Mardin) and with Iraq, because of the fighting across the border.
  • A terrorist threat has to be assumed in all parts of Türkiye; since 2015 the PKK and a splinter group have carried out attacks mainly in the south-east, but also elsewhere.
  • In the south-east and east it recommends avoiding large crowds, the surroundings of government and military sites, remote areas and little-used country roads.
  • Two strong earthquakes hit the south-east in 2023 (among the provinces named: Adıyaman, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Malatya and Şanlıurfa); many buildings were destroyed or badly damaged.

Page dated 18 Sep 2026 · read by us on 30 Sep 2026.

On this region: Neither office advises against travel to Kars, Van, Doğubayazıt or Erzurum as such. Climbing Mount Ararat needs a permit; the areas near the Iraqi and Iranian borders (Hakkari) need permission.

Emergency number in Türkiye: 112. Travel advice changes quickly; your own government's page is the one that matters for your insurance.

Part of Eastern Anatolia — all destinations, when to go and more places in the region.