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Major city · Türkiye (Turkey)

Sivas

Give Sivas one night for the Seljuk madrasas and the 1919 Congress building, or use it as a rail break between Ankara and eastern Turkey.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
TRY
Best months
May–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Dec–Mar (snow and hard frost); Jul–Aug midday heat
Airport
VAS
Nights
1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
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.

Sivas sits on a high plain 450 km east of Ankara at 1,278 m, and its reason to stop is a tight cluster of 13th-century Seljuk madrasas around Meydan square, plus the building where Atatürk launched the independence struggle in 1919. It is an industrial city and a transport hub: high-speed trains from Ankara take 2 h 30 min, and the same station sends conventional trains on to Divriği, Erzurum and Kars. Most travellers need one night, or a half day between trains.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

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

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

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

  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi across the centre2022 rates were ₺6 flagfall plus ₺11/km; check current.₺40–80 (≈ US$1–2)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week₺300–600 (≈ US$8–15)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry₺20–100 (≈ US$1–3)
  • Budget bedHostel or guesthouse bed, a night, per person₺400 (≈ US$10)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range double room, a night, per room₺1,500 (≈ US$40)
  • High-end bedMid-range double room, a night, per room₺2,500 (≈ US$65)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ₺900 (≈ US$25) · Mid ₺1,600 (≈ US$40) · High ₺3,000 (≈ US$75)

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 →

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.

Seljuk madrasas (Gök, Çifte Minareli, Buruciye, Şifaiye)1919 Congress buildingSivas köfteRail junction for eastern Turkey
Airports
VAS Sivas Nuri Demirağ Airport (Two flights a day from Istanbul IST and SAW, about 90 min; roughly 20 km from the centre, taxi about ₺250 at 2022 rates (check current fare))

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Sivas: 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

1°C

−8°C

12 rd

Feb

3°C

−7°C

12 rd

Mar

9°C

−2°C

13 rd

Apr

15°C

3°C

13 rd

May

20°C

7°C

13 rd

Jun

25°C

10°C

9 rd

Jul

29°C

13°C

4 rd

Aug

30°C

13°C

3 rd

Sep

26°C

9°C

5 rd

Oct

19°C

4°C

8 rd

Nov

11°C

−1°C

10 rd

Dec

4°C

−5°C

12 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

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

Getting around

The centre is small enough to walk: Meydan to the Gök Medrese is about 15 minutes on foot. City buses cover the railway station, the coach station and Cumhuriyet University; taxis are cheap by European standards (2022: ₺6 flagfall plus ₺11/km, so about ₺30 from the railway station and ₺40 from the bus station — check current rates).

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Divriği

overnight

Door to door: About 3 h each way by train

Train from Sivas station toward Erzincan or Kars; bus also runs

The UNESCO-listed Great Mosque and hospital are the reason to go; the round trip eats a full day, so sleep there or accept a long day.

Kangal

skip

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

Bus or car on the Divriği road

Known for the Kangal sheepdog breed rather than a sight; only worth it if you are already driving east.

Soğuk Çermik

caution

Door to door: About 30 min

Car or taxi east on the D200

A small spa by a lake; limited facilities, so check opening before going.

Yıldız Dağı

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Car north of the city

Ski lifts operate in winter only; check snow and lift status.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

Meydan (Cumhuriyet Square) and around

The madrasas, the city museum and most cafés are within a 10-minute walk; best for a one-night stop.

Railway station side (Istasyon Cd)

Walkable to the centre in about 20 min; pick this if you arrive or leave by train with bags.

Highway belt (Çevre Yolu)

Chain hotels with parking, 3 km out; only worth it if you are driving.

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
₺700–1,200 (≈ US$18–30) excl. bed
Mid
₺1,200–2,200 (≈ US$30–55) excl. bed
High
₺2,200 (≈ US$55)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range double room1 × 1 night × ₺1,500₺1,500
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × ₺1,600₺3,200
Hamam entry (Kurşunlu)2 × ₺150₺300
Museum entries, one day2 × ₺100₺200
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ₺400₺800
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge₺600
Trip total≈ ₺3,300 per person per day, bed included₺6,600≈ US$170

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

Prices of common things

Tea (çay) in a café₺15–30 (≈ under US$1)
Sivas köfte plate₺150–250 (≈ US$4–7)
Taxi across the centre2022 rates were ₺6 flagfall plus ₺11/km; check current.₺40–80 (≈ US$1–2)
Museum entry₺20–100 (≈ US$1–3)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week₺300–600 (≈ US$8–15)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Sivas is a conservative inland city and feels safe by day and early evening; the practical risks are winter ice, unlit side streets after dark and long-distance road travel in snow.
  • Winters are bitterly cold and snowy at 1,278 (≈ US$35) m; summer nights can still be chilly, so pack a layer even in July.
  • Some museum and madrasa signage is Turkish only; the City Museum has no English labels.
  • The castle is essentially a hilltop park with scant remains — do not plan a visit around it.
  • Carry small lira notes; card readers fail in small esnaf shops.

Emergency numbers

All emergencies (police, ambulance, fire)
112

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

SivasSivas

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Bu adrese, lütfenTo this address, please

Emergency

  • All emergencies112

Embassy

No embassy in Sivas; the US, UK and most others keep embassies in Ankara and consulates in Istanbul.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Ankara → Sivas, YHT high-speed train: about 2 h 30 min, three departures a day (check fare and times)
  • Sivas station → Meydan, taxi: about ₺30 (≈ under US$1) at 2022 rates (check)
  • Airport → centre, taxi: about ₺250 (≈ US$7) at 2022 rates (check)

Say or show

  • Merhaba — Hello (mer-hah-BAH)
  • Teşekkürler — Thank you (teh-shek-kewr-LER)
  • Ne kadar? — How much is it? (neh kah-DAR)
  • Hesap, lütfen — The bill, please (heh-SAHP, lewt-FEN)
  • İstasyon nerede? — Where is the station? (ees-tas-YON neh-reh-DEH)
  • Domuz eti yemiyorum — I don't eat pork (doh-MOOZ eh-TEE yeh-mee-YOH-room)

Sivas is a conservative city: dress modestly at mosques and during Ramazan, and avoid eating or drinking on the street in daylight during the fast.

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 Sivas. 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: May–Jun, Sep–Oct · avoid Dec–Mar (snow and hard frost); Jul–Aug midday heat · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. An airport-to-bed path that says whether a late landing still works
  2. Walking clusters with bag rules
  3. Day plans checked against opening hours
  4. Field-verified times and fares

Meanwhile

Back to Türkiye (Turkey)

Sources