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Major city · Türkiye (Turkey)

Tokat

Give Tokat one night, two if you use it as a base for the Ballıca Cave and Niksar: the old streets take half a day, not three.

Not yet checkedSourcesWhat these labels mean

Tokat is a Black Sea hill town of about 200,000 people at the head of a wide valley, 375 km east of Ankara. It has a castle rock, a 13th-century mosque, caravanserais turned into hotels and a food tradition of its own. Most travellers pass through on the Ankara–Samsun road; one night covers the centre, two let you add the countryside.

basic guide: no trip line yet
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
More ways in
Print / PDF guide
Local time, weather, currency, airports
Weather
see forecast
Currency
TRY
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (hot, humid), Dec–Feb (cold, snow on the passes)
Airport
TKJ
Nights
1–2
Rules in force · 5
  • Türkiye (Turkey) ↗Check whether your passport is visa-exempt; if it is not, apply only at evisa.gov.tr — lookalike sites charge extra and some sell nothing.
  • Türkiye (Turkey) ↗At mosques cover shoulders and knees, take shoes off at the door, and women carry a headscarf; stay out during prayer times.
  • Türkiye (Turkey) ↗Taxis must run the taximeter; refuse flat quotes, or book through BiTaksi or Uber so the ride is logged.
  • Türkiye (Turkey) ↗Carry lira in small notes for tea, markets, tips and toilets; prices move with inflation, so treat every printed price as dated.
  • Türkiye (Turkey) ↗Do not take stones, coins or tiles from ancient sites, and export no antiques without a museum certificate; travellers have been detained at airport customs.
What is in this basic guide9 covered · 4 not yet ▾

Not in this guide yet

  • Walking areas with bag rules
  • Day plans checked against opening hours
  • Airport-to-bed timings and the last safe connection
  • Field-checked times and prices
Emergency numbers for Tokat112 ▾
  • All emergencies (police, fire, ambulance)112
  • Tourism information line (Alo 170, Turkish)170

Tap a number to call from your phone. These are the numbers listed in this guide; a row marked check has not been verified.

EssentialsQuick answers and what things cost

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Tokat, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Show all 12 answers

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in a café₺40–90 (≈ US$1–3)
  • Street or quick mealTokat Kebabı, one portion₺250–400 (≈ US$7–10)
  • Taxi, about 5 km (3 mi)Taxi across the centre₺120–200 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Metro or bus rideCity bus or dolmuş ride₺20–35 (≈ under US$1)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week₺300–600 (≈ US$8–15)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entryFree (Tokat Museum and Mevlevi Hane)
  • Budget bedHostel or pension bed, a night, per person₺500 (≈ US$13)
  • Mid-range bedHotel double room, a night, per room₺3,000 (≈ US$75)
  • High-end bedHotel double room, a night, per room₺5,000 (≈ US$130)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ₺1,200 (≈ US$30) · Mid ₺2,200 (≈ US$55) · High ₺4,000 (≈ US$100)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

DecideWhat it is known for, and when the weather works

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Tokat Castle rockSulusokak old street and caravanseraisTokat KebabıGök Medrese and Ali Paşa MosqueYazma block-printed textiles
Airports
TKJ Tokat Airport (17 km (11 mi) west of the centre on the D180; daily Istanbul (IST) flights, some days a week from Sabiha Gökçen (SAW). Rebuilt 2018–22.)

Best months at a glance

From the guide's best and avoid lists

  1. Jan

    Avoid

    6°C (43°F)

  2. Feb

    Avoid

    8°C (46°F)

  3. Mar

    not flagged

    13°C (55°F)

  4. Apr

    Best

    19°C (66°F)

  5. May

    Best

    24°C (75°F)

  6. Jun

    Best

    28°C (82°F)

  7. Jul

    Avoid

    31°C (88°F)

  8. Aug

    Avoid

    31°C (88°F)

  9. Sep

    Best

    27°C (81°F)

  10. Oct

    Best

    21°C (70°F)

  11. Nov

    not flagged

    13°C (55°F)

  12. Dec

    Avoid

    8°C (46°F)

Best: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct. Avoid: Jul–Aug, Dec–Feb. Month by month →

Warmest Jul (31°C (88°F)), coolest Jan (−2°C (28°F) low), wettest Jan (12 rain days), driest Aug (3). Averages, not a forecast.

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Tokat: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

6°C (43°F)

−2°C (28°F)

12 rd

Feb

8°C (46°F)

−1°C (30°F)

11 rd

Mar

13°C (55°F)

2°C (36°F)

12 rd

Apr

19°C (66°F)

7°C (45°F)

12 rd

May

24°C (75°F)

11°C (52°F)

12 rd

Jun

28°C (82°F)

14°C (57°F)

9 rd

Jul

31°C (88°F)

17°C (63°F)

4 rd

Aug

31°C (88°F)

17°C (63°F)

3 rd

Sep

27°C (81°F)

13°C (55°F)

5 rd

Oct

21°C (70°F)

9°C (48°F)

8 rd

Nov

13°C (55°F)

4°C (39°F)

10 rd

Dec

8°C (46°F)

0°C (32°F)

12 rd

High / low, both scales · rd = rain days

Arrive & moveAirports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Walk the centre: most sights sit on or within a block of GOP Bulvarı and Sulusokak. Dolmuş, city buses and taxis run along GOP; taxis wait at the otogar forecourt. Sulusokak is one-way narrow — ask your hotel before driving in. Tokat Termal and the airport need a car or taxi.

See & doDay-trips, door to door

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Niksar

go

Door to door: About 1 h each way

Bus or car on the D850 north, about 1 h

Castle, old mosques and a green river valley; half a day.

Ballıca Cave

go

Door to door: About 1.5 h from Tokat

Car or taxi from Niksar, about 30 min further

Big show cave with lit walkways; check opening hours and take a layer.

Zile

caution

Door to door: About 45 min each way

Bus or car west on the D180, about 45 min

Known for pekmez (grape molasses); the ancient Zela battle site has nothing to see.

Amasya

overnight

Door to door: About 2 h each way

Bus west on the D180, about 1.5–2 h

Better-preserved Ottoman old town on the river: sleep there rather than day-trip.

Sivas

overnight

Door to door: About 2.5 h each way

Bus or car south on the D850, about 2.5 h

Rail hub with fast trains to Ankara; use it as a stop, not a return trip.

Eat & sleepWhich area to sleep in

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

GOP Bulvarı (Gaziosmanpaşa) and Meydan

The main north–south avenue: hotels, cafés and the main square within walking distance. Best first choice without a car.

Sulusokak and the castle foot

The old east–west street with museums, tombs and two caravanserai hotels. Narrow and hard to park in; walk in from GOP.

Behzat Bulvarı and the clocktower

Quieter south end near the clocktower, Behzat Mosque and the Latifoğlu Mansion; 10–15 min walk to the centre.

D180 highway edge

Chain and larger hotels by the bypass; convenient with a car, 5–10 min by taxi to the centre.

PracticalWhat a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
₺1,200–2,000 (≈ US$30–50) excl. bed
Mid
₺2,000–3,500 (≈ US$50–90) excl. bed
High
₺3,500 (≈ US$90)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Hotel double room1 × 1 night × ₺3,000₺3,000
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × ₺2,200₺4,400
Airport taxi, TKJ to centre, one way1 × ₺700 · check₺700
Hamam entry with scrub2 × ₺500 · check₺1,000
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ₺400 · check₺800
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge₺990
Trip total≈ ₺5,450 per person per day, bed included₺10,890≈ US$300

2026 estimate in lira; long-distance transport excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea in a café₺40–90 (≈ US$1–3)
Tokat Kebabı, one portion₺250–400 (≈ US$7–10)
Lunch of soup and pide₺150–300 (≈ US$4–8)
Museum entryFree (Tokat Museum and Mevlevi Hane)
City bus or dolmuş ride₺20–35 (≈ under US$1)
Taxi across the centre₺120–200 (≈ US$3–5)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week₺300–600 (≈ US$8–15)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Tokat is a low-crime provincial city and fine on foot by day; the real issues are winter road conditions, unlit lanes around the castle rock at night, and long-distance buses that arrive after dark.
  • Several sights are closed for restoration (castle, Gök Medrese, Hatuniye, Culture House): confirm before you build a day around them.
  • Sulusokak is very narrow with almost no parking; leave the car at the hotel.
  • Summer is humid and the hills hold the heat; do the castle rock and old street in the morning.
  • Winter snow and ice can close the D180/D850 passes east and north.
  • Bus journeys are long: Istanbul about 12 h, Ankara about 6 h.

Emergency numbers

All emergencies (police, fire, ambulance)
112
Tourism information line (Alo 170, Turkish)
170

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

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Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

TokatTokat

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Bu adrese, lütfenTo this address, please

Emergency

  • All emergencies112
  • Tourism information line170

Embassy

No embassies in Tokat: most countries keep theirs in Ankara, with consulates-general in Istanbul. The US, UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland all have missions in Ankara (check current addresses).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Airport (TKJ) → city centre, taxi: about ₺700 (≈ US$18), 20–25 min (check)
  • Otogar → GOP Bulvarı, taxi: ₺120–200 (≈ US$3–5), 5–10 min
  • Bus Ankara → Tokat: about 6 h via Kırıkkale, Çorum and Amasya

Say or show

  • Merhaba — Hello (mer-hah-BAH)
  • Teşekkür ederim — Thank you (teh-shek-kur eh-deh-rim)
  • Ne kadar? — How much is it? (neh kah-DAR)
  • Hesap, lütfen — The bill, please (heh-SAP loot-fen)
  • Otogar nerede? — Where is the bus station? (oh-toh-GAR NEH-reh-deh)
  • Kartla ödeyebilir miyim? — Can I pay by card? (KART-lah ur-deh-yeh-bee-LEER mee-yim)

Carry small lira notes: many small shops and dolmuşes still prefer cash.

Deep diveWhat this guide covers so far, and its sources

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Tokat. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Jul–Aug (hot, humid), Dec–Feb (cold, snow on the passes) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for TKJ: last flight arrivals, taxi fallback, otogar transfer rung.
  2. Walking cluster map for the centre: GOP Bulvarı, Sulusokak, castle foot, clocktower.
  3. Restoration status page for the castle, Gök Medrese, Hatuniye and Culture House, rechecked each season.
  4. Eat pages for Tokat Kebabı, Zile pekmezi and the GOP Bulvarı eating strip with last orders.

Meanwhile

Back to Türkiye (Turkey)

Sources