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Voykit pocket guide · Türkiye (Turkey)

Erzincan

One night, mostly as a rail or road stop between Sivas and Erzurum. Two nights only if you want Girlevik falls and Ergan Dağı.

Erzincan is a modern grid city at 1,185 m, rebuilt a few km north after the 1939 earthquake destroyed the old town. It has little old architecture, but it sits on the Doğu Express line and the E80, and the surrounding valley holds waterfalls, mineral springs, a ski mountain and one of Turkey's finest Armenian khachkars. Most travellers use it as a stop, not a base.

AdanaAdapazarıAfyonkarahisarAkçakocaAksarayAkşehirAlanyaAmasyaAnamurAntakyaAphrodisiasArmutluAssosAvanosErzincan200 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Türkiye (Turkey)
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
Avoid
Dec–Mar (snow and cold), Jul–Aug midday heat
Stay
1–2 nights

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 ₺900–1,500 excl. bed · Mid ₺1,500–2,800 excl. bed · High ₺2,800+ 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 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

ItemPrice
Erzincan döneri sandwich₺150–250
Coffee or tea₺40–90
Supermarket water, 1.5 l₺15–30
Taxi across the centre₺120–200
Dolmuş ride₺15–25
eSIM or data SIM, about a week₺300–600

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

ERC · Erzincan Airport
5 km southeast of the centre; daily flights from Istanbul (IST and SAW) and Ankara; dolmuş downtown

Typical fares

Airport ERC → city centre, dolmuş
about ₺5 in 2023, about 10 min
Otogar → Dörtyol, dolmuş
about 5 min
Doğu Express Ankara → Erzincan
about 16 h, couchette and buffet car

Get around

Dolmuşes run the main streets and are the cheap way around; taxis wait along Ordu Cd. The railway station is 500 m south of the centre and the otogar is 3 km east on the bypass, five minutes by dolmuş. You need your own wheels for Girlevik, Üçpınar, Altıntepe and Ergan Dağı.

See and do

Known for

  • Doğu Express stop between Sivas and Erzurum
  • Erzincan döneri
  • Girlevik Waterfalls
  • Ergan Dağı ski and kayak mountain
  • Surp Tavit monastery and khachkars at Üçpınar

Day trips

WhereHowTime
Girlevik WaterfallsDrive or taxi 30 km southeast; no direct public transportAbout 1 h each way
Üçpınar and Surp Tavit MonasteryDrive toward the old Armenian village, then walk the last stretch1–1.5 h each way
Ergan DağıDrive 20 km south above YaylabaşıAbout 45 min each way
Altıntepe HöyükDrive 12 km eastAbout 30 min each way
TercanDrive or bus 100 km east on the E80About 1.5 h each way

Sleep

Dörtyol and Ordu Cd
The main crossroads and boulevard: most eating places, bars and several hotels within a 10-minute walk.
Halit Paşa Cd / Fevzi Paşa Cd
Boulevard hotels west and east of Dörtyol; convenient for the station and the airport road.
East edge (Fevzi Paşa Cd, near Terzibaba Mosque)
Newer mid-range and chain hotels; quieter, a short dolmuş or taxi ride from Dörtyol.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
HelloMerhabamer-hah-BAH
Thank youTeşekkürlertesh-ek-kewr-LER
How much is it?Ne kadar?neh kah-DAR
Where is the bus station?Otogar nerede?oh-toh-GAR NEH-reh-deh
Can I pay by card?Kartla ödeyebilir miyim?KART-lah ur-deh-yeh-bee-LEER mee-yim
Where is the toilet?Tuvalet nerede?too-vah-LET NEH-reh-deh

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

  • Some hotels ask a man and a woman sharing a room for a marriage certificate; if refused, try another hotel — several do not ask.
  • Altıntepe Höyük was still closed to visitors during excavation; check locally before driving out.
  • The approach road to Üçpınar and Surp Tavit is rough: hike in from the village rather than risk your car.
  • Winter brings thick snow and summer a baking sun at this altitude; pack for both extremes.
  • Mobile signal has dead spots along the highway outside the city.

Erzincan is a calm city, but the practical risks are winter snow and ice, summer heat at altitude, rough rural roads and the hotel marriage-certificate rule.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Erzincan yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Doğu Express stop between Sivas and Erzurum
  • Erzincan döneri
  • Girlevik Waterfalls
  • Ergan Dağı ski and kayak mountain
  • Surp Tavit monastery and khachkars at Üçpınar

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Erzincan

Bu adrese, lütfen

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

  • All emergencies112

No embassies in Erzincan; most countries keep embassies in Ankara and consulates-general in Istanbul. The US has a consulate in Adana (check).

Some hotels ask a man and a woman sharing a room for a marriage certificate; ask before you pay.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/erzincan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.