Things to do in Aksaray

Aksaray is not a destination in its own right, and this page will not pretend otherwise. It is a provincial town about 1 h 30 from Göreme, useful mainly as a supply stop and road marker for two trips that actually matter: Ihlara Valley, whose main entrance stairway lies roughly 30 minutes further on, and Tuz Gölü, the salt lake, a similar distance beyond that.

Aksaray also sits close to the Sultanhanı caravanserai, a 13th-century Seljuk trading post around 45 minutes from town and a reasonable stop if you are driving the loop yourself rather than joining a fixed-route minibus tour. The town centre has petrol stations, supermarkets, and roadside restaurants, nothing that justifies a special detour from Göreme.

Treat it as a fuel and toilet break between the volcanic peak of Hasan Dağı and the valley floor, not as a sight.