Ayder Yaylasi Tour

Turkish Delights on the Way to the Highlands

The tour's first stop is for Turkish delight, sampled at a shop along the road out of Trabzon before the route climbs into the hills. Guests can taste a few varieties and buy some to take along for the rest of the day. This stop sits early in the itinerary, giving the group a short pause before the longer drive toward Firtina Valley and Ayder begins in earnest. It is a brief, low-key start compared with the more active stops later in the day, more about a taste of local produce than a sight to explore.

Rize Cloths and Local Craft

Further along the route, the coach stops where traditional Rize cloths are displayed and sold, a craft associated with this stretch of the Black Sea coast around Rize province. The patterned fabric is a recognised local product, distinct from generic souvenirs found in more general tourist areas. Guests can browse the cloths on offer before continuing toward Firtina Valley, where the day's more active stops begin. Like the Turkish delight stop earlier, this is a short pause rather than a guided visit, timed to break up the drive into the mountains.

Entering Firtina Valley

The road then enters Firtina Valley, a steep river valley running down from the Kaçkar mountains toward the coast, with the water running fast over rocks along much of its length. The valley narrows as the road climbs, with forested slopes rising sharply on either side above the river. This is where the tour's more active stops are based, built around the river itself rather than a single fixed site. Firtina Valley marks the shift from the coastal and craft stops earlier in the day to the more physical section of the itinerary that follows.

Rafting, Zipline and Swings in Firtina Valley

Within Firtina Valley, optional activities are available for guests who want to add something more active to the day, including river rafting, a zipline and rope swings set up along the valley. These activities sit apart from the core itinerary, so guests can choose to take part or continue straight through the valley toward the waterfalls and Ayder. The fast-moving river and the terrain around it make the valley a natural setting for this kind of activity, distinct from the calmer photo stops elsewhere on the tour. Suitable clothing that can get wet is worth having ready for anyone planning to join in.

Çamlıhemşin Waterfalls

Past Firtina Valley, the route passes a series of waterfalls near Çamlıhemşin, where water drops down through the forested hillside close to the road. These waterfalls form a natural stop on the way up to Ayder, giving the group a chance to see the water at close range without a long detour from the main route. The setting here is noticeably damp and green, with spray from the falls reaching the path in places. This stop sits between the activity section in Firtina Valley and the final climb up to Ayder itself.

Arriving in Ayder

The road continues climbing until it reaches Ayder, a highland plateau set among steep, forested slopes at altitude above the valley below. Wooden buildings and guesthouses line parts of the plateau, built into the hillside in a style distinct from the towns along the coast. Ayder is known for its cooler climate and misty mountain scenery, a contrast to the warmer, more humid conditions down at sea level in Trabzon. Once the coach parks here, the schedule opens up into unstructured time, with the day's last two photo stops still ahead once the group reconvenes.

Free Time in the Ayder Highlands

Once in Ayder, time is left unstructured so guests can walk around the plateau, browse the shops selling local honey and tea, or simply sit and take in the mountain air. This is the main open period of the day, coming after the drive through Firtina Valley and before the final stops at the waterfall and bridge. Guests are free to decide how to divide the time between walking, resting or shopping, rather than following a further guided stop. The guide confirms when the group needs to reassemble before continuing to Gelintülü Waterfall.

Gelintülü Waterfall and the Old Stone Bridge

Before leaving the highlands, the group stops at Gelintülü Waterfall, a dedicated photo point where the water drops down a rock face close to the road. From there, the tour continues to an old stone bridge nearby, another fixed stop built into the day's itinerary rather than somewhere guests explore at length. Both stops are brief, positioned to close out the visit to the Ayder area with two of its more photographed features before the coach turns back toward Trabzon. Together they mark the final highland scenery of the day before the drive down begins.

Who the Ayder Yaylasi Tour Suits

Group travel is how this tour runs, with one coach and one guide covering the craft stops, Firtina Valley and the Ayder highlands across a single day, which suits travellers who prefer an organised itinerary to arranging their own transport. The optional rafting, zipline and swings in Firtina Valley appeal in particular to guests looking for an active element alongside the scenery, while the free time in Ayder suits those who would rather walk at their own pace. Families travelling together can pick and choose which optional activities to join, since the valley stop does not require everyone to take part.

Booking the Ayder Yaylasi Tour with Haqqi Tours

Haqqi Tours puts the Ayder Yaylasi Tour on the calendar every day from Trabzon, with collection and return at city centre hotels forming part of what is booked. Ahead of any payment, our desk writes out the pickup slot and the fixed cost, and stays available afterwards on WhatsApp in Arabic and English for questions about the route or the optional activities in Firtina Valley. Since the coach follows one timetable across several hotels, guests are asked to gather at their agreed collection point in the morning rather than wait for a call.