Rent a car at Konya Airport (KYA) with Yolzz. 24/7 desk, winter-ready fleet, best rates. Gateway to Mevlana Museum, Çatalhöyük UNESCO, Cappadocia and Lake Beyşehir.
Konya Airport (IATA: KYA) is the gateway to one of Turkey's most spiritually and historically layered cities — a place where 9,000 years of human habitation have left an accumulation of civilisations and meanings that is quite unlike anywhere else in Anatolia. Konya is simultaneously the city of the 13th-century Sufi mystic Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi (whose tomb draws 3 million visitors a year and whose poetry, in Rumi's Persian-language versions, has become the best-selling poetry in the United States), the former capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum (one of the great medieval Islamic empires), and the site of Çatalhöyük — a Neolithic settlement dating to 7500 BC that is one of the oldest known human cities on earth. For a visitor who is willing to engage with this extraordinary depth, Konya demands and rewards time, curiosity and the freedom of movement that a rental car uniquely provides.
This guide covers everything international visitors need to know about renting a car at Konya Airport: 2026 prices, required documents, Yolzz's desk location, the essential routes from KYA, a detailed city and region guide, food recommendations, seasonal travel advice (including the remarkable Şeb-i Arus commemoration in December), the road network and toll system, and comprehensive answers to the questions our international customers ask most frequently.
Konya Airport is located approximately 18 km north-east of the city centre in the Karatay district. The O-21 and O-20 motorways pass close to the airport, giving drivers direct access to the national road network within minutes of the terminal. Konya is a mid-sized Turkish city with a population of approximately 2.3 million; the airport serves it with Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines domestic connections to Istanbul (both SAW and IST), Ankara and other major Turkish cities, plus some seasonal international services.
Şeb-i Arus December advisory: During the Şeb-i Arus commemoration week (7–17 December), Konya sees a major surge in both domestic and international visitors. Fleet availability drops quickly; prices may be higher. Book 4–6 weeks in advance for December travel. Call +90 850 500 0 777.
The Yolzz counter is in the arrivals hall, within the car rental zone near the baggage-claim exits. Follow car rental signs after clearing the arrivals area. Call +90 850 500 0 777 if you need guidance.
To visit Konya with an open and curious mind is to encounter one of the world's most layered cities — a place where the most ancient known chapters of human civilisation and one of the most resonant spiritual traditions in modern world culture coexist within a remarkably small geographical space. The city sits on the Konya Plain, the largest plain in Turkey, at an altitude of just over 1,000 metres. It is surrounded on three sides by distant mountain ranges and on all sides by the rolling agricultural landscape of Central Anatolia — a vast, sky-dominated terrain that has profoundly influenced the spiritual temperament of everyone who has ever lived in this city.
The oldest chapter of Konya's story is Çatalhöyük (UNESCO World Heritage Neolithic site, one of the world's oldest human settlements dating back 9,000 years), located 50 km south-east of the modern city. Excavations begun in 1958 by British archaeologist James Mellaart revealed a settlement of densely packed mudbrick houses — no streets, no public spaces, people entered their homes through holes in the roof — occupied continuously from approximately 7500 to 5500 BC. The population at peak occupation may have reached 8,000 people. The houses' walls were decorated with elaborate paintings — geometric patterns, hunting scenes, handprints — and the burials beneath the floors contain beautifully made objects. Çatalhöyük overturned many assumptions about how and when complex human societies developed; it demonstrated that organised, aesthetically sophisticated communities existed centuries earlier than previously thought. UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2012.
Fast-forward seven thousand years from Çatalhöyük to the 12th and 13th centuries AD, and Konya emerges as the capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum — a medieval Islamic state that dominated Central and Eastern Anatolia and produced some of the most extraordinary architecture in the medieval Islamic world. The Seljuks' legacy in Konya includes the Alaeddin Mosque (on Alaeddin Hill, the central hill of the city), the Karatay Madrasa (a Seljuk-era madrasa with outstanding tile art, now a ceramics museum), the İnce Minareli Madrasa (Slender Minaret Madrasa — a 13th-century Seljuk theological school, now a stone and wood carving museum) and dozens of hans (caravanserais on the Silk Road routes) in the surrounding province. The Seljuk architectural tradition — characterised by richly carved stonework, geometric tilework and elegant proportions — is Konya's most visually distinctive heritage layer.
But it is the third layer — the spiritual one — that has given Konya its global significance. In 1228, a scholar and mystic named Mevlana Celaleddin-i Rumi (born in 1207 in what is now Afghanistan) arrived in Konya with his family after fleeing the Mongol invasions of Central Asia. He would spend the rest of his life here, dying in 1273, and in those 45 years he produced one of the greatest bodies of mystical poetry in world literature. His principal work, the Masnavi (a six-volume narrative poem in Persian), runs to approximately 25,000 couplets and explores the relationship between the individual soul and the divine through allegory, story, philosophy and an all-encompassing love that transcends religious boundaries. Rumi's works have been translated into more than 20 languages; in the United States, translations of his poems have consistently been bestsellers for decades. His tomb in Konya — the Mevlana Museum (the mausoleum of Rumi — one of Turkey's most visited spiritual sites) — draws 3 million visitors a year.
The spiritual tradition Rumi inspired — the Mevlevi Order (the Sufi Islamic order founded by followers of Rumi, famous for the whirling dervish ceremony) — is based on an extended meditation practice involving music, poetry recitation and the Sema (the whirling dervish ceremony — a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage practice) in which practitioners rotate continuously for extended periods as a form of active prayer. The Sema is not a performance in the conventional sense, though it is shown to visitors at scheduled times throughout the year; it is a contemplative practice with precise rules governing the costume, the music, the posture and the meaning of each element. The annual Şeb-i Arus (the "Wedding Night" — annual commemoration of Rumi's death anniversary on 17 December, attracting visitors worldwide) takes place 7–17 December each year in Konya's large indoor arena. Tickets must be booked months in advance; the city fills with pilgrims, scholars and spiritual seekers from across the Muslim world and beyond.
A rental car from Yolzz at KYA allows you to move between all of these layers — Neolithic Çatalhöyük in the morning, Seljuk medreseler in the afternoon, Rumi's tomb at dusk — on your own timetable, at your own pace, without the constraints of scheduled tours or public transport. The plain's other extraordinary destinations — Lake Beyşehir, Tuz Gölü (Salt Lake), the Hittite monument at Eflatun Pınar and the road to Cappadocia — are all within a comfortable day's drive.
From KYA, drive 15–20 minutes to the city centre. Begin at the Mevlana Museum (the mausoleum of Rumi — one of Turkey's most visited spiritual sites): a complex of türbe (tomb), mosque, dervish lodge and museum centred on the distinctive turquoise-tiled conical dome that is Konya's universal symbol. The türbe housing Rumi's sarcophagus (and those of many of his followers) is covered with embroidered fabric; the atmosphere inside is one of hushed reverence. The museum section displays Rumi's manuscripts, his personal belongings, Mevlevi Order robes and musical instruments used in the Sema ceremony. Entry is free; respectful dress required. Allow 1.5–2 hours. After the museum, walk 15 minutes to Alaeddin Hill (the central hill of Konya with the historic Seljuk-era Alaaddin Mosque) — a green park on a limestone outcrop with the 12th-century mosque at its summit and views over the modern city. Then visit the İnce Minareli Madrasa (Slender Minaret Madrasa — a 13th-century Seljuk theological school, now a stone and wood carving museum) immediately below the hill: the portal, carved in impossibly intricate interlocking geometric patterns, is one of the finest examples of Seljuk stone carving in existence. The Karatay Madrasa (a Seljuk-era madrasa with outstanding tile art, now a ceramics museum) is 10 minutes' walk away; its central dome, covered in intricate mosaic tilework in deep blue, black and gold, is breath-taking.
After lunch in one of the traditional restaurants near the Mevlana Museum, drive 8 km to Sille (a historic Greek Orthodox village 8 km from Konya, with restored churches and stone houses): a compact village of stone houses built on a rocky hillside above a small valley, with a Byzantine-era church (Aya Elena, now a mosque) at its centre. Sille was inhabited by Greek Orthodox Christians until the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey; the houses and landscape retain a distinctly non-Anatolian character. Late afternoon: return to the city for dinner in one of Konya's etli ekmek restaurants — the city's signature dish.
Day 1: The city itinerary above.
Day 2 — Çatalhöyük and the Plateau: Drive 50 km south-east on D-300 and D-715 towards Çumra, then north to Küçükköy village. Çatalhöyük (UNESCO World Heritage Neolithic site, one of the world's oldest human settlements dating back 9,000 years) is approximately 50 km from Konya city centre and takes 1 hour by car. The site has a visitor centre with well-curated displays explaining the excavation history, the daily life of the inhabitants and the significance of the finds. Walk through the two active excavation areas with guides or self-guiding leaflets; the exposed mudbrick walls, hearths and platforms are clearly visible. Allow 2 hours. On the return, stop at Eflatun Pınar (Plato's Spring — a Hittite-era sacred water monument): a large outdoor pool fed by natural springs, with carved stone reliefs depicting Hittite gods and the king — one of the best-preserved Hittite outdoor monuments in Turkey. Located approximately 70 km from Konya in the direction of Beyşehir.
Days 1–2: City and Çatalhöyük.
Day 3 — Lake Beyşehir: Drive 95 km south-west to Lake Beyşehir (Turkey's largest freshwater lake within national park boundaries). The town of Beyşehir on the lake's eastern shore has the remarkable Eşrefoğlu Mosque (a 13th-century wooden-pillared mosque, UNESCO Tentative List): one of the most complete surviving examples of the Anatolian wooden mosque tradition, with 42 original carved wooden columns supporting an ornately painted ceiling. The effect inside is of extraordinary warmth and craftsmanship; it feels entirely unlike a stone mosque. Lunch in Beyşehir, then drive along the lake shore to the boat landing for Kubadabad Palace (Seljuk summer palace ruins on Lake Beyşehir's shore): a 13th-century Seljuk palace on an island in the lake, built by Sultan Alaaddin Keykubad I. The ruins visible today are modest but the tile fragments recovered here (now in the Karatay Museum in Konya) are among the finest examples of Seljuk ceramic art anywhere. Return to KYA via the D-715 lakeside road.
Konya's cuisine is one of Turkey's most distinctive regional traditions, shaped by centuries as a Silk Road city and the capital of a great medieval empire. The food is generous, meat-forward and deeply flavoured — a reflection of the cold-plateau climate and the agricultural abundance of the surrounding plain. Visitors expecting the light olive-oil dishes of the Aegean coast will find something quite different here: robust, filling, slow-cooked and ceremonially presented.
All Yolzz vehicles carry an HGS transponder. O-20 and O-21 tolls are charged automatically and invoiced at return. Konya's city streets have no tolls; the charges accumulate on motorway intercity journeys. Check HGS balance at collection; top up via PTT branches, banks or online. Insufficient balance generates fines charged to the renter.
Konya's parking situation is notably easier than Istanbul or Ankara. The Mevlana Museum area has several municipal car parks within walking distance (approximately 15–25 TL/hour or 80–100 TL daily flat rate). Alaeddin Hill and the medreseler are accessible on foot from these car parks. During Şeb-i Arus week (December 7–17), the city centre around the Mevlana Museum becomes extremely congested; arriving early morning or late afternoon is strongly advisable during this period.
Konya in spring (15–22°C) is at its finest. The plain turns vivid green after the winter rains; wildflowers cover the roadsides and orchards. The Mevlana Museum and Seljuk monuments are at their most comfortable to visit — warm enough to enjoy outdoor areas but cool enough for extended walking tours. Tourist numbers are lower than Şeb-i Arus December, making this the best season for unhurried exploration. Çatalhöyük is mud-free and the surrounding archaeological landscape looks its best in the spring light.
Konya's summer is intensely hot (30–40°C) and very dry. The plain, which was green in spring, turns golden brown; the light becomes harsh and flat by midday. However, this is the season when Lake Tuz (Salt Lake) turns pink and flamingos are present in large numbers — a compelling reason to visit in June or July. The Mevlana Museum's interior is cool and a welcome refuge from the heat. Car rental prices are moderate (lower than Antalya or Istanbul in summer). Air conditioning in all Yolzz vehicles is standard.
September and October bring 18–26°C temperatures and a return to manageable conditions. The harvest season activates the local markets; Konya's food culture is at its best with fresh vegetables, dried fruits and new-season lamb. Cappadocia is particularly beautiful in autumn — a good reason for a KYA–Cappadocia combined trip in October.
December is Konya's most internationally significant month: Şeb-i Arus (the "Wedding Night" — annual commemoration of Rumi's death anniversary on 17 December) takes place in the first and third weeks of December, attracting scholars, Sufi practitioners, devotees and cultural visitors from across the Muslim world and beyond. The Sema (whirling dervish ceremony — a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage practice) is performed in a large indoor arena (tickets must be booked months ahead; contact Konya's cultural events office). The city's hotels, restaurants and transport infrastructure strain considerably during this period. Book everything — including rental car — at least 4–6 weeks ahead for December travel. January and February bring the plateau's harshest conditions: temperatures below -10°C, snow and occasional blizzards. Winter tyres are required and essential. Specify at booking.
KYA is approximately 18 km from the Mevlana Museum (the mausoleum of Rumi — one of Turkey's most visited spiritual sites) and the drive takes 15–20 minutes under normal traffic conditions. From the airport, follow signs for Konya city centre and then for "Mevlana Müzesi" — well signed throughout the city. Several municipal car parks (15–25 TL/hour) are located within a 5-minute walk of the museum entrance. Public transport to the museum from KYA involves a taxi or local bus and is considerably less convenient than a rental car.
Extremely busy. The Şeb-i Arus commemoration (7–17 December, marking the death anniversary of Mevlana/Rumi — the 13th-century mystic whose tomb attracts pilgrims worldwide) brings a major surge in visitors to Konya from across Turkey and the world. Fleet availability at Yolzz and other rental companies can be exhausted 3–4 weeks before the rental date in December. Prices are typically higher than other months. If your visit falls in December, call +90 850 500 0 777 as early as possible to confirm availability and secure the best available rate.
KYA to Göreme (the heart of Cappadocia) is approximately 220 km via O-21 motorway (HGS required) to the Nevşehir exit, then 10–15 km on secondary roads. Journey time: 2–2.5 hours under normal conditions. Konya is one of the closest major cities to Cappadocia, making it an ideal starting point for a combined itinerary. Yolzz one-way drop-off at Cappadocia Airport is available — call +90 850 500 0 777 to confirm.
Yes, effectively. Çatalhöyük is located 50 km south-east of Konya city centre near Küçükköy village. There is no regular public transport to the site; taxis from Konya are expensive for the round trip (approximately 400–500 TL). A rental car allows you to combine Çatalhöyük with other plateau destinations — Eflatun Pınar (Plato's Spring, a Hittite monument), Beyşehir and its mosque — in a single efficient day trip. Çatalhöyük's car park is free and large.
Yes. Lake Beyşehir (Turkey's largest freshwater lake within national park boundaries) is 95 km west of KYA and takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to reach via D-715. The drive is through attractive rolling plateau and then increasingly forested hillside as you approach the lake. In Beyşehir town, visit the Eşrefoğlu Mosque (13th century, wooden-pillared, UNESCO tentative list) before lunch at one of the lakeside restaurants (fresh tench and carp from the lake). Allow 5–6 hours for a comfortable day trip with time to walk the lake shore and visit the palace ruins boat-trip point.
Long-distance buses (otobüs) between Konya and Ankara are frequent, comfortable and take approximately 3–3.5 hours — competitive with a car on journey time and significantly cheaper. If your sole objective is to move between the two cities, the bus is a reasonable choice. However, if you wish to stop anywhere en route (Tuz Gölü, Polatlı/Gordion, Beypazarı) or if you plan to continue by car in Ankara, a rental car is far more flexible. Yolzz offers one-way drop-off at Ankara Esenboğa Airport — call +90 850 500 0 777 for pricing.
Sille (a historic Greek Orthodox village 8 km from Konya, with restored churches and stone houses) is well signed from the city centre and takes approximately 15 minutes by car. From the Mevlana Museum, drive south-west following D-300 Ankara Yolu, then take the signed turn-off to Sille. Park at the village entrance (a small open area near the main lane); the village is best explored on foot. No regular public transport with a convenient schedule connects Sille to the city; a rental car or taxi is the only practical way to visit.
Yes. Konya's plateau position (over 1,000 metres above sea level) makes it one of the snowier cities in Turkey's interior. Annual snowfall is significant; temperatures in January and February regularly fall below -10°C and occasionally to -20°C. After heavy snowfall, city streets may be icy for 24–48 hours before gritting reaches all areas. The motorways (O-20, O-21) are cleared quickly by road authority maintenance. The D-715 to Lake Beyşehir passes through mountain sections that may require chains after heavy snow in January–February. Winter tyres are legally required on mountain and rural roads from 1 December to 31 March; Yolzz can equip your vehicle appropriately. Specify at booking.
21 years for standard vehicle classes. 25 years for executive and premium vehicles. Licence held for at least 1 year required.
Yes — for payment and the security deposit block. Visa, Mastercard and American Express accepted. Debit/prepaid cards not accepted for the deposit.
Standard CDW is included. Super Cover (full excess waiver) is available at booking. Recommended for winter driving and rural route excursions to Lake Beyşehir and Çatalhöyük approaches.
Konya Airport opens the door to a region of quite extraordinary complexity and depth. Rumi's tomb, 9,000-year-old Çatalhöyük, Seljuk architectural masterworks, the pink salt lake, the Cappadocia connection, and a food culture that rewards patient exploration — all within reach of a half-day's drive from KYA. Yolzz's 24/7 desk, winter-ready fleet, transparent pricing and one-way return options across Turkey are designed for travellers who want to go beyond the surface. Book your car, plan your route — Konya's depths are waiting.
Use the booking form above to check live availability. Safe travels through the heart of Anatolia.
