Rize Travel Guide
How to plan a visit to Rize — the terraced, tea-covered hills of Turkey’s far north-eastern Black Sea coast, and the natural gateway to the Kaçkar Mountains highlands beyond.
Rize is the provincial capital of Turkey’s tea country, built on a steep slope facing the Black Sea in the country’s far north-east. The entire province is blanketed in tea terraces that climb almost every hillside right down toward the water, kept permanently green by some of the wettest weather in Turkey. The town itself sits at the edge of the coastal highway, with the valleys behind it climbing inland toward the Kaçkar Mountains.
For travellers, Rize works mostly as a gateway and a coastal base rather than a beach resort in its own right. In town, a walk through the tea gardens on the hill above the centre, a look around the hilltop Rize Castle, and a visit to the terraced botanical garden — linked to the seafront by a cable car — cover the main sights, alongside the bazaar in the centre. Rize is also, quite simply, the reason nearly all of Turkey’s tea exists: these hillsides supply most of the country’s domestic production, and a glass of tea here is poured from bushes you can see out the window. The Black Sea cornmeal-and-cheese dish kuymak, also called muhlama, is the other thing the region is known for.
This guide covers the top things to do in and around Rize, when to visit given the near-constant rain, how to get there, and where to stay if you are using the town as a base for the highlands.
Top things to do in Rize
Walk up into the tea gardens that cover the hillside directly above the town centre — much of it working farmland rather than a formal park, and all the greener for it. Ride the cable car linking the seafront to Rize Botanical Garden, laid out across a former tea-terraced slope with views back down over the rooftops to the sea. Climb to Rize Castle for the same view from a different angle, and wander the main square and bazaar below. Değirmenler Vadisi, a valley of old stone watermills a short drive from the centre, makes an easy half-day detour. Use Rize as the springboard for a day trip inland to Çamlıhemşin and Ayder, and try kuymak alongside the endless glasses of tea the region is famous for.
When to visit Rize
Rize is one of the wettest cities in Turkey, and some rain falls here in every month of the year — this is exactly what keeps the tea terraces so green. May and June, and again September, offer the best balance: warm enough for walking, with the countryside at its lushest and rainfall a little less relentless than in the depths of summer or winter. July and August are warmer and busier, with more going on around town. Winter is cool and wet, and heavy rain or snow can close the mountain roads inland toward Ayder and the Kaçkar foothills, so check conditions before planning a highland day trip outside the summer months.
How to get to Rize
Rize–Artvin Airport (RZV), built on land reclaimed from the sea between Rize and the neighbouring town of Pazar, is the closest gateway, around 25–30 minutes from the town centre by road. Trabzon Airport (TZX) is a further alternative to the west, roughly an hour to an hour and a half away, and is worth checking if it offers a better connection for your dates. Either way, a private transfer along the coastal highway is the simplest way in.
Where to stay in Rize
Basing yourself in Rize town puts you close to the castle, the tea gardens and the botanical garden, with easy access to the coastal highway in both directions. If the Kaçkar Mountains and the Fırtına Valley are the main draw, it is just as workable to treat Rize as a one- or two-night coastal anchor at either end of a trip and push straight on to Çamlıhemşin or Ayder for the highland stretch, rather than commuting inland each day.
Know before you go
Rize is Turkey’s tea-growing heartland — the hillsides around town are almost solid tea terraces.
Rize–Artvin Airport (RZV), built on reclaimed land between Rize and Pazar, is the nearest gateway; Trabzon Airport (TZX) is a further alternative.
Rize Castle and the hillside botanical garden, linked to the seafront by cable car, are the top in-town sights.
Değirmenler Vadisi, a valley of old stone watermills, makes an easy detour from the centre.
It rains here in every month of the year, so a waterproof matters more than the calendar.
Most visitors use Rize as a coastal base or stopover before heading inland to Ayder and the Kaçkar foothills.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rize worth visiting?
Yes, particularly as part of a wider eastern Black Sea trip. Its tea-terraced hillsides, castle views and easy access inland to the Kaçkar Mountains make it a useful and distinctive stop, even though it is not a beach or nightlife destination.
What is Rize known for?
Tea. Rize province produces the great majority of Turkey’s tea, and the hillsides around the town are almost entirely given over to terraces of tea bushes. The town is also known as the gateway to the Kaçkar Mountains and the Fırtına Valley.
How do you get to Rize?
Fly into Rize–Artvin Airport (RZV), about 25–30 minutes from the town centre, or Trabzon Airport (TZX), roughly an hour to an hour and a half away, then take a road transfer along the coastal highway.
What is the weather like in Rize?
Wet in every season — Rize is one of the rainiest parts of Turkey. May, June and September offer the best balance of green scenery and calmer weather; winter brings cooler, wetter conditions and can close mountain roads inland.
Can you visit Ayder from Rize?
Yes. Çamlıhemşin and the Ayder plateau sit inland from Rize up the Fırtına Valley, and are commonly visited as a day trip or as the next stop after a night or two on the coast.
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