How long does it take to drive from Ankara to Mengen?

The drive from Ankara to Nesilce Tatil Köyü takes about 2.5 hours (about 230 km, depending on where you leave Ankara and your route). The road follows the Anatolian Motorway to Gerede, then the D-100 and the D-750 to Mengen.

Can you get from Ankara to Yedigöller without going through Bolu?

Yes. After Gerede you head to Mengen and from there to Yedigöller via Yazıcık. This is the route used when the Bolu-Yedigöller road closes because of snow in winter, so a visitor from Ankara enters the park from the same side all year round.

Is there a toll-free road between Ankara and Gerede?

Yes. The D-750 state road reaches Gerede via Kahramankazan and Kızılcahamam and is toll-free. It is slower than the motorway because it passes through towns, but it is handy if you want to stop in Kızılcahamam on the way back.

Which is the riskiest stretch in winter when coming from Ankara?

The climb after Kızılcahamam and the Gerede plateau. This stretch is higher than both Ankara and the Mengen valley, so snow, ice and fog usually appear here first. Before setting off, check with the KGM road information line (0312 449 91 99) and carry snow chains, a tow rope and wheel chocks.

Does a day trip from Ankara to Yedigöller make sense?

It can be done, but it is tiring: about 2.5 hours to Mengen, close to an hour of forest road from Mengen to the park, and the same back, which means nearly seven hours of the day behind the wheel. Staying one night lets you use the morning hours in the park.

Where can you stop on the way back to Ankara?

Lake Yeniçağa, very close to the Mengen turn-off, is good for birdwatching, while Soğuksu National Park and its visitor centre in Kızılcahamam are a good stop for families with children. If you return via Bolu, you can add Gölcük or Abant to the programme.

Bungalow Near Ankara: Gerede, Mengen and Yedigölle

Drivers heading from Ankara to Mengen never enter Bolu or the Bolu Mountain Tunnel. Turning north after Gerede, this route reaches Yedigöller from the side that stays open in winter too.

How do you get from Ankara to Mengen and Yedigöller?

The most practical way from Ankara to Mengen in Bolu is to take the Anatolian Motorway (O-4) past Gerede, then turn north onto the D-750 at the junction near Yeniçağa and follow it to Mengen. The drive to Nesilce Tatil Köyü takes about 2.5 hours (about 230 km, depending on where you leave Ankara). From the property, Yedigöller National Park (the "Seven Lakes") is a further 48 km.

The big advantage of this route for drivers from Ankara is that you never enter central Bolu or the Bolu Mountain Tunnel. The stretch where holiday and weekend traffic jams up the most stays off your route. What is more, the Mengen side is the entrance to Yedigöller that stays open in winter too.

In this guide you will find the route options, the turn-off after Gerede, good stops along the way, what to watch out for on the Gerede plateau in winter and weekend plans built around leaving from Ankara. If you are coming from Istanbul, the route is completely different; for that, see our Istanbul to Mengen driving guide.

Which route: motorway or state road?

Route	Road type	Advantage	Drawback
O-4 Anatolian Motorway → Gerede → Mengen turn-off	Toll motorway + state road	The fastest option, no driving through towns	Motorway toll (HGS); breaks only at service areas
D-750 (Kahramankazan – Kızılcahamam – Gerede) → Mengen	Toll-free state road	No toll, easy to stop in Kızılcahamam	Slower because it passes through towns
Bolu loop on the way back: Mengen → Bolu → O-4 → Ankara	State road + motorway	Adds Gölcük or Abant to the return	A longer journey; the Bolu area can be busy at weekends

On the way out, the motorway makes most sense for most people from Ankara: you leave the city on İstanbul Yolu, join the Anatolian Motorway at Akıncı and reach Gerede after passing the Kızılcahamam and Çamlıdere junctions. The toll-free D-750 is a good alternative, especially on the way back, if you want to stop in Kızılcahamam.

After Gerede: the last half hour

Once past Gerede, you are aiming for the junction where the D-100 meets the D-750 towards Mengen and Zonguldak. This junction is close to Yeniçağa:

On the motorway, pass the Gerede and Dörtdivan junctions and leave at the Yeniçağa junction; the sign reads Yeniçağa, Zonguldak and Bartın. (Leaving at the Gerede junction and heading west on the D-100 also brings you to the same turn-off.)
Follow the D-100 for a short distance, then turn north onto the D-750, following the signs for Mengen, Devrek and Zonguldak.
This last stretch takes about half an hour; the road descends from the plateau towards the Mengen valley.

Simply entering Mengen in your navigation app is enough. Drivers from Istanbul use the same turn-off too, but they reach it from the west, after crossing Bolu Mountain and passing Bolu.

Where can you stop along the way?

Kızılcahamam and Soğuksu National Park. Familiar to everyone in Ankara, Kızılcahamam is the first and easiest stop on the route. According to Kızılcahamam Municipality, the Soğuksu National Park Visitor Centre is a nature museum displaying specimens of the park's plants and animals; the fossil tree, the cinereous vulture, the Atatürk pine and the mountain tulip are highlighted as the park's symbols. It is a good stop on the way back for families with children.
Motorway service areas. The service areas between Kızılcahamam and Gerede are fine for a fuel and coffee break without leaving the motorway.
Gerede. This is the last large town before the Mengen turn-off. If you will arrive late in the evening, it is practical to fill up and do your grocery shopping here.
Lake Yeniçağa. Lying very close to the D-100 between the Yeniçağa junction and the Mengen turn-off, the lake is one of Bolu's key stops for birdwatchers. According to the 9th Regional Directorate of Nature Conservation and National Parks (DKMP), the lake was approved as a wetland of national importance on 25 December 2014; 217 bird species have been recorded there, and it has a bird observation hide, a floating jetty and two viewpoints. The lake lies at an altitude of about 991 m.
Mengen town centre. The district, known as Türkiye's "land of chefs", is the last stop on the road for late Friday arrivals; let the property know your arrival time in advance.

Bungalow accommodation in the forest in Mengen, Bolu, for guests driving from Ankara

Mengen to Yedigöller: the natural way in from Ankara

Yedigöller can be entered from two sides. According to Kültür Portalı, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's portal, the park lies 42 km north of Bolu; it can also be reached by a 45 km road that branches off at the 10th kilometre of the Mengen-Devrek road. In winter, when the Bolu-Yedigöller road is closed by snow, access is via Yeniçağa-Mengen-Yazıcık or Devrek-Yazıcık. The same source gives April to November as the best time to visit the park.

For someone coming from Ankara the conclusion is clear: taking the Bolu-side road only makes the route longer; the Mengen-Yazıcık line is both more natural and the same all year round. The road from Nesilce to the park is 48 km; as it is a forest road, allow at least an hour for the drive.

What should you watch out for on the Ankara-Gerede-Mengen road in winter?

For drivers coming from Ankara, the critical stretch in winter is not Bolu Mountain but the climb after Kızılcahamam and the Gerede plateau. Gerede is noticeably higher than both Ankara and the Mengen valley, so snow, ice and fog usually start here first. For altitude and temperature differences, see our Mengen and Yedigöller weather guide. Once you drop down to Mengen the weather is usually milder, but the road to Yedigöller climbs again.

Check before you leave. KGM (the General Directorate of Highways) recommends getting route information before setting off in winter: the road information line 0312 449 91 99, or the closed roads query service on e-Devlet. For the Yedigöller road, the National Parks Bolu Branch Directorate: 0374 215 52 81.
Snow chains, a tow rope and wheel chocks in the car. KGM's note on snow and ice operations recommends carrying these. The same note states that roads may be closed temporarily in blizzards, that road salt does not melt snow and ice below -9 °C and that snowploughs should not be overtaken.
Winter tyres. An amendment published in the Official Gazette on 4 October 2025 extended the winter tyre requirement for vehicles used in intercity passenger and goods transport to the period from 15 November to 15 April. Private cars are not covered, but do not cross the Gerede plateau in winter without winter tyres.
Cross the plateau in daylight. Between December and February, leaving on Saturday morning instead of Friday evening lets you cross the highest stretch in daylight.
The winter route is already your route. In winter the park is reached via the Mengen-Yazıcık line, and someone coming from Ankara joins this line directly from Gerede. Details are in our article on getting to Yedigöller in winter.

How does the Ankara route change with the seasons?

The road from Ankara to Mengen is the same all year; what changes are the conditions on the road and in the park. The table below sums up what to be ready for in each season.

Season	On the road	Yedigöller side	Tip
Spring (March-May)	In March there is still a chance of snow and morning ice on the Gerede plateau	According to Kültür Portalı, the best period for visiting begins in April	Watch for ice on early-morning departures
Summer (June-August)	Free-flowing road, long days	Cool forest, busy weekend picnics	Leaving on Friday evening is easy; check the governor's decisions on forested areas
Autumn (September-November)	Fog and rain; first snow possible in November	Colours usually peak between mid-October and 15 November; busy at weekends	Use the early-Saturday plan
Winter (December-February)	Snow, ice and blizzards on the Gerede plateau	The Bolu-side road is closed; access via the Mengen-Yazıcık line	Drive in daylight, carry chains and check before setting off

Three practical notes for leaving Ankara

Check your HGS balance. Motorway tolls are paid with HGS (Türkiye's electronic toll tag); setting off with a tag that has too little credit can cause a surprise on the way back.
Take your first break early. Kızılcahamam comes roughly an hour into the drive. A short stop here lets families with children cross the Gerede plateau rested.
Plan dinner for an evening arrival. If you will arrive late on Friday, plan dinner on the road or in Mengen town centre; the meal included in your stay is the Turkish village breakfast the next morning.

A 2-night weekend plan from Ankara

Day	Time	Plan
Friday	18:30	Leave after work, once the first rush on İstanbul Yolu has passed
Friday	Around 21:00	Arrive in Mengen; let the property know your arrival time in advance
Saturday	Morning	Turkish village breakfast, fill flasks and water bottles
Saturday	09:00	Set off for Yedigöller via Yazıcık (48 km)
Saturday	10:00-15:00	Walks between the lakes, lunch break, photos
Saturday	16:00	Head back before dark, evening in Mengen
Sunday	Morning-12:00	A relaxed morning walk, breakfast, check-out (12:00)
Sunday	12:30-17:00	Lake Yeniçağa → Gerede → stop in Kızılcahamam → Ankara

Traffic entering the city on İstanbul Yolu can build up on Sunday evenings; aiming to be back in Ankara before the evening shortens the return.

If one night is enough: leave early on Saturday

06:30 leave Ankara, pass through Mengen at around 09:00.
Continue to the park via Yazıcık without stopping at the property; Yedigöller at around 10:00.
15:00 leave the park, check in at around 16:00 (check-in from 14:00).
Head home on Sunday morning after breakfast.

This plan is the shortest way, especially in autumn, to catch the morning hours before the park entrance gets busy.

The Bolu loop on the way back

If you would like to see Bolu as well, drive down from Mengen to Bolu on Sunday (about 50 minutes, 55 km); after a stop at Gölcük Nature Park or Lake Abant, return to Ankara on the Anatolian Motorway. The drive from Nesilce to Abant takes about 1 hour 10 minutes.

Which room should visitors from Ankara choose?

Couples: A standard bungalow (2-3 guests) or a standard hotel room (2 guests).
Families and groups of friends: A duplex bungalow with a living room and a large terrace (4-6 guests).
Institutions, clubs and student groups: Nesilce can host groups of more than 60 people at the same property with a combination of bungalows and hotel rooms; details are on the groups and corporate stays page.

Every stay includes a Turkish village breakfast, free parking and Wi-Fi. You can compare the room types on the bungalows in Bolu page.

How do you book?

Settle your dates and the number of guests; mention it if you will arrive late on Friday.
Call +90 507 922 11 18 or message us using the WhatsApp button on the contact page.
If you prefer to book online, our official listings are: Airbnb · Hotels.com.
For winter dates, check the road conditions separately before setting off.

Sources

Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Türkiye, Kültür Portalı – Yedigöller National Park
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, DKMP 9th Regional Directorate – Lake Yeniçağa, Bolu: Wetland of National Importance
Kızılcahamam Municipality – Soğuksu National Park Visitor Centre
General Directorate of Highways (KGM) – Snow and Ice Operations
e-Devlet – Closed Highways Query
Official Gazette, 4 October 2025 – Communiqué amending the procedures and principles on the compulsory use of winter tyres

To check availability for the weekend you are planning to drive over from Ankara, call +90 507 922 11 18 or message us using the WhatsApp button on the contact page.

Bungalow Near Ankara: Gerede, Mengen and Yedigöller Route