Mount Ararat Expedition (5165 m.)
Van, Turkey
8 days 5.0 · 2 reviews EN
244508P5
Private tour Non-refundable Mobile ticket Hotel pickup
Photos 8
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Tour route
6 stops
~558 km
6 days
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Route drawn automatically from the supplier's itinerary; lines are straight-line estimates, the actual road may differ.
Overview
MOUNT ARARAT EXPEDITION
8 days – 7 night trekking and climbing. The southern route spreads the climb over three days up and one day down, using two campsites at 3200m and 4200 meters, and mules to carry supplies to the first camp. It starts from Eliköyü, an abandoned village in the foothills and sticks to a ridge for much of the way, thus avoiding the Ulker glacier which careers down the face into deep and jumbled gorges below. The path, though rocky, is clearly marked. Above 5000m are permanent ice fields, so crampons, ice axes and ropes are required. The summit is reached via a long ridge and is no more than a rounded hump marked by cairns
8 days – 7 night trekking and climbing. The southern route spreads the climb over three days up and one day down, using two campsites at 3200m and 4200 meters, and mules to carry supplies to the first camp. It starts from Eliköyü, an abandoned village in the foothills and sticks to a ridge for much of the way, thus avoiding the Ulker glacier which careers down the face into deep and jumbled gorges below. The path, though rocky, is clearly marked. Above 5000m are permanent ice fields, so crampons, ice axes and ropes are required. The summit is reached via a long ridge and is no more than a rounded hump marked by cairns
Tour at a glance
Duration
8 days
Multi-day trip
01
Tour type
Private tour
up to 4 travellers per booking
02
Languages
EN
live guide
03
Pickup
Hotel pickup
or meet at the start point
04
Operates
Every day
05
Confirmation
Within 48 hours
supplier confirms availability
06
Cancellation
Non-refundable
07
Rating
5.0 / 5
2 verified reviews
08
Ticket
Mobile ticket
show it on your phone
09
What's included
- Lunch
- Dinner
- Breakfast
Not included
- Gratuities
- National Park Tax 50 USD per person
Day by day
Day 1: DAY 1: MEET AT VAN AIRPORT TRANSFER TO DOGUBAYAZIT
Hotel in Van city centre 3 * - Van DAY 1: MEET AT VAN AIRPORT TRANSFER TO DOGUBAYAZIT An Overland Travel guide meets you at Van Airport and we drive to Dogubeyazıt. 175 km (2 h, 15 min) Depending on arrival time, overnight in Van. Overnight: in Dogubeyazit at a hotel Meals: -
Day 2: DAY 2: ASCENT TO MT. ARART CAMP 1 - 3200 M
camp - Ishak Pasha Palace After breakfast we load our luggage and camping equipment on our vehicle and drive to Eli Village (2.000m), Our luggage will be carried by mules and horses.. On the way it’s possible to meet some semi nomadic families, who use the fresh green Plateaus of the Mt. Ararat for their sheep flocks. We walk to our first Camp Site (Base Camp) which is set up on elevation of 3.200m. Walking time: 4 h; ascent: approximately 1.200m (depending on road conditions & starting point) Overnight: at Mount Ararat base camp 3.200m Meals: B / L / D
Day 3: DAY 3: ACCLIMATISATION DAY
camp - Mount AgrI Trek to camp II (4. 2OOm), about 4 hours trekking time. Return to camp 1. Afternoon is free for preparation for next day, because we will go up to the summit. Dinner and overnight in camp. (Ascent = 1100m / Descent = 1100 m) Overnight: camp in 3200m. Meals: B/L/D
Day 4: DAY 4: Mt. ARARAT (Camp II, 4200m)
camp - Agri Dagi Milli Parki Trek to camp II (4. 2OOm), about 4/5 hours trekking time. All luggages will be carried by pack animals. A short course will be given on how to use ice-axe and crampons. Overnight in camp. (Descent = 1200 m) Overnight: Camp in 4200m. Meals: B /L/D
Day 5: DAY 5: Mt. ARARAT SUMMIT (5165m)
camp - Agri Dagi Milli Parki Between 2:00 - 2:30 in the morning we will have breakfast and start walking between 3:00 or 3:30 to get a good view at the sunrise on the top. After 650 m. ascent, we reach Glacier at 4.850m. After we fixed our Crampons we continue our ascent till we reach the Summit of the Mt. Ararat. If the weather is clear we can see the Mt. Damavand in Iran, the Elbrus in the Caucasus and the Kackar Mountains near the Black Sea. We enjoy the great panoramic view from the Summit and afterwards start descending to our Base Camp at 3.200m. Walking time: 9/10 h; ascent: 937m; descent: 1.937m Overnight: at Mount Ararat base camp 3.200m Meals: B / L / D
Day 6: Day 6: Mt. ARARAT – DOGUBEYAZIT
camp - Mount AgrI Extra day, depending on the weather conditions on Day 5, we may make another summit attempt. Otherwise, omit this day. If the extra day isn’t necessary, that day will be spent in Dogubeyazıt. Descend to Cevirme Village about 3 hours and return to Dogubeyazit. We visit Ishakpaşa palace. There is a chance of trying Turkish Bath. Late afternoon free for visit city center Doğubeyazıt.
Day 7: DAY 7: AKDAMAR CHURCH -ISLAND of AKDAMAR
- Noah's Ark site Transfer to Van and we visit Akdamar Island which is the most important Armenian Church in East Turkey. On the island it stands the 10th-century Church of the Holy Cross, Architect Monk Manuel built the church between the years 915 and 921. The Church was consecrated in honor of the holy cross. Reliefs, depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments, daily Iife such as hunting, run along the exterior of the church. Overnight at hotel in Van. Meals: B / L / D Overnight: hotel in Van.
- Akdamar Island Akdamar island and Akdamar church visit, boat trip to armenian akhurian church
Day 8: DAY 8: TRANSFER TO VAN AIRPORT FLY HOME
- Mount AgrI Group transfer to Van airport from hotel (15 minutes) fly back or depending on request we organize hotel and transfer in İstanbul and add 1 or 2 days extra sightseeing tour in İstanbul. Meals: B- - Tour ends.
Meeting & pickup
Hotel pickup is offered, or you can meet at the start point.
Let us know where you want to meet with us ,then we can customise acording to the city. Our preferance is Dogubeyazıt Golden Hill hotels reception, or Van airport
Schedule
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
Good to know
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
Cancellation policy
All sales are final. No refund is available for cancellations.
Traveller reviews
5.02 reviews
5 2
4 0
3 0
2 0
1 0
Benmassey164
Aug 2022 · Tripadvisor
An epic week of mountains and history/culture I have just finished an 8 day tour with Fatih who owns and runs Overland travel. It was a brilliant week - the mix of the mountains with cultural sites in Van after was fantastic. Fatih is very personable and easy to get on with. He can’t do enough for you and is extremely flexible with how the tour runs, if he can make any adjustments he will. His English is excellent and he is always on hand to help. In the Eastern part of Turkey, English isn’t widely spoken and so going with a guide made it so much easier. The price was very reasonable too. I would highly recommend doing this tour or any others with the company. Thanks for an epic week and I hope to do another trip with the company in the not too distant future in another part of Turkey.
Enes6565
Apr 2026 · Tripadvisor
Beautiful I think it's fantastic, I can say it's a must-see.
Reviews are collected by Viator and Tripadvisor from verified travellers.
Frequently asked questions
How long does this experience last?
It lasts 8 days.
Is hotel pickup included?
Hotel pickup is offered, or you can meet at the start point.
Can I cancel for free?
No. This experience is non-refundable once booked.
Which languages is the guide available in?
Guide languages: EN
On which days does it run?
It runs Every day.
How fast is the booking confirmed?
Within 48 hours, once the supplier confirms.
Is this a private tour?
Yes, this is a private experience for your group only.
Where do I complete the booking?
On viator.com, a Tripadvisor company, with live availability and secure payment. TourViaGo is a Global Partner of Viator.
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