Kars Trip Overview
See the historical city of Kars and the surrounding sites including the ruins of Ani.
Start Day 1 by exploring the Kars Citadel which dates back to the year 1153. Then, visit the Church of the 12 Apostles, a 10th century Armenian church, and a mosque that houses the tomb of Ebu’l Harakani. Sample famous local cuisine and learn about the rich history of the area at the Kars Museum. From there, you’ll head to Fethiye Mosque, whose 19th century origins as a Russian church are still evident. Finish off your day with Kars War Museum, a famous local goose dinner and an exciting Caucus dance show.
Day 2 begins with a morning trip to a nearby village for a fresh farm-to-table breakfast. While you’re there, sample regional cheese and see how it’s made at the village’s cheese museum. Then travel to the frozen Lake Cildir where a picturesque horse-drawn sleigh ride awaits. After lunch, the Armenian city of Ani will be waiting for you to explore.
Additional Info
Duration: 2 days
Starts: Kars, Turkey
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Kars Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Kars, Kars Province, Turkey
See the historical city of Kars and the surrounding sites including the ruins of Ani.
Start Day 1 by exploring the Kars Citadel which dates back to the year 1153. Then, visit the Church of the 12 Apostles, a 10th century Armenian church, and a mosque that houses the tomb of Ebu’l Harakani. Sample famous local cuisine and learn about the rich history of the area at the Kars Museum. From there, you’ll head to Fethiye Mosque, whose 19th century origins as a Russian church are still evident. Finish off your day with Kars War Museum, a famous local goose dinner and an exciting Caucus dance show.
Day 2 begins with a morning trip to a nearby village for a fresh farm-to-table breakfast. While you’re there, sample regional cheese and see how it’s made at the village’s cheese museum. Then travel to the frozen Lake Cildir where a picturesque horse-drawn sleigh ride awaits. After lunch, the Armenian city of Ani will be waiting for you to explore.
Itinerary
Day 1: City of Kars
Stop At: Kars Citadel, Kaleici Mah. Kars Merkez, Kars Merkez, Kars Turkey
See Kars Citadel that dates back to the year 1153. Its dark stones walls will grab your attention from a distance as they dominate the horizon.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Merkez Kümbet Cami, Kaleiçi, 36100 Kars Merkez/Kars, Turkey
The Church of the 12 Apostles, a historical Armenian Church built in the mid 10th century. When the area came under Muslim control in 1064, the church was renamed as ‘Kümbet Mosque’.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kars Museum, Istasyon Mah. Cumhuriyet Cad. No:385 Kars Merkez, Kars Merkez, Kars Turkey
Learn about the rich history of the area at the Kars Museum and then take a tea break amidst historical Russian architecture.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Kars Fethiye Camii, Ortakapi Mahallesi, Kars Turkey
A Russian Orthodox Church which was built for the honor of Russian Prince Alexander Nevski in 1885. It was turned into a mosque in 1985 and was renamed as ‘Fethiye Mosque’. This gorgeous architecture is worth seeing.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Kafkas Cephesi Harp Tarihi Muzesi, Ornek Mahallesi, Azat Ck., Kars Turkey
This is a special museum which reflects Ottoman-Russian war and Caucasian front in both written and oral ways.
Duration: 1 hour
Meals included:
• Lunch
• Dinner: Try the famous local goose dinner, complete with an exciting cultural Caucus dance show!
Accommodation included: Overnight at the historical Katarina Sarayı, a wonderful hotel built during the Russian occupation.
Day 2: The surrounding regions of Kars
Stop At: Boğatepe Cheese Museum, Büyük, 36100 Boğatepe/Kars Merkez/Kars, Turkey
Visit this special museum so that you can see the tools which were used for making cheese, learn about types of cheese (especially the most famous gruyere cheese), taste them and buy them if you like. Also enjoy an organic village breakfast here.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Lake Cildir, Ardahan Damal Yolu, Ardahan Turkey
Lake Cildir has 30 centimeters of ice on it in winter. Enjoy the winter wonderland in a horse drawn sleigh ride over the frozen lake. After this unique experience, you can have a delicious meal that includes fish from the lake.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Ani Antik Kenti, Kars Turkey
See the captivating ruined Armenian city of Ani that is also called The City of 1001 Churches. In its prime, Ani was one of the world’s largest cities, with an estimated population of 100,000. Today, the ruins of Ani are a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Duration: 3 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast: Your day begins with a trip to a nearby village for a fresh farm-to-table breakfast, just as the locals do.
• Lunch: Enjoy a delicious meal that includes fish from Lake Cildir.
• Dinner: Turkish Barbecue
No accommodation included on this day.
