To reach Akdamar Island from Van by public transport, you will need to hop on a series of minibuses just to get to the port. While I managed to do it successfully, it was one of the most challenging day trips of my entire Turkey trip.
Though I’d read information on several different web sites, my own experience turned out to be quite different. It seems that most transport advice posted online prior to 2020 is already out of date.
Your first goal of the day will be to find a dolmuş (minibus) bound from the town of Gevaş. And from my experience, these only leave from the main Van Otogar which is a few kilometers from the city center.
In the city center, there is a small dolmuş station that you can reach by walking north all the way along the main avenue, Cumhuriyet Caddesi. While it used to be possible to catch a Gevaş-bound dolmuş from here, that was no longer the case in 2020.
You can, at least, hop on a bus to the otogar from here for a couple of lira. On the way there, expect for the driver to make repeated stops to attract more passengers. And you might get dropped off several minutes on foot from the otogar itself.
Once there, walk through the parking lot and seek out a van with Gevaş on the window. There are dozens of vehicles, but walk around long enough and you should eventually find it. Tell the driver you want to visit Akdamar and step on the bus.
These minibuses will only depart once full, so expect to wait up to 30 minutes or so before departure.
The next steps are confusing, because there are TWO ports for Akdamar. From what I read online, the driver was supposed to drop me off at the first port for Akdamar Island before heading onward to Gevaş. And during the ride, I reminded him as we got closer to the port. But he told me to just stay on the bus.
He then drove all the way to Gevaş and told me I should get on ANOTHER minibus! (I believe this one was bound for the city of Tatvan.) I got on and after several minutes of waiting, we made our departure. Thankfully, the locals seated beside me were very helpful and made sure the driver dropped me off at the right place.
I got dropped off at the second port, which is actually closer to the island anyway. I have no way to confirm this, but I suspect that the first port may no longer be in use.
Once at the port, I was surprised to see lots of people waiting. Based on what I’d read online, my main concern for the day was there not being enough people and getting stuck waiting for hours.
Luckily, this was the easiest part of the day. I only had to wait around 10 minutes for the boat to depart, and there also seemed to be a steady stream of them coming and going throughout the day.
No ticket purchase is necessary, but you can pay the staff once you’re already on the boat. It cost around 20 TL at the time of my visit, and this also included return. To get back, you can hop on a ferry whenever you’re ready.
Sadly, getting back to Van was no easier.
Upon my return to the mainland, I waited along the highway for a dolmuş bound for Gevaş. But I waited and waited and nothing appeared.
I was the only person waiting for awhile, as most visitors come by car. After 25 minutes or so, some Turkish guys came to wait for the same bus. But still nothing came. We eventually agreed to split a taxi to town, but we had trouble finding one of those too! Thankfully, we successfully managed to hitchhike.
Finally back in Gevaş, I found the dolmuş back to Van and had to wait another 30 minutes or so for departure. Having left my hotel around 9 am and having spent two hours on the island, it was already 17:30 by the time I arrived back in central Van!
While I don’t know if I could’ve done anything differently, it seems best to get off at the first port if at all possible. That way, you can just walk over to Gevaş upon your return. The second port, in contrast, is too far to walk. But as mentioned above, the driver refused to drop me off there and I’m not sure if the first port is in operation at all.
So was all the effort and frustration worth going to Akdamar Island by public transport?
Transport for the entire day plus entry fee to the church cost me no more than 60-70 TL total, or less than $10 USD at the time. I have no idea how much a group tour would cost, but it’d undoubtedly be a lot more.
As I was traveling on a budget and had no other plans for the day, I don’t regret going by public transport. (Amazingly, this wouldn’t even be the most difficult day trip of my travels). But those with less patience may want to hire a tour or private driver.