Destination guide
Ankara
Türkiye
Ankara is the capital of Turkey, central within the country on the plateau of Central Anatolia. It's a sprawling modern place around an ancient citadel, and in 2022 had a population of almost 5.2 million (second in size to Istanbul), with a further 600,000 living in the wider metropolis.
AI insights
Local-ledAI-written from the Wikivoyage listings, transport section and mostly LOCAL creators' videos on this page
Prioritize your visit to the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations before walking up to the Ankara Castle; the museum houses the original statues and artifacts found at the nearby Roman Theatre and citadel site, providing the context you need to understand the ruins.
Plan your visit to Anıtkabir as a central priority, as it is the city's most significant landmark; for general transit, EGO-operated buses require a contactless card as cash is not accepted, while the Metro and Başkentray serve as the primary rail network for traversing the city.
When exploring the historic Ulus area, treat the Arslanhane, Ahielvan, and Sultan Alaeddin mosques as active places of worship; visit outside of prayer times to appreciate the intricate wooden interiors and carved walnut pulpits without disrupting local devotions.
While many budget hotels north of Ulus Square are dismal, the Yeni Bahar Oteli is a reliable, clean option on that same strip; for other stays, consider the historic atmosphere of converted marketplaces like Divan Ankara Çukurhan or established hotels near the railway station.
Seek out inexpensive dining near university campuses, such as the Cebeci area, for reliable local staples like wraps and pancakes, rather than relying on the erratic quality of tourist-facing eateries near major squares.
How we vet these picks
Every pick is drawn from real sources — YouTube creators, Wikivoyage, and Wikipedia. We only surface sources that actually exist and that we've checked for authenticity — no filler, no dead-end searches.Watch first
Ranked by views and how well each landed with the people who watched it, judged against the other coverage of this place — plus a local creator where we found one.
ANITKABİR GEZİ VLOG 4K ( Gezdikçe Bilelim Ankara )
ANKARA! 🇹🇷 The Capital of Turkey! Travel VLOG #390
Ankara'da Gezilecek Yerler | Mutlaka Görmeniz Gereken 76 Yer!
I Went To Ankara Turkey And I Was Amazed!!
ANKARA GEZİSİ ( Başkentte 1 gün ne yapılır )
Ankara Turkey Travel Guide: 11 BEST Things to Do in Ankara
Başkent Ankara: En iyi gezilecek yerler 2025 / Ankara Kalesi / Anıtkabir
A Tour of ANKARA | Is The Capital of Türkiye Worth Visiting? 🇹🇷
ANKARA’DA MUTLAKA GEZİLECEK YERLER - ANKARA’DA İKİ GÜN VLOG
TOP 10 Things to do in Ankara - Turkey 2023!
BEYPAZARI ANKARA gezilecek yerler Detaylı Gezi Rehberi #beypazarı #ankara
Best time to go
Best window: April–June and October–November
No month to avoid, though the shoulder seasons are the pick.
Rated from ten years of daily temperature and rainfall recorded at this destination, via Open-Meteo's ERA5 reanalysis. Hover a month for its real numbers.
Getting around
By bus
All buses are operated by EGO. Most of them are white or blue, while the newer ones are red. Central bus stops often have displays of real-time services. Bus fares cannot be paid in cash, but can be paid by contactless card payment.
By Metro
The Metro, run by EGO the city transport operator, has three lines, which intersect at Kızılay (the station's official name is 15 Temmuz Millî Irade Kızılay) Remarkably, EGO have contrived to muddle their numbering.
Suburban railway
Başkentray is the suburban line, transecting the city between Sincan and Eryaman in the west, through city centre and the main railway station, to Kayaş in the east. Trains run every 10 minutes from 07:00 to 21:00, then every 30 min to 23:00.
By taxi
Taxis are numerous: they are yellow, have the sign Taksi on top of the car, and the letter T in their license plates. Have nothing to do with unlicensed drivers. The rates for day and night are same. Tipping is not usual but you round up to the next TL.
Transport notes from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What to see
Places are listed from Wikivoyage and our own sourced research. Worth it means a second, independent source names the place too; “3 sources agree” means three or more do — and each card names them, so you can check.
Anıtkabir
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet and 1 other
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk's marble mausoleum sits high above the city, still treated as a place of national veneration.
Vetted sources
Museum of Anatolian Civilisations
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet
You walk through Neolithic, Hittite and Phrygian artifacts pulled from nearly every major archaeological site in Anatolia, widely considered Turkey's best history museum.
Vetted sources
Ethnography Museum
Worth itAlso recommended by Lonely Planet
Seljuk ceramics and intricately carved Ottoman minbars fill the building that served as Atatürk's mausoleum before Anıtkabir was completed.
Vetted sources
Ankara Castle
1.3 km east of : Ulus· Free
This volcanic outcrop has probably been fortified since the dawn of mankind, but the earliest traces are from the Phrygians of 8th century BC. The castle was reinforced by the Galatians then the Romans.
Vetted sources
Museum of Anatolian Civilizations
800 m east of Ulus
Excellent display ranging from prehistory to the proto-Greek and Roman eras.
Vetted sources
Arslanhane Mosque
1 km north of and Kurtuluş
Built in 1290 in Seljuk style, and repaired in 1330 under Ahi Şerafeddin hence its other name. Well worth the hike up the hill for its finely-carved interior, notably the ceiling supported by a forest of wooden columns.
Vetted sources
Sultan Alaeddin Mosque
100 m west of castle
This is the city's oldest mosque, built in AH 574 (1178 AD) according to the inscription on its walnut mimber, but much modified since.
Vetted sources
Roman Theatre
1 km east of Ulus· Free
Scrappy remains of the stage and backstage, they haven't restored the seating. Statues from the site are in the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations.
Vetted sources
Ahielvan Mosque
200 m below Arslanhane Mosque
Built in the late 14th and early 15th centuries, it has a richly carved walnut mimber or pulpit.
Vetted sources
What to do
Ankara Opera & Ballet
Atatürk Blv 20
This opened in 1948 and looks it, the grandeur is kinda faded. It hosts theatre as well as opera and ballet.
Vetted sources
Goksu Park
Bus 501, 502
Ranged around Susuz Lake, with an island restaurant, cafes and funfair.
Vetted sources
What to eat
Kırık Oklava
Cemal Gürsel Cd 16
Great place by Ankara University Cebeci Campus for inexpensive wraps and pancakes.
Vetted sources
Cafe des Cafes
Tunalı Hilmi Cd 83/A, Kavaklıdere
Slick European-style cafe with Italian and Spanish choices.
Vetted sources
Göksu Lokantası
200 m east of Kızılay station
Great dining here. They have another branch south at Nenehatun Cd 5.
Vetted sources
Kıtır
south of Cafe des Cafes next to Kuğulu Park
Traditionally a rock bar but nowadays more of a restaurant.
Vetted sources
Yargitay Evi Lokali
west side of Güvenpark
Inexpensive place looking onto Kızılay Square, quality erratic.
Vetted sources
Ward Restaurant and café مطعم ورد
in Kızılay cafe block
This is the place to come for Iraqi food.
Vetted sources
Where to stay
Bihostel
Kizilay
Amazing to find such a friendly well-equipped hostel so central. Open all year with dorms and private rooms.
Vetted sources
Yeni Bahar Oteli
Çankırı Cd 25
Clean and helpful, you can find cheaper on this strip north of Ulus Square but most are dismal.
Vetted sources
New Park Hotel
Kolej
Boxy modern hotel, usually clean, some street noise.
Vetted sources
King Hotel
east side of Parliament
Simple rooms but good value for the prime location.
Vetted sources
Divan Ankara Çukurhan
facing Koc Museum near castle
Charming hotel in a han, a former marketplace.
Vetted sources
Radisson Blu
next to : Ulus
Good value hotel 500 m from railway station.
Vetted sources
Travel essentials
Gear worth packing for any trip — affiliate links that help keep Tripest free.
Travel content from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Encyclopedic context from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Videos via the YouTube Data API.