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- Highland setting and sunrise hikes — The whole festival happens up on the yayla (high pasture), so you get wild mountain air, sweeping views and those fog-and-sunrise moments that make even a long bus ride feel worth it. Walking up to the plateau with locals, tents and livestock around you, gives the festival a raw, timeless feel you don’t get in city shows.
- Horon dancing circles — Fast, rhythmic group dancing from the Black Sea coast where feet, arms and breath sync into a contagious energy. Locals will pull you into the circle, teach a few steps and by the end you’re laughing through the exhaustion. Personal favorite: nothing bonds you to strangers faster than a rowdy horon circle.
- Live kemençe and folk music — The small, intense sound of the kemençe (fiddle) and the roll of local pipes
- Highland setting and sunrise hikes — The whole festival happens up on the yayla (high pasture), so you get wild mountain air, sweeping views and those fog-and-sunrise moments that make even a long bus ride feel worth it. Walking up to the plateau with locals, tents and livestock around you, gives the festival a raw, timeless feel you don’t get in city shows.
- Horon dancing circles — Fast, rhythmic group dancing from the Black Sea coast where feet, arms and breath sync into a contagious energy. Locals will pull you into the circle, teach a few steps and by the end you’re laughing through the exhaustion. Personal favorite: nothing bonds you to strangers faster than a rowdy horon circle.
- Live kemençe and folk music — The small, intense sound of the kemençe (fiddle) and the roll of local pipes set the soundtrack. Musicians improvise, singers call out lines and the music directly shapes the dances and mood—intimate, raw, and unlike polished concert stages.
- Traditional food and communal feasts — Expect big shared plates: melted cheese dishes like mıhlama/kuymak, roasted mountain lamb, flatbreads, homemade cheeses and endless Turkish tea. Eating together under the open sky is as much a ritual as the dances—simple, greasy, and deeply satisfying.
- Local contests, games and crafts — From shepherding demonstrations and horse displays to folk games and stalls selling handwoven textiles or local smoked cheeses, these activities showcase everyday mountain life. They’re a great way to see real traditions (and pick up a practical souvenir) without the tourist-gloss.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past decade, I’ve backpacked through 80+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.