Aksaray is a province in Central Anatolia (İç Anadolu), Turkey, on the southwestern edge of the Cappadocia region. It is best known for the Ihlara Valley, a 14-kilometre canyon lined with Byzantine rock-cut churches and frescoes, the towering Selime Monastery, and the Sultanhanı Caravanserai, the largest Seljuk han in Turkey. With the volcanic cone of Hasan Mountain on the horizon, the salt expanse of Lake Tuz to the north, and Göreme roughly an hour east, Aksaray serves as an uncrowded gateway to Cappadocia.
Local currency: Turkish Lira (TRY).
Daily budget by traveller style
Typical per-person daily spend in Aksaray.
Cost breakdown
Typical price ranges across major spending categories.
Items
- Typical
Trip budgets by length
What a typical trip to Aksaray costs end-to-end.
Items traveller
Money-saving tips
Practical ways to stretch your budget further.
Purchase the Museumkart (available at major museums; ≈₺900/≈$20 annually) if visiting several state sites in Turkey; it covers the Aksaray Museum, Ihlara, Selime, and Sultanhanı
Travel by dolmuş rather than taxi — the Aksaray–Ihlara dolmuş costs ₺80-120 versus ₺600-800 for a taxi
Stay in an Ihlara or Güzelyurt pension with half-board; village dinners are cheaper and often better than city restaurants
Visit Belisırma restaurants at lunch (mid-morning to 15:00) when trout is freshly cooked and menus include soup; dinner mark-ups apply later
Buy water and snacks from a market (BİM, A101, or Migros in Aksaray city) rather than from valley kiosks — prices are 40-50% lower
Walk the Ihlara Valley section between the main stairs and Belisırma (about 3.5 km) to keep to the ₺340 single-entry ticket; combine Selime only if time and budget allow
Petrol/diesel prices and car hire are lower in Turkey than in Western Europe; a hire car shared between two people is often cheaper than two taxi return trips
Aksaray city hotels drop prices midweek; book Monday–Thursday nights for best rates
Free things to do
Memorable experiences that cost nothing.
Walk the exterior of the Egri Minare (Red Minaret) and the Ulu Mosque, Aksaray city centre
Explore Güzelyurt's stone streets and old Greek houses (town free; Monastery Valley charged separately)
Drive or walk to the shoreline of Lake Tuz for the salt crust and flamingo views (free access)
Visit Asıklı Höyük Neolithic mound near Kızılkaya — open-access archaeological site, no entry fee
Visit Acemhöyük Bronze Age mound near Yeşilova — open-access, no entry fee
Canli Kilise ruined church complex near Akhisar — open access, no fee
Helvadere village and the trailhead of Hasandağı — village free; guided summit trek charged separately
Mamasın Dam reservoir picnic area (free access)
Walk the Yaprakhisar fairy-chimney ridges roadside (free viewpoint)
Wander the Aksaray bazaar and covered market lanes — free and lively on weekdays