Green valleys, tea on the hills and wooden houses in the clouds. The plan lands in Trabzon and drives east, sleeping somewhere new each night; Rize–Artvin Airport is an hour from Ayder for the flight home.
Trabzon & Sumela · Trabzon
10:00
Land in Trabzon, pick up the carThe highlands need one: the roads are good, but winding.
12:00
1Sumela MonasteryBuilt into a cliff 1,200 metres up, an hour from the city; a steep 20-minute walk from the car park.Open in Maps
19:00
Dinner in TrabzonAkçaabat köfte, and a plate of hamsi if it's the season (winter).
Uzungöl · Uzungöl
09:00
Drive to UzungölAbout two hours: east along the coast, then up the valley from Of.
12:00
2Walk around the lakeA flat 45-minute loop, with the mosque and the wooden houses mirrored in the water.Open in Maps
15:00
2Up the road above the villageA short drive up gives the view over the lake and the whole valley.Open in Maps
19:00
2Trout by the lakeFresh from the streams, cooked in the pan or on the grill.Open in Maps
The Fırtına Valley & Ayder · Ayder
09:00
Drive to ÇamlıhemşinAbout two hours, past Rize; the tea gardens start on the hills by the coast.
11:30
3Stone bridges to ZilkaleThe road follows the Fırtına stream past arched bridges to a castle on a rock above the valley.Open in Maps
15:00
4Ayder plateauWooden houses on green slopes, and waterfalls. The hot springs are good after the drive.Open in Maps
19:00
4Muhlama for dinnerCheese melted with cornflour and butter: the highlands' dish.Open in Maps
1 Sumela Monastery2 Uzungöl3 Zilkale4 Ayder
This is the kind of plan I write. Tell me yours, where, when and who's coming, and I'll check the roads, the stays, the weather and the costs.