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Ankara

Turkey travel guide

What to see in Ankara

The capital of modern Turkey, with Atatürk’s mausoleum and a great museum of Anatolia.

Updated 19 October 2026 · How we make our guides

  • 5 must-see places
  • Best time: from April to January
  • Typical food: Ankara tava
Photo: William Neuheisel from DC, US · CC BY 2.0

Ankara highlights

The places you can’t miss. In the app we sort them by day and close to each other.

  1. Anıtkabir

    Atatürk’s monumental mausoleum.

  2. Museum of Anatolian Civilisations

    From the Hittites to the Romans.

  3. Ankara Citadel

    The old walled quarter up on the hill.

  4. Hamamönü

    A neighbourhood of restored Ottoman houses.

  5. Temple of Augustus

    Roman remains right in the centre.

Day trips from Ankara

We take you straight to the best-rated tour on GetYourGuide, with its reviews and dates.

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When to travel to Ankara

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Ankara are from April to January.

  1. Jan no warnings
  2. Feb with warnings
  3. Mar with warnings
  4. Apr no warnings
  5. May no warnings
  6. Jun no warnings
  7. Jul no warnings
  8. Aug no warnings
  9. Sep no warnings
  10. Oct no warnings
  11. Nov no warnings
  12. Dec no warnings
  • February, March

    Ramadan (approximate dates)

    During the day many restaurants close or open less and museum and shop hours change. The evenings, with iftar, are very special.

    What to do: Out of respect, don’t eat or drink in the street during the day; book dinner for after sunset.

Typical food of Ankara

The dish you have to try there and how to make it at home, to whet your appetite before the trip (or to go back to Ankara from your kitchen).

Ankara tava
Photo: E4024 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Ankara tava

The capital’s dish: tender lamb on rice with pine nuts and rice vermicelli (or orzo), baked in a tray with its stock.

  • Serves 4
  • 2 h 30 min

Ingredients

  • 800 g lamb (leg or shoulder), in pieces
  • 2 onions
  • 300 g rice or orzo pasta
  • 1 tablespoon of tomato purée
  • 50 g butter
  • Pepper, cumin and salt
  • Stock from the cooking

How to make it at home

  1. Simmer the lamb with one onion and salt for 1½ hours, until tender. Keep the stock.
  2. Brown the other chopped onion and the tomato purée in butter.
  3. Add the rice or orzo, stir and pour in twice its volume of stock.
  4. Put it in a tray with the meat on top and bake at 200 °C for about 25 minutes, until golden.
  5. Serve with yoghurt and a salad.

The trick: The lamb stock gives the rice all its flavour.

Where and what to eat

To eat like a local: the lokanta (canteen-style eatery). The dishes you can’t miss are in the Turkey guide.

Frequently asked questions about Ankara

What to see in Ankara?

Anıtkabir, Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, Ankara Citadel, Hamamönü and Temple of Augustus.

What to see in Ankara in one day?

Don’t miss Anıtkabir, Museum of Anatolian Civilisations, Ankara Citadel, Hamamönü and Temple of Augustus. To split it into days and areas without crossing the city back and forth, the Bagintravel app plans your trip in a minute.

What’s the best time to travel to Ankara?

The months with the fewest warnings to travel to Ankara are from April to January.

What day trips can you take from Ankara?

Ankara.

What is the typical food of Ankara?

Ankara tava. The capital’s dish: tender lamb on rice with pine nuts and rice vermicelli (or orzo), baked in a tray with its stock.

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More in Turkey

Guide reviewed 19 October 2026. Places, areas and seasons: the same data the Bagintravel app uses. Sources and method.