Ankara Travel Guide

General Information

Transportation from Esenboğa Airport to City Center

Ankara Esenboga International Airport is located at Akyurt, far away from the city center. You can reach the center via bus number 442, by taxi, Havaş, or renting a car. Havaş is the name of the shuttle service which you can use to go to the city center from the airport and vice versa.

Public Transport in Ankara

There are many options for city transportation in Ankara. There are regular minibus and metro services as well as common bus lines for easy access to many important points of the city. Tourists often go to their destination using commercial taxis. However, you can easily reach many parts of the city if you follow the bus and metro services on the internet.

Best Time to Visit Ankara

Ankara has a typical continental climate. It is cold and snowy in the winter, hot and arid in summers. In this case you can visit Ankara whenever you want, keeping in mind that the city is infamous for its cold winters, and summers tend to get very hot around July.

Festivals in Ankara

All the cultural and art festivals, such as movie festivals are held between the end of April and the end of October. Both springs and falls are very beautiful in the city, where you can find an array of activities and lovely weather.  Ankara is also a rich city in terms of festival events. You can shape your trip according to these festivals. Many festivals are organized at different times of the year:

• International Ankara Music Festival (usually in April)
• Büyük Ankara Festival (July)
• Flying Broom (May), International Cartoon Film Festival (April)

Places to Visit in Ankara

Being the capital, there are many places in Ankara that are historical for the country. The museums are great places to get to know the history of the land. You can also check out the popular streets if want to experience the local life.

Anıtkabir

Anıtkabir is the mausolea of the founder of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. There you can find historical aspects of the city, as well as the Turkish War of Independence and the legacy of Atatürk.

Ankara Castle

Ankara Castle is the historical castle that was used by several empires for thousands of years. Do not forget to walk down those narrow streets and to enjoy the astonishing view from the castle. Also, there are a variety of interesting museums around the Castle, waiting to be explored.

The Museum of Turkish War of Independence

The Museum of Turkish War of Independence, which previously served as the First National Parliament of the Republic of Turkey is a must-see in Ankara.

Segmenler Parkı

Segmenler Parkı is the most popular park where you can meet the younger generations of the city, such as university and high-school students, hang out with them and experience how the youngsters live in the city.

Anatolian Civilizations Museum

Anatolian Civilizations Museum is one of the most important museums in Turkey, where you can witness the ancient history of Anatolia, housing a countless number of civilizations throughout the centuries.

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