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.

Kovalık Geçidi

Kovalık Geçidi

Kovalık Geçidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.439m (8,001ft) above the sea level, located in Gümüşhane Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

Mihaliç Tepe in Karaman: The Ultimate Road Trip Guide

Mihaliç Tepe in Karaman: The Ultimate Road Trip Guide

Mihaliç Tepe is an extinct volcano at an elevation of 2.238m (7,342ft) above the sea level, located in Karaman Province, in Central Anatolia, Turkey.

Bulgurlu Dağı

The road to Bulgurlu Dağı isn’t an easy one

Bulgurlu Dağı is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.905m (9,530ft) above sea level, located in Van province of Turkey. 

TRT Vericisi İstasyonu

How to drive the unpaved road to TRT Vericisi İstasyonu at Haydar Tepe?

Haydar Tepe is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.063m (6,768ft) above sea level, located in Turkey.

Numanpaşa

Numanpaşa

Numanpaşa is a high mountain town at an elevation of 1.573m (5,160ft) above the sea level, located in Erzurum Province in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. The average gradient is 9.71%.

Mount Samdi

The Ultimate Guide to Mount Samdi

Samdi Dağı is a high mountain peak located in the Hakkâri Province of Turkey. A military road, to the east of the summit, tops out at 3,400m (11,154ft) above sea level. It’s one of the highest roads in the country. 

Singer Dağı

How to drive the 28 hairpins to Singer Dağı in Eastern Turkey

Singer Dağı is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,843m (9,327ft) above sea level, located in Turkey. The road to the summit has extreme gradients and 28 tight hairpin turns.

Tersun Gecidi

Tersun Gecidi

Tersun Gecidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.095m (6,873ft) above the sea level, located in the Gümüşhane Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

Camiboğazı Yaylası

The road to Camiboğazı Yaylası is for experienced drivers only

Camiboğazı Yaylası is a high mountain plateau located on the boundary of Gümüşhane and Trabzon provinces, in the East Black Sea region of Turkey.

Güresentepe Pass

Road trip guide: Conquering Güresentepe Pass

Güresentepe Geçidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.136m (7,007ft) above the sea level, located in Niğde Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey.

Gij Gij Tepesi

Gij Gij Tepesi

Gij Gij Tepesi is a mountain peak at an elevation of 902m (2,962ft) above the sea level, located in Tokat Province of Turkey in the mid-Black Sea region of Anatolia.

Bakirlitepe Mountain

How to drive the paved road to Bakirlitepe Mountain?

Bakırlıtepe is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.462m (8,077ft) above sea level, located in Saklikent region of Turkey.

Mount Davraz

The Ultimate Guide to Traveling to Mount Davraz

Mount Davraz (Davraz Tepe) is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.371m (7,778ft) above the sea level, located in Isparta Province, in southwestern Turkey.

Palovit Falls

Palovit Falls

Palovit Selalesi is a waterfall located in Rize Province, in northeast Turkey, on the eastern Black Sea coast. The road is narrow and steep.

Road D883

Road D883

D883 is a high mountain road located in the Gümüşhane Province of the Black Sea region of Turkey.

Karaman Bey Gecidi

Adventure along the wild road to Karaman Bey Gecidi

Karaman Bey Gecidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.937m (6,354ft) above the sea level, located in the Karaman Province of the West Anatolia region, Turkey.

Yedigöller Yolu

The Ultimate Guide to Traveling the Yedigöller Yolu

Yedigöller Yolu (Seven Lakes Road) is located in Bolu Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey and winds through the Yedigöller National Park.

Abdal Boğan Geçidi

Abdal Boğan Geçidi: Driving the high-altitude D850 in Sivas

Abdal Boğan Geçidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1,750 meters (5,741 ft) above sea level, located in the Sivas Province of central Turkey. Situated on the D850 highway (Hekimhan-Kangal Yolu), the pass is a critical logistical link between Sivas and Malatya. The physical reality of driving this route involves managing a weathered asphalt surface that suffers from significant thermal fatigue, where the combination of high altitude and sustained inclines tests the vehicle's torque and stability through the desolate landscapes of Anatolia.

Medetsiz

Medetsiz

Medetsiz is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.488m (8,162ft) above the sea level, located in Mersin province in southern Turkey.

Sakaltutan Geçidi (Ardahan and Kars)

All about the Road to Sakaltutan Geçidi (Ardahan and Kars)

Sakaltutan Geçidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,212m (7,257ft) above sea level, located on the boundary between Ardahan and Kars provinces, in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey.

Soğuksu-Cevizlibelen Road

How To Travel The Road From Soğuksu to Cevizlibelen

Located on the boundary of Vitlis and Van provinces of Turkey, the road from Soğuksu to Cevizlibelen is a very challenging drive.

Belpinari Beli

Take the Scenic Route and Discover Belpinari Beli

Belpınarı Beli is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.893m (6,210ft) above the sea level, located in Konya Province in the West Anatolia region of Turkey.

Kosedagi Gecidi

How to drive the paved road to Kosedagi Gecidi in the Black Sea region

Kosedagi Gecidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.960 m (6,430 ft) above sea level, located in Gümüşhane Province of Turkey.

Mount Yama

The unpaved road to the summit of Mount Yama

Mount Yama (Yama Dağı) is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.673m (8,769ft) above the sea level located on the Malatya and Sivas provincial borders, in Turkey.

Road to Özlükent

The road with 18 sharp hairpin turns to Özlükent

Özlükent is a small town located in Ordu Province on the Black Sea coast, of Turkey. The hairy road to the town is brutal, with 18 sharp hairpin turns and dangerous drop offs.

Luxury Resorts in Turkey: Experiencing High-End Hospitality and Real Estate at its Finest

Driving the rugged road network from Istanbul to the Turkish coasts

Driving in Turkey is a full-contact sport that takes you from the clogged, high-pressure streets of Istanbul to the steep, sun-baked cliffs of the Mediterranean coast. The road network is a mix of ultra-modern toll highways and crumbling mountain tracks where the asphalt can melt under the summer heat. Whether you are crossing the Bosphorus or pushing a vehicle along the jagged edges of the D400, you need to be ready for aggressive moves from local trucks and surfaces that change from smooth to broken without any warning.

Yildiz Lake in Bayburt

A truly outstanding 4x4 road to Yildiz Lake in Bayburt

Yıldız Gölü is a high mountain lake at an elevation of 2.979m (9,773ft) above sea level, located in Bayburt province, in the Northeast Anatolia region of Turkey. It’s one of the highest roads of the country.

Çatalca Tunnels

Catalca Tunnels of Istanbul: The First Tunnels to Host an Airplane Flight

Located near Istanbul, in Turkey, the Çatalca Tunnels are a pair of highway tunnels that witnessed the first airplane flight through a tunnel.

Kilise Tepe

Dare to drive the dangerous Kilise Tepe

Kilise Tepe is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2.669m (8,756ft) above the sea level, located in the District of Yusufeli, Artvin Province, Turkey.

Macahel Gecidi

The road with 25 hairpin turns to Macahel Gecidi

Macahel Gecidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 1.821m (5,974ft) above the sea level, located in Artvin Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

Erimez Tepesi

Erimez Tepesi

Erimez Tepesi is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.687m (8,815ft) above the sea level, located in Giresun Province in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey.

Road D950

Driving the Paved State Road D950 in eastern Turkey

State Road D950 is a major north-south route in eastern Turkey, connecting the Black Sea to the Syrian border. The road passes through mountainous terrain, high-altitude passes, and busy transport corridors, making it an important but challenging drive.

Karagoller lakes

Here's How To Have The Ultimate Road Trip To Karagoller lakes

Karagöller lakes are 4 small mountain lakes at an elevation of 2.972m (9,750ft) above sea level, located in Artvin Province, in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It's one of the highest roads of the country.

Mount Duldul

A ladder-like road to the top of Mount Duldul

Düldül Dağı is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2,215m (7,267ft) above sea level, located in the Düziçi district of Osmaniye province, in Turkey.

Nebirnav Yaylasi

The road through Nebirnav Yaylasi will take your breath away

Nebırnav Yaylası is a high mountain plateau at an elevation of 3,078m (10,098ft) above sea level, located on the boundary between the provinces of Hakkâri and Van, in the Eastern Anatolia region of Turkey. At this elevation, it’s one of the highest roads in the country.

Tanin Gecidi

All About the Road to Tanin Gecidi

Tanin Geçidi is a high mountain pass at an elevation of 2,230m (7,316ft) above sea level, located in Şırnak Province, in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey.