Rent a car at Ankara Esenboğa Airport (ESB) with Yolzz. 24/7 desk, winter-ready fleet, transparent pricing. Ideal for Anıtkabir, Cappadocia, Hattusa and Beypazarı.
Ankara Esenboğa Airport (IATA: ESB) is the gateway to Turkey's capital city — a metropolis that surprises most visitors who arrive expecting a dull administrative centre and find instead one of the most culturally rich, historically layered and intellectually vibrant cities in the country. At 5.7 million people, Ankara is Turkey's second-largest city; it generates approximately 8% of the country's GDP and houses the national parliament, all foreign embassies and diplomatic missions, Turkey's major public universities, and a concentration of government ministries that ensures a constant flow of business and official travel. For all of these visitors — and for tourists coming to explore the extraordinary heritage sites within a few hours' drive — a Yolzz rental car from ESB is the most practical and time-efficient way to move.
The argument for renting a car in Ankara is particularly compelling because of what lies within a two-to-four-hour drive: Hattusa (Hattuşa, the UNESCO-listed capital of the ancient Hittite Empire, 200 km north-east), Gordion (the ancient capital of Phrygia and the site of the legendary Gordian Knot, 75 km west), Beypazarı (an Ottoman-era town famous for silversmithing and historic houses, 90 km north-west) and Cappadocia (the extraordinary landscape of volcanic tufa formations and rock-cut churches, 290 km south-east). None of these can be meaningfully explored by public transport at the pace and flexibility that turns a trip into a genuine discovery. This guide provides everything you need to know about renting a car at ESB, driving in Ankara and making the most of Central Anatolia's remarkable heritage.
Esenboğa Airport sits on a plateau 28 km north of Ankara city centre, in the district of the same name. The approach from the city is via the O-99 Ankara Ring Road, which connects directly to the airport access road. Esenboğa is a medium-sized airport operating a single terminal for both domestic and international departures. Despite its relatively modest size compared to Istanbul's airports, it handles over 20 million passengers annually and serves as the second-busiest airport in Turkey. Turkish Airlines operates an extensive domestic and international network from ESB; Pegasus Airlines, SunExpress and several foreign carriers complement the schedule.
Domestic routes from ESB connect Ankara to Istanbul (both IST and SAW), İzmir, Antalya, Trabzon, Diyarbakır, Erzurum, Van and all other major Turkish cities. International routes include direct services to European capitals, Middle Eastern destinations and Central Asian republics — reflecting Ankara's importance as a diplomatic and governmental hub.
Winter premium: Winter-tyre equipped vehicles carry a small surcharge in November–March. Specify your winter tyre requirement at booking; supply is limited during peak winter months. Call +90 850 500 0 777 in advance.
The Yolzz counter is in the arrivals hall, within the car rental zone near the baggage-claim exits. After clearing passport control or customs, follow the car rental signs — Yolzz is clearly marked. Call +90 850 500 0 777 if you need guidance from any point in the terminal.
Ankara is one of the world's great surprise destinations. Visitors who arrive expecting a grey, bureaucratic capital — and many do, conditioned by decades of travel writing that dismissed Ankara in favour of Istanbul — encounter instead a city of genuine intellectual vitality, unexpected beauty, remarkable museums and an extraordinary position as the nodal point of Central Anatolia's staggering historical landscape. To understand Ankara properly, you need to understand Turkey's history; and understanding Turkey's history begins with understanding Anatolia — the great land mass that forms the bulk of the country — as the stage on which some of the most consequential episodes of human civilisation were played out.
Ankara itself was known in antiquity as Ancyra or Ankyra — a name derived from the Greek word for anchor, possibly referring to the rocky outcrop on which the city's ancient citadel stands. The city was settled in the Bronze Age, occupied by the Phrygians (builders of the legendary Gordion, 75 km west), incorporated into the Lydian and then Persian empires, liberated by Alexander the Great in 333 BC, and subsequently the capital of the Galatian Kingdom — a Celtic state established by Galatian tribes who migrated from Europe to Anatolia in the 3rd century BC. The Romans built Ancyra into a prosperous provincial capital; the Temple of Augustus (Augustos Tapınağı) in the city's old quarter contains a valuable Latin inscription recording Augustus's res gestae (a list of his achievements) — one of the most important surviving Latin texts from the ancient world.
After centuries as a modest Seljuk and then Ottoman provincial town, Ankara's destiny was transformed in the early 20th century. When Mustafa Kemal Atatürk chose it as the base for the Turkish national resistance movement against the Allied occupation of Istanbul (1919–1923), and then as the capital of the newly proclaimed Turkish Republic on 29 October 1923, Ankara was little more than a market town of 20,000 people surrounded by steppe. The transformation over the following century — into a planned modern capital of 5.7 million — is one of the most dramatic urban developments of the 20th century. Walking between the old district of Hamamönü (with its restored Ottoman wooden houses) and the monumental modernist avenues of Çankaya is to walk between two entirely different historical epochs within the space of twenty minutes.
Anıtkabir (the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey — Turkey's most important national monument) is the city's essential destination and, for Turkish visitors, a pilgrimage site of profound national significance. The mausoleum was built between 1944 and 1953 on a prominent hill commanding views across the city. The approach is via a long ceremonial Lion's Road, flanked by Hittite-inspired lion statues, leading to an open courtyard surrounded by colonnaded halls housing a museum of Atatürk's personal effects, correspondence and the story of Turkey's foundation. The scale is deliberately monumental; the effect is genuinely moving regardless of the visitor's nationality or political opinions.
Equally essential — and arguably the more purely intellectual experience — is the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi — one of the world's best archaeology museums, covering 10,000 years of Anatolian history), housed in a beautifully restored 15th-century Ottoman bedestan (covered market) and adjoining caravanserai in the old city. The museum's collection progresses chronologically from the Palaeolithic through the Chalcolithic, Early Bronze Age, Assyrian, Hittite, Phrygian, Urartian, Greek and Roman periods — displaying the finest objects from the sites you may visit during your time in the region, including original Hittite sculptures from Hattuşa. It has been named Europe's best museum on multiple occasions by the Council of Europe. Entry approximately 250 TL; allow 2–3 hours.
Ankara Castle (Ankara Kalesi — a Byzantine and Ottoman-era fortress with panoramic views) rises directly behind the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations, its basalt walls visible from most points in the old city. Inside the walls, the Hisar district is a neighbourhood of restored Ottoman houses, craft workshops, antique shops and rooftop cafés where the views extend across the entire city. The castle's defensive towers and walls date primarily to the Byzantine period (7th century AD) but incorporate older masonry; the interior has been lived in and built over continuously since antiquity.
Hamamönü (a restored historic Ottoman district with traditional cafés and craft shops) is immediately below the castle, a neighbourhood of carefully restored 19th-century wooden Ottoman houses — painted in subtle ochres, greens and blues — now housing tea houses, art galleries, small restaurants and craft shops. It is Ankara's most atmospheric and photogenic district and has been developed as a heritage area since 2009. Çankaya (the presidential and diplomatic district of Ankara), a wealthy residential hillside suburb south of the city centre, houses the Presidential Palace complex and most of Ankara's foreign embassies; driving through its wide, tree-lined avenues gives an impression of the capital's formal, institutional character at its most polished.
From ESB, drive 28–35 minutes to Anıtkabir (the Mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkey's most important national monument). The mausoleum is open daily from 09:00; entry is free. Allow 1.5–2 hours for the ceremonial precinct, the museum halls and the Lion's Road approach. Photographs are permitted throughout; respectful dress is expected. After Anıtkabir, drive 15 minutes to Ulus (the old city district) for the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (one of the world's best archaeology museums, covering 10,000 years of Anatolian history). Spend 2–3 hours here. After the museum, walk up the short hill to Ankara Castle (Ankara Kalesi — a Byzantine and Ottoman-era fortress with panoramic views) for views over the city from the battlements. Descend into Hamamönü (a restored historic Ottoman district with traditional cafés and craft shops) for lunch at one of the courtyard restaurants serving traditional Ankara cuisine. In the afternoon, drive to Kızılay (Ankara's central commercial and dining district) for a walk along Tunalı Hilmi Avenue and its surrounding streets, which concentrate much of the city's best independent restaurants, wine bars and café culture. Evening: dinner in Kızılay or Çankaya.
Day 1: The Ankara city itinerary above.
Day 2 — Beypazarı and/or Gordion:
Days 1–2: Ankara city and day-trip destination above.
Day 3 — Hattusa (Hattuşa) UNESCO: Drive north-east from Ankara towards Çorum, approximately 200 km and 2.5 hours. Exit for Boğazköy / Sungurlu and follow signs to Hattusa (Hattuşa — the UNESCO-listed capital of the ancient Hittite Empire). The Hittites were one of the great powers of the ancient Near East — contemporaries and rivals of Egypt under Ramesses II (the Battle of Kadesh, c. 1274 BC, was the largest chariot battle in recorded history). Hattusa was their capital from approximately 1650 to 1180 BC; its ruins extend across several square kilometres of hillside and include the Great Temple, the Royal Gate, the Lion Gate, the Sphinx Gate, and the astonishing Yerkapi (a 71-metre corbelled tunnel through the earthworks). The scale of the site requires a car to move efficiently between the separate excavation areas. Entry approximately 250 TL. After Hattusa, drive 2 km to Yazılıkaya (a rock-cut Hittite sanctuary near Hattusa): a natural rock chamber carved with remarkable reliefs of the Hittite pantheon — 65 gods and goddesses in procession. Compact, powerful and very well preserved. Return to Ankara via Çorum (a pleasant town with a good archaeological museum covering Hittite period finds). Total driving: approximately 400 km; a full but rewarding day.
Ankara's food culture reflects its position as Turkey's political and intellectual centre: serious, diverse and drawing on the full range of Anatolian culinary traditions without the theatrical performance of Istanbul's restaurant scene. The city's meyhanes (traditional taverns), wine bars and independent restaurants are genuinely good; the street food of the old city and the esnaf lokantaları (worker's cafeterias serving traditional home-cooking at modest prices) are among the most rewarding eating experiences available in Turkey.
All Yolzz vehicles are equipped with an HGS transponder. Tolls on all motorways are deducted automatically from a pre-loaded balance and invoiced to the renter at return. Check the balance at collection and top up if needed via PTT branches, banks or the government HGS portal. Insufficient balance generates fines (typically 3–5× the normal toll). For ESB-based travel, the O-99 ring road charges are modest; the O-21 to Cappadocia incurs the highest accumulated tolls. Ask our desk team for an estimate before a long journey.
Ankara's plateau position (890 metres above sea level) means genuine winter. December, January and February regularly see snowfall; temperatures routinely fall to -10°C or below. The O-99 and motorways are gritted quickly after snowfall; city centre arterials are cleared within hours. However, residential streets, the Hamamönü district, and approaches to outlying sites (Hattuşa, Gordion) may remain icy for extended periods. Winter tyres are legally required on certain road types from 1 December to 31 March in Ankara province; Yolzz can equip your vehicle appropriately. Specify at booking.
Ankara in spring (15–22°C) is at its most pleasant. The city's numerous parks and public gardens come into flower — tulips were a particular obsession of the Ottoman court, and Ankara maintains the tradition with impressive municipal planting. The plateau air is crisp and dry after the winter rains; visibility is extraordinary and the light on Anatolian ruins at this time of year is beautiful. Spring is the best season for visiting Hattuşa (the site is muddy in winter but magical in warm spring sunshine), Beypazarı (the Saturday market in full activity) and the open plateau routes to Gordion.
Ankara's summer is hot (28–35°C) and notably dry — the city sits on a rain shadow plateau and receives very little precipitation in summer. The lack of humidity makes the heat more bearable than coastal destinations; a breeze usually moderates the afternoon temperatures. Business travel to the capital continues year-round; tourist numbers in summer are actually lower than spring, making this a surprisingly uncrowded time for visiting Anıtkabir and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations. Car rental prices are generally lower in summer than in winter (when demand for winter-tyre-equipped vehicles rises).
September and October bring 15–24°C temperatures with excellent visibility for long drives. The plateau turns golden with harvest colour; the drive to Hattuşa through the rolling agricultural plains of the Çorum province in October is one of Central Anatolia's finest journeys. Kızılcahamam's forest turns vivid red and gold. November brings the first chill; prepare for cold evenings.
Ankara in winter can be severe — snowfall, black ice and temperatures below -15°C occur every year. The city functions throughout (the government does not stop for snow) and the gritting and ploughing infrastructure is well developed. Anıtkabir in snow is an unusually atmospheric experience; the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations is warm and uncrowded. Winter tyres are essential for any driving in Ankara province between December and February, including city streets after snowfall. Specify at booking; Yolzz can equip your vehicle appropriately.
From ESB, take the O-99 ring road south and follow signs for Anıtkabir (Turkey's most important national monument — the mausoleum of Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey). Total distance: approximately 28–30 km; journey time 30–40 minutes under normal traffic. Car parking at Anıtkabir is large, free and well organised. The site opens at 09:00; arriving before 10:00 avoids the tour group coaches that arrive later in the morning.
Yes. Turkish traffic regulations require winter tyres (kış lastiği) on vehicles driving on mountain roads and in areas of declared winter conditions between 1 December and 31 March. In Ankara province, this effectively means all road types after snowfall. Yolzz can equip your vehicle with winter tyres; specify at booking as stock is limited and demand peaks in November–December. Call +90 850 500 0 777 in advance to guarantee availability.
ESB to Göreme (the centre of Cappadocia) is approximately 290 km via O-21 south to Nevşehir. Under normal traffic conditions: 3–3.5 hours. The O-21 motorway is fast and well-maintained; HGS is required. After Nevşehir, the final 10–15 km to Göreme is on secondary roads. Departing ESB at 09:00, you can be exploring the Göreme Open Air Museum by lunchtime. Yolzz offers one-way drop-off at Cappadocia Airport — call +90 850 500 0 777 to confirm.
Kızılay (Ankara's central commercial and dining district) has a dense concentration of business and retail activity; daytime parking on its main streets requires patience. The most practical option is to use a nearby AVM (shopping centre) car park — Kızılay AVM, Karum and Armada all have large underground car parks within walking distance of the main area. Hourly rates typically 10–20 TL. Çankaya (the presidential and diplomatic district) has wider residential streets with blue-kerb paid parking zones; street spaces can usually be found within a 5-minute walk of most destinations. The İSPARK app helps locate available spaces in real time.
Yes, easily. Beypazarı is 90 km from ESB and approximately 80 km from Ankara city centre — about 1 hour 15 minutes on a mix of D-140 and local roads. Departing by 09:00 gives you 3–4 comfortable hours in the town (Saturday market, silversmith workshops, Ottoman houses, local breakfast of Beypazarı kurusu and fresh carrot dishes) and allows a relaxed return to Ankara by early afternoon. If you combine it with a stop at Beypazarı's Roman-era remains, allow an extra hour.
Approximately 260 km via O-20 Ankara–Konya Motorway; 2.5–3 hours under normal conditions. O-20 is a modern, fast dual carriageway with HGS toll plazas. Konya city centre (Mevlana Museum area) is approximately 10 km from Konya Airport at the far end of the O-20 journey. Yolzz offers one-way drop-off at Konya Airport — call +90 850 500 0 777 to confirm availability and pricing.
O-4 Ankara–Istanbul Motorway westbound is the fastest route, covering 230–235 km in approximately 2–2.5 hours. HGS is required on O-4. Eskişehir's Odunpazarı district (a UNESCO Tentative List historic neighbourhood of restored Ottoman wooden houses) is the main visitor destination; navigation apps will direct you there from the motorway exit.
From ESB, drive north-east on D-750 towards Çorum; exit for Sungurlu and follow signs to Boğazköy / Hattusa. Total distance: approximately 200 km; 2.5 hours. A large car park (free) is located at the site entrance. The site is extensive — several square kilometres of excavated ruins spread across a hillside. Drive between the major gate complexes (Great Temple, Lion Gate, Sphinx Gate, Yerkapi tunnel) rather than trying to walk the entire circuit. Allow 3 hours for a thorough visit. Then drive 2 km to Yazılıkaya (a rock-cut Hittite sanctuary near Hattusa) for a further hour. Return via Çorum for a museum stop (Çorum Museum has excellent Hittite period displays). Total round trip from Ankara: approximately 400 km; a full day.
21 years for standard economy to saloon classes. 25 years for executive and premium vehicles. Licence held for at least 1 year is required.
Yes — for payment and the security deposit block. Visa, Mastercard and American Express accepted. Debit/prepaid cards are not accepted for the deposit.
Standard CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) is included. Super Cover (full excess waiver) is available as an optional extra at booking and is recommended for winter driving and rural route excursions.
Ankara Esenboğa Airport sits at the centre of one of the world's most historically significant regions. Anıtkabir and the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations are world-class destinations in their own right; Hattuşa, Gordion, Beypazarı and Cappadocia extend the possibilities into a week or more of extraordinary travel. Yolzz at ESB provides the flexibility, the winter-ready fleet and the 24/7 support to make the most of every day you have in Central Turkey.
Use the booking form above to check live availability. Safe travels in the heart of Anatolia.
