# Private Bitlis and Ahlat Tour

Canonical: https://tubostravelturkey.com/travel/private-bitlis-ahlat-tour/
Site: Tubos Travel – https://tubostravelturkey.com/
Language: en
Also described in: de, fr, es, it, pt, nl, ru, zh-CN, tr, ar, hi
Categories: BİTLİS, Turkey Tours
Last updated: 2026-11-04
Summary: A private one-day tour covering Bitlis Castle, Ihlasiye Madrasa and the Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery, with hotel pick-up and a licensed guide.

## Overview

This Ahlat private tour takes one day, with pick-up and drop-off at your hotel in Bitlis. A licensed guide, a minivan with driver, lunch and entrance fees are included. The morning covers Bitlis Castle from the bazaar and the Ihlasiye Madrasa. The afternoon goes to the Seljuk Cemetery at Ahlat on Lake Van, with Nemrut Crater Lake as a summer addition.

## Tour highlights

**[Bitlis Castle](https://tubostravelturkey.com/travel/bitlis-castle/):** The upper citadel is closed during archaeological and restoration work, so the visit centers on the outer ramparts seen from the bazaar.

**[Ihlasiye Madrasa](https://tubostravelturkey.com/travel/ihlasiye-madrasa/):** A cut-stone Seljuk theological school founded in 1216 and restored in 1589, beside several tombs of the Şerefhanoğulları dynasty.

**[Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery](https://tubostravelturkey.com/travel/ahlat-seljuk-cemetery/):** An open-air site on the northwestern shore of Lake Van, known for its carved volcanic stelae, some about 4 meters tall.

**[Nemrut Crater Lake](https://tubostravelturkey.com/travel/nemrut-crater-lake/):** A lake inside a volcanic caldera, reached by mountain road from Ahlat or Tatvan, and open to visitors only from May to October.

## Itinerary

### Itinerary

Your guide collects you from your hotel in Bitlis. The first stop is [Bitlis Castle](https://tubostravelturkey.com/travel/bitlis-castle/), a fortress on a steep rock between two streams in the center of town. The upper citadel is closed while archaeological and restoration work continues, so you look at the stone ramparts from the bazaar and the streets below. Next is the [Ihlasiye Madrasa](https://tubostravelturkey.com/travel/ihlasiye-madrasa/), founded in 1216 and restored in 1589, which stands close to the castle.

After that the car heads to Ahlat. Lunch is at a local restaurant with a soft drink. Then you visit the [Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery](https://tubostravelturkey.com/travel/ahlat-seljuk-cemetery/), where you can walk among the carved stelae at your own pace because the tour is private. From May to October, the guide can add [Nemrut Crater Lake](https://tubostravelturkey.com/travel/nemrut-crater-lake/) on the mountain road, with a later finish confirmed in your quote, since the national park closes each winter. The day ends with the drop-off at your hotel in Bitlis.

## Included

Lunch at a local restaurant with a soft drink.

Comfortable minivan and experienced driver.

Professional tourist guide licensed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Entrance fees to the museums and sites.

Local taxes, parking and fuel.

Highway tolls.

## Not included

Optional tours.

Tips.

Flights or other travel to Bitlis.

## Details

Tours start between 9:30 and 10:00 am and finish between 4:00 and 5:00 pm.

Hotel pick-up and drop-off in new comfortable vehicles sized for the group.

Private tour, so stops and pace can change with the guide.

Price is on request for your dates and group size.

Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a layer, since the castle and cemetery stops are outdoors. Modest clothing suits the madrasa and the cemetery.

Cancellation terms are in our [cancellation and refund policy](https://tubostravelturkey.com/cancellation-and-refund-policy/).

## Who this tour suits

This tour suits travelers who want one focused day on Seljuk stonework without joining a group. Readers of medieval history will find the Ahlat cemetery the main draw, because its carved stones cover several centuries of tombs. Bitlis Castle and the Ihlasiye Madrasa suit visitors who like to study a building closely and who do not mind walking on town streets. Since the tour is private, you decide how long to stay at each stop and whether to add the crater lake. Travelers who have already seen the rock-cut churches of Cappadocia will notice a different material here, because Ahlat's tombstones are carved from volcanic stone.

## Season, road access and the trip to Bitlis

Nemrut Crater Lake is open from about May to October and closes each winter because of heavy snow. The castle's upper citadel stays closed while restoration work continues, so the castle visit is an outside walk. Flights are not part of the price. Tell us your arrival airport and time when you ask for a price, and we plan the pick-up around them. Because the crater stop depends on the season, we confirm it when we set your date, and the rest of the day runs the same way without it.

## Frequently asked questions

**How do I get a price for this Bitlis tour?**

Price is on request for your dates and group size. Send us a WhatsApp message on +90 544 674 42 28 with your travel date, your hotel in Bitlis and the number of travelers, and we reply with a price.

**Can I go inside Bitlis Castle?**

Not at present. The upper citadel stays closed while archaeological and restoration work continues. Your guide shows you the outer walls from the bazaar side and explains the castle's history at each viewpoint, so the visit still covers the main fortress.

**Is Nemrut Crater Lake part of every Bitlis tour?**

No. The lake lies up a mountain road from Ahlat or Tatvan, and the national park is open from May to October. Outside those months the stop does not happen, and the day still covers the castle, the madrasa and the Ahlat cemetery.

**Are lunch and entrance fees included?**

Yes. The price includes lunch at a local restaurant with a soft drink, entrance fees to the museums and sites, and local taxes, parking and fuel. Tips, optional tours and flights to Bitlis are not included.

**What should I wear or bring?**

Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a layer for the outdoor stops. Modest clothing suits the madrasa and the cemetery. Sun protection helps on the open ground at Ahlat in warm months.

## Summaries in other languages

- de: Eine private Tagestour mit Abholung und Rückbringung am Hotel in Bitlis. Am Vormittag stehen die Burg von Bitlis, vom Basar aus gesehen, und die Ihlasiye Medrese auf dem Programm. Am Nachmittag geht es zum seldschukischen Friedhof in Ahlat am Van See, im Sommer ergänzt durch den Nemrut Kratersee.
- fr: Un circuit privé d'une journée avec prise en charge et dépose à votre hôtel de Bitlis. La matinée couvre le château de Bitlis, vu depuis le bazar, et la madrasa Ihlasiye. L'après-midi mène au cimetière seldjoukide d'Ahlat, sur le lac de Van, avec le lac de cratère du Nemrut en option l'été.
- es: Un tour privado de un día con recogida y regreso a su hotel en Bitlis. Por la mañana se visita el castillo de Bitlis, visto desde el bazar, y la madrasa Ihlasiye. Por la tarde se llega al cementerio selyúcida de Ahlat, junto al lago Van, con el lago cráter de Nemrut como opción en verano.
- it: Un tour privato di un giorno con prelievo e rientro al vostro hotel a Bitlis. La mattina tocca il castello di Bitlis, visto dal bazar, e la madrasa Ihlasiye. Il pomeriggio raggiunge il cimitero selgiuchide di Ahlat sul lago di Van, con il lago craterico del Nemrut in estate.
- pt: Um passeio privado de um dia com busca e retorno ao seu hotel em Bitlis. A manhã cobre o castelo de Bitlis, visto do bazar, e a madraçal Ihlasiye. A tarde segue para o cemitério seljúcida de Ahlat, no lago Van, com o lago da cratera de Nemrut como extra no verão.
- nl: Een privétour van één dag met ophalen en terugbrengen bij uw hotel in Bitlis. De ochtend gaat naar het kasteel van Bitlis, gezien vanaf de bazaar, en de Ihlasiye madrasa. De middag gaat naar de Seltsjoekse begraafplaats in Ahlat aan het Vanmeer, met in de zomer het kratermeer van de Nemrut als extra.
- ru: Частная экскурсия на один день с трансфером от отеля в Битлисе и обратно. Утром осмотр крепости Битлис, которую видно с базара, и медресе Ихласие. Днем поездка на сельджукское кладбище в Ахлате на озере Ван, а летом можно добавить кратерное озеро Немрут.
- zh-CN: 为期一天的私人游览，从毕特利斯的酒店接送。上午参观从集市望去的毕特利斯城堡和伊赫拉西耶神学院；下午前往凡湖畔阿赫拉特的塞尔柱墓地，夏季可加访努姆鲁特火山口湖。
- tr: Bitlis'teki otelinizden alınıp bırakılmasını içeren, bir gün süren özel tur. Sabah çarşıdan görünen Bitlis Kalesi ile İhlasiye Medresesi gezilir. Öğleden sonra Van Gölü kıyısındaki Ahlat'ta Selçuklu Mezarlığı'na gidilir; yazın Nemrut Krater Gölü de eklenebilir.
- ar: جولة خاصة مدتها يوم واحد مع استقبال من فندقك في بتليس وإعادتك إليه. يشمل الصباح قلعة بتليس التي تُرى من السوق ومدرسة الإخلاصية. ويذهب بعد الظهر إلى مقبرة السلاجقة في أحلات على بحيرة وان، ويمكن إضافة بحيرة نمرود الكراتيرية في الصيف.
- hi: बिटलिस में आपके होटल से लेने और वापस छोड़ने वाला एक दिन का निजी टूर। सुबह बाज़ार से दिखने वाला बिटलिस किला और इहलासिये मदरसा देखे जाते हैं। दोपहर को वैन झील के किनारे अहलात के सेल्जुक कब्रिस्तान जाया जाता है, गर्मियों में नेमरुत क्रेटर झील भी जोड़ी जा सकती है।

## Images

- https://tubostravelturkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/bitlis-castle.jpg — Bitlis Castle – Round towers and stone walls perched on rocky cliffs. Photo: Dosseman, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- https://tubostravelturkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/154c3920519a85.jpg — 154c3920519a85
- https://tubostravelturkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ahlat-seljuk-cemetery.jpg — Ahlat Seljuk Cemetery – Wide view of tall carved Seljuk tombstones in a row at Ahlat Cemetery. Photo: Zorka Sojka, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- https://tubostravelturkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Bitlis-Van-Golu-2-02640-scaled.jpg — Bitlis-Van-Gölü-2-02640
- https://tubostravelturkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/nemrut-crater-lake.jpg — Nemrut Crater Lake – Blue waters of Nemrut Crater Lake with a rocky islet and green shoreline. Photo: Nursena Doğan, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
- https://tubostravelturkey.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/mount-nemrut-crater-lake.jpg — Nemrut Crater Lake – Wide panoramic view of Nemrut Caldera showing both the green and blue lakes. Photo: Safaksepboy, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

## Sources

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nemrut
- https://ich.unesco.org/en/USL/traditional-ahlat-stonework-01879
- https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%B0hlasiye_Medresesi
- https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahlat_Sel%C3%A7uklu_Mezarl%C4%B1%C4%9F%C4%B1

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