Ankara is Turkey’s capital and second city, yet it receives a fraction of the tourism that Istanbul commands. That disproportion is partly explained and mostly unjustified - Ankara has the best museum in Turkey (the Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, holding Hittite, Phrygian, and Urartian collections that pre-date anything in Istanbul by 2,000 years), the most important modern Turkish monument (Anıtkabir, Atatürk’s mausoleum), and proximity to the Phrygian Valley, the ancient capital of Gordion (where Alexander the Great cut the Gordian Knot), and the Ottoman trading city of Safranbolu. For a capital city with 5 million inhabitants, Ankara is strikingly easy to navigate as a tourist.
We have mapped 8 top-rated Ankara tours by traveller type. Prices are approximate in USD as of 2026.
Top Ankara Tours at a Glance
| Tour | Duration | Approx. Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anıtkabir and Atatürk Museum Guided Tour | 3 hrs | From $25 | History, culture |
| Museum of Anatolian Civilisations Tour | 2.5 hrs | From $25 | History, art |
| Gordion Phrygian Capital Day Trip | Full day | From $60 | Archaeology |
| Safranbolu Ottoman Town Day Trip | Full day | From $65 | Culture, photography |
| Ankara Old Citadel (Hisar) Walking Tour | 2.5 hrs | From $20 | First-timers |
| Ankara Street Food and Market Tour | 3 hrs | From $25 | Foodies |
| Hittite Sites: Hattusha and Yazılıkaya Day Trip | Full day | From $80 | Archaeology, history |
| Private Ankara Custom City Tour | Full day | From $80 | Flexibility |
For History and Culture
Anıtkabir and Atatürk Museum Guided Tour
Anıtkabir - the mausoleum and monument of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk - is the most visited site in Turkey outside Istanbul. Built between 1944 and 1953 on Rasattepe Hill, the complex combines monumental Hittite-inspired stonework (the ceremonial avenue of 24 lion statues), a raised ceremonial court, and the Hall of Honour where the sarcophagus lies. The Atatürk and Independence War Museum inside the complex contains 1,150 objects including Atatürk’s personal possessions, state gifts, and photographs from the War of Independence (1919–1923).
This 3-hour guided tour covers the approach promenade, ceremonial court, Hall of Honour with an explanation of the 1944–1953 construction, and the museum. The guide contextualises Atatürk’s role in founding the Turkish Republic from the ruins of the Ottoman Empire - essential context for understanding modern Turkey.
Duration: 3 hours | Price: from approximately $25 | Includes: guide | Entry: Free admission to the complex; museum included
Museum of Anatolian Civilisations Tour
The Museum of Anatolian Civilisations in Ankara’s old citadel quarter holds what is considered the world’s finest collection of Hittite art and the most comprehensive documentation of Anatolian prehistory - from Palaeolithic cave finds to Assyrian trading colony tablets to the monumental Hittite sculptures from Hattusha and Carchemish. The Gordion collection (Phrygian metalwork, the burial mound of King Midas) is displayed in the same building. The museum won the Council of Europe Museum Prize in 1997.
This 2.5-hour guided museum tour covers the chronological sequence from the Çatalhöyük Neolithic settlement (8th millennium BCE) through the Bronze Age, Hittite Empire, and Neo-Hittite kingdoms, with particular time at the Hittite gallery - including the monumental lions and sphinxes from the gates of Hattusha and the gold jewellery from the Alacahöyük royal tombs.
Duration: 2.5 hours | Price: from approximately $25 | Includes: guide, museum entry | Tip: The museum occupies a restored 15th-century bedesten (covered market); the architecture is part of the experience
For Archaeology
Gordion Phrygian Capital Day Trip
Gordion, 90 km west of Ankara, was the capital of the Phrygian kingdom - the civilisation of King Midas (of the golden touch myth, likely based on a real king’s wealth in the 8th century BCE). The site contains the largest Iron Age tumulus in Anatolia - the Midas Mound, approximately 53 metres high - which was excavated in 1957 by Rodney Young and found to contain a wooden burial chamber with the oldest standing wooden furniture in the world (preserved in controlled conditions in the Gordion Museum). The Royal Tumulus cemetery has 80 additional burial mounds.
This full-day Gordion day trip includes transport from Ankara, the Gordion Museum (which holds the contents of the Midas Mound - the burial furniture, bronze cauldrons, and pottery), the Midas Mound walk, and the excavated Phrygian city gate complex. An archaeologist guide explains the Alexander the Great tradition (the Gordian Knot was supposedly at the Gordion citadel) in its historical context.
Duration: Full day | Price: from approximately $60 | Includes: transport, guide, museum entry
For Major Archaeology
Hittite Sites: Hattusha and Yazılıkaya Day Trip
Hattusha, 200 km east of Ankara, was the capital of the Hittite Empire (c.1650–1180 BCE) - one of the great Bronze Age empires that contested Egypt and Mesopotamia. The UNESCO-listed site covers 3 square kilometres of walls, temples, city gates (the Lion Gate, the Sphinx Gate), and underground tunnels. Yazılıkaya, 3 km from Hattusha, is an outdoor rock sanctuary with 90 carved reliefs of Hittite gods in procession - the most significant religious site of the Bronze Age in the Middle East.
This full-day Hittite day trip requires a very early departure (05:30) given the 4-hour drive. It visits Boğazkale Museum (Hittite tablets and finds), Hattusha site (3 hours), and Yazılıkaya sanctuary (1 hour). A long but irreplaceable day for anyone interested in ancient history.
Duration: Full day | Price: from approximately $80 | Includes: transport, guide, all entries | Note: This is a long day - 400 km round trip. Consider staying overnight in Boğazkale for a more relaxed itinerary
For Cultural Sightseeing
Safranbolu Ottoman Town Day Trip
Safranbolu, 220 km north of Ankara, is the best-preserved Ottoman trading town in Turkey - a UNESCO World Heritage site with over 2,000 half-timbered Ottoman houses (konaks) in the old town (Çarşı quarter). The town was a key stop on the Silk Road and was wealthy enough in the 17th–19th centuries to build konaks of extraordinary quality. Safranbolu is also Turkey’s centre of saffron production (the name translates to “saffron town”) and Turkish delight manufacturing.
This full-day Safranbolu day trip visits the Çarşı old town (Hıdırlık viewpoint, the 17th-century Köprülü Mehmed Paşa Mosque and covered bazaar, a restored konak interior), a saffron and Turkish delight shop, and the Cinci Han (caravanserai, 17th century, still in use as a hotel). Return to Ankara by evening.
Duration: Full day | Price: from approximately $65 | Includes: transport, guide | Overnight option: Safranbolu is worth staying overnight in a restored konak - significantly more atmospheric than a day trip allows
For First-Timers
Ankara Old Citadel (Hisar) Walking Tour
The Ankara citadel (Ankara Kalesi) is the oldest inhabited part of the city - a Byzantine fortification on a volcanic outcrop, modified by the Seljuks and Ottomans, with a lower town of Ottoman-era stone houses below. The hilltop gives panoramic views over the modern city; the Anadolu Medeniyetleri Museum sits at the citadel’s edge.
This 2.5-hour citadel walk covers the citadel entrance (Byzantine towers, Seljuk additions), the Bazaar quarter (Çıkrıkçılar Yokuşu, the copper bazaar with traditional craftsmen), the Julianus Column (a Roman monument, 4th century AD, still standing in a side street), and the Republic Museum (Cumhuriyet Müzesi) in the old Grand National Assembly building.
Duration: 2.5 hours | Price: from approximately $20 | Includes: guide
For Foodies
Ankara Street Food and Market Tour
Ankara has a distinct Central Anatolian food culture separate from Istanbul’s Ottoman refinement: döner (Ankara claims to have invented the modern döner kebab format in the 1970s), berberi bread (flat, sesame-crusted), pastırma (air-dried cured beef, a legacy of the Byzantine period), and the local Angora goat products (mohair cheese and yoghurt). The Samanpazarı market near the citadel and the Ulus district covered market are the main food hubs.
This 3-hour market food tour visits three or four locations: a berberi bread bakery, a pastırma and sucuk specialist, the Ankara-style döner at a traditional lokanta (workers’ restaurant), and a traditional confectionery for Ankara-style helva.
Duration: 3 hours | Price: from approximately $25 | Includes: guide, all tastings
Practical Information
Getting to Ankara: Ankara Esenboğa Airport (ESB) is 28 km north of the city centre with Havaş bus connections (45 minutes). High-speed trains (YHT) from Istanbul Pendik: approximately 4 hours. Ankara station is 1 km from the main Kızılay square.
Metro: The Ankara Metro is efficient and covers all major tourist points - Anıtkabir, the citadel (Ulus station), and Kızılay.
Hattusha visit timing: The road to Hattusha has improved significantly; consider renting a car rather than a tour for greater flexibility at the site.