Rize Highlands: How to Plan the Ayder, Pokut, Sal, and Gito Route?

First Rize I had planned my mountain tour terribly. I had intended to land in Ardeşen in the morning, visit Ayder, Pokut, and Gito that same day, and return to Trabzon in the evening. The distances looked short on the map. The result: I only managed to go up to Ayder that day, and to make matters worse, I couldn't even properly see the waterfall because of the fog that descended in the afternoon. As we were descending to Ardeşen in the evening, the driver next to me said, "You guys... IstanbulThose who come from [place name] always do it like this,” he said.

He was right. In the Black Sea region, the distance on the map can be misleading. The distance between Çamlıhemşin and Pokut appears to be 20 kilometers, but that journey takes an hour and a half, and the return trip is just as long. Two mountain plateaus in one day, and that's only if you're lucky.

I wrote this article so you wouldn't make that mistake. Below, I describe the route covering Ayder, Pokut, Sal, and Gito, day by day, hour by hour, including which vehicle to use and where to sleep. These four places are in the same region but not on the same branch, and that's the key point.

First, understand the geography.

The entire route planning process begins with visualizing this map in your mind.

Çamlıhemşin is the center of everything. This small town, which you reach when you go up from Ardeşen, is the gateway to all four plateaus. From here, the road splits into three.

The first route goes to Ayder. It's paved, easy, the route everyone takes. After Ayder, it continues to Kavrun and Huser.

The second branch goes from the Storm Valley to Şenyuva, and from there to Pokut and Sal. Zilkale is also on this branch. The first part of the road is asphalt, but after Şenyuva it is gravel and narrow.

The third route goes to Gito. Gito is not on the same ridge as Pokut. It's accessed through a separate valley, so if you want to drive from Pokut to Gito, you have to descend almost to Çamlıhemşin and then climb back up.

This last point ruins most people's plans. On the map, Pokut and Gito are only a few kilometers as the crow flies. By car, it takes two and a half hours. It's possible to go on foot over the ridge, and the scenery is spectacular, but that's another plan, which I'll explain separately below.

Summary rule: Ayder for one day, Pokut and Sal together for a day and a half, and Gito for another day. Three full days in total. If you try to squeeze it in less, you'll end up with a holiday where the time spent traveling outweighs the time spent enjoying the scenery.

Where to land, where to start?

This makes the most sense for those arriving by plane. Trabzon Airport. It's about two and a half hours from Trabzon to Ardeşen via the coastal road. There are no direct flights to Rize. Artvin If there's an airport, choose that one as it's closer to Ardeşen; it's about an hour's drive to Ardeşen.

Book your rental car at the airport. Rental options in Ardeşen and Çamlıhemşin are very limited and expensive. When renting, be clear about your plans: you'll be driving on a mountain road. Some companies include clauses prohibiting driving on paved roads in the contract, rendering the insurance invalid in case of an accident. You will have problems if you don't discuss this beforehand.

The type of vehicle is critical. You can easily reach Ayder with a sedan. Some people go up to Pokut, but you'll likely scrape the bottom of your car in certain sections of the road, and you're more likely to skid in the mud after rain. For Gito and Sal, a high chassis is almost mandatory.

If you don't have a vehicle, there are local drivers in Çamlıhemşin who provide transfers to the highlands. They generally use Ford Transit or pickup-type 4x4 vehicles. This is the smartest solution for Pokut and Gito. The price is discussed per vehicle and for a round trip, and varies depending on the season. If you ask the guesthouse where you'll be staying, they usually arrange a driver from their own acquaintances, and this is generally more affordable.

You can only easily reach Ayder by minibus. There are regular services from Ardeşen and Çamlıhemşin during the summer season. There is no public transportation to Pokut, Sal, and Gito.

Classic 4-Night Itinerary

This is the plan I recommend the most. It's neither tiring nor lacking.

Day 1: Arrival and Storm Valley

Aim to arrive in Ardeşen before noon. Go up to Çamlıhemşin, have lunch there, and get your supplies from the market. There are no markets further up the hill, and those that exist only sell basic necessities.

In the afternoon, enter the Storm Valley. The Şenyuva stone bridge is your first stop. It's arched, narrow, with a single span, and has stood there for centuries. Walk across it, and take photos from underneath.

Zilkale is the second stop and the most overlooked point on this route. This medieval castle, perched on a rock in the middle of the valley, is truly impressive when it emerges from the fog. You can go inside and explore the walls. It's about 15 kilometers from Çamlıhemşin, and the road is paved.

Spend the night in Çamlıhemşin or Şenyuva. Sleeping in guesthouses along the Fırtına River means waking up to the sound of the water. It's much quieter than Ayder.

Day 2: Ascent to Pokut

Leave early in the morning. The unpaved road from Şenyuva to Pokut is about 15 kilometers, but the journey takes about an hour and ten minutes. The road is narrow, two vehicles can barely pass each other, and you may need to make U-turns on some bends.

Road rule: On narrow plateau roads, vehicles going uphill have priority. If you encounter a vehicle going downhill, that vehicle should reverse. But on a bend without a barrier, there's no point in arguing; whoever is closer should reverse.

Arrive in Pokut around noon, settle in, and spend the afternoon walking around the plateau. Wander among the granaries, sit on the stones at the edge of the meadow. Fog will descend in the afternoon, so expect it to be a surprise.

You absolutely must spend the night in Pokut. That's the most important sentence of this route. Doing a day trip to Pokut, spending two hours in the fog, and then returning means you haven't seen Pokut at all. The real experience is in the morning.

Day 3: Morning Cloud Sea and Raft Walk

Wake up at five o'clock. Set an alarm; even if you're feeling lazy, get up anyway.

Between five and seven in the morning, you have the best chance of seeing Pokut in its famous state. The clouds are below you, the ridges are opposite. Islands It looks like this, but the color changes as the sun hits it. I tried this three times; it worked twice, but not once. I'd say there's about a sixty percent chance.

After breakfast, a hike to Sal Plateau. It's about two hours from Pokut to Sal via a trail. The path largely follows the ridge, with no serious climbing, but waterproof shoes are essential as the meadow is wet. The valley view that appears midway through the hike is, in my opinion, the best single shot of this route.

You can stop for lunch in Sal and return the same way. Or you can stay overnight in Sal and return the next morning. Sal is much quieter than Pokut and has fewer accommodation options, but they do exist.

Alternative: If you don't want to walk, Sal can also be reached by car via a paved road. It's about 8 kilometers from Pokut.

In the evening, return to Pokut or descend to Çamlıhemşin. If you plan to climb Gito the next day, descending to Çamlıhemşin will save you time.

Day 4: Gito Plateau

The ascent to Gito is approximately 30 kilometers from Çamlıhemşin and takes almost two hours. The last 10 kilometers of the road are heavily gravel; do not attempt it without a high-clearance vehicle.

Gito's character is different from Pokut. There's no cliffside drama here, instead wide, gentle, undulating meadows. It's one of the most suitable plateaus in Rize for camping. The plateau houses are more scattered, so there's almost no feeling of being crowded.

Stay a night in Gito. If the night sky is clear, there's another reason to look for the stars: light pollution is almost zero.

Day 5: Ayder and Return

Get off the bus at Gito in the morning, then turn onto the Ayder road from Çamlıhemşin. The road to Ayder is approximately 17 kilometers on asphalt.

To be honest about Ayder, it has deteriorated significantly in the last ten years. There's a lot of concrete construction, the crowds in the summer make walking difficult, and the density of shops is sometimes bothersome. Despite this, it's worth seeing because the hot springs are truly excellent, and the scenery remains stunning as you walk upwards.

What to do in Ayder:

• Enter the hot springs and spend at least forty minutes there.
• Walk for twenty minutes from the center towards Huser; the crowds disappear there.
• Try the path between Gölyanı and Aşağı Ayder.
• If you have the time, go up to Kavrun, but that requires a 4x4 and another half day.

You can arrive in Ardeşen in the afternoon and end your journey.

If you have less time

• For one night: Skip Zilkale and Şenyuva quickly on the first day, spend two nights in Pokut, and one night in Ayder. Leave Gito for another trip. Don't replace Gito with Sal, as you can reach Sal on foot from Pokut anyway.
• For one night: Just Pokut and Ayder. Focus on those two plateaus, don't bother with the third.
• For one night: Only Ayder and Zilkale. If you're thinking of a day trip to Pokut, give up; you'll just spend two hours in the fog and come back.

For those who want to do it on foot.

It's possible to leave the vehicle behind and do this route with a backpack, and I think that's the most satisfying way to do it.

• Classic trek route: A ridge trek starting from Şenyuva and extending through Pokut, Sal, Hazindak, and Amlakit to Elevit. It takes three to four days. You stay in a different mountain pasture each night; no tent is needed.
• Walking from Pokut to Gito It's a separate route and takes about four hours. The path isn't clearly defined, and it's very easy to get lost in foggy weather. Do it with a local guide or download an offline map and GPS track beforehand.
• Difficulty level: There's no technical climbing, but you need to be in good enough shape to walk 5 to 7 hours a day. Since the altitude varies between 1800 and 2100 meters, you'll get out of breath quickly compared to when you're on flat ground.
• Directory: There are mountain guides in Çamlıhemşin and Ayder who know the area. If you are going to the Kaçkar region for the first time and it is foggy season, I recommend hiring a guide. This is not a matter of comfort, but of safety.

Accommodation: What You Will Find

Pokut is the most developed accommodation point on this route. There are restored granaries and wooden mountain houses, some of which are quite well-maintained. Hot water is generally available, but the pressure is low. Heating is done by stove. There is no internet and no phone signal.

Sal is much simpler. A few families run homestays. Reservations are made by phone, usually through a single number.

Gito is somewhere in the middle. There's bungalow-style accommodation, and the campsites are spacious.

Ayder offers plenty of hotel and guesthouse options. Quality varies greatly. Read the reviews, but pay attention to this: a very common complaint in Ayder reviews is noise. If you stay close to the center, you can hear noise until late at night.

Booking schedule: For July and August, book at least a month in advance. For June and September, two weeks is enough. There are no guarantees during festival weeks.

Breakfast is included everywhere and is one of the nicest surprises of this route. Muhlama, minci cheese, their own butter, homemade jams, Egypt bread. Allow at least an hour for breakfast, don't rush.

When to go?

• The best time is the last ten days of June. The snowmelt is flowing, the meadows are in bloom, the huts are open, and the crowds haven't started yet.
• July is busy but lively. Festivals take place this month.
• The first half of August is the busiest period. You won't be able to find space to walk in Ayder.
• The first half of September is calm and beautiful. However, some of the mountain houses are starting to close, so get confirmation before you go.
• May and October are risky months. Roads can be closed, and many mountain houses are shut down.

Fog calendar: It's generally open between 7:00 AM and 10:00 AM. Fog sets in after 2:00 PM. Plan your schedule accordingly if you plan to take photos; don't expect great views in the afternoon.

Bag List

Over the years, I've listed the things I've missed the most.

• Fleece and windbreaker. Nighttime temperatures can drop to 8 degrees Celsius in midsummer.
• Waterproof trekking shoes. The meadow is always wet in the mornings.
• Raincoat. An umbrella is useless in the wind.
• Power bank The houses in the highlands have electricity, but there are power outages.
• Cash. There are no POS machines, and certainly no ATMs. Take your money in Çamlıhemşin.
• Insect repellent. Horseflies are a serious problem on July and August evenings.
• Headlamp. There's no street lighting in the highlands, which is necessary when going to the toilet at night.
• Offline map. If your phone has no signal, download Google Maps offline area or install a GPS app.

Common Mistakes

• Trying to cram everything into one day. That's the most common mistake and it ruins the whole route.
• A day trip to Pokut. You haven't seen Pokut until you've seen the morning.
• Mistaking Gito for Pokut. Different valley, different road, different day.
• Leaving without filling up the tank. There's no fuel after Çamlıhemşin.
• Trying to enter Gito with a sedan. Vehicles getting stuck on the road are seen every summer, and calling a tow truck is both expensive and time-consuming.
• Planning a photoshoot for the afternoon. Foggy weather.
• Determine the weather forecast based on coastal data. While Ardeşen might be sunny, Pokut could be foggy; the altitude difference is 1900 meters.

Frequently Asked Questions

• How many days does it take to visit Ayder, Pokut, Sal, and Gito? A relaxed pace for 4 nights and 5 days. A compressed version would be 3 nights. Don't try to see all four in less time.
• Is it possible to get to Pokut by regular car? Some people drive carefully in dry weather, but I don't recommend it. Absolutely not after rain. A 4x4 transfer from Çamlıhemşin is the safest option.
• How long does the walk between Pokut and Sal take? At a normal pace, it takes about two hours. With photo breaks, it takes two and a half to three hours.
• What are my chances of seeing a sea of ​​clouds? In the early morning, the chances are estimated at sixty percent. If you stay two nights, your chances increase significantly.
• Is this route suitable for a child? Ayder and Zilkale, yes. Pokut is also possible, but the road... çocuklar It's long and uncomfortable. Don't force Gito with a small child.
• Is there phone signal in the highlands? Partially in certain areas of Pokut and Gito. Almost none in Sal. Plan on the assumption that you won't be able to reach anyone and let someone know your location.
• Can I camp? There are suitable areas around Gito and Sal. However, the meadows are owned, so ask someone in the area for permission. Almost everyone responds positively.

This route awaits you.

The secret to planning a trip through the Rize highlands boils down to one word: slow down. This region punishes those who rush. If you try to take the route quickly, you'll get stuck; if you cram everything into your schedule, you'll encounter fog; and if you go for a day trip, you'll miss the real experience.

I am the best Black Sea I had this memory in Pokut, at five-thirty in the morning, sitting on the wooden steps with a cup of tea in my hand. No one spoke as the opposite ridge slowly emerged from the clouds. The elderly woman who owned the summer house next to me also came out and sat down, and we watched in silence together for a while. Then I asked, "Is it like this every morning?" "No," she said, "you came at a good time today."

That sentence summarizes the whole route. Allow enough time for a good coincidence.