Türkiye’s enchanting winter fairy tale is back on the rails: The iconic Touristic Eastern Express has made its inaugural run of the 2025-2026 season, promising stunning snow-draped vistas across the Anatolian heartland until March 1 next year.
Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu joined travelers in the capital Ankara to officially flag off the inaugural journey on Dec. 22, marking a celebrated start to this year’s winter season.
The iconic train is a prominent rail journey between Ankara and the eastern province of Kars.
Designed specifically for sightseeing, it offers long cultural stops at historic cities and features sleeping cars that provide front-row seats to Türkiye’s most breathtaking winter landscapes.
Uraloğlu said the express will operate a total of 60 round trips during the season, carrying 10,800 passengers.
“The train will run on the Ankara–Kars route on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between Dec. 22, 2025 and Feb. 27, 2026, and on the Kars–Ankara route on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays until March 1, 2026,” he said.
Covering approximately 1,360 kilometers, the journey lasts about 33 hours, including sightseeing stops.
On the Ankara–Kars route, the train stops for 2.5 hours in the eastern city of Erzincan and four hours in another eastern province of Erzurum.
On the return trip, it stops for three hours in Erzincan’s town of İliç, 2.5 hours in the town of Divriği in the central province of Sivas and three hours in the city center, giving passengers time to explore historical and cultural landmarks.
The train is made up of eight sleeping cars, each with 10 compartments, and one dining car, with a total capacity of 160 passengers. Each sleeping compartment accommodates two people.
Uraloğlu noted that the service has hosted more than 81,000 passengers since 2019, becoming one of Türkiye’s most recognized tourism rail services, especially popular among young travelers and nature lovers.
Tickets are available through individual sales and organized tour packages.
Individual tickets are available through the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) official sales channels, while package tours can be purchased from authorized travel agencies.
For sleeping compartments accommodating two passengers, Ankara–Kars tickets are priced at 14,000 Turkish Liras ($326) until Jan. 14, while Kars–Ankara tickets start at 12,000 liras ($280).
From Jan. 16 onward, prices will increase to 17,000 liras ($397) for departures from Ankara and 15,000 liras ($350) for departures from Kars.
