Out for the day
Day Trips from Ağrı: 8 Places Worth the Ride
The best day trips from Ağrı are Van Fortress, Cathedral of Ani, and Oshki. They are 123 to 226 km away: out after breakfast, back in time for dinner.
1Historic & Cultural · Van
Van Fortress
172 km away · about 2.5 hours each way
The Fortress of Van is a massive stone fortification built by the ancient kingdom of Urartu during the 9th to 7th centuries BC, and is the largest example of its kind. It overlooks the ruins of Tushpa, the ancient Urartian capital during the 9th century, which was centered upon the steep-sided bluff where the fortress now sits. A number of similar fortifications were built throughout the Urartian kingdom, usually cut into hillsides and outcrops in places where modern-day Armenia, Turkey and Iran meet.
2Historic & Cultural · Kars
Cathedral of Ani
123 km away · about 2 hours each way
The Cathedral of Ani is the largest standing building in Ani, the capital city of medieval Bagratid Armenia, located in present-day eastern Turkey, on the border with modern Armenia. Its construction was completed in the early 11th century by the architect Trdat and it was the seat of the Catholicos, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church, for nearly half a century. In 1064, following the Seljuk conquest of Ani, the cathedral was converted into a mosque.
3Religious Sites · Erzurum
Oshki
203 km away · about 3 hours each way
Oshki is a Georgian Eastern Orthodox monastery from the second half of the 10th century located in the historic province of Tao, now part of the territory of Turkey. The main church, dedicated to St John the Baptist, was built between 963 and 973. The monastery is located in the village of Çamlıyamaç, in northeastern Erzurum Province, bordering Artvin Province.
Also thereKhakhuli Monastery
4Historic & Cultural · Erzurum
Çifte Minareli Madrasa
191 km away · about 2.5 hours each way
Twin Minaret Medrese is an architectural monument of the late Seljuk period in Erzurum City, Erzurum Province, Turkey. Built as a theological school a few years before 1265, it takes its name, Twin Minaret Madrasa, from the two fluted minarets that crown the monumental façade.
Also thereYakutiye Medrese
5Historic & Cultural · Muş
Saint Karapet Monastery, Muş
226 km away · about 3 hours each way
Surb Karapet Monastery of Mush was an Armenian Apostolic monastery in the historic province of Taron, about 30 km northwest of Mush, in present-day eastern Turkey. Surb Karapet translates to "Holy Precursor" and refers to John the Baptist, whose remains are believed to have been stored at the site by Gregory the Illuminator in the early fourth century. The monastery subsequently served as a stronghold of the Mamikonians—the princely house of Taron, who claimed to be the holy warriors of John the Baptist, their patron saint.
6Historic & Cultural · Kars
Castle of Kars
124 km away · about 2 hours each way
The Castle of Kars is a former fortification located in Kars, Turkey. It is also known under the name İç Kale.
Also thereKars Museum
7Historic & Cultural · Van
Ktuts monastery
154 km away · about 2 hours each way
Ktuts monastery is an abandoned 15th century Armenian monastery on the small island of Ktuts in Lake Van, Vaspurakan which fell into ruins after the Armenian genocide beginning in 1915. According to tradition, the monastery was founded in the 4th century by Saint Gregory the Illuminator, after his return from Rome. It contained a hand of John the Baptist, which was kept in a reliquary now held at the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
8Historic & Cultural
Durupınar site
133 km away · about 2 hours each way
The Durupınar site is a geological formation of 164 metres made of limonite on Mount Tendürek, adjacent to the village of Üzengili in eastern Anatolia or Turkey. The site is 3 kilometres north of the Iranian border, 16 kilometres southeast of Doğubayazıt in the Ağrı Province, and 29 km south of the Greater Mount Ararat summit, at an elevation of 1,966 to 2,004 m above sea level. The size and shape of the formation led to its promotion by some believers as the petrified ruins of the original Noah's Ark.
Good to know
What is the best day trip from Ağrı?
Van Fortress is the best-known: 172 km away · about 2.5 hours each way.
What is the closest day trip from Ağrı?
Cathedral of Ani: 123 km away · about 2 hours each way.
Do we need a tour for day trips from Ağrı?
Not necessarily. Most of these places can be reached on our own by bus, train or car; a guided tour simply saves the planning.
Distances and times are road estimates from coordinates; actual travel time depends on traffic and the way we travel.