Artvin, Turkey 7 Day Itinerary

A dam finished in 2022 now drowns the valley floor where old Yusufeli town once stood, and the entire community was rebuilt on higher ground nearby, which means any itinerary written before that year is describing a town that partly no longer exists in its original form. Artvin province rewards travellers who accept it’s a driving destination first, a hiking destination second, and nowhere near Istanbul in either direction.

Day 1: Arrival and Artvin city

  • The nearest airport is Trabzon (TZX), roughly 215 kilometres and 3.5 to 4 hours by road, though the newer Rize-Artvin Airport (RZV) on the coast can cut that drive time depending on flight availability. Rent a car at either airport since public transport through the mountains is infrequent and slow.
  • The drive itself is the first attraction: build in stops for the Rize tea gardens and the Hopa coastline rather than rushing straight through, which turns a 4-hour transfer into a full scenic day.
  • Settle into a hotel in Artvin city, perched dramatically on a hillside above the Coruh valley.
  • Dinner at a local restaurant for Hamsili Pilav if you’re near the coast, or hand-made Artvin cheese borek inland; the region’s Georgian and Black Sea culinary overlap shows up clearly on most local menus.
  • Opinion: don’t try to reach Artvin city on the same day as an international flight unless it lands by early afternoon. The mountain roads are not ones you want to drive tired or in the dark on your first attempt.

Day 2: Coruh Valley and whitewater

  • Morning exploring Artvin city itself, including the old quarter’s steep lanes and the Artvin Museum for a compact overview of the region’s Georgian, Laz, and Ottoman-era layers.
  • The Coruh River, running through the province, is rated among the world’s better whitewater rafting rivers, and the stretch between Yusufeli and Artvin covers around 100 kilometres of serious rapids; book with a licensed local operator rather than an informal roadside offer.
  • Afternoon at a Coruh viewpoint above the gorge rather than a specific “castle” attraction; several roadside pullouts along the highway give better unobstructed views than any single built site.
  • Dinner back in Artvin city.
  • Opinion: only attempt the rafting section if you have real whitewater experience or go with a guide who genuinely vets your ability first. This isn’t a gentle float; sections here are legitimately technical.

Day 3: Yusufeli, rebuilt

  • Drive to Yusufeli, relocated to higher ground after the completion of the Yusufeli Dam in 2022, Turkey’s tallest arch dam at 275 metres, which flooded the historic town center and displaced thousands of residents. The new town is functional but still finding its footing; expect a mix of modern construction and transplanted historic buildings.
  • Correction to older guides: there is no “Surmene Lake” near Yusufeli and no “Archeopolis” ruins in this area; both appear to be confusion with sites hundreds of kilometres away. What’s actually here is the dramatic new reservoir itself and the surrounding gorge landscape, plus access points for the Kackar range to the north.
  • Lunch in Yusufeli’s new town center, trying Karadeniz-style grilled dishes.
  • Afternoon exploring the valley roads toward the Kackar foothills, with pullouts offering views over both the new reservoir and the older stone bridges that survived relocation.
  • Opinion: go into this day with adjusted expectations. The old Yusufeli that appears in a decade of guidebook photos is genuinely gone under the reservoir, and treating the new town as a living relocation story is more honest than expecting the historic charm those older photos promised.

Day 4: Kackar Mountains

  • Head toward the Kackar Mountains National Park, whose peak reaches 3,972 metres, the highest point in Turkey’s Black Sea range. The classic multi-day trans-Kackar route runs from Yaylalar village on the Artvin side to the Ayder plateau on the Rize side, but a single well-chosen day hike from Yaylalar covers dramatic alpine scenery without committing to the full traverse.
  • Yaylas, the high summer pastures grazed by semi-nomadic herders, come alive with wildflowers from June through August; several villages here still run on a seasonal migration pattern that predates any tourism infrastructure.
  • Hire a local guide in Yaylalar or nearby villages if you’re not an experienced mountain hiker; trail markings above the treeline are inconsistent.
  • Dinner back at a village guesthouse or return to Yusufeli for the night.
  • Opinion: this is the best single day of the whole week. Do not skip it for a rest day; the yaylas in early summer are the actual reason to come to Artvin province at all.

Day 5: Tortum Lake and waterfall

  • Drive toward the Erzurum-Artvin highway to Tortum Lake and its waterfall in the Uzundere district, technically just across the provincial line but a natural extension of any Artvin road trip. At 48 metres, it’s among Turkey’s tallest waterfalls, though it runs at full force only briefly in May and June when snowmelt raises the lake; visit outside that window and expect a much thinner flow.
  • The lake itself, formed by an ancient landslide damming the valley, offers boat tours and lakeside viewpoints separate from the waterfall stop.
  • Lunch at a lakeside restaurant serving fresh trout, a regional specialty given the cold mountain water.
  • Return to Artvin city or a valley guesthouse for the evening.
  • Opinion: check recent water-level reports before committing a whole day to the waterfall. Outside peak snowmelt season it’s a modest trickle, and the lake itself is the more reliable draw.

Day 6: Slower valley day

  • Spend the morning in a smaller Coruh valley village, watching daily life rather than chasing another named sight; this region rewards unhurried mornings over long checklists.
  • Visit a local producer of Artvin’s regional honey or cheese if your guide or hotel can arrange it; small-scale producers here rarely have formal shopfronts but usually welcome visitors.
  • Afternoon back in Artvin city for any shopping or a final walk through the old quarter.
  • Dinner at your best-rated meal of the trip so far, revisited if you found one worth repeating.
  • Opinion: resist the urge to cram one more day trip in here. The driving fatigue from five days of mountain roads catches up fast, and a lighter day sets you up better for the return journey.

Day 7: Departure

  • Depart in the morning with a full buffer for the drive back to Trabzon or Rize-Artvin airport; mountain roads are unpredictable with weather, and a delay here can genuinely cost you a flight.
  • Fill the tank before leaving the valley; fuel stations thin out noticeably on the mountain stretches.
  • Keep cash on hand for smaller village stops along the return route, since card acceptance drops off outside the main towns.