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Voykit pocket guide · Türkiye (Turkey)
Aksaray
Give Aksaray one night as a base for Ihlara Valley and Güzelyurt, or skip it if Cappadocia's main towns already fill your plan.
Aksaray is a working Anatolian city on the Konya–Cappadocia road, 50 km west of Göreme. It has a Seljuk core, cheap beds and the closest dolmuş links to Ihlara Valley and Güzelyurt. Most travellers pass through; those who stop use it as a cheaper, quieter base for the western Cappadocia valleys.
- Country
- Türkiye (Turkey)
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, dry), Dec–Feb (cold, snow on the plateau)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- TRY
- Money
- Currency is the Turkish lira (₺, TRY). About ₺56 to €1 in late September 2026 — check; inflation was still in the double digits, so prices rise several times a year.
- Daily spend
- Budget ₺900–1,600 excl. bed · Mid ₺1,600–3,000 excl. bed · High ₺3,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Turkcell, Vodafone and Türk Telekom sell tourist SIMs at airports (passport needed); they are dearer than in town shops — check.
- Emergency
- All emergencies (police, fire, ambulance) 112
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Standard European two-pin; UK and US plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Lokanta / simple café: Leave the coins or round up.; Sit-down restaurant: 5–10% in cash, even if the card machine does not offer a tip; check for a 'servis' charge first.; Taxi: Round up to the next ₺10–50.; Hamam: 10–15% to the attendant (tellak/natır).; Guide / driver day: €10–20 for a guide, €5–10 for a driver per day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₺50–100.
- Water
- Tap water is treated and chlorinated but tastes of it; locals buy bottled or 19-litre dispenser water. Restaurants charge for bottled water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and restaurants; squat toilets (alaturka) in older mosques and bus stops. Public toilets (WC) cost ₺10–30 — carry coins or small notes. Most toilets have a bidet spray; paper goes in the bin in older buildings.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Turkish coffee or tea | ₺40–90 |
| Soup or döner plate | ₺150–300 |
| Künefe dessert | ₺120–220 |
| Beer in a café or birahane | ₺120–200 |
| Dolmuş ride in the city | ₺25–40 |
| Museum entry (Aksaray Museum, Science Museum) | Free |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | ₺300–600 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- NAV · Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport
- About 75 km east; limited flights, mostly domesticAbout 47 mi east; limited flights, mostly domestic
- ASR · Kayseri Erkilet Airport
- About 140 km east; more domestic and some international flights, then bus or carAbout 87 mi east; more domestic and some international flights, then bus or car
- ESB · Ankara Esenboğa
- About 240 km north; long-distance bus from the capital is usually simplerAbout 149 mi north; long-distance bus from the capital is usually simpler
Typical fares
- Dolmuş, Aksaray centre to Güzelyurt
- about ₺120, roughly 45 min
- Taxi, otogar to city centre
- ₺150–250
- Bus, Aksaray to Nevşehir or Göreme
- ₺200–350, 1–1.5 h
Get around
The centre is walkable; dolmuş vans from Eski Garaj and the Tuesday Market stand cover local routes. For Ihlara, Güzelyurt, Sultan Han and Tuz Gölü a rental car saves hours, since buses run a few times a day at best. There is no railway station in Aksaray.
See and do
Known for
- Seljuk and Karamanid mosques and medreses
- Gateway to Ihlara Valley and Güzelyurt
- Sultan Han caravanserai
- Tuz Gölü salt lake
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ihlara Valley | Dolmuş toward Güzelyurt, then walk down into the valley; or drive 40 km southeastDolmuş toward Güzelyurt, then walk down into the valley; or drive 25 mi southeast | About 1 h |
| Güzelyurt | Dolmuş from the Tuesday Market stand, roughly hourly on weekdays | About 45 min |
| Sultan Han | Drive or bus west on D300, 40 kmDrive or bus west on D300, 25 mi | About 45 min |
| Tuz Gölü (salt lake) | Drive north on D750 to the Altuğlar junction | About 1 h |
| Göreme and Cappadocia | Bus or car east via Nevşehir | 1–1.5 h |
Sleep
- City centre (Atatürk Blv and Turizm Cd)
- Walk to the Grand Mosque, Zinciriye Medrese and the riverside eating strip; best for one night without a car.
- Otogar and D300/D750 junction
- Highway hotels with parking, 3–5 km out; convenient if you drive on to Cappadocia next morning.Highway hotels with parking, 1.9–3.1 mi out; convenient if you drive on to Cappadocia next morning.
- Güzelyurt (30 km southeast)
- Village guesthouses in stone houses, closer to Ihlara; quieter and greener than the city.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Merhabamer-hah-BAH |
| Thank you | Teşekkür ederimteh-shek-KEWR eh-deh-REEM |
| How much is it? | Ne kadar?neh kah-DAR |
| Where is the dolmuş stop? | Dolmuş durağı nerede?dol-MOOSH doo-rah-uh NEH-reh-deh |
| Can I pay by card? | Kartla ödeyebilir miyim?KART-lah ur-deh-yeh-bee-LEER mee-yeem |
| The bill, please | Hesap, lütfenheh-SAHP LEWT-fen |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake; 'Merhaba' (hello) or 'Selamün aleyküm' in conservative areas; cheek kisses between friends of the same sex; avoid: Offering a hand to a conservative woman first — wait for hers
- Mosques: Covered clothing, headscarf for women, shoes in hand, quiet voice; avoid: Walking in front of people praying; visiting during Friday midday prayer
- Hospitality: Accept tea or at least a sip; bring sweets or pastries to a home; avoid: Refusing food repeatedly; showing the soles of your feet
- Politics and history: Listen; let hosts raise it; avoid: Opinions on Atatürk, the Kurdish issue, Armenia or Cyprus with people you just met
- Ramadan: Eat discreetly in conservative towns during the day; avoid: Eating, drinking or smoking in front of fasting people in small towns
- Gestures: A slight upward head nod with a tut means 'no'; avoid: The OK hand sign (can be read as rude) and a thumb between fingers
- Dress in town: Shorts are fine in Istanbul and resorts; longer clothes in the interior and east; avoid: Swimwear away from the beach
- Names: First name plus Bey (men) or Hanım (women): 'Ahmet Bey'; avoid: Using the surname alone
Scams and watch-outs
- No train service: YHT fast trains stop at Ankara and Konya, then you continue by bus.
- Dolmuş timetables to Güzelyurt and Ihlara are thin, especially on Sundays; confirm the last return van before you set out.
- Tuz Gölü is a salt flat with no shade: take water, sunglasses and shoes you don't mind soaking.
- Never stop on the hard shoulder of D750 to reach the salt lake; use a marked track or the Altuğlar junction.
- Some sights outside town (Ağzıkara Han, Alay Han) have been closed or derelict for years: check before driving out.
Aksaray is a low-crime provincial city and the usual Anatolian precautions apply: normal care at night, agree taxi fares, and treat the summer heat and the unshaded salt lake as the real hazards.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Aksaray yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Seljuk and Karamanid mosques and medreses
- Gateway to Ihlara Valley and Güzelyurt
- Sultan Han caravanserai
- Tuz Gölü salt lake
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Aksaray Museum (Ministry of Culture and Tourism): kvmgm.ktb.gov.tr/TR-44057/aksaray-muze-mudurlugu.html
- Wikivoyage: Aksaray, revision 4945234 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4945234
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Aksaray
Bu adrese, lütfen
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- All emergencies (police, fire, ambulance)112
No embassies in Aksaray; most are in Ankara, with consulates-general in Istanbul and Izmir. US citizens: Ankara embassy.
Carry small lira notes for dolmuş, tea houses and market stalls.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/aksaray). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.