A Complete Guide to Backpacking Mt. Nemrut, Turkey

When to Visit Mt. Nemrut, Turkey?

While June - August is considered the peak season, I do not think it is the best time to visit Mt. Nemrut. Although it is a popular time to visit, you will also be dealing with a large tourist crowd, as well as the jacked-up prices at hotels, which is not ideal. Additionally, it is probably one of the hottest months to visit, making it less enjoyable to hike up Mt. Nemrut.

What I would recommend instead is to visit during the shoulder seasons, either in May or in September, when the tourist crowds are starting to wind down and the prices of hotels are starting to fall back to their normal level.

Also, keep in mind that from May to June is Ramadan, and even though you won't have a problem finding food places like Istanbul, it will be harder as you travel further east.

How to Get to Mt. Nemrut, Turkey?

The closest major city to Mt. Nemrut is Adiyaman, and, in order to travel there, you are going to have to get yourself to Istanbul or Ankara first.

Thankfully, both of these cities are some of the largest hubs in the region, and you should have no trouble finding a flight from your home country to either one of the 2 main airports: Istanbul Airport (IST) and Sabiha Gokcen Airport (SAW) in Istanbul or Ankara Esenboga Airport.

From the US, there are several direct flights you can take to Turkey from major cities in the US, such as New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, etc. All these flights are operated by Turkish Airlines, so you shouldn't have any trouble finding a flight from the US to Turkey.

From Europe, you can fly from the most popular European hubs like London, Paris, or Frankfurt via Turkish Airlines or local carriers such as British Airways, Air France, or Lufthansa, which also offer direct flights to Istanbul or Ankara.

From Asia, you can fly directly with Turkish Airlines from several hub cities like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, Jakarta, and Bangkok. You can also go with other Middle Eastern airlines like Qatar, Emirates, and Etihad if you are willing to transit to get a cheaper deal.

Once you arrive in Turkey, you can then take a domestic flight to Adiyaman Airport (ADF) to continue your journey onward. Turkish Airlines operates one flight at 9 AM from IST Airport in Istanbul, which costs around 57 USD and takes 1.5 hours.

The same goes for Ankara with one direct flight on Sunday, Tuesday, and Friday at 07:45 AM. The journey will take around 1 hour and cost 30 USD. To find a cheap flight to Turkey, I would recommend you use Skyscanner or Expedia to look for the cheapest route and schedule so you can compare and pick the best one.

Getting From Adiyaman to Mt. Nemrut, Turkey

By Hotel Transfer: The easiest and most comfortable way is to organize a transfer from Adiyaman Airport to where you are staying with your accommodation. I stayed at the Karadut Pension and they quoted me 85 TRY, which I think was pretty reasonable.

And since my flight arrived late in the evening, it was impossible for me to catch a local bus or hitchhike to where I am staying in time before nightfall. So, this is the best option for me and possibly for those who are flying into Adiyaman from Ankara or Istanbul.

By Car: From Adiyaman Airport, you can also rent a car from the AVIS kiosk located right inside the airport and drive to Mt. Nemrut. It should cost you around 35 - 45 USD per day to rent a car here, and it will take you around 1 hour to drive to Karadut, a small town where you can spend the night before visiting Mt. Nemrut the next day.

Getting From Cappadocia to Mt. Nemrut, Turkey

By Tour: I am afraid there is no easy way to get from Cappadocia to Mt. Nemrut independently except to fly to Adiyaman via Istanbul or Ankara and follow the instructions under the Getting From Adiyaman to Mt. Nemrut section.

If you don't mind going on an organized tour that starts from Cappadocia and returns, there are several multi-day tours you can choose from.

The one I recommend is the 3 Day Mt Nemrut Eastern Classics Tour which will take you from Cappadocia to not just Mt. Nemrut and other old ruins around the area like Potbelly Hill, etc. You can find more tours with the link below.

Book a Mt. Nemrut Tour from Cappadocia

How Many Days To Spend at Mt. Nemrut, Turkey?

2 days and 1 night should be enough for Mt. Nemrut. You can spend one night in Karadut and then head back to Adiyaman the same day to go to some other places. Here's a rough itinerary for Mt. Nemrut:

Day 1: Arriving in Adiyaman via airplane in the evening, getting transferred to Karaut, and spending the night.

Day 2: Get a taxi, hitchhike, or hike up to the summit of Mt. Nemrut. Spend several hours there and then get down to Karadut to organize a transfer with your accommodation back to Adiyaman.

How Much Money Do I Need For Mt. Nemrut, Turkey?

With the rough itinerary above, we can calculate approximately how much you will be spending at Mt. Nemrut as follows:

Accommodation: For 1 night, it should cost around 12 USD (100 TRY) for accommodation.

Food: Food in Karadut should cost around 20 TRY per meal, so you can expect to pay around 60 TRY for one full day here.

Transportation: For a roundtrip transfer between Adiyaman and Karadut, plus a taxi ride up and down Mt. Nemrut, it should cost you approximately 210 TRY for transportation.

Activities: Since Mt. Nemrut is part of a national park, you will have to pay an entrance fee of around 25 TRY per person. That's all for activities at Mt. Nemrut.

Total Budget for 2 days, 1 night at Mt. Nemrut: 395 TRY (50 USD)

Is it Safe at Mt. Nemrut, Turkey?

Like most places outside of tourist cities in Turkey, Karadut and Mt. Nemrut are very safe, and you won't be encountering any problematic characters while you are here.

You can easily hitchhike around, and the locals will gladly pick you up and drop you off. In fact, I didn't even stick out my thumb, and a car just offered me a ride down for free 😅. If that isn't friendly, I don't know what is!

That said, always take precautions and be aware of your surroundings and belongings at all times. Trust your gut, and if something doesn't look safe, do not pursue it. Other than that, you should find no trouble here.

Which tourist SIM card is best for Turkey?

Update: If your phone supports eSIM, I highly recommend checking out Airalo, a global eSIM marketplace. It allows you to stay connected affordably while traveling in Nemrut, Turkey without having to switch out your physical SIM card.

Gone are the days when you needed to scramble to find a local SIM card at an airport upon arrival. You can purchase an eSIM before your arrival, and you'll be good to go. If your phone doesn't support eSIM, here is how you can get a local SIM card in Nemrut, Turkey:

There are three major carriers in Turkey: Turkcell, Vodafone, and Turk Telekom, all of which offer a pretty similar range of traveler's packages as well as coverage.

I personally use Turkcell's Tourist Welcome Package, which costs around 149 TRY for 30 days. It comes with 20 GB of data, unlimited messaging, and 200 local minutes. This package is more than enough for my trip to Turkey.

You can also go cheaper with an 8 GB 30-day plan for 60 TRY, and the price goes down from there depending on the GB you want for your data SIM card. Keep in mind that a foreign phone with a local SIM card has a grace period of 120 days. So if you are planning to stay longer than 120 days, you are going to have to register your phone with the authority, which is unlikely to happen for tourists like us.

For more information about Turkey's local sim card: Turkey's Prepaid Data Sim Card.

Tips: To stay connected with people at home, be sure that you have a VPN, such as ProtonVPN, installed before traveling. It's FREE, and you can gain access to services that may be blocked in certain countries.

What to Pack for Mt. Nemrut, Turkey?

As you may already know, I am an advocate of light traveling, and indeed, packing light for a journey like this is a unique art form. Here are some packing tips for your upcoming trip to Nemrut, Turkey:

• Walking/Hiking Shoes: With all the walking and possible hiking during your travel, a comfortable pair of shoes is a must. I recommend the Timberland 3-Eye Classic Boat Shoes that are my go-to pair for long strolls and hikes.
• Breathable Shirts: Given the potential for hot weather, pack a few breathable shirts for your outdoor adventures.
• Shorts/Jeans: Anticipate lots of walking during your travels? Be sure to pack some breathable shorts and a pair of Levi's jeans for when the weather cools. For women, leggings are excellent for both hot and cold climates, so consider packing some as well.
• Outer Shell Jacket: An outer shell jacket is great for windy or rainy conditions. I highly recommend the Columbia Watertight Jacket (for women). It's lightweight, breathable, and even comes in a cool orange color.
• Microfiber Towel: A Microfiber towel is the ideal backpacker's towel due to its lightness, quick drying, and compressibility.
• Swim Suits: A swim trunk is a must-pack item if you are planning to visit Nemrut, Turkey in the summer, just in case there is a body of water you can jump in.
• Camera: You should also pack a good camera for your trip so that you can capture all the beautiful experiences you might have. I recommend the Sony a7R V camera together with the Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II lens, which is probably the highest-performance camera and lens combination you can get right now.
• Power Bank: Keep your electronics charged on the go with a 20,000+ mAh Power Bank.
• Water Bottle: The Hydro Flask Trail Water Bottle is a great insulated water bottle to have with you in cities or on hiking trails. It is lightweight and can keep your water cold or warm for more than 12 hours. It's a total game-changer.
• Universal Adapter: You'll need just one universal adapter to plug in your electronics in any country you visit.
• Packing Cubes: Packing Cubes will help you save space in your backpack and keep all your belongings organized.
• Daypack: The Langly Alpha Globetrotter is my go-to everyday camera backpack. It's large enough to carry all my travel gear, and it comes with plenty of slots and pouches. Plus, it's stylish as hell!
• Large Backpack: You will need a large backpack to carry all of your stuff. I recommend the Osprey Atmos AG 65L backpack. With excellent weight distribution and a lifetime guarantee, you can't go wrong with Osprey.

For more information on what I pack in my backpack for this trip, check out: My Packing List: 60 Travel Essentials.

Hiking Up Mt. Nemrut From Karadut

The summit of Mt. Nemrut can easily be reached from Karadut with a car, and usually, the accommodation you are staying can organize a tour for you at a reasonable price. However, I was determined to hike up by myself, thinking it would be pretty straightforward. So, I went off from Karadut in the early morning.

As it turned out, it took me over 3 hours just to hike up to the top of Mt. Nemrut, and since it was in the midsummer month of July, the heat was unbearable. The higher I hiked, the less shade I found. It was not as fun as I thought it would be.

For one, it wasn't a hiking trail; it was more like a road for cars to get up, and you just have to walk on the road until you arrive at the top. The view was interesting at first, with a few intriguing abandoned buildings and rolling grassy hills, but it became repetitive real fast after about an hour.

I'm not gonna lie. In my naive mind, the moment I saw the ticket booth, I thought to myself, "Finally! The summit shouldn't be that far off now", and then I saw, when I turned off the corner, I realized just how wrong and naive I was.

So close, yet so far! Two hours in and I was so ready to give up, but there is no turning back now. The summit is in sight, and all of my effort to see Mt. Nemrut with my own eyes would be in vain if I didn't reach it.

After three excruciating hours in the sun, I finally made it to the top! I almost collapsed the moment I reached the parking lot, and I wonder why I didn't just hitchhike up. I would have seen the same view, but much faster and more comfortable.

Well, lesson learned, folks. Not all hikes are created equal. Some are fun to tackle, while others are just not worth the sweat, and this one is tilting towards the latter.

Now that we are at the summit, let's take some time to appreciate just how beautiful all these statues of gods are. To imagine that they were constructed in the first century BC and we are still able to see them with our own eyes, it's just mind-blowing.

Once again, humanity has defied nature and constructed a man-made monument larger than itself at the top of a 2,134 m high mountain with its bare hands. It gives me shivers every time I think about it.

It is said that in 62 BC, a king of the Greco-Iranian Commagene Kingdom constructed a tomb sanctuary and erected several 8–9-meter-high statues of himself with various Greek and Iranian gods as their heads at the top of Mt. Nemrut.

These heads we see on the ground were once mounted on the headless seated statues behind, but it is believed that they were deliberately damaged as a result of iconoclasm.

Since their destruction, the statues have been rediscovered in the late 19th century, and they have been left untouched. What we see today is exactly the way it was when it was discovered, with no plans to restore it to its believed forms.

After about 2 hours at the top of Mt. Nemrut, I decided to walk back down, thinking that it would be another 3 hours of hell. But as luck would have it, a local car stopped by and asked if I wanted a lift down.

"YES! Of course!" I remembered shouting as I sprinted towards the car. And off I went with them back to Karadut, a 3-hour journey, all done in 15 minutes with a car 😅.

After that, I went straight to bed and ended my day with a sense of accomplishment that I finally made it to Mt. Nemrut and got to see it with my own eyes.

Is Mt Nemrut worth all the trouble?

Now comes the question you are probably wondering right now: Was visiting Mt. Nemrut worth the effort?

The answer is simple. How determined are you to see Mt. Nemrut with your own eyes? If so, then the whole journey was totally worth it, which is the case for me as well.

If not, then you will have to think hard whether to visit Mt. Nemrut because there isn't a whole lot to do here, except to see those statues, and it is not as easy or affordable to get here compared to other beautiful destinations in Turkey.

If you think this is too much trouble just to see an ancient ruin, then skip Mt. Nemrut and go to other places instead, like Cappadocia or Istanbul. But if you are as determined as I was, you are going to love it.

Further Reading for Turkey

Turkey is a country that stands in the middle of Europe and Asia. Empires rose and fell on this land, and in order to see Turkey as a whole, you will have to go further than just Istanbul.

Here is a selection of articles and travel guides that you might need to further plan your trip to Turkey:

• First time visiting Turkey? Here are the 15 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Turkey.
• Looking for a complete itinerary and travel guide for Turkey? One Month Itinerary for Turkey.
• Istanbul is the crown jewel historical city of Turkey and one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are a lot of things to do, and you are going to need a complete travel guide to see them all. Here are the 11 Best Things to Do in Istanbul, Turkey.
• Have a transit flight between IST and SAW airports in Istanbul? Here is a complete guide on How To Get From Sabiha Gokcen To Istanbul Airport And Vice Versa.
• A lot of Roman influence can be seen throughout Turkey. One of the best places to see this is at the Ephesus ruins in Selcuk. Here are the 8 Best Things to Do in Selcuk and Ephesus.
• Pamukkale is home to the ancient travertines of Pamukkale, and it is a place you should definitely visit in Turkey. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to Pamukkale, Turkey.
• The southwestern coast of Turkey boasts some of the most stunning beaches, cliffs, and hiking trails in the country, and one of the best places you shouldn't miss is the Butterfly Valley. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to the Butterfly Valley, Turkey.
• Looking for a nice, quiet place by the beach to relax and do yoga for a few days in Turkey? There is no better place to be than Kabak. Here is A Complete Travel Guide to Kabak, Turkey.
• You can't deny it, Cappadocia is one hell of a stunning place to travel to, and there are a ton of things you can do there. From riding a hot air balloon to hiking, here are the 10 Best Things to Do in Cappadocia, Turkey.
• If you are planning to travel to East Turkey, Van is one of the cities you must stop by. Known for its awesome breakfast and its location by the largest lake of Turkey, here is A Complete Travel Guide to Van, Turkey.
• Visiting Sumela Monastery is one of the highlights of traveling to Eastern Turkey, but due to its remote location, getting there can be tricky. Here is How to Travel to Sumela Monastery, Turkey, which provides all the information you need to make the trip happen.
• Ani, the ancient Armenian City in Kars, is the highlight of Eastern Turkey, but it can be quite tricky to visit unless you know how to do it properly. Here is How to Travel to Ani, Turkey and all the information you need to make the trip happen.
• Not convinced by my words? Maybe these photos of Turkey will help! 45 Photos that will inspire you to travel to Turkey.
• Since you are already all the way east, why not cross the border from Turkey to Georgia and make your way to Tbilisi, a vibrant capital city of Georgia. Check out my Georgia Travel Guide to plan your next trip to Georgia.
• For all articles about Turkey, visit the Turkey Travel Guide page.
• Looking for more travel guides for the Middle East? You can find more on my Middle East Travel Guide page.
• For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.