Urartian Kingdom (The peoples of the hills)

Urartian Kingdom(The peoples of the hills),and a walking-based week there makes total historical sense. Below is a 1-week Urartian walking tour in Van, designed for slow travel, short daily walks, time for study, and landscapes that help you feel the Iron Age.

Urartian Walking Tour in Van

7 Days / 6 Nights – Van Basin & Lake Van

Theme: Kingdom of Urartu (9th–6th c. BC)

Base: Van city (with one night near Çavuştepe)

DAY 1 – Arrival & Introduction to Urartu

Van City Walking Tour

Walk: ~ 4 km (easy)

• Van Museum (Urartian halls)
• Van Castle lower slopes (intro walk)
• Urartian irrigation canals (Shamram Canal section)
• Lecture: Urartu, water control & highland power

Overnight: Van

DAY 2 – Tušpa (Van Castle) | Urartian Capital

Walk: ~6 km (moderate)

• Full ascent of Van Castle (Tušpa)
• Rock-cut royal tombs (Argishti I, Sarduri II)
• Cuneiform inscriptions
• Citadel summit walk overlooking Lake Van
• Sunset walk along the citadel ridge

Overnight: Van

DAY 3 – Shamram Canal & Rural Urartian

Landscape

Walk: ~8–10 km (easy–moderate, linear walk)

• Walk alongside Shamram (Menua) Canal
• Ancient hydraulic engineering still in use
• Agricultural landscape interpretation
• Village stops along the canal route

Overnight: Van

DAY 4 – Çavuştepe (Sardurihinili)

Walk: ~5 km (moderate)

• Transfer to Çavuştepe Fortress
• Walk between Upper & Lower Citadels
• Temple of Haldi
• Urartian storehouses, cisterns
• Short countryside walk around the fortress

Overnight: Çavuştepe area or Van

DAY 5 – Lake Van Urartian Shoreline

Walk: ~6–7 km (easy)

• Lakeside walk near Van–Edremit
• Observation of Urartian defensive siting
• Discussion: Urartu & Lake Van trade routes
• Optional swim / rest by the lake

Overnight: Van

DAY 6 – Ayanis Fortress (Rusahinili Eidurukai)

Walk: ~5 km (moderate uphill)

• Walk up to Ayanis Fortress
• Temple complex & palace remains
• Panoramic views of Lake Van
• Comparative study: Tušpa vs Ayanis

Overnight: Van

DAY 7 – Memory, Decline & Legacy

Walk: ~3–4 km (easy)

• Return walk to Van Castle foothills
• Final discussion: fall of Urartu & successors
• Free time for reflection, photography
• Departure

Key Urartian Sites Covered

 

• Tušpa (Van Castle) – capital
• Shamram Canal – hydraulic system
• Çavuştepe – royal fortress
• Ayanis – late-period stronghold

Walking Profile

• Daily average: 5–8 km
• Terrain: rocky paths, gentle slopes, citadel climbs
• Difficulty: moderate, suitable for heritage walkers

Best Season

• May – June