What are the most spectacular roads in Turkey?

Straddling Europe and Asia, Turkey is one of the most exciting countries in the world to drive, and a must on any driver’s list. First on the list must be the challenging D915 (Bayburt-Of) Road. It stands as one of the world's most challenging roads, nestled between the Black Sea and the Northeast Anatolia regions. This road is for experts only.

Covering an area of 783,356 square kilometers and sharing borders with eight countries, Turkey is home to about 200 roads listed as the most spectacular in the world. For the bravest drivers, the dangerous Kemaliye Stone Road above the Euphrates River is one of the most extreme roads in the world. This handmade road is for drivers with strong nerves only, with drops of hundreds of meters, unprotected by guardrails, and 38 unlit tunnels. The construction of the road started in 1870 and was finished in 2002. The road to Kus Yuvasi Pass will take your breath away. At 1,388m (4,553ft) above sea level, the pass is located in the Mediterranean Region of the country.

The Karabet Geçidi, at 2,994m (9,822ft) above sea level in Van Province, is one of Europe's highest paved roads, offering panoramic views. If the previous roads are not enough, the country is home to Gök Dağ, one of the highest roads in Europe, climbing up to 3,417m (11,210ft) above sea level. There are many construction companies established in Turkey that worked for building the new, better roads that attract many tourists each year.

Dadaş Geçidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.357m (7,732ft) above the sea level, located in Erzurum Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey.

Located in the Artvin Province, on the Black Sea coast in the northeastern corner of Turkey, the road from Olgunlar Yaylası to Hüngamek is not for the sissies. It’s recommended for drivers with strong nerves. It’s one of the highest roads in the country.

Located on the boundary between Konya and Mersin provinces in southern Turkey, the road from Çamlıyayla to Delimahmutlu is one of the highest roads of the country.

Located on the border between Adana and Mersin provinces of Turkey, the road through the infamous Çakıt Vadisi is said to be one of the most terrifying roads in the world. 

Demirkapı-Ballıköy road is a high mountain drive located on the border of Trabzon and Rize Provinces on the eastern Black Sea, in northeast Turkey. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Tekfur Tepesi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3.075m (10,088ft) above sea level, located in Rize Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It’s one of the highest roads in the country.

Located on the boundary between the Gümüşhane and Trabzon provinces in northeastern Turkey, Limni Gölü is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 2,407m (7,896ft) above sea level. The route to the lake is a technical mountain track that crosses the Pontic Mountains, providing access to the high-altitude alpine plateau.

Kadırga Yaylası is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.414m (7,919ft) above the sea level, located in Trabzon Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

Located in the Erzurum Province of eastern Turkey, Göksu Geçidi is a high mountain pass reaching an elevation of 2,344m (7,690ft) above sea level. Situated in the Eastern Anatolia region, the pass is a critical logistical link for regional transit, specifically for heavy vehicle traffic navigating between high-altitude districts under extreme weather conditions.

Located in the Erzurum Province of the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey, a high mountain road from Zeyrek to Aşağı Özbağ tops out at 2.701m (8,861ft) above the sea level.

Located on the Black Sea region of Turkey, the Cide-Kastamonu road, part of the D010 road, is said to be one of the World’s Most Scenic Drives. The journey winds around the rocky hills and perfectly blue sea.

Mount Hasan (Hasan Dağı) is a massive extinct stratovolcano reaching an elevation of 1,974m (6,476ft) above sea level. Located in the Aksaray Province of central Turkey, the road to the summit area is a high-altitude climb that offers some of the most dramatic volcanic landscapes in Anatolia, characterized by its deep red soil and stark peak.

The ancient Roman city of Selge lies at an elevation of 1.000m (3,280ft) above the sea level, in the District of Manavgat, Antalya Province, in Turkey.

Tobamızga Lake (Tobamızga Gölü) is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 2.720m (8,923ft) above the sea level, located in the Ardeşen district of Rize Province, in the eastern part of the Black Sea Region of Turkey.

Çatalören Geçidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.363m (7,752ft) above sea level, located in Erzurum province, in eastern Anatolia, Turkey.

Kurubaş Geçidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.236m (7,335ft) above the sea level, located in eastern Turkey's Van Province.

Topuzdüzü Tepesi is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.518m (8,261ft) above the sea level, located in Gümüşhane Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

Seçedil Dağı is one of the most remote high-altitude transits in northeastern Turkey. Reaching an elevation of 2,821m (9,255ft) above sea level in the Artvin Province, this unpaved mountain pass is a grueling test for any off-road vehicle. Located in the Şavşat District, near the border with Georgia, the road is far from the standard tourist routes; it is a high-mountain track where the weather, the lack of oxygen, and the vertical exposure of the Pontic Alps define every kilometer of the climb.

Polot Tepesi is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.862m (9,389ft) above the sea level, located in Gümüşhane Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

Kalkanlı Dağları is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.597m (8,520ft) above the sea level, located in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

Artabil is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.891m (9,484ft) above the sea level, located in Gümüşhane Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

Ilgaz Dağı is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.321m (7,614ft) above sea level, located in Kastamonu Province, in Turkey.

Büyükagara Lake is a high-altitude alpine lake at an elevation of 2,688m (8,818ft) above sea level, located in the Artvin Province of Turkey’s Black Sea region. The road to the lake is one of the most demanding unpaved tracks in the Kaçkar Mountains, offering a raw driving experience through a landscape of jagged peaks and high-mountain pastures.

Mount Karadag, the Black Mountain, is an extinct volcano at an elevation of 2.267m (7,437ft) above the sea level, located in Karaman Province, in Central Anatolia, Turkey.

Köse Dağı is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.932m (9,619ft) above sea level, located in Sivas province, near the boundary with Erzincan province, in Turkey. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Sağrak Gölü is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 2.659m (8,723ft) above the sea level, located in Giresun Province in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey.

Ipek Geçidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.025m (6,643ft) above the sea level, located in Ağrı Province, the easternmost district of Turkey, bordering Iran.

Çakırbaba Geçidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.407m (7,896ft) above the sea level, located in Erzurum Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey.

Süvarihalil Geçidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.442m (8,011ft) above the sea level, located in the Hakkâri Province of Turkey, a few kilometres away from the Iraq-Turkey border.

Yukarıkent Geçidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.423m (7,949ft) above the sea level, located on the border of Kars and Iğdır Provinces in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey.

Seyithan Gölü is a high mountain glacial lake at an elevation of 3.298m (10,820ft), located in Hakkâri province of Turkey. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Located in the Rize Province of the Black Sea region of Turkey, the unpaved road from Palovit to Trovit is one of the highest roads of the country.

Kavakdağı Tepesi is a high mountain peak reaching an elevation of 2,428m (7,965ft) above sea level in the Erzurum Province of Eastern Anatolia. The climb to the summit is a short but brutal transition from the main highways into the raw, unmaintained terrain of the Turkish highlands. The track is a rugged gravel path that serves as a secondary access route, where the thin air and the loose surface turn a simple drive into a test of traction and mechanical limits for any vehicle attempting the ascent.

Samistal is a high mountain plateau at an elevation of 2.838m (9,311ft) above the sea level, located in the Çamlıhemşin district of Rize province, in Turkey.

Boğatepe Geçidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.353m (7,719ft) above the sea level, located in the central district of Kars Province, in Turkey.

İkizkaya Tepesi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.726m (8,943ft) above the sea level, located in Artvin Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

Drive Us to Your Road!

With over 13,000 roads cataloged, we're always on the lookout for unique routes. Know of a road that deserves to be featured? Click here to share your suggestion, and we may add it to dangerousroads.org.