Çukurçayır

Day Trips

Arrive in Erzurum and take a scenic transfer through pine-lined hills to Çukurçayır, absorbing the crisp mountain air and rugged landscape. Unpack in your traditional stone guesthouse and catch your first glimpses of the snow-dusted peaks surrounding the valley. Settle in with a warm çay by the window as you plan your upcoming adventures.

Stroll through the narrow lanes of Çukurçayır, greeting friendly locals and admiring hand-painted doorways and ornate window grilles. Explore a small family-run carpet workshop to learn about age-old weaving traditions passed down through generations. Cap the walk with a stop at a courtyard café for freshly baked gözleme and a swirl of pomegranate molasses.

Dine on tender cağ kebab at a cozy lokanta, enjoying conversations with the chef about regional spices. Finish the night with a cup of salep beside a crackling fireplace as the echo of distant village dogs fades into the mountain hush. Drift to sleep under layers of soft wool blankets, ready for tomorrow’s discoveries.

Depart early for the city center and visit the twin-minaret Çifte Minareli Medrese, its blue-tiled portal gleaming in the morning sun. Wander across Atatürk University’s elegant courtyards and breathe in centuries of scholarly tradition. Pause for an aromatic Turkish coffee at a café overlooking the ancient city walls.

Head to Yakutiye Medrese to admire its elaborate brickwork and explore the small museum of Ottoman calligraphy and manuscripts. Shop for Oltu stone jewelry in the nearby bazaars, where local artisans carve each piece by hand. Sample midye dolma (stuffed mussels) from a street vendor and watch merchants barter over bolts of ikat fabric.

Watch the sunset from the ramparts of Erzurum Castle, the silhouette of its turrets cutting a dramatic outline against the sky. Savor a hearty bowl of ayran aşı, a cooling yogurt soup studded with herbs and chickpeas, at a traditional tea garden. Return to Çukurçayır under a canopy of stars, the moonlight shimmering on frost-tipped pines.

Fuel up with a plate of kaygana (savory Turkish pancake) before heading to the Palandöken ski slopes for a dawn ski session. Feel the rush of fresh powder beneath your skis while the sunrise bathes the peaks in pink and gold. Warm up mid-morning with hot apple tea and simit at the mountaintop café.

Switch gears to a guided snowshoe hike through silent pine forests, listening for the crack of ice and glimpsing hardy mountain birds. Stop at a clearing for a picnic of sucuklu sandviç (spicy sausage sandwich) and admire panoramic views toward Mount Erciyes. Learn about local flora from your guide and gather fragrant spruce tips for tea.

Relax your muscles in a natural hot spring spa back in Çukurçayır, letting mineral-rich waters soothe every ache. Indulge in a flowing Turkish bath ceremony, complete with exfoliating kese scrub and foam massage. End the day with a light meze spread and live folk music at a riverside teahouse.

Set out in a private 4×4 over rugged roads to the commanding Tortum Waterfall, one of Turkey’s highest cascades. Feel the spray mist on your face as you stand beside the thunderous rush of water crashing into the gorge. Photograph rainbows arching through the mist and listen to the roar echoing off moss-covered cliffs.

Descend to the valley floor for a riverside picnic of bazlama (flatbread) stuffed with fresh kaymak and local honey. Explore the adjacent Tortum Lake by canoe, gliding past forested shorelines and spotting kingfishers darting above the water. Enjoy the hush of the highlands, broken only by lapping waves and birdcalls.

Return to Çukurçayır and join a hands-on lesson to make manti, the region’s signature dumplings, from scratch. Share stories around a long wooden table as everyone shapes tiny parcels of dough and ground lamb. Feast on your own creations, drizzled with garlic-yogurt sauce and melted butter infused with Aleppo pepper.

Drive east into the surreal lunar landscape of Narman Peri Bacaları, where tall basalt pinnacles rise like ancient sentinels. Hike through narrow slots and discover secret alcoves carved into the soft volcanic tuff. Let the morning light bring out the warm reds and dusky purples of the rocky spires.

Join a local guide for an off-trail scramble to hidden viewpoints, learning folklore about the “fairy creatures” said to inhabit these formations. Break for a cliffside lunch of keşkek (hearty wheat and meat porridge) cooked in a traditional iron cauldron. Tour a nearby village to see how residents carve homes directly into the sculpted stone walls.

Watch the sun set behind the fairy chimneys as you sip freshly brewed mint tea warmed over a small fire. Participate in a shadow-puppet show inside a cavernous rock shelter, listening to tales of local heroes and legends. Fall asleep under a blanket of stars, feeling the hush of the deserted valley around you.

Travel to a hillside hamlet just beyond Çukurçayır for a morning of daily life alongside friendly villagers. Help gather eggs from free-range chickens and hand-grind wheat using an ancient millstone. Sample creamy fresh cheese made that very morning by a smiling grandmother.

Join neighbors in the garden to pick juicy heirloom tomatoes and aromatic herbs for lunch. Roll up your sleeves in a rustic kitchen to prepare gözleme, flipping each thin pancake on a wood-fired saj. Sit with the extended family at a communal wooden table, sharing stories as you eat.

Help host a small outdoor feast by candlelight, where kebabs sizzle over hot coals and a simmering pot of muhlama (cheesy cornmeal dish) bubbles. Learn to dance the spirited çiftetelli under a starry sky as live saz music drifts across the village green. Drift back to Çukurçayır in a horse-drawn cart, lulled by the rhythmic clip-clop of hooves.

Head south to Lake Çobandede, a serene high-altitude basin ringed by grazing flocks. Walk the lakeshore, noticing water lilies drifting on placid mirror-green waters. Spot mountain goats picking their way along rocky outcrops far above.

Board a small fishing boat for an attempt at trout fishing, guided by a patient local angler. Share stories over a lakeside picnic of smoked fish sandwiches and cool ayran. Trek to a nearby thermal grotto to soak in warm mineral-rich pools carved into volcanic rock.

Return to your guesthouse for a restorative Turkish-style massage, easing any stiffness from the day’s hike. Gather around a low table for a hearty pot of lentil soup and steaming flatbread. Relax over storytelling by lantern light, as your host recounts tales of shepherds and hidden spring blessings.

Begin in Çukurçayır’s bustling weekly bazaar, weaving between stalls piled high with dried fruits, olives, and aromatic spices. Chat with vendors about regional saffron and locally harvested sumac berries. Pick up a bundle of fresh herbs as you watch locals haggle in rapid, musical Turkish.

Under the guidance of a master chef, learn to prepare a multi-course Erzurum feast, from spicy ezme salad to gözde (hand-pulled noodles in meat broth). Taste each dish as you go, marvelling at how simple ingredients transform into layered flavors. Photograph every step to preserve the culinary secrets shared in this private cookery school.

Sample your creations alongside homemade şıra (light fermented grape juice) on a terrace overlooking the valley. Exchange toasts and laughter with your chef-instructor as dusk deepens into night. Wander back along lantern-lit lanes, your pockets heavy with market finds.

Return to the bazaar square for a hands-on pottery workshop, shaping earthenware on a traditional kick wheel led by a third-generation artisan. Feel the cool clay spin beneath your fingers as you form mugs and bowls reflecting the valley’s colors. Gift your creations to your host family as a token of gratitude.

Join a carpet-weaving collective in opening up the centuries-old looms that produced Çukurçayır’s distinctive patterns. Learn how natural dyes—from pomegranate skins to walnut husks—create jewel-tone reds and deep blues. Weave a small decorative panel, each knot connecting you to local heritage.

Attend a folk music performance in an open-air courtyard, the haunting strains of the kemence (bowed fiddle) echoing under ancient trees. Dance along to regional çaydaçıra tunes as minstrels invite audience participation. Conclude the day with a shared baklava and hot tea by a crackling fire pit.

Spend a slow final morning wandering back through your favorite Çukurçayır lanes, revisiting hidden courtyards and savoring one last simit from the bakery. Sit by the river to journal impressions of your journey, sketching the outline of distant peaks. Pack souvenirs—hand-woven textiles, carved spoons, and jars of local honey—with care.

Enjoy a farewell lunch featuring slow-braised testi kebabı, a specialty cooked in a sealed clay pot smashed open at your table. Share laughs and stories with new friends as leftovers are passed around. Drive back to Erzurum Airport, soaking up last glimpses of the pine-covered slopes and stone rooftops.

Catch your evening flight home as the valley lights flicker on below and the silhouettes of minarets fade into the night. Recall the warmth of Çukurçayır’s hospitality and the rugged beauty of its highland scenery. Carry memories of shared meals, mountain air, and ancient stones tucked safely in your heart.