Things to do in Van

Top Things to Do in Van, Türkiye - Van Attractions

Things to Do in Van


Book these experiences for a close-up look at Van.

Top Attractions in Van

These rankings are informed by traveller reviews—we consider the quality, quantity, recency, consistency of reviews, and the number of page views over time.
Points of Interest & Landmarks
1

Learn more about this content
Tours, activities and experiences bookable on Tripadvisor, ranked using exclusive Tripadvisor data including reviews, ratings, photos, popularity, user preferences, price, and bookings made through Tripadvisor.

What travellers are saying

  • shahla36944
    Iran8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    It was very nice place and lovely sea . I and asal my dauter had a good travel in ship . This. Lake is very nice
    Written 5 August 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Aydin
    Tehran, Iran1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I traveled to Van for 3 times and all three times I went to Akdamar island, it is a beautiful place, instead of paying a lot of money for Akdamar tours, you can take bus line 115 to Akdamar pier station, which is the last station, and board the ferry there. .
    Written 23 September 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • rose B
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Van is a very safe place the centre is busy and has many eating places and is good for shopping . The best thing for me was the Castle and museum one of the best I have ever seen. That applies to both.
    Written 4 November 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • worldnomad_01
    Los Angeles, CA1,634 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Holy Cross Church is a beautiful and beautifully preserved/restored Armenian Church, built of pink volcanic tuff and dating from the early 900s. It is located on the small Akdamar Island on Lake Van, relatively close to the city of Van. Frequent boat rides (about 20 minutes) are available from the shore. The church architecture is impressive, the church seems to dominate the small island an a visit here makes for a very pleasant and interesting experience.
    Written 27 October 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Erhan Yildirim
    Türkiye2,396 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    HOSAP CASTLE
    It is located in Hoşap (Güzelsu) on the Van-Hakkari highway in the Gürpınar district of Van. Hoşap is 60 km from Van and 40 km from Gürpınar district center. The castle, which was built on a steep and steep rock mass in the northwest of Hoşap Water, consists of the inner castle and the outer castle to the north. The castle, which dates back to the Urartu State in terms of its past, has survived to the present day as it was built by Mahmudi Beys subject to the Ottoman Empire. The foundation stones of the Hoşap Castle entrance bastion bear the characteristics of Urartu masonry. The medieval fortress of the 17th century has largely destroyed and closed the Urartian ruins. It is certain that the stone blocks on the wall foundations to the north of the entrance bastion belong to the Urartu period in terms of workmanship. It is understood that the entrance to the medieval castle was completely new, but the steps and corridors carved into the bedrock after the gate are again from the Urartu period. The road first follows the Hoşap Cayı Valley. In this case, Hoşap Castle must be under control of one of the important passages on this road. According to the inscription on the entrance gate of the inner castle, it was built by Mahmudi Süleyman Bey in H. 1052 (1643 AD). The outer fortress walls are surrounded by walls encompassing the east, north and west, shaped according to the structure of the land. The eastern walls are partially destroyed, and the western ones are largely destroyed. Some of the bastions supporting the walls have survived, and the east and west gates are completely destroyed. There is a watchtower to the northeast of the outer castle. It contains the ruins of a mosque and village houses today. The inner fortress was built on a steep mass from the south and sloping from the north. Fortified with fortification walls, bastions and towers from the north, east and west, and a second fortification was built to the northeast. The castle is entered through a door opened to the entrance bastion located near the center on the north side. The inscription, blind window and lion reliefs on the west side of the sign, arranged as a crown door, provide a certain dynamism. In addition, the original iron door wings still function. Inside, there are complex structures called Mahmudi Palace. These are listed on the south side of the castle. There is a viewing pavilion at the top and east, the harem just west of it and the selamlik at the far west end. Masjid, dungeon, oven and cistern are other structures of the inner castle. XIX. The castle, which was abandoned in the middle of the century, has come to the present day largely intact with its buildings. For this reason, it is one of the remarkable symbolic structures of the region.
    After the Neolithic period, the Hurri-Mittani Kingdom, Urartians, Medes and Persians dominated Hoşap, for a long time under the control of Vaspurakan, one of the satraps of Armenia, with a semi-independent administration. Conquered by the Seljuk prince Melik Shah in 1064 and in 1100
    In Hoşap, which came under the rule of Ahlatşah dynasty, later Eyyubians, Anatolian Seljuks, Ilkhanit and XIV. Karakoyunlu reigned since the middle of the century. The castle was ruled by mahmudi beys who migrated from cizre or candlestick since the 16th century. They were administered by the ruler of Karakoyunlu, Kara Yusuf. The period of the mahmuds ended with the Tanzimat decree, and it became a town in the province of van.
    Suitable for the four-stage construction of the inner castle, the first level consists of a selamlik, a mosque and a dungeon, the second level is a bathhouse, the third level is the harem, and the fourth level is a viewing pavilion and a bey's bath. At the highest point of the inner castle, a viewing pavilion was established at a point dominating the view. The castle consists of 2 parts as an outer and inner castle.
    There is a mosque in the outer part of the castle. The entrance to the inner castle part is provided from the door inside the bastion in the north direction. Another gate of the inner castle is located in the east part. It is reached by steps carved into the rock. the iron door that provides it has preserved all its glory for centuries.
    At the top of the castle, there is a viewing pavilion where the whole view can be seen. Harem and selamlık sections are the kitchen, dungeon, masjid, bathhouse, bakery ... the other parts of the castle.
    While Mahmudi beys were emigrating from jizre or candlestick, they belonged to the Yazidi belief and accepted the shafi and sunni sect from the 16th century on.
    Written 26 January 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Bruce H
    Antalya, Türkiye191 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Water falls were partly frozen over and made a lovely display. The snow at the site was about 6 inches and care was needed for the visit. The walkway was icy. There was a tea house available with snacks.
    Written 17 February 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Lanni
    Gaziantep, Türkiye5,215 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    From the main road, it looked nothing significant on the top of the hill. Only when the car was parked, we could see the ruins of Çavuştepe. Visually it is quite plain. The complex consists of of upper castle, outer ward, temple areas, old wells, palace building complete with ancient squat toilet. We could also see the Urartian irrigatuin system / semiramis. The caretaker Mehmet Abi keeps a drawing on how Çavuştepe looked like in the past. He is one of approximately 25 remaining people who understand, speak, and write Urartian language.
    Written 28 October 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Evelyn
    Istanbul, Türkiye20 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Getting to the cat house was a bit of an adventure because it's run by a university and off the beaten track somewhat. We enjoyed being able to see the cats and kittens. The special Van cat breed really is worth seeing. The only thing which would have made our visit better is if we could have patted the cats ourselves, rather than having to see the cats through a fence. There was no public transport available outside the cat house, so we walked for about an hour before stumbling upon a dolmuş sign to get a ride back into town.
    Written 4 August 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Robyn D
    89 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Two main shopping streets full of modern shops in this city rebuilt since the earthquake - lots of pleasant parks to sit and drink tea and watch Turkish life - the older part houses things like the cheese market, breakfast shops and everyday life going on as normal in the backstreets - largely Kurdish part of this lovely modern city - well worth a visit.
    Written 19 May 2015
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • IftekharA-Sep2016
    1,571 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Modern part of Van which is always full of people with lots of Iranian tourists making Farsi an integral language of the city. Take a walk and enjoy the bustling street full of people....
    Written 13 December 2019
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions about Van



The most popular things to do in Van with children according to Tripadvisor travellers are:See all kid friendly things to do in Van on Tripadvisor