Getting Around Sivas: An Overview
Sivas is a moderately sized city in central Turkey, set in the broad valley of the Kızılırmak river. It is a communications hub for the north–south and east–west trade routes, and its historic role as a rail junction linking Ankara, Kayseri, Samsun and Erzurum still shapes how visitors move in and out of the city today. For getting around town, you'll rely mainly on buses, taxis and your own two feet; for reaching Sivas from elsewhere, rail and air are the main options.
Arriving by Train
Sivas railway station sits about two kilometres southwest of the town centre on Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu Bulvarı. It is the historic station, completed in 1934 and modernized in the early 2020s, and it serves both conventional and high-speed trains.
High-speed YHT trains run from Ankara to Sivas three times daily, with the same return times, and two of them start from Istanbul. They run via Kırıkkale and Yozgat, and tickets can be bought online from TCDD. Conventional trains from Ankara also run daily via Kayseri; these have couchettes and a sleeping car, and some carry a buffet, but it's wise to bring your own rations rather than rely on it.
Sivas is also a junction for longer-distance services heading east and south. The Van Gölü Express continues eastwards to Elazığ and Tatvan, from where there are buses and an occasional ferry to Van, and onward trains to Tabriz and Tehran in Iran. The Güney Kurtalan Express runs via Malatya to Diyarbakır and Kurtalan. The Doğu Express runs via Divriği, Erzincan and Erzurum to Kars, and there is also a twice-daily regional train between Erzincan, Divriği and Sivas. A regional train connects with the YHT, leaving Sivas in the late afternoon to reach Malatya in the evening, with the westbound train leaving in the morning. A regional Hattı train runs daily from Samsun on the Black Sea coast via Havza and Amasya, departing both ways in the morning.
One practical caveat for onward travel: the YHT trains have not speeded up journeys to the eastern cities, with the exception of Malatya, and making connections in Sivas can be awkward. If your itinerary depends on a tight change of trains, allow generous time.
Arriving by Bus
Direct buses run from Istanbul several times a day, otherwise you change in Ankara. Buses from Ankara run frequently throughout the day. They may continue east to Erzincan and Erzurum, southeast to Elazığ, Tatvan and Van, or south to Gaziantep and Adana. The main operator on these routes is Flixbus; another is Metroturizm.
Sivas Intercity bus station (Sivas Şehirlerarası Otobüs Terminali) is about two kilometres south of the town centre, just off Highway D200. It is modern, clean and spacious.
Getting Around by Bus
Local town buses are the workhorse of public transport in Sivas, and the network is straightforward enough for a visitor to use once you know which lines serve your destination. Several routes pass the train station: 1-A, 1-B, 1-D, 2-A and 2-B. Almost all bus lines go to the coach station, with the exceptions of 6-A, 6-B, 6-C, 11-B and 11-C.
A few routes are useful for specific landmarks. Lines 6-B, 6-C and 11-B pass Sivas Police Headquarter. Line 6-C and 11-B pass the Eğriköprü, a historical bridge, while 2-A and 2-B pass the Kesikköprü, another historical bridge. Lines 5-A and 5-B pass the Tomb of Abdulvahhabi Gazi. If you're heading to Cumhuriyet University, take 11-B or 11-C.
There is no metro or tram network in Sivas; the city's public transport is bus-based, supplemented by rail for intercity journeys.
Taxis
Taxis are readily available and a practical option for short hops, especially if you're carrying luggage or arriving late. Fares are metered, with a flagfall plus a per-kilometre charge. As a rough guide to relative cost, a ride to the city centre costs more from the bus station than from the railway station, and considerably more from the airport, which is the furthest of the three. The source material does not indicate whether ride-hailing apps are in use in Sivas, so plan on hailing a taxi in the street or at a rank rather than relying on an app.
Walking
The town centre is compact enough that many of Sivas's sights are within reasonable walking distance of one another. The city contains many examples of 12th- and 13th-century Seljuk architecture, including the Great Mosque (Ulu Cami), the Sifaiye Medresesi, and the Buruciye Medrese, Çifte Minare Medresesi and Gök Medrese, all with elaborate entrance portals. Ottoman-era landmarks such as the Kale Camii, the Kurşunlu Hamamı and the Behrampaşa Hanı are also in the city. Note that the railway station and the intercity bus station both lie a couple of kilometres from the centre, so you'll likely want a bus or taxi for those legs rather than walking with bags. Sivas has a humid continental climate with warm, dry summers and cold, snowy winters, so winter walking calls for proper footwear and warm layers.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Sivas Nuri Demirağ Airport (VAS) receives two flights a day from Istanbul (both IST and SAW), and there is a flight from Izmir most days. The airport is big enough for its limited flights and has car hire available on site.
For reaching the city from the airport, the taxi is the obvious option, and it is the most expensive of the common taxi runs into town — noticeably more than from either the railway station or the bus station. If you'd rather not take a taxi, arrange car hire at the airport or check with your accommodation about transfers, since the source material does not describe a dedicated airport bus service.
Practical Tips
- Buy YHT train tickets online through TCDD before you travel, especially in peak periods.
- On conventional trains, bring your own food and drink rather than counting on the buffet car.
- Remember that most town bus lines serve the coach station, but 6-A, 6-B, 6-C, 11-B and 11-C do not.
- Use lines 1-A, 1-B, 1-D, 2-A or 2-B if you need to reach the train station by bus.
- Budget for taxis being cheapest from the railway station, mid-range from the bus station, and most expensive from the airport.
- Allow extra time for train connections in Sivas, as onward links to the eastern cities have not been speeded up by the high-speed line.