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Voykit pocket guide · Türkiye (Turkey)
Konya
Give Konya one night, two at most: the Mevlana Museum, Seljuk mosques and a Sema ceremony sit within a 1 km walk of Alaaddin Hill.
Konya is Turkey's sixth-largest city and the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, best known as the home of Rumi and the whirling dervish tradition. The sights that matter are packed into a compact centre, so a single night on the Ankara–Antalya or Istanbul–Karaman rail line covers it; add a second night only for Sille, Çatalhöyük or a Saturday Sema. It is conservative and few locals speak English, which changes how you dress and how you book.
- Country
- Türkiye (Turkey)
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, dry, 31 °C highs), Dec–Feb (snow, fog, flights grounded)Jul–Aug (hot, dry, 88 °F highs), Dec–Feb (snow, fog, flights grounded)
- 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 ₺1,200–2,000 excl. bed · Mid ₺2,000–3,500 excl. bed · High ₺3,500+ 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 · Tourism information line (Turkish) 170
- 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 |
|---|---|
| Coffee or tea | ₺40–90 |
| Etliekmek (long thin meat or cheese flatbread) | ₺150–300 |
| Tandır kebab or tirit | ₺250–450 |
| Museum entry (İnce Minare, Karatay) | ₺60 each |
| Mevlana Museum | Free |
| Sema ceremony ticket | ₺100–250 |
| Tram or bus journey with KonyaKart | ₺22.50 |
| 5 km taxi3.1 mi taxi | ₺150–250 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- KYA · Konya Airport
- 18 km north of the centre; about 3 flights a day from Istanbul (IST and SAW), mostly Turkish Airlines and Pegasus. Havaş bus downtown via the otogar, about 40 min, three times a day to meet the Istanbul flights.11 mi north of the centre; about 3 flights a day from Istanbul (IST and SAW), mostly Turkish Airlines and Pegasus. Havaş bus downtown via the otogar, about 40 min, three times a day to meet the Istanbul flights.
Typical fares
- KYA airport → centre, Havaş bus
- about 40 min via the otogar; three departures a day to meet the Istanbul flights
- Konya → Ankara, YHT train
- about 1 h 45 min, five trains a day
- Konya → Istanbul, YHT train
- about 4 h 45 min via Eskişehir, four trains a day
- Konya → Göreme, bus
- about 3 h 30 min
Get around
Walk the centre: Mevlana Museum, Selimiye Mosque, İnce Minare, Karatay and Alaaddin Hill all sit within about 1 km. Trams run 06:00–midnight; Line 1 links the otogar and Selçuklu YHT station to Alaaddin Hill, Line 2 serves the Mevlana Cultural Centre. Trams and city buses are cash-free: buy a KonyaKart at the bus or railway station or many tram stops and top up at convenience stores. The old railway station is 2.5 km southwest of downtown; take a taxi, dolmuş or bus 67.Walk the centre: Mevlana Museum, Selimiye Mosque, İnce Minare, Karatay and Alaaddin Hill all sit within about 1 km. Trams run 6:00 AM–midnight; Line 1 links the otogar and Selçuklu YHT station to Alaaddin Hill, Line 2 serves the Mevlana Cultural Centre. Trams and city buses are cash-free: buy a KonyaKart at the bus or railway station or many tram stops and top up at convenience stores. The old railway station is 2.5 km southwest of downtown; take a taxi, dolmuş or bus 67.Walk the centre: Mevlana Museum, Selimiye Mosque, İnce Minare, Karatay and Alaaddin Hill all sit within about 0.6 mi. Trams run 06:00–midnight; Line 1 links the otogar and Selçuklu YHT station to Alaaddin Hill, Line 2 serves the Mevlana Cultural Centre. Trams and city buses are cash-free: buy a KonyaKart at the bus or railway station or many tram stops and top up at convenience stores. The old railway station is 1.6 mi southwest of downtown; take a taxi, dolmuş or bus 67.Walk the centre: Mevlana Museum, Selimiye Mosque, İnce Minare, Karatay and Alaaddin Hill all sit within about 0.6 mi. Trams run 6:00 AM–midnight; Line 1 links the otogar and Selçuklu YHT station to Alaaddin Hill, Line 2 serves the Mevlana Cultural Centre. Trams and city buses are cash-free: buy a KonyaKart at the bus or railway station or many tram stops and top up at convenience stores. The old railway station is 1.6 mi southwest of downtown; take a taxi, dolmuş or bus 67.
See and do
Known for
- Mevlana Museum (Rumi's mausoleum)
- Whirling dervish Sema ceremony
- Seljuk architecture: İnce Minare, Karatay, Alaaddin Mosque
- Etliekmek and tandır kebab
- Sille village
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Sille | Bus 64A or 64B from the centre, about 30 min | About 1 h |
| Çatalhöyük | Dolmuş or taxi toward Çumra, then a short walk to the east mound | 1–1.5 h |
| Karaman | YHT train from Selçuklu YHT station, about 50 min | About 1.5 h |
| Aksaray | Bus or dolmuş east on D300, about 2 h | About 2.5 h |
| Göreme (Cappadocia) | Bus from the otogar, about 3 h 30 min | About 4 h |
Sleep
- Mevlana Cd / Mevlana Museum
- The default: museum, Selimiye Mosque and most hotels within a 5–10 min walk. Book ahead on Şeb-i Arûs week in December.
- Alaaddin Hill / centre
- Tram interchange, bazaar streets and cheaper rooms; 10–15 min walk to the Mevlana Museum.
- Near Selçuklu YHT station
- 4 km north; only worth it for a very early train, since the centre is a tram ride away.2.5 mi north; only worth it for a very early train, since the centre is a tram ride away.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Merhabamer-hah-BAH |
| Thank you | Teşekkürlerteh-shek-kewr-LEHR |
| How much is it? | Ne kadar?neh kah-DAR |
| 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 |
| Excuse me | Affedersinizaf-feh-DEHR-see-neez |
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
- Konya is conservative: women commonly wear headscarves and beach shorts or tank tops around the mosques draw unwanted attention. Cover shoulders and knees.
- Few people in shops, cafés or the otogar speak English; have your hotel address written in Turkish and use a translation app.
- Trams and buses take no cash — without a KonyaKart you will be stuck at the stop.
- Winter fog can ground flights at KYA and there are no air bridges, so you cross the apron in sleet.
- Agree taxi fares or insist on the meter; a minority of drivers quote tourist prices.
- During Ramazan and the two Bayram holidays, some restaurants and shops close or run shorter hours; book buses and trains early.
Konya is a low-crime city and the centre is safe on foot by day and early evening. The real issues are conservative dress expectations, winter ice and fog, and the lack of English — not street crime.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Konya yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Mevlana Museum (Rumi's mausoleum)
- Whirling dervish Sema ceremony
- Seljuk architecture: İnce Minare, Karatay, Alaaddin Mosque
- Etliekmek and tandır kebab
- Sille village
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Konya Metropolitan Municipality: www.konya.bel.tr
- Konya transport (ATUS): atus.konya.bel.tr/
- KonyaKart: konyakart.konya.bel.tr/
- Mevlana Museum (Turkish Ministry of Culture): muze.gov.tr/muze-detay?SectionId=MEV01&DistId=MEV
- TCDD train tickets and timetables: ebilet.tcddtasimacilik.gov.tr/
- Konya Airport: konyahavalimani.com/
- Wikivoyage: Konya, revision 5205921 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5205921
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Konya
Bu adrese lütfen
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most countries have embassies in Ankara and consulates-general in Istanbul; there is no consulate in Konya, so register with your embassy in Ankara before travelling.
Konya is conservative: cover shoulders and knees at mosques, and expect few English speakers in shops and at the otogar.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/konya). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.