Kirikkale makes a surprisingly good hub for day trips through central Anatolia. It sits on the old east-west route between Ankara and the plateau cities, close enough to the capital for a morning visit, and within striking distance of some of Turkey’s most important ancient sites. The province itself offers quiet river valleys and hill towns that most travelers never see. This guide collects the best day trips from Kirikkale, ranked for how easy they are and what they give back, with practical notes on timing and transport.
Ankara: The Capital Next Door
Ankara is the obvious first day trip, and it is also the best value: about eighty kilometers west on a fast road, usually a little over an hour by car or bus. The capital packs enough for a full day, starting with Anıtkabir, the monumental mausoleum of Atatürk, which is as much a national ceremony as a museum.
The Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in the old quarter of Ulus holds the finest collection of prehistoric and Hittite art in the world, and it makes a perfect pairing with any ancient-site itinerary. The old citadel above Ulus and the Roman remains of the city, including the Temple of Augustus, fill out the rest of the day.
The practical note: leave early, because Ankara’s traffic is real. With a dawn start you can see Anıtkabir, the museum, and the citadel comfortably, and be back in Kirikkale in time for dinner.
Hattuşa and Boğazkale: The Hittite Capital
The single greatest day trip from Kirikkale is also the longest: the Hittite capital of Hattuşa, in the province of Çorum, roughly two hundred kilometers north, a drive of close to three hours each way. This is the city where the Hittite empire ruled the ancient Near East, and its ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The site is dramatic: massive stone fortifications, the Lion Gate and the King’s Gate, the underground passage of the postern, and the rock sanctuary of Yazılıkaya with its processions of carved gods. The museum at Boğazkale sets the stones in context with the tablets and artifacts recovered from the site.
Treat it as a long, demanding day. Start at first light, take water and food, and give the site the better part of the afternoon. It is the kind of day that exhausts and enriches in equal measure, and it is the reason many travelers come to this region at all.
Beypazarı: Ottoman Streets and Carrots
Beypazarı, about two and a half hours west by road via the capital, is the prettiest town within range of Kirikkale. Its old quarter of whitewashed Ottoman houses climbs the hillside below the town’s cliffs, and its bazaar lanes are famous for the region’s carrot production, sold as juice, candy, and everything between.
The town’s history as a stop on the old Silk Road trade shows in its hans and its covered market, and the local specialty of stuffed dried vegetables, dolma made with carrots and peppers, is the thing to try at lunch. The view from the hillside above the town takes in the whole valley.
Beypazarı works best in the spring and autumn, when the light is soft and the streets are quiet. Combine it with a drive through the countryside west of Ankara, and you have one of the most pleasant days the region offers.
Kırşehir: The Ahi Capital
Kırşehir, about an hour and a half southeast of Kirikkale, is one of the most underrated small cities of central Anatolia. It was the center of the Ahi brotherhood, the guilds of craftsmen and merchants who organized the medieval Anatolian economy, and the tomb of Ahi Evran, the movement’s founder, stands in the city center.
The city’s jewel is the Cacabey Medrese, a thirteenth-century school built with an observatory tower that makes it one of the most unusual buildings of its age in Turkey. The small museum and the old bazaar complete a compact, walkable day.
Kırşehir also sits in the heart of the country where the tradition of arabaşı soup is strongest, so plan lunch around it. The city is modest, honest, and welcoming, and it gives you a different slice of Turkish history than the monuments to the north.
Çankırı: Salt Caves and an Old Town
To the north, Çankırı is about two hours from Kirikkale and offers one of the strangest attractions in the region: a working rock-salt mine open to visitors, with vast underground chambers carved through layers of crystalline salt. The cave is cool, dramatic, and entirely unlike any other site in the area.
The town itself has a pleasant old quarter with Ottoman houses and a notable clock tower, and its history stretches back to the ancient city of Gangra. The museum holds a small but interesting collection, and the local cuisine has its own character.
Çankırı pairs well with a stop in the countryside north of the province, where the road climbs into the forested hills that mark the edge of the Black Sea region. As a full day it is slightly less rich than the Hittite or Ankara options, but it is genuinely different.
Tuz Gölü: The Great Salt Lake
Turkey’s second-largest lake is a geological spectacle rather than a beach, and it is reachable from Kirikkale in about two hours via the road toward Şereflikoçhisar. In summer the lake largely dries to a blinding white crust of salt, with the horizon dissolving into heat haze.
The practical way to see it is a drive along the shore road, with stops at the salt pans and the simple salt-stall villages where the harvest is piled in white mountains. At sunset the lake turns pink and orange, and the photographers arrive in force.
Tuz Gölü is best combined with a visit to Şereflikoçhisar’s old town on the way back, making a long but rewarding loop. Carry sunglasses, because the glare off the salt is intense, and check the season: the flooded lake of winter is a different, bird-filled landscape.
Keskin and the Hill Country
The closest day trip from Kirikkale is also the easiest: Keskin, the hill town about half an hour south, where the plateau rises toward the wooded highlands. The town’s quiet streets, its teahouses, and the countryside around it give you a gentle day entirely away from the industrial city.
The hills above Keskin are beekeeping and grazing country, and the local honey is among the region’s best. The high pastures are dotted with the simple structures of the yayla, the summer highlands, and the air is noticeably cooler and cleaner than on the plain.
Keskin suits a half day or a slow full day with a picnic. Drive the back roads, follow a shepherd’s track on foot for an hour, and eat a simple lunch of cheese, honey, and bread bought from the village market.
Karakeçili and the Kızılırmak Valleys
The Kızılırmak, Turkey’s longest river, winds through the province west of the city, and the valley towns along it make a pleasant circuit. Karakeçili, about half an hour out, is a small riverside town with a weaving tradition, and its kilims are still made and sold locally.
Farther up the valley, the river narrows between fields and poplar groves, and the district roads pass through villages where life moves at the old pace. The Delice river joins the Kızılırmak downstream, and its reddish waters give the valley a particular color.
The loop from Kirikkale through Karakeçili, along the river, and back through the orchard country takes a relaxed half day. Pack a picnic, walk the riverbank, and you will understand why the locals defend this modest landscape so fiercely.
How to Plan Your Day Trips
The essential fact about day trips from Kirikkale is that a car makes everything possible. Public buses reach Ankara and Kırşehir easily, and the railway serves the line toward Kayseri, but the Hittite sites, the valleys, and the salt lake really need wheels. Rent a car from the capital or the city itself.
Plan one trip per day rather than rushing two. The distances are longer than they look, and the reward of this region is in the unhurried quality of the sites, not the number of stamps on the itinerary. Leave early, carry water, and download your maps in advance, since coverage is patchy beyond the main roads.
Check road conditions in winter, when snow can close the high country without warning, and note that many of the smaller museums close on Mondays. A little advance planning turns these day trips into the highlight of a Kirikkale stay.
Seasons and Timing for Day Trips
Spring and autumn are the golden seasons for the Kirikkale day trips, when the light is clear, the temperatures are kind, and the countryside is at its best. Summer works, but the midday heat argues for dawn starts and long lunches; winter suits Ankara, Kırşehir, and the salt lake less well but rewards the hardy with empty sites.
The Hittite capital and the valleys are at their finest in May and September, while the salt lake is most dramatic in late summer, when the crust is at its thickest. Beypazarı and the hill towns are pleasant from April through October.
Whichever season you choose, the day trips from Kirikkale share one virtue: they are un-crowded. Outside the capital, you will often have entire ancient sites and river valleys to yourself, which is a luxury the better-known regions of Turkey cannot offer.
Frequently asked questions
Which day trip from Kirikkale is the most worthwhile?
If you can manage the distance, Hattuşa and Boğazkale, the Hittite capital, is the single most rewarding day trip: a UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary scale and atmosphere. For an easier day, Ankara with its Anıtkabir and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is the best value for time.
Do I need a car for day trips from Kirikkale?
For most of the best trips, yes. Buses and trains reach Ankara and Kırşehir, but the Hittite sites, the salt lake, the river valleys, and the hill towns are impractical without a car. Renting one from Ankara or Kirikkale itself opens up the whole region.
Can I combine two destinations in one day?
The region’s distances make two full sites in one day a stretch. Keskin and Karakeçili can be combined as a short day, and Tuz Gölü pairs naturally with Şereflikoçhisar, but Hattuşa, Ankara, and Beypazarı each deserve the full day on their own.
All Over Information
The All Over Information editorial team researches and writes practical English-language guides to Turkey. Facts are checked against official and local sources before publication, prices are published as dated ranges rather than quotes, and guides are revised when things change. We accept no sponsored posts, paid placements or paid links.
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