Bayburt is a small, authentic province in northeastern Turkey nestled in the Çoruh River valley, framed by the Eastern Pontic Mountains. Known for its imposing medieval castle, pristine highland plateaus (yaylas), wild river gorges, and some of Turkey's finest honey, Bayburt offers an unhurried window into traditional Anatolian life far from the tourist mainstream.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Erzurum City Day Trip
Erzurum is eastern Turkey's historic Seljuk and Ottoman garrison city, a highland university town with some of Anatolia's best-preserved 12th- and 13th-century Islamic monuments clustered within walking distance of each other in the old town. At 1,850m it runs noticeably cooler than Bayburt and can stay snowbound well into spring. A day trip here is a walking tour of stonework plus a sit-down meal of the city's namesake cağ kebabı.
Highlights: Çifte Minareli Medrese - twin-minaret Seljuk theological school with a carved stone portal, the city's signature building · Erzurum Kalesi (citadel) - Byzantine-Seljuk fortress with a clock tower giving a view over the old town · Üç Kümbetler - cluster of Seljuk tomb towers standing beside the medrese quarter · Yakutiye Medresesi - Ilkhanid-era medrese now housing the Turkish-Islamic Arts and Ethnography Museum · Cağ kebabı restaurants on Cumhuriyet Caddesi - horizontal spit-roasted lamb unique to Erzurum, served with lavash
Trabzon & Black Sea Coast Day Trip
Trabzon swaps Bayburt's dry highland plateau for the humid Black Sea coast, and the main draw is Sümela Monastery, a Byzantine monastery built into a sheer cliff face above the Altındere valley south of the city. Given the roughly 2.5-hour drive each way from Bayburt, this is a full day that realistically stretches to Sümela plus a short stop in central Trabzon, not a leisurely exploration of both. The climate shift is itself part of the trip - tea-covered hillsides replace Bayburt's bare highland grass within the last stretch of the drive.
Highlights: Sümela Monastery - frescoed Byzantine rock monastery clinging to a cliff in Altındere Valley National Park · Hagia Sophia of Trabzon - 13th-century Byzantine church-museum with surviving fresco cycles, on the coast west of the centre · Atatürk Köşkü - Atatürk's former hillside mansion with gardens overlooking the city · Boztepe hill - viewpoint over central Trabzon and the coastline
Aydıntepe Underground City
Demirözü & Honey Country Tour
Taşkesen Plateau & Alpine Hike
Karagöl Lake Nature Day
Erzurum Airport + Erzurum Visit Combo
This is the practical version of the Erzurum trip for anyone flying in or out of Erzurum Airport rather than doing a pure sightseeing run - the airport sits on the edge of the city, a short taxi ride from the old town's medrese quarter. Because it's built around a flight schedule rather than a leisurely day, it works best as a morning arrival followed by an afternoon in the old town, or a city visit ending with an evening departure, not both directions on the same day.
Highlights: Çifte Minareli Medrese - twin-minaret Seljuk medrese, a short taxi ride from the airport · Erzurum Kalesi (citadel) - compact fortress visit that fits into a few spare hours around a flight · Cağ kebabı restaurants near Cumhuriyet Caddesi - a convenient sit-down lunch before or after the airport transfer
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How far you can go in a day.
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Getting there
Transport options for day trips.
Multi-day tours from Bayburt
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
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Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Start early — most popular day-trip destinations get crowded by mid-morning.
Check return transport times before you leave — missing the last train or bus can be costly.
Carry water, snacks, and layers — weather and food options can be limited at smaller destinations.