Turkish mountain villages off the beaten path.
What are some less-touristed mountain villages in Turkey, for travelers seeking beautiful places with fewer crowds? Answer
Options include Şebinkarahisar, a highland town in Giresun Province; Ilicakoey, a small hamlet in Artvin's forested mountain valleys; and Gökçeada district, the world's first Cittaslow-certified island, in the northern Aegean. This page includes more than 20 options. Click here to see which are close enough to be day trips from major cities like Istanbul.
Şebinkarahisar
A highland town in northeastern Turkey's Giresun Province, Şebinkarahisar sits at elevation in the Black Sea region's mountain terrain.
Bolu
A city in northern Turkey on the main corridor between Istanbul and Ankara, Bolu sits at the edge of forested mountains dotted with lakes, ski resorts, and v…
Ilicakoey
This small hamlet in Artvin's densely forested mountain valleys, where scattered houses and compact fields sit amid sweeping conifer slopes close to the Geor…
Yayladağı
A compact Turkish town spread across a green valley floor, ringed by densely forested hills in Hatay's southernmost district, offering a genuine mountain-tow…
Turgutlu
The word "casaba" — the English name for a variety of melon — comes from this city in Turkey's Manisa Province, known historically as Kasamba or Casaba, whic…
Gökçeada district
Gökçeada — also known historically as Imbros — is Turkey's largest island, sitting in the northern Aegean at the entrance to the Gulf of Saros, and holds the…
Cide
A compact Black Sea coast town in Turkey's Kastamonu Province, Cide sits where forested mountains meet the shoreline, offering direct access to both the sea…
Goeynuek
This small coastal town in Antalya Province, Göynük sits directly on a Blue Flag beach with mountain scenery rising behind it.
Euromus
The ruins of Euromus, an ancient Carian city in Muğla Province, sit at the foot of the mountains near Selimiye in western Türkiye.
Maralkoey
Small village in the mountain terrain of Artvin's Borçka District, Maralkoey sits beside the Maral Waterfall and is known for its endemic flora and fauna.
Gümüşhane
Mountain town in Turkey's Eastern Black Sea region, Gümüşhane sits along the Harşit River at high elevation and serves as a base for trekking in the surround…
Çamlıhemşin
This modest town in Rize Province on Turkey's eastern Black Sea coast, Çamlıhemşin is known for its mountains and valleys of dense green, with autumn foliage…
Çamlıyayla district
High in the Taurus Mountains above Mersin, Çamlıyayla is a summer highland district whose lakes, streams, and pine forests draw crowds escaping coastal heat…
Efeler
Tiny highland hamlet in Artvin's Borçka district, Efeler sits on open alpine meadows ringed by dense conifer forest, with scattered timber shelters suggestin…
Gündoğmuş
A compact Turkish town spread across a forested mountain valley in Antalya Province, with orange-roofed houses backed by dramatic limestone ridges and dense…
Armutlu
A pocket-sized town on the eastern shore of the Sea of Marmara, at the northern edge of Gemlik Bay, Armutlu sits where mountain terrain meets the water, with…
Zonguldak
A Black Sea port city in northwestern Türkiye, Zonguldak was founded in 1849 to serve the coal mines of the surrounding region and remains a working industri…
Isparta
Rose oil production defines Isparta, a highland city in Turkey's Lakes District known as the "City of Roses." Set at elevation in western Turkey, it is also…
Manavgat
A city on the Mediterranean coast of Türkiye, midway between Antalya and Alanya, with a walkable centre full of cafés and restaurants and the Manavgat River…
Geldibuldu
This pocket-sized village in Adıyaman's Kâhta District, southeastern Türkiye, sits on an ancient site with Hellenistic and Roman remains — tombs, cemeteries,…
Comana
The ruins of Comana, an ancient city known in classical sources as Comana Chryse — "the golden" — to distinguish it from its namesake in Pontus, lie in the T…
Kemalpaşa
Kemalpaşa, a town in İzmir Province, is known across Türkiye for its cherries — sold under the name Kemalpaşa kirazı — grown in the rural eastern and souther…
Seyitgazi
Seyitgazi, a compact town in Eskişehir Province, takes its name from Battal Gazi, a warrior who fell in battle during the Arab campaigns to spread Islam into…
Darende district
A mountain town in Eastern Anatolia, Darende sits in highland terrain along the route between Sivas and Malatya, making it a natural stopping point for trave…
Babakale
Handmade knife cutlery is the craft tradition that defines this modest village in the Ayvacık district of Çanakkale Province, Turkey, set within easy reach o…
Kofçaz
This modest mountain-terrain village in Kırklareli Province sits in Turkey's northernmost district, bordering Bulgaria, and its name derives from the Pomak l…
Turkish mountain villages: quick answers
Which Turkish mountain villages can you visit on a day trip from Istanbul?
Armutlu is among 1 mountain villages on our day trips from Istanbul.
Where are Turkey's less-touristed mountain villages?
Wandering Well lists 26 mountain villages across Turkey. The most are in Artvin (3), Antalya (3) and Canakkale (2).
Which are the highest-rated?
2 are rated gold, including Gökçeada district and Şebinkarahisar.