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Major city · 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.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
TRY
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
avoid Jul–Aug (hot, dry), Dec–Feb (cold, snow on the plateau)
Airports
NAV · ASR · ESB
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.

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.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Aksaray, 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.

  • CoffeeTurkish coffee or tea₺40–90 (≈ US$1–3)
  • Street or quick mealSoup or döner plate₺150–300 (≈ US$4–8)
  • BeerBeer in a café or birahane₺120–200 (≈ US$3–5)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week₺300–600 (≈ US$8–15)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry (Aksaray Museum, Science Museum)Free
  • Budget bedHostel or basic pension bed, a night, per person₺400 (≈ US$10)
  • Mid-range bedMid-range hotel double room, a night, per room₺1,800 (≈ US$45)
  • High-end bedMid-range hotel double room, a night, per room₺3,500 (≈ US$90)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget ₺900 (≈ US$25) · Mid ₺1,800 (≈ US$45) · High ₺3,500 (≈ US$90)

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 and Karamanid mosques and medresesGateway to Ihlara Valley and GüzelyurtSultan Han caravanseraiTuz Gölü salt lake
Airports
NAV Nevşehir Kapadokya Airport (About 75 km east; limited flights, mostly domestic) · ASR Kayseri Erkilet Airport (About 140 km 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 simpler)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Aksaray: 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

5°C

−4°C

10 rd

Feb

7°C

−3°C

10 rd

Mar

12°C

0°C

10 rd

Apr

18°C

5°C

10 rd

May

23°C

9°C

9 rd

Jun

28°C

13°C

5 rd

Jul

32°C

16°C

2 rd

Aug

32°C

16°C

1 rd

Sep

28°C

11°C

3 rd

Oct

21°C

6°C

6 rd

Nov

13°C

1°C

8 rd

Dec

7°C

−2°C

10 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 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 & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time
Ihlara Valleygo

Door to door: About 1 h

Dolmuş toward Güzelyurt, then walk down into the valley; or drive 40 km southeast

The main reason to base here: a green gorge with rock-cut churches. Start early, the walk is exposed.

Güzelyurt

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Dolmuş from the Tuesday Market stand, roughly hourly on weekdays

Stone village with a monastery valley; pairs well with Ihlara in one day by car.

Sultan Han

go

Door to door: About 45 min

Drive or bus west on D300, 40 km

One of the finest Seljuk caravanserais, on the old Silk Road. Open daily 08:00–18:00, small entry fee.

Tuz Gölü (salt lake)

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Drive north on D750 to the Altuğlar junction

White salt desert in late summer, shallow mirror water in early summer. No shade, no facilities.

Göreme and Cappadociaovernight

Door to door: 1–1.5 h

Bus or car east via Nevşehir

Aksaray is a base for the western valleys, not a day trip to the balloon sites.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

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

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.

Güzelyurt (30 km southeast)

Village guesthouses in stone houses, closer to Ihlara; quieter and greener than the city.

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
₺900–1,600 (≈ US$25–40) excl. bed
Mid
₺1,600–3,000 (≈ US$40–75) excl. bed
High
₺3,000 (≈ US$75)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Mid-range hotel double room1 × 1 night × ₺1,800₺1,800
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × ₺1,800₺3,600
Dolmuş, Aksaray centre to Güzelyurt, one way2 × ₺120₺240
Car hire, one day, small car1 × ₺1,800₺1,800
eSIM, about a week of data2 × ₺400₺800
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge₺824
Trip total≈ ₺4,532 per person per day, bed included₺9,064≈ US$250

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

Prices of common things

Turkish coffee or tea₺40–90 (≈ US$1–3)
Soup or döner plate₺150–300 (≈ US$4–8)
Künefe dessert₺120–220 (≈ US$3–6)
Beer in a café or birahane₺120–200 (≈ US$3–5)
Dolmuş ride in the city₺25–40 (≈ under US$1)
Museum entry (Aksaray Museum, Science Museum)Free
eSIM or data SIM, about a week₺300–600 (≈ US$8–15)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

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.
  • 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.

Emergency numbers

All emergencies (police, fire, ambulance)
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.

AksarayAksaray

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Bu adrese, lütfenTo this address, please

Emergency

  • All emergencies (police, fire, ambulance)112

Embassy

No embassies in Aksaray; most are in Ankara, with consulates-general in Istanbul and Izmir. US citizens: Ankara embassy.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Dolmuş, Aksaray centre to Güzelyurt: about ₺120 (≈ US$3), roughly 45 min
  • Taxi, otogar to city centre: ₺150–250 (≈ US$4–7)
  • Bus, Aksaray to Nevşehir or Göreme: ₺200–350 (≈ US$5–9), 1–1.5 h

Say or show

  • Merhaba — Hello (mer-hah-BAH)
  • Teşekkür ederim — Thank you (teh-shek-KEWR eh-deh-REEM)
  • Ne kadar? — How much is it? (neh kah-DAR)
  • Dolmuş durağı nerede? — Where is the dolmuş stop? (dol-MOOSH doo-rah-uh NEH-reh-deh)
  • Kartla ödeyebilir miyim? — Can I pay by card? (KART-lah ur-deh-yeh-bee-LEER mee-yeem)
  • Hesap, lütfen — The bill, please (heh-SAHP LEWT-fen)

Carry small lira notes for dolmuş, tea houses and market stalls.

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 Aksaray. 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, dry), Dec–Feb (cold, snow on the plateau) · month by month →
  2. 3 airports and 3 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 contracts for NAV, ASR and ESB with last-bus cutoffs and taxi fallbacks.
  2. Walking cluster for the centre: Grand Mosque, Zinciriye Medrese, Eğri Minare, Yusuf Hakiki Baba Complex.
  3. Dolmuş timetable fixtures for Güzelyurt and Ihlara, weekday and Sunday, so day-trip gates can go green.
  4. Car-rental and fuel-cost rungs for the Sultan Han, Tuz Gölü and Hasan Dağı loops.

Meanwhile

Back to Türkiye (Turkey)

Sources