Things to do & places to visit in Van Province, Turkiye

Van Province #22 destination in Turkiye 2023. The average rating score is 4.42 based on 1.698 traveler reviews, of 37 attractions. Timezone: Europe/Istanbul, current date and time: Friday, May 10, 2024, 12:37.

Van Province Weather Statistics view more »

Top things to do (24)

• Shopping Malls
• Bodies of Water
• Farms
• Ancient Ruins
• Churches & Cathedrals
• Art Galleries
• Islands
• Points of Interest & Landmarks
• Nature & Wildlife Areas
• Rides & Activities
• Castles
• Hiking Trails
• Historic Sites
• Geologic Formations
• Bridges
• Religious Sites
• Theaters
• Dams
• Scuba & Snorkelling
• Parks
• Piers & Boardwalks
• Waterfalls
• Gardens
• History Museums

Top destinations in Van Province 6

• Van
• Catak
• Ercis
• Saray
• Edremit
• Baskale

Top places to visit (30 attractions) view more »

1. 5.0 Tushpa (5 reviews)
   - remaining of great ancient city
   Historic Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks
   Tushpa (in turkish: Tuşpa) ancient city is beside Van Castle in Van, turkey. this nice ancient enclosure is remaining of Tushpa ancient city. Tushpa was the 9th-century BC capital of Urartu, later becoming known as Van which is derived from Biaina the native name of Urartu. The ancient ruins are located just west of Van and east of Lake Van. Archaeological excavations and surveys carried out in the Van Province indicate that the history of human settlement in this region dates back at least as far as 5000 BC. The Tilkitepe Mound located along the shores of Lake Van and a few killometres to the south of the citadel of Van, is the only the known source of information about the oldest cultures of Van predating the founding of Tushpa. you can go Tushpa by the way of Van castle. it's near the castle. you can visit Tushpa and castle and Inscription of Xerxes the Great together. See more..
   
2. 5.0 Vanadokya Peri Bacalari (3 reviews)
   - vanadokya
   Geologic Formations
   
   
   süper bır yer vanadokya vanın Başkale ilçesine bağlı Yavuzlar köyüne bağlıdır bütün gergin arkadaslara tavsiye ederim saygilarimla. See more..
   
3. 5.0 Atayurt (2 reviews)
   Points of Interest & Landmarks • Rides & Activities
   
   
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4. 5.0 Edremit Kilisesi (1 review)
   Spent < 1 hour Churches & Cathedrals
   
   
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5. 5.0 St. Bartholomeus Kilisesi (1 review)
   - Manastır
   Churches & Cathedrals
   
   
   Hazret-i İsa'nın havarilerinden Bartalmay'ın mezarının bulunduğuna inanılıyor.1700 yıllık kilise, Zap vadisine tepeden bakıyor. Ulu duvarları var. Ermeni kilisesi.Tepede pek ulu gözüküyor. See more..
   
6. 5.0 Başkale Travertenleri (1 review)
   - Olağanüstü
   Spent 2-3 hours Hiking Trails
   
   
   Van'ın Başkale ilçesine yakın bir yerde ,Dereiçi mahallesini geçince, Denizli'nin Pamukkale'sine benzer ama ondan daha bakir oluşumları gezdik. Hakkâri'den Van'a dönerken soldaki bir sapaktan giriliyor. Yanlış bir tabela var. Traverten ve Peri bacalarını aynı yerde gösteriyor. Oysa öyle değil. Yol son derece zor. Travertenlere varabilmek için ise yoldan aşağıya doğru inmeniz gerekiyor. İnerken iyi de çıkarken inanılmaz zor. Ama buna fazlasıyla değer. Gördüğüm manzara muhteşem. Fazla keşfedilmediği için inanılmaz bir kalabalık yok. Tüm seyyahlar burayı görmeli.
   Ağustos 2022 See more..
   
7. 5.0 Deniz Feneri Meydanı (1 review)
   - Yeşilçam
   Parks
   
   
   Erciş küçük, Van Gölü kenarında şirin bir ilçe. Sahil ,yürüyüş yolu çok güzel yapılmış. Sonunda Deniz Feneri Meydanına geldiğinizde Meydan Yeşilçam artistlerinin duvar resimleriyle süslenmiş. Onların önemli replikleri yazılmış. Bence muhteşem olmuş. Rengarenk bir alan. Görülmeli See more..
   
8. 5.0 Zernek Baraj Gölü (1 review)
   Dams
   
   
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9. 5.0 Gülistan Bahçesi (1 review)
   Spent < 1 hour Gardens
   
   
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10. 5.0 Hüsrev Paşa Camii (1 review)
    Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites
    
    
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11. 5.0 Kaya Çelebi Camii (1 review)
    - Orta Kapı Mahallesi
    Spent < 1 hour Historic Sites
    
    
    17.yüzyılda yapılmış, Van kalesinin altındaki düzlükte yer alıyor. Tek şerefesi bulunuyor. Kapı ve pencere süslemeleri ve ince mimarisi ile göze çarpıyor. Güneşin batışında bir hayli güzel. Çok etkilendim. Kalenin arka yüzünde. Gezmelisiniz. See more..
    
12. 5.0 Şeytan Köprüsü (1 review)
    Spent < 1 hour Bridges
    
    
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13. 5.0 İpekyolu Atatürk Sanat Galerisi (1 review)
    - Aniden
    Spent 2-3 hours Art Galleries
    
    
    Van'ın Cumhuriyet caddesinde aniden karşınıza çıkan, çok güzel bir park ve sanat galerisi. Heykeller harika. Banklar bile notaları simgeliyor. Geceleri güzel gösteriler oluyormuş. Van'ın kültürel yaşamına katkıda bulunuyor. See more..
    
14. 4.5 Akdamar Island (382 reviews)
    - A beautiful island in Lake Van with an historic church from an old Armenian kingdom
    Islands
    
    
    This island located in the salty Lake Van is home to the Church of the Holy Cross and some Armenian monastery ruins. See more..
    
15. 4.5 Lake Van (289 reviews)
    - Wonderful ferry ride from Tatvan to Van
    Bodies of Water
    
    
    The largest body of water in Turkey, this triangular shaped lake contains salt water that is unsuitable for drinking or irrigation. The only life form that can survive in the water is a species of freshwater fish called darekh that has adapted to live in a saline environment. See more..
    
16. 4.5 Van Castle (Van Kalesi) (251 reviews)
    - An impressive fortification on an imposing hill that dates back to the Urartian period.
    Castles
    
    
    The high hill rises from the plain and is topped by the remnants of later fortresses. It was once the capital of Urartu and known as Tushpa, but every civilisation that has held this place has had some level of fortification here. The top has many steep cliffs and few barricades so be careful and cautious, particularly if you have a fear of heights. The entrance is on the western edge of the site, but a lot of people hop the fence to get in, as the entrance is quite far from the museum. See more..
    
17. 4.5 Holy Cross Church (196 reviews)
    - Go back to another time by visiting this island and church
    Churches & Cathedrals
    
    
    Located on the Akdamar Island in Lake Van, this Cathedral is significant because it is the only surviving medieval Armenian church in which most of the wall paintings are still intact. See more..
    
18. 4.5 Muradiye Selalesi (107 reviews)
    - Beautiful
    Waterfalls
    
    
    Not the Niagara Falls but I enjoyed Muradiye Salalesi more! Firstly they are pretty spectacular water falls for this part of the world. We live in Cyprus. Secondly it has a lovely atmosphere with local people just enjoying being outside or sipping a glass of tea. High light was an old lady from Istanbul with mountain goat skills climbing up the wet rocks in a pair of flip flops with her beautifully dressed daughter looking on. The nearby town of Muradiye is also worth a visit and a stay. The people are so welcoming. Even a hoca and an old man not to mention younger boys wanted to take photos with us. As a taxindriver put it using Google translate " We like people". See more..
    
19. 4.5 Hosap Castle (Hosap Kalesi) (77 reviews)
    - east gate guard
    Castles
    
    
    an amazing castle built to the highest, just like an eagle's nest. The remaining traces of the castle were founded by the Urartians; Byzantium, Vaspurakan, Abbasid, Seljuk, Ilhanli, Karakoyunlu, Akkoyunlu, and Safavid It was used during the periods; The last form of the Ottoman state, the Mahmudi made by Sarı Süleyman in the tribal lords See more..
    
20. 4.5 Ancient Urartian site of Cavustepe (Sardurihinilli) (59 reviews)
    - Meeting the Last Urartian
    Ancient Ruins
    
    
    It was amazing to visit this site and meet and talk with a person who learned Urartu language while guiding the site. He reads and writes cuneiform. He told us about the history of the site and read from the cuneifor script on the rocks. The place has beautiful scenery which you can admire while listening to him. See more..
    
21. 4.5 Old Van (16 reviews)
    - Old Kurdish part of the city is in backstreets
    Points of Interest & Landmarks
    
    
    Two main shopping streets full of modern shops in this city rebuilt since the earthquake - lots of pleasant parks to sit and drink tea and watch Turkish life - the older part houses things like the cheese market, breakfast shops and everyday life going on as normal in the backstreets - largely Kurdish part of this lovely modern city - well worth a visit. See more..
    
22. 4.5 Ulu Cami (15 reviews)
    - Beautiful mosque
    Religious Sites
    
    
    The mosque is a beautiful building that is easy to access.Seeing the mosque helps you to become familiar with the culture of the people of the region. See more..
    
23. 4.5 Van Museum (11 reviews)
    - This is quite a new museum, focusing heavily on the Urartu period, and very informative.
    Friday: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM History Museums
    
    
    The museum holds artefacts and copies of artefacts from the region. It starts in the Stone Age, before focusing primarily on the Urartian period, about 2800-2600 years ago. The layout is well done and the text is in Turkish and English. There are a lot of artefacts from later times also, but it is the place to go for a museum on Urartu. See more..
    
24. 4.5 Karmravank Armenian Monastery (3 reviews)
    - Beautiful church at the edge of Van. Off the tourism trail but easily accessible and well worth it
    Spent 2-3 hours Historic Sites • Religious Sites
    
    
    This is a beautiful 11th century Armenian monastery at the edge of Van, one of the many secretly hidden around the lake. The difference with this one is that it's rather easily accessible and well worth it. If you are going by yourself, enter the village of Gorundu and keep right. The road will wind around the edge of the lake. After the 2nd curve, you will see a flat plain with some sort of structure on the left. There are two earth paths where cars can enter into the valley. Skip the first and go to the second. Take a left and head up the path. Make sure you have a good car like a 4 wheel drive. Eventually the road will end and you can start hiking from here. The monastery is slightly hidden from the lake and camouflaged. But as you start to see a small oasis of trees, which bloom beautifully during spring, you will start seeing the church. The hike is relatively easy though long. Give yourself at least an hour to reach the church. Once there, it is breathtaking. Just the view of Van and the stillness of the surrounding is worth the hike. The smell of herbs are all around and sometimes you will see sheep herders in the distance with massive flocks. Don't feel uncomfortable due to the isolation. They are used to people hiking this trail. The church itself is very beautiful. It is nevertheless barely standing. Grave robbers and poor maintenance have weakened the structure. It its therefore in not the best of shapes. See more..
    
25. 4.0 House of Van Cats (140 reviews)
    - Van kedisi
    Farms
    
    
    We are a real cat lover family. We have four tabbies ourself. We loved the visit at van kedisi evi. The cats are so playful and close to human. I just need to say: I was told everything is quite new there so I hope in a few year time or earlier they will do some improvements in the facility. I don’t think cats claw like tiles. The smell of cat litter was also a little strong. See more..
    
26. 4.0 Cumhuriyet Caddesi (38 reviews)
    - Shopping street
    Spent 1-2 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks
    
    
    Lively main street in Van mainly for shopping targeting local people and mostly Iranian tourists with at least three languages spoken. Exploring the "back street" of Cumhuriyet Caddesi, there is a cheese market whose shops sell delicious yummy local cheese with spices / Van otlu peynir. See more..
    
27. 4.0 Van AVM (30 reviews)
    - Our visit
    Spent More than 3 hours Shopping Malls
    
    
    This trade center is so good for us.. That is grand complex. It has bowling foodcurt shopping &,,,, We are like it for food and shop. See more..
    
28. 4.0 Van Iskelesi (17 reviews)
    - Variety and fun.
    Spent 1-2 hours Points of Interest & Landmarks • Piers & Boardwalks
    
    
    My review has just been posted in the Lake Van section, along with some photos. The range of activities helps pass the time if waiting for a ferry. See more..
    
29. 4.0 Ercis Balik Bendi (11 reviews)
    - A unique experience…
    Nature & Wildlife Areas
    
    
    A unique experience you can have near the Van lake. In the months of May and June each year you will see millions of kefal (gray mullet) swimming and jumping upward the river facing the flow for laying eggs… A lifetime experience… See more..
    
30. 4.0 Rock of Van (7 reviews)
    - Van Kalesi and the Rock of Van
    Historic Sites • Ancient Ruins
    
    
    Ruins are all that remain of this striking fortress towering over Lake Van. Along the ruined walls can be seen cuneiform inscriptions dating from the Kingdom of Urartu. See more..