It is about 50-55 kilometers from Van Airport to Akdamar Pier. The journey takes about an hour. You can park your car in the parking lot near the pier.
An interesting point: you need to buy a museum ticket or a museum card on the shore. There is no ticket office on the island anymore. I have issued a museum card because I have a tourist card. It cost about 700 lira and turned out to be a profitable option because it allows you to visit many museums in Turkey throughout the year.
After that, I went down to the pier and bought a boat ticket. It cost 300 lire, and you could only pay in cash. It was good that I had the money with me.
The trip to the island takes about 15 minutes. Despite the hot weather on the shore, it was quite cool on the water. I had a windbreaker with me, so there were no problems, but many passengers were obviously frozen. Even in summer, it’s better to take a light jacket with you.
When the boat arrives on the island, there are no additional checks. You can safely walk around the territory and return on any convenient flight.
I liked the island itself. The main attraction is the Armenian Church of the Holy Cross (Akdamar Kilisesi). It looks very beautiful against the background of the lake and mountains. I even met a turtle nearby, which was quietly crawling near the church.
The island offers beautiful views of Lake Van. There is a picturesque bay, several walking paths and good viewing points for photos.
You won’t be able to completely bypass the island. Approximately 40 percent of the territory is closed to the public and fenced off. However, all the most interesting and photogenic things are available without restrictions.
Overall, it’s a very pleasant place to spend a couple of hours. If you are traveling around Lake Van, then Akdamar Island is definitely worth a visit.
After a walk around the island, I returned to the mainland, got in the car and set off further towards the Nemrut volcano, which became the next point of my route through eastern Turkey.
