One of Türkiye's most scenic rail journeys is back for another winter. The Touristic Eastern Express, the sleeper train that links the capital Ankara with Kars in the country's far east, will run 70 trips across the 2026-2027 winter season, and individual tickets go on sale on 26 October through TCDD Taşımacılık, the state rail operator.
The season runs from 21 December 2026 to 10 March 2027 for the Ankara-Kars direction, with return journeys operating between 23 December 2026 and 12 March 2027. Trains leave Ankara on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, while the Kars-Ankara service departs on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays — 35 trips in each direction in total.
What sets this train apart from a regular long-distance service is the built-in sightseeing. Eastbound passengers get stops in Erzincan and Erzurum, two historic cities in eastern Anatolia, while those heading back west break the journey at Iliç in Erzincan province, Divriği in Sivas province — home to the UNESCO-listed Divriği Great Mosque — and Sivas itself. The route crosses snow-covered steppe and mountains, and the winter timetable is timed for the region's most atmospheric weeks.
On board, the train is set up for the long haul: sleeper cars with 10 cabins each, every cabin sleeping two, plus a dedicated dining car serving meals throughout the trip. The full Ankara-Kars run takes roughly a day and a half, which is exactly why the cabins and dining car matter.
The destination is half the appeal. Kars is a frontier city near the Armenian border, known for its Russian-era architecture, honey-coloured kasar cheese, and the nearby medieval Armenian ruins of Ani. Erzurum brings Ottoman and Seljuk monuments plus a serious winter sports scene, and Erzincan sits in the Euphrates valley with easy access to mountain landscapes.
For travellers, the practical takeaway is timing: ticket sales open on 26 October, and this train has a habit of selling out fast once word spreads, especially around the New Year period. If a slow, scenic rail trip across eastern Anatolia with proper beds and meal service appeals, mark the date and book through TCDD's official sales channels as soon as they open.
