Turkey top national parks — 10 must-visit & best national parks in Turkey

December 20, 2023

Turkey, famous for its spectacular landmarks such as the Blue Mosque, Taksim Square, Cappadocia with stunning hot air balloons or Cotton Castle of Pamukkale and the Bosphorus Bridge… also boasts vast and breathtaking national parks. These parks with their wealth of wildlife and diverse flora will captivate visitors, especially nature lovers and photographers. Now, let’s check out our top rated 10 top, must-visit and best national parks in Turkey as follows!

Köprülü Canyon National Park, Antalya | best national parks in turkey

Turkey own many spectacular national parks | best national parks in turkey

Here is a guide to 10 must-visit national parks in Türkiye.

Aladağlar National Park (# best national parks in turkey)

A paradise for trekking | best national parks in turkey

Is one of the best national parks in Turkey, Aladağlar National Park was established in 1995. Located 30km from Yahyali, it is part of Southern Turkey and spreads over 55,000 hectares.

Aladağlar locally means crimson mountain and refers to the red color of the Taurus Mountains in the background. Featured with red pine, black pine and fir, this park is home to wild boar, Capra ibex and wolves.

Stretching from Kayseri province to Adana province, this place is a backpacker’s paradise and famous for mountain climbing, hiking, camping and salmon fishing.

Location: 51660 Demirkazık Köyü/Çamardı/Niğde, Türkiye
Opening hours: 24 hours
Tickets: Admission is free
Best time to visit: February to April and October to December
How to reach: Located next to the main highway from Nigde to Kayseri, easily accessible by car from Yahyali.

Köprülü Canyon National Park

Stunning scenery | best national parks in turkey

Köprülü Canyon National Park is a vast biological reserve with impressive scenery of
Köprülü Canyon. Established in 1973, this wilderness is located on the turquoise Koprucay River, surrounded by canyons on both sides.

Great fun rafting in Koprulu | best national parks in turkey

As one of the most famous and best national parks in Turkey, this place dazzles everyone with its rustic appearance, especially with the Oluk Bridge on the Koprucay River. In addition to oak, pine and fir trees, Köprülü Canyon National Park is also known as the largest cypress forest of Asia Minor.

Camping and trekking are popular activities here but one can also enjoy thrilling river rafting. | best national parks in turkey

Location: Bozyaka Mahallesi, 07550 Manavgat/Antalya, Türkiye
Opening hours: Day and night
Tickets: Admission is free
Best time to visit: Spring; from March to May
How to get there: 40 km from Antalya, accessible by car.

Beyşehir Lake National Park

Witness the breathtaking beauty of the lake. credit @gzt | best national parks in turkey

With 140 plant varieties and more than 16 species of freshwater fish and many bird species, Beyşehir Lake National Park proudly holds its place in the list of Turkish National Parks.

Perfectly located on Türkiye’s largest freshwater lake, Beyşehir Lake, this wetland consists of juniper, cedar, oak, walnut and fern trees and this dense layer of forest adds to the charm of the place.

Famous for its mountain biking, Beyşehir Lake National Park is on the wish list of all nature lovers, photographers and adventure enthusiasts.

Location: Karadiken Mahallesi, Beyşehir Derebucak Yenişarbademli Yolu, 42700 Beyşehir/Konya, Türkiye
Opening hours: All day
Tickets: Admission is free
Best time to visit Beyşehir Lake National Park: May to October
How to get to Beyşehir Lake National Park: The highway connecting Konya and Isparta passes through the national park.

Mount Nemrut National Park (# best national parks in turkey)

Nemrut Dağı National Park is unique, beautiful and surreal. Unlike other national parks in Turkey, Nemrut Dağı National Park is known for its isolated gravel-covered mountain and countless statues staring cruelly at the foothills, dating back to from the 1st century BC.
Located at an altitude of 2106 m, people climb to the top of Nemrut Dağı to enjoy the breathtaking views.

Location: Nevşehir Merkez/Nevşehir, Türkiye
Opening hours: All day
Tickets: Admission is free
Best time to visit Mount Nemrut National Park: Spring and autumn
How to get to Mount Nemrut National Park: Easily accessible by car from Nevşehir.

Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia

One of the famous and unmissable places in Cappadocia, Türkiye is Göreme National Park. Among all the other national parks that Türkiye has, this one definitely stands out.

Recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, Göreme National Park has diverse landscapes and historical structures.

From cave dwellings, rock-cut chapels, cathedrals and fairy chimneys to underground cities and volcanic rock formations; Göreme National Park has everything that will amaze you.

If you plan to go hot air ballooning in Cappadocia, you can enjoy amazing views of Göreme National Park.

Location: Goreme, Türkiye
Opening hours: All day
Tickets: About $73.95/person
Best time to visit Göreme National Park: April to May and September to October.
How to get to Göreme National Park: You can walk about 20 minutes from Cappadocia city center to the national park.

cappadocia travel blog turkey 2 — Houses in the rocks.

Beydağları Coastal National Park

With the Tauras Mountains in the background and a few limestone boulders and serpentine rocks, scattered here and there, Beydağları Coastal National Park is another name in the group of Turkey’s Best National Parks.

Surrounded by pine, cedar and oak trees, this area was the favorite habitat of the ancient tribes of Olympos, Phaselis and Idyros. Tahtalı Dağı is the highest mountain here and the Yanartaş gas field, located at the foot of the hill, adds to the charm of the place.

Enjoying a coastal location, the place is dominated by the marine animals of the Mediterranean ecosystem and the park has a number of spectacular beaches ideal for adventure sports and day picnics.

Location: Arslanbucak Mahallesi, 07980 Kemer/Antalya, Türkiye
Opening hours: 8am to 7pm
Tickets: Admission is free
Best time to visit Beydağları Coastal National Park: Spring and autumn, meaning March to May and September to November.
How to get to Beydağları Coastal National Park: Take a public bus or hire a private taxi from Antalya and drive for 45 minutes to reach Beydağları Coastal National Park.

Kazdağı Mount Ida National Park

Located in Balikesir province, Kazdagi national park is surrounded by the Edremit Gulf on the northern coast of the Aegean Sea.

Formerly known as Mount Ida, Mount Kazdagi was established in 1994 and is the highest mountain in the region, home to 68 rare and endemic plant species as well as a rich variety of wildlife such as Wild boar, wolf, deer, fox and badger.

Although the place offers many exciting activities such as trekking, mountain biking, horseback riding, jeep safaris and swimming, the amazing forest trails, hot springs, the serenity of nature and the stunning views of Edremit Bay, make it one of the favorite places to visit.

Location: Edremit, Balikesir, Türkiye
Opening hours: All day
Tickets: Admission is free
Best time to visit Mount Ida National Park: May to September
How to get to Mount Ida National Park: You can reach the national park via National Highway 230 from Balikesir (92 km) and National Highway 24 from Bursa.

Altinbesik Cave National Park

If caving appeals to you, head to Altinbesik Cave National Park in Türkiye. Part of the Taurus Mountains, these partially active limestone caves on the Altinbesik Hills add to the beauty of this national park in Türkiye.

One can explore the natural beauty of the vast wilderness while canoeing on the Manavgat River that flows along its banks.

Location: Ibradı/Antalya, Türkiye
Opening hours: 9am to 6pm
Ticket: $0.8/person
Best time to visit Altinbesik Cave National Park: Summer months; from June to September.
How to reach Altinbesik Caves National Park: You can reach Altinbesik Caves National Park by walking one hour from Urunlu to Altinbesik Caves, via the Antalya – Ibradi – Urunlu route.

Kackar Mountains National Park

Located at an altitude of 3972 m, overlooking the Black Sea. This is Türkiye’s humid rain forest with rich flora and alpine meadows. Bordering the Firtina River and the Hemsin River, this place is also home to many wild animals.

One can explore this place and spot wild animals like jackals, marten, wild boar, deer, weasels, weasels, hares, raptors, songbirds and wild roosters or hornets passionate about camping, hiking and heli-skiing.

Location: Alparslan Türkeş Cd., 06560 Rize, Türkiye
Opening hours: 24 hours
Tickets: $49 per person
Best time to visit Kackar Mountains National Park: From July to September.
How to reach Kackar Mountains National Park: You can reach the park from Rize, Trabzon and Artvin.

Yedigöller National Park

Adorned by seven beautiful lakes, Buyukgol, Deringol, Seringol, Nazligol, Sazligol, Incegol and Kucukgol, formed by avalanches, Yedigöller National Park is one of the most beautiful national parks in Turkey.

Consisting of pines, oaks and mehoganies, the true beauty of the park reflects the changing colors of the vegetation with different seasons. People enjoy nature trails, fishing and camping here.

Location: 14030 Yedigöller/Bolu Merkez/Bolu, Türkiye
Opening hours: All day
Tickets: Admission is free
Best time to visit Yedigöller National Park: Spring and fall. March to April and September to November.
How to get to Yedigöller National Park: The national park is 42 km from Bolu and can be reached via Yenicaga road, 152 km from the Ankara – Istanbul highway.

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