Day by day
2 Days in Van: Day-by-Day Itinerary
2 days in Van give us 8 sights at an easy pace, about 4 hours a day including getting around. Day 1 starts at Van Fortress; each day stays in one area, so we walk more and wait less.
Day 1
About 3.5 hours with visits and getting aroundOn foot
some prices unconfirmed
Van Museum: closed every Monday. If Day 1 lands on that day, we swap it with Day 2.
1Historic & Cultural
Van Fortress
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.
5 min on foot · 355 m
2Museums
Van Museum
The Van Museum or Urartu Museum is a museum located in the city of Van in eastern Turkey. It showcases on 13,000 m2 a large archaeological and ethnographic record of human life and cultural development in the lake Van region from eastern Anatolia’s Stone Age to the present. The main focus of the museum is on the Urartian period, about 2800-2600 years ago. Of particular interest are the Hakkari kurgan stelae.
Closed every Monday
13 min on foot · 1.0 km
3Historic & Cultural
Eski Van
Eski Van is a historic site located at the southern base of Van Castle. This settlement, which grew around Tushpa, the capital of the Urartu Kingdom, became a fortified city approximately 800 years ago. It was once a bustling center filled with mosques, churches, bath houses, and shops. While visiting Eski Van, you can also explore Van Castle, which is 676 meters away, and Horhor Medresesi, located 158 meters away, on foot.
2 min on foot · 158 m
4Historic & Cultural
Horhor Medresesi
Horhor Madrasah is located on the historical Van Castle, which dates back to the Urartians.
Day 2
About 4.5 hours with visits and getting aroundStops are a short ride apart
some prices unconfirmed
- 1
Historic & Cultural
Surp Marinos Monastery
St. Marinos is a ruined Armenian Orthodox monastery in the Gürpınar district of Van Province of Turkey, to the southeast of Lake Van. Built in the 12th century, it ceased functioning as a monastery after the Armenian genocide in 1915.
About 19 min by road · 9.4 km
2Historic & Cultural
Çavuştepe
Sardurihinilli, also known as Haykaberd or Çavuştepe Kalesi, is an ancient Urartian fortified site located on a ridge on the northeastern edge of the village of Çavuştepe in the Gürpınar district of Van Province in eastern Turkey. It is located approximately 25 kilometers southeast of Van along the road leading to the city of Hakkâri, in a valley once known as Hayots Dzor in historic Armenia. It was founded by the Urartian king Sarduri II some time during his reign in the 8th century BC and is believed to be identical with the fortress of Sardurihurda mentioned in the same king's cuneiform inscriptions.
About 22 min by road · 10.7 km
3Religious Sites
Varagavank
Varagavank was an Armenian monastery on the slopes of Mount Erek, 9 km southeast of the city of Van, in eastern Turkey. The monastery was founded in the early 11th century by Senekerim-Hovhannes Artsruni, the Armenian King of Vaspurakan, on a preexisting religious site. Initially serving as the necropolis of the Artsruni kings, it eventually became the seat of the archbishop of the Armenian Church in Van.
About 60 min by road · 29.7 km
4Historic & Cultural
Dilkaya Mound
Dilkaya Mound is a mound located 24 km southwest of Van city center, just west of Dilkaya Village in Edremit district. It is on the north side of Hoşap Suyu, on the shore of Lake Van.
What the tickets cost
None of the stops on this route has a confirmed ticket price yet.
8 stops have no confirmed price yet, so the real total can be higher.
Prices are for international adults, each checked on a date and linked to its official source on the sight's page. The official site always has the final word.
Good to know
How many days do we need in Van?
For the highlights (Van Fortress, Van Museum, and Eski Van), one full day works. From what we know, Van fills 2 full, different days without repeating a sight.
What should we see first in Van?
We would start with Van Fortress, Van Museum, and Eski Van. They sit close together, so they make a relaxed first day.
Is 2 days in Van enough?
Yes. 2 days cover 8 sights without rushing. With more time, the plan stretches to 2 days.
Can we change this itinerary?
Of course. Tap "Make it yours" and the plan opens in our trip planner: swap stops, change the pace, add a day or pick what we love most.
This plan is built automatically from our places, visit lengths and locations. Opening hours change, so a quick check before we set off is always a good idea.