Best Day Trips from Erzincan 2026

Kemaliye (Eğin) — Gorge Town & Euphrates

Kemaliye is an Ottoman-era town wedged between cliffs and the Euphrates, built up in tiers of stone-and-timber houses along narrow lanes that can't take cars. The approach itself, through the Karanlık Canyon (Dark Canyon), is part of the experience — a slow, winding road cut into rock walls above the river. It's on Turkey's UNESCO tentative list, and the appeal is walking the town rather than ticking off a single sight.

Highlights: Historic town houses — tiered stone-and-timber Ottoman houses climbing the hillside, many still lived in · Karanlık Canyon road — the drive in follows a narrow gorge carved by the Euphrates, with tunnels blasted through rock · Euphrates riverside — the river runs right below the town, with paths along the bank · Clock tower — a small Ottoman-era saat kulesi set into the hillside above the town, a landmark for orienting yourself as you walk

Mama Hatun Külliyesi & Tercan

Tercan's Mama Hatun Külliyesi is a 12th-13th century Seljuk-period religious and civic complex built under a female ruler, Mama Hatun, which is unusual enough on its own to be the reason to come. The complex groups a domed tomb (kümbet), a caravanserai, and a bathhouse close together, giving a compact sense of what a Seljuk-era waystation town looked like.

Highlights: Mama Hatun Kümbeti — the circular domed tomb built for Mama Hatun herself, the centrepiece of the complex · Caravanserai (han) — the trade-route inn structure adjoining the tomb, showing the complex's role on the Erzincan-Erzurum route · Tarihi hamam — the Seljuk-era bathhouse forming the third part of the külliye

Kemah Gorge & Castle

Kemah sits on the Euphrates where the river has cut a gorge, with a ruined castle on the crag above the old town. It's a much shorter trip than Kemaliye but shares the same river-and-rock geography, making it a good half-day option rather than a full one.

Highlights: Kemah Kalesi — the castle ruins on the cliff above town, reached by a climb, with views down over the Euphrates gorge · Old town of Kemah — the settlement below the castle, strung along the riverbank

Altıntepe Urartu Fortress & Ekşisu Springs

Altıntepe is an excavated Urartu fortress mound near Üzümlü, one of the more significant Urartian sites in the region, known for painted tomb chambers and storage rooms uncovered here (the finds themselves are now mostly in museum collections elsewhere). Ekşisu, nearby, is a natural mineral spring where the water itself — cold, naturally carbonated — is the attraction, popular locally as a picnic stop.

Highlights: Altıntepe höyük — the excavated Urartu fortress mound with visible foundations and storage/granary rooms · Painted tomb chamber remains — the site is known for the Urartian tomb paintings found here, among the reasons it's archaeologically significant · Ekşisu mineral spring — a naturally sparkling cold spring where locals fill bottles and picnic

Refahiye Highland Forests

Girlevik Waterfall & Ergan Mountain

Girlevik is a multi-tiered waterfall a short drive south of Erzincan on the Divriği road, an easy half-day nature stop with a picnic area at the base. Ergan Mountain, overlooking Erzincan from the same general direction, is the city's ski area in winter, with lifts running and views back down over the Erzincan plain.

Highlights: Girlevik Şelalesi — the multi-tiered waterfall itself, with a short walking path to viewing points · Picnic area at Girlevik — tables and shade near the falls, a common stop for families from Erzincan · Ergan Dağı ski lifts — in winter, chairlifts run up the mountain with views over the Erzincan plain; in summer the same slopes are open for walking