MOUNT ARARAT TREKKING TOUR

Day 1: Arrival – Transfer to Dogubayazit

Arrival at Van , Igdir, or  Agri airport  and transfer to Dogubayazit at the foot of Mount Ararat. We will meet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel in Dogubayazit (travel time approximately 2.5 hours). Dinner together and a briefing to prepare for tomorrow’s Ararat climb.

Overnight stay in a 3-star hotel (-/-/A)

• • • Accommodation: 3 Stars Hotel  (Elevation: 1,400m)

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Day 2: Ascent to Camp 1

The drive to the starting point of the Ararat climb takes about an hour and ends at an altitude of approximately 2500 m. Here, your luggage is transferred to the horses, and you begin the ascent towards Camp 1 with your daypack. The hike, including breaks, takes about 5 hours, and you will reach Camp 1 at approximately 3370 m. 

At the Ceven Hut, our cook will prepare a hot dinner for you. You can also enjoy a cold beer and the view of the valley or up to the Ararat summit.

You will stay in small two-person cabins or large, comfortable tents with beds and mattresses – you only need to bring your sleeping bag. Showers and toilets are also available. 

Overnight stay in small 2-person cabins or comfortable tents. The hike lasts approximately 5 hours and involves an ascent of approximately 1,100 meters. (B/L/D)

• Transfer: 60 min
• Trekking:
  • Ascent: 880m (3 hours)
• Accommodation: Tent (Elevation: 3,370m)

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Day 3: Acclimatization day

Today is an acclimatization day to help you adjust to the altitude and ensure a successful Ararat climb. After breakfast, you’ll pack your lunch from the buffet and then ascend towards Camp 2 until you reach an altitude of approximately 4,200 meters. During your rest at Camp 2, you can enjoy your lunch and the view down to Camp 1 and the lowlands around Dogubayazit. Afterwards, you’ll return to Camp 1 along the same route, where you can enjoy a refreshing drink. Dinner will again be freshly prepared for you by our cook, and you’ll spend the night in the small huts or comfortable tents.

• Trekking:
  • Ascent: 600m (2-3 hours)
  • Descend : 600m (1-2 hours)
• Accommodation: Tent (Elevation: 3,370m)

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Day 4: Ascent to Camp 2 ( 4130m)

After breakfast, your bags are loaded onto the horses, and you set off again towards Camp 2 with your daypack. There, at an altitude of approximately 4,200 meters, the high camp is set up, and you enjoy your packed lunch and a hot coffee or tea. In the evening, another hot dinner, prepared by the cook, is served. You will spend the night alone or in pairs in three-person tents, providing ample space. However, the night will be short, as the Ararat climb and summit attempt begin early the next morning.

• Trekking:
  • Ascent : 760m (3-4 hours)
• Accommodation: Tent (Elevation: 4,130m)

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Day 5: Summit Day – Ascend to Mount Ararat (5,137m) & Return to Camp 1

The day begins very early, between 1 and 2 a.m. After a quick breakfast with hot drinks and packing your lunch, the approximately 5-hour ascent towards the summit begins. Headlamps illuminate your path along the steady climb. As you ascend, it gradually gets lighter, and you can glimpse the valley below and see the imposing shadow of Mount Ararat. Shortly before reaching the summit, you put on your crampons and make the final ascent across the glacier to the top at 5,165 meters. After the obligatory summit photo and a brief celebration of your successful Ararat climb, you can enjoy the views stretching towards Armenia, Iran, and Turkey before beginning your descent. 

The descent to Camp 2 takes approximately 3.5 hours, allowing time for a second breakfast before the luggage is loaded back onto the horses and the descent to Camp 1 begins. After another two to three hours, you will reach Camp 1 and have earned a relaxing rest for the rest of the day. 

• Trekking:
  • Ascent: 1,000m (5-6 hours)
  • Descent: 1,760m (4-5 hours)
• Accommodation: Tent (Elevation: 3,370m)

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Day 6: Descent to Dogubayazit

After breakfast and loading the luggage onto the horses, we descend back into the valley. We will be picked up and driven back to our hotel in Dogubayazit. Back at the hotel, a refreshing shower and fresh lahmacun (Turkish pizza) await us. In the afternoon, we travel to the supposed site of Noah’s Ark, which is about a half-hour drive from Dogubayazit. Afterward, we visit the Ishak Pasha Palace, which overlooks the city and was once an important trading and customs hub on the ancient Silk Road. At dinner in a lovely Kurdish restaurant, you can reflect on your Ararat climb and share your impressions and photos.

• Trekking:
  • Descent: 870m (2 hours)
• Transfer: (1 hours)
• Accommodation: 3Stars Hotel (Elevation: 1,300m)

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Day 7: Farewell

Depending on your departure time, after breakfast you will travel from Doğubayazıt to the airport for your return flight home. If you have an early flight, you can have breakfast on the plane.