Three days through Türkiye's Eastern Black Sea highlands — Trabzon's Pontic mountain valleys, the wooden village + thermal springs of Ayder Yaylası, Pokut + Sal yaylalar (Hemşin highland villages above the cloud line), and lokma (corn-flour) suppers in a misty mountain hut.
Type
Road trip
Mood
Serenity
Days
3
When
Fri–Sun
Season
Best in Mid June – mid September
The itinerary.
3 days · 12 stops
Friday
Day One
TZX Trabzon airport, drive 2h east along the coast then south up the Fırtına valley to Ayder, evening thermal soak.
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TZX → Ayder via Pazar + Çamlıhemşin
Trabzon TZX → 1h east on D010 to Pazar (Rize) → 1h south up the Fırtına valley to Ayder. Rental car essential. The Çamlıhemşin valley road has stone-arch bridges + waterfall stops every few km.
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Forest Hotel Ayder
Family-run wooden chalet hotel in Ayder — 38 rooms with balconies into the cloud forest. Private hammam + Ayder's natural thermal spring water in the spa.
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Ayder thermal springs
55°C alkali springs in the village centre — Ayder Termal Tesisleri has separate men's + women's pools + private cabins. Sessions run 2 hours.
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Nuriye Anne Restaurant — dinner
Ayder local-favourite — muhlama (corn-flour + cheese fondue), trout grilled over corn cobs, Karadeniz pidesi.
TZX → Ayder: 2h via D010 + Çamlıhemşin valley road.
Saturday
Day Two
4WD up to Pokut Yaylası + Sal Yaylası — Hemşin highland villages above the cloud line, lunch at a yayla evi, return to Ayder.
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Ayder → Pokut 4WD
1h up a steep stone road from Ayder (needs high-clearance 4WD or organised tour) — Pokut sits at 2,000 m above the cloud line. Sometimes you drive into clouds + come out on top into sunshine. Organised 4WD tours are available.
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Pokut Yaylası
Traditional wooden Hemşin village — 30 wooden houses on stilts, panoramic Kaçkar mountain view, Tea House at the top for muhlama + tea. June–August only; rest of year, locals descend to the coast.
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Sal Yaylası
30 min from Pokut along a ridge — second classic Hemşin yayla. The yayla evi at the top has 4 rooms if you want to overnight (breakfast included).
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Yayla evi lunch
Wood-stove lokma (deep-fried dough in syrup), tutmaç (lentil + noodle soup), cup of çay. Walk-in only.
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Return Ayder + Gelin Tülü waterfall stop
On the way down, 5-min walk to Gelin Tülü (Bride's Veil) — 80 m thin waterfall down a cliff face. Free.
How many days do you need for Ayder + Hemşin — Eastern Black Sea Highland Road?
3 days. The itinerary runs from Friday to Sunday and covers 12 curated stops across 3 days.
How much does Ayder + Hemşin — Eastern Black Sea Highland Road cost?
Mid-range — comfortable lodging with a mix of paid and free experiences.
Where do you stay during Ayder + Hemşin — Eastern Black Sea Highland Road?
Forest Hotel, Ayder Yaylası is the recommended base for the trip; the full hotel list per day is in the itinerary section.
What's included in the Ayder + Hemşin — Eastern Black Sea Highland Road itinerary?
Day-by-day stops at 12 restaurants, museums, viewpoints and landmarks; transportation hints between each leg; and a hotel base in Ayder Yaylası (thermal spa).
